What a difference 32 ic's per meter makes

Kaden

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What a difference 32 ic's per meter makes

It is a completely different effect and very cool.
 

dannyp

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What a difference 32 ic's per meter makes

Hi guys can you tell me which type / brand of strip this is?

Thanks
 

fasteddy

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Re: What a difference 32 ic's per meter makes

DannyP said:
Hi guys can you tell me which type / brand of strip this is?

Thanks
The strip used is just individual controlled LED strip which comes in different LED/IC counts and different IC types, so below there is a link to 3 types available that are all 5vdc and have 8 bit dimming.
But personally i would use either the 2801 or 2811 and there is even the 2811 that has 60 LED/IC/Metre
2811 4 metres strip with 60 LEDs/IC/m
2801 5 metres strip with 32 LEDs/IC/m
1809 5 metres strip with 30 LEDs/IC/m
 

angus40

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this strip is tls 3001 :) not the cheapest , but i would say they are definitely worth the extra cost .

The colors are spot on I have the tls 3001 strings also and they look perfect side by side.

as Eddy suggests there is others to choose from , i would think twice about the 60/per meter if running full strips, those are current suckers you will need power injection at every turn with them.

also these strips i am using are 5v, power injection is of concern here also .
However I will be cutting them up so i won't have much worry.

i think this type of strip ,no matter which ic you choose is perfect for a matrix . the pixels are nice and close together and individually controllable.

when i get so time i will create a small matrix with them to scroll text and see how they work out.

Cheers
Richard
 

dannyp

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What a difference 32 ic's per meter makes

Thanks for the info guys. With the strips, would you suggest the ones with the silicon coating or silicone tube? I think they are both IP 65 but do you have any views on which ones would stand up to the sun and rain better? Also on Rays website he has flexible neon lights. I am thinking of using this for an outline on a sleigh I am making. Any experience or info with this product?
 

Bill Ellick

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Re: What a difference 32 ic's per meter makes

DannyP said:
Thanks for the info guys. With the strips, would you suggest the ones with the silicon coating or silicone tube? I think they are both IP 65 but do you have any views on which ones would stand up to the sun and rain better? Also on Rays website he has flexible neon lights. I am thinking of using this for an outline on a sleigh I am making. Any experience or info with this product?

I want to jump in and make the recommendation that folks use RGB strips that are inside the silicone tubing.
I have been running tests on different sealants on the electricial connections for RGB strips since March of this year and have noticed that the strips that are just silicone coated have "glazed over" from the long exposure out in the weather while the pieces of test strip that are silicone coated but are inside some of the silicone tubing are still quite clear and in very good shape. The silicone coated strips are also quite brittle and show signs of the coating starting to crack in places. The glazing effect makes it almost impossible to see the LEDs inside the coating anymore and certainly will make the light output intensity drop significantly as well.
I hope to get a better reply on the forums soon about the exposure as well as the sealant conditions for all to see. So far the sealants show that neutral silicone is holding up the best while the hot glue was the first failure and has peeled right away from the electrical connections.
Bill
 

fasteddy

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I agree with your findings Bill, I have found the silicone tube has not yellowed after 2 years, but the solid silicone has yellowed, it still looks great at night and if anything just disperses the light a bit more. I havent noticed any brittleness on this strip but I suspect the strip you may be talking about is the resin dip type that is mainly obtained from Ebay because its so cheap.

I have tried many types of strip in the past and have come to the conclusion that the silicone tube is the best to use for my needs because:
  • Repaired very easily or easy to replace a damaged section
  • The 2811 silicone tube strip is only $32 for 5 metres making by far the cheapest option
  • The lower IP rating is due to the ends of the tube covering the strip which can easily be improved with some additional silicone
  • It does not yellow or get brittle
  • Easier to cut and rejoin/solder or add a plug
the disadvantages to using silicone tube strip compared to solid silicone

  • Very delicate and can be easily damaged if strepped on, sat on, twisted or kinked
  • Does not disperse the light as well as the solid silicone
  • If water gets in then you can damage many sections due to the water travelling down the tube.
I mount all my strip on a substrate like 25mm conduit or corex, this ensures it does not get damaged.
 

dannyp

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What a difference 32 ic's per meter makes

Looks like silicone tubing is the way to go.

Anyone use the flex neon?

Many thanks
 

angus40

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like anything else you need to protect it from the uv rays , use silicone spray or carnauba wax on it will prolong the life of most anything out in the elements . :)

i even waxed bare metal to protect it from rust as well as uv .

Cheers
Richard
 

miw01

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Anyone got a link to these 3001 strings?



angus40 said:
this strip is tls 3001 :) not the cheapest , but i would say they are definitely worth the extra cost .

The colors are spot on I have the tls 3001 strings also and they look perfect side by side.

as Eddy suggests there is others to choose from , i would think twice about the 60/per meter if running full strips, those are current suckers you will need power injection at every turn with them.

also these strips i am using are 5v, power injection is of concern here also .
However I will be cutting them up so i won't have much worry.

i think this type of strip ,no matter which ic you choose is perfect for a matrix . the pixels are nice and close together and individually controllable.

when i get so time i will create a small matrix with them to scroll text and see how they work out.

Cheers
Richard
 

fasteddy

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The 3001 strings are only good value if you plan to use a controller that can adjust dimming levels like the E68x because a 12 bit string/strip will still only dim at 8 bit because the DMX data is 8 bit. So a 2801 or 2811 string/strip will have the exact same dimming steps as a 3001.
 
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