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Where do I start


jjohnston

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I have never done anything remotely like this before.  Where do I start?

I would like to decorate my house for Christmas using these products.  My basic first thought is to keep it simple.  I would like C9 (or similar) lights on the top of my roof line, some smaller lights in the trees and bushes.  Thought about some figures in the yard, but those could wait I suppose if needed.

So I would like to have my roof line red, the trees Green, and bushes, maybe Blue, then after 30 secconds or whatever they all change, so the roof is now green, trees blue, and bushes red or something like that.

I would like the ability to make them twinkle maybe so I think I need the cosmic pixel lights?

What all do I need to even start looking at, or what would a setup like this even cost.  I wasn't sure if there was a good way to figure out what all I needed to buy to get this type of setup going.

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Whereabout in MN?

There's the annual Minnesota Mini get-together next weekend in Buffalo.

It's a great place to get some bizarre ideas from a bunch of strange people.

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Your main decision is whether to using single color or rgb light strings.

Before RGB technology, you strung two or more different colored strands together  1 controller channel would turn on blue, then another channel would turn on blue and so forth.  Since this is generally  done with 120v strings, you would be looking at a LOR ctp16.

With dumb RGB strings/strips they can change to what ever color you want.  With dumb RGBs you control the color of the entire string/strip.  With smart RGB, each bulb or section of a strip can be individulally controlled. For dumb RGB, generally 12v so the appropriate LOR controller would be the cmb24d.  Jumbping into smart rgb is another whole world and wouldn't recomend it for a beginers.  I'm gettting into it in my 3rd year.

For twinkling, you don't have to limit yourself to Cosmic Color Bulbs/Strips.

The entire display doesn't have to flash or change colors.  So using static lighted yard figure/ornaments is very appropriate.

 

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Sometimes, I think that too many static lights and figures can ruin the effect of darkness. When sequencing, especially with normal lights, your lights will be off 75% of the time.

However, I think it can look really good with some figures illuminated static.

 

I did smart pixels my first year. When I first got them I was a little confused about wiring, but after that it was easy. I had dumb RGB before I had LOR, and that is also really easy to program, setup and looks great. At current prices though, a strip of dumb RGB is about the same as a strip of 50 pixels from China.

 

LOR now sells the Pixcon16, which is a pixel controller that allows you to use cheaper pixel strips and strings (And more) from China and vendors other than LOR. This way is a lot more complicated than using LOR CCDs (Cosmic Colour Devices), and you have to learn about DMX (Digital Multiplex) and sACN E1.31 (Streaming Architecture for Control Networks). If you can afford it, use CCDs, but many of us now choose the other method, or do both.

 

You can twinkle or shimmer a normal light string, but the whole string (Or channel) will change. With CCDs, each bulb can twinkle independently for a very different effect.

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If you are just getting into this and need some time to understand the concepts, how channels, effects, and what you want your display to do. The best thing you have done is ask the question. Read the forums and search youtube for different shows. Everyone will give you advice, it's free. Take the advice and understand what works best for you. Straight LED lights and controllers are the easiest to learn and maintain, it will get progressively harder as you get into Dumb RGB and finally smart pixels. Some will do different effects and others won't be able to do it at all.

I have three sets of different color LEDs (R, G and White) along my roof line controlled by LOR ctp16.  This allows me to have 1, 2 or all three colors on at the same time.  A set of dumb RGB wouldn't allow it and smart pixels would be a lot of work to coordinate.

Start small and continue to grow as you feel more comfortable.

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8 hours ago, mcha said:

I have three sets of different color LEDs (R, G and White) along my roof line controlled by LOR ctp16.  This allows me to have 1, 2 or all three colors on at the same time.  A set of dumb RGB wouldn't allow it and smart pixels would be a lot of work to coordinate.

Start small and continue to grow as you feel more comfortable.

I agree 100% with the grow as you feel comfortable part.  When it becomes anything but fun, take a step back and maybe jettison the last few "great ideas" you had.

I have a different take on the roof line, though.  I'd much rather have one string of dumb RGB lights that can be instantly made into ANY color, as opposed to fighting with three light strings and being limited to 3 colors.  (Four if you include a facsimile of yellow.)  Don't be intimidated by dumb RGB.  It's really not difficult at all to sequence - it's almost exactly the same as turning any other channels on and off.

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Most of us started with incadesent lights then led 110 volt.  so just remember how this hobby works no matter what type of lights you put up and they dance to the music people will come and watch. the easiest light to program are the 110 volt led. I have zipped tied red, green, blue, white, together and out lines my roof windows and doors and starterd this by only using 4 channels and as progression starts (and it will) start changing like separate channels for the windows the separate each window.

I am now starting to use dumb and smart pixels after 6 years.

Howevere there was always 1000's of satisfied viewers each year.

You make the lights dance people will come no matter what lights they are.

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50 minutes ago, Randy Martin said:

Most of us started with incadesent lights then led 110 volt.  so just remember how this hobby works no matter what type of lights you put up and they dance to the music people will come and watch. the easiest light to program are the 110 volt led. I have zipped tied red, green, blue, white, together and out lines my roof windows and doors and starterd this by only using 4 channels and as progression starts (and it will) start changing like separate channels for the windows the separate each window.

I am now starting to use dumb and smart pixels after 6 years.

Howevere there was always 1000's of satisfied viewers each year.

You make the lights dance people will come no matter what lights they are.

This is very true. I agree 100%.

 

People will come (To most displays, not mine). However recently, with things like matrixes and (especially) pixel trees, you can do things like show images and text. This can make it much more memorable. Young children love seeing their favourite character being displayed on your tree, window or garage and individual control a whole new dimension, other than 0-100%. 

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Kids also like watching cartoons.  Why not just place a TV in one of your windows and show cartoons?  No need to go through the time and expense of building and sequencing a grainy-looking pixel screen when you can simply and easily show stuff in HD?

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  • 2 weeks later...

JJohnston,

i started 5 years ago and I would recommend starting simple. Get a CTB16PC which allows for a 12 channel control. Use dumb LEDs. These are readily available from any store. This combo is the perfect introduction to a whole new world. Here's why...

 

1. You will want time to learn the software.  12 channels is a great start. Small sequences take hours to program, big ones take weeks. Do lots of sequences. 

2. Smart leds take time to understand. Remove this from the learning curve. You will eventually want these, but give yourself time to get there.

3. You will make mistakes. Not that you will hurt the equipment, but you'll wish you went another direction. Starting simple limits the regret from changing your mind.

 

 

 

 

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If using figures {i.e. Blow Molds}, I use the following methods for mine for Christmas and Halloween.  I use the CTB16PC controllers and animate the light in the figures with varying intensities and effects to give them the appearance to be singing the song.  If instrumental, they are set to 40-60% intensity so they are on, but not at full brightness, this helps to not wash out the other lights that may be synchronized with the music, but keeping them dim enough to be seen, but not the focal point of the display at these times.   Sometimes they{although not all} are just off, depending on the song/music being played.   There is a world of possibilities you can do with figurines {blow molds} in your display.    And this is how I use mine, if you go to Vimeo you can see how I use Blow Molds and other items in my display using the CTB16PC controllers.  You can get to my Holiday videos on vimeo here: Holiday Videos - Halloween and Christmas 

Hopefully this may give you some ideas.

 

Good Luck and welcome to the madness when you finally take the plunge into all this.

 

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On 5/17/2016 at 0:56 PM, beckntrav said:

Get a CTB16PC which allows for a 12 channel control. Use dumb LEDs.

As mentioned above, the CTB16PC is 16 channels.

Also, you say dumb LEDs. I understand what you mean, the whole string turns on/off at the same time, but for a second I thought you meant RGB.

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On 5/7/2016 at 11:48 PM, George Simmons said:

Kids also like watching cartoons.  Why not just place a TV in one of your windows and show cartoons?  No need to go through the time and expense of building and sequencing a grainy-looking pixel screen when you can simply and easily show stuff in HD?

True, but it can look out of place, and isn't really part of the show without some clever editing and a good, bright and large screen.

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