WS2811 Strobes with Arduino

[Benslights]

yes it would be good to see if anyone has a video using rays strobes. im interested in going this way now myself

 

[kane]

yes it would be good to see if anyone has a video using rays strobes. im interested in going this way now myself

I wouldn't bother - they're very average, especially when comparing to the ACL strobes.

Ray's guys messed with Alan's design, and they're only about a third of the brightness that they should be.. I got a couple hundred last year, but didn't bother using them..

 

[Benslights]

yeah I have 250 of them also from last year that I did not use. but I want to use them this year

 

[SmartAlecLights]

i'll try an come up with a simple little box (pre-programed) so you just have to plug it in an it will work..

 

[Benslights]

that would be awesome alec

 

[drlucas]

I have seen the build book once upon a time for the ACL strobes, but don't know where to get the boards for them? Are these generally available at all??

yes it would be good to see if anyone has a video using rays strobes. im interested in going this way now myself

I wouldn't bother - they're very average, especially when comparing to the ACL strobes.

Ray's guys messed with Alan's design, and they're only about a third of the brightness that they should be.. I got a couple hundred last year, but didn't bother using them..

 

[Benslights]

no they are not I tried to get some of them last year. seems to have been a once off buy

 

[drlucas]

Dang!! Ok - I'm over the other side of the pond in Canada but definitely want to add some strobes for the show this year. I tried some knock off Ray strobes and they were really bad off the arduino. The ACL strobes looked like a pretty easy build and crazy bright.

 

[Benslights]

have you seen twinkles video in this post they look ok to me

 

[drlucas]

I thought they looked pretty good in the video. I tried to run another 5v rgb 2811 controlled string using the same code and was really underwhelmed.


http://youtu.be/5H9A0Fo5msk

dont laugh at video too much

 

[kane]

no they are not I tried to get some of them last year. seems to have been a once off buy

There has been a couple group buys on the ACL strobes, the last one was in 2012 organised by FastEddy.

I am sure if there was enough interest and someone offered to organise the group buy, it could be done again!

 

[dougd]

I used 200 of the Ray strobes in my display last year, underwhelming is a very good definition for them. In my videos from this past year you can barely see them at all. Mine were intermingled in my mega tree. Maybe if they flashed against something, like a roof they would look better.

 

[SmartAlecLights]

I thought they looked pretty good in the video. I tried to run another 5v rgb 2811 controlled string using the same code and was really underwhelmed.


http://youtu.be/5H9A0Fo5msk

dont laugh at video too much

i dont know where you got your code from but that looks crap to the version of code i have here.
will post in a sec

 

[SmartAlecLights]

Ok here we go..
i decided to go extra cheap this time an used a $3 mini arduino

top left is the 12v to 5v voltage regulator
top right is the DMX module
Bottom is the Arduino Mini Pro
an here is the Video of it
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/48217835/pixels/MVI_0032.AVI
http://youtu.be/UHGiG-SXw2Q

Here is the Arduino code i used
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/48217835/pixels/WS2811_Strobes.zip
you still need - Fast Led2 library https://github.com/FastLED/FastLED/archive/archive/FastSPI_LED2.zip
an the Conceptinetics library for the DMX side of things http://sourceforge.net/projects/dmxlibraryforar/
Enjoy

 

[Benslights]

well for a few dollars im going to give it a go.