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CCR'show many can you use together


Guest Don Gillespie

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Don Gillespie wrote:

Geoff Harvey wrote:
Don Gillespie wrote:
ok if I understand this correctly you can cat5 as many units as you want as long as each CCR has its own power supply or controller is this correct I am not interested in cutting the CCR just how many can you cat5 together


You can add as many CCRs as the LOR network supports, each with its own controller and controller address. Each CCR and address will add 157 channels to your list in the sequence editor - (50 RGB channels + 7 macro channels).

If you want several CCRs to behave identically, then you can give them the same address. This reduces the channel count in the editor. Last year I ran 3 pairs (each with 2 CCRs joined ene to end) from the same address and this worked well for an outline of my eaves.

Regards Geoff



Thanks Geoff, my memory is really good, my house and your house are identical the way the eaves are, so that was the answer I was looking for, when you say you joined them end for end how do you do that is it like a rope light that you can screw them together or is there a special way to do this?


Don

At present, joining CCRs requires cutting wires, opening the end of the first unit and soldering. This probably voids the CCR warranty. I had been hoping that CCRs might be sold with easy end connectors, but it is more complex than just joining two or more ribbons because of the need to add a new power source for each ribbon. (see http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum89/22431.html )

Be aware that every time you add a new CCR (or CCB) controller with independent control, you will add 157 channels to the sequence. The ribbons can be dynamically reconfigured in the sequence editor to behave as a single RGB channel, (or 2,5,10,16,17, 25 or 50). This limits the channels that are active at that time, but all 157 (or 50 RGB + 7) channels are still present for each ribbon controller.

If you want to simply use CCRs to outline windows, eaves etc and allow colour changes on the whole length - ie without the need to provide pattern or colour changes along the length of a ribbon(s), then there are cheaper options for ribbons where the whole ribbon is controlled as a single RGB channel using only 3 channels from a DC control board. eg http://cgi.ebay.com.au/5M-SMD-5050-RGB-Waterproof-150-LED-Strip-IR-Remote-/330441834079?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4cefde3e5f I have not yet tried any of these products, however I have just purchased a number of 0.5 m rigid strips which I plan to use as spinners. There are a wide variety of strips available, but most will require some adaption for use as Christmas lights. Just do an eBay search for "RGB LED Strips"

Regards Geoff
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Guest Don Gillespie

Geoff Harvey wrote:

Don Gillespie wrote:
Geoff Harvey wrote:
Don Gillespie wrote:
ok if I understand this correctly you can cat5 as many units as you want as long as each CCR has its own power supply or controller is this correct I am not interested in cutting the CCR just how many can you cat5 together


You can add as many CCRs as the LOR network supports, each with its own controller and controller address. Each CCR and address will add 157 channels to your list in the sequence editor - (50 RGB channels + 7 macro channels).

If you want several CCRs to behave identically, then you can give them the same address. This reduces the channel count in the editor. Last year I ran 3 pairs (each with 2 CCRs joined ene to end) from the same address and this worked well for an outline of my eaves.

Regards Geoff



Thanks Geoff, my memory is really good, my house and your house are identical the way the eaves are, so that was the answer I was looking for, when you say you joined them end for end how do you do that is it like a rope light that you can screw them together or is there a special way to do this?


Don

At present, joining CCRs requires cutting wires, opening the end of the first unit and soldering. This probably voids the CCR warranty. I had been hoping that CCRs might be sold with easy end connectors, but it is more complex than just joining two or more ribbons because of the need to add a new power source for each ribbon. (see http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum89/22431.html )

Be aware that every time you add a new CCR (or CCB) controller with independent control, you will add 157 channels to the sequence. The ribbons can be dynamically reconfigured in the sequence editor to behave as a single RGB channel, (or 2,5,10,16,17, 25 or 50). This limits the channels that are active at that time, but all 157 (or 50 RGB + 7) channels are still present for each ribbon controller.

If you want to simply use CCRs to outline windows, eaves etc and allow colour changes on the whole length - ie without the need to provide pattern or colour changes along the length of a ribbon(s), then there are cheaper options for ribbons where the whole ribbon is controlled as a single RGB channel using only 3 channels from a DC control board. eg http://cgi.ebay.com.au/5M-SMD-5050-RGB-Waterproof-150-LED-Strip-IR-Remote-/330441834079?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4cefde3e5f I have not yet tried any of these products, however I have just purchased a number of 0.5 m rigid strips which I plan to use as spinners. There are a wide variety of strips available, but most will require some adaption for use as Christmas lights. Just do an eBay search for "RGB LED Strips"

Regards Geoff

Thanks Geoff my idea is to outline the eaves of my house and garage I also want my trees to change color also so there will be a lot of purchases going on before I am ready for this years event. the CCRs will go nicley with my house, however I am still up in the air for the trees, propably going to go with the smaller leds for the trees and incorperate all three colors, this means I would use more LOR controllers but if I want this to look spectacular then thats the way to go.
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  • 9 months later...

Geoff Harvey wrote:

Don Gillespie wrote:
ok if I understand this correctly you can cat5 as many units as you want as long as each CCR has its own power supply or controller is this correct I am not interested in cutting the CCR just how many can you cat5 together


You can add as many CCRs as the LOR network supports, each with its own controller and controller address. Each CCR and address will add 157 channels to your list in the sequence editor - (50 RGB channels + 7 macro channels).

If you want several CCRs to behave identically, then you can give them the same address. This reduces the channel count in the editor. Last year I ran 3 pairs (each with 2 CCRs joined ene to end) from the same address and this worked well for an outline of my eaves.

Regards  Geoff


I have a rather complicated question. I'll post a pic of my house so you can kinda see what I'm talking about. I'm new to CCRs and I'm adding them to my two rooflines, top and bottom. I want to use a chase effect starting at the top of my 2-car garage tip, and one going to the left, the other going to the right. I know I'll have to terminate the CCRs at the top and have them on different channels, but is there a way to macro them so that they can chase as if there is one string of them so it's not obvious there are multiple different CCRs ? My lower roof above the garages, and above the porch will need about 6 CCRs.

Attached files 299767=16525-IMAG0602.jpg
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Hi
If I understand correctly, you want to create chase and other effects using CCRs, with the effects being mirrored on either side of the roof peak above the central garage. This is similar to what I have done with CCRs on my upper roofline where I mirror effects on each house frontage either side of the corner near the megatree.

I joined 2 pairs of CCRs to make a 10m length for each frontage. See technical details in http://forums.lightorama.com/forum89/22431.html . Joining requires baring the end of the first CCR and soldering joiner wires (and adding in another PSU). When CCRs are joined this way, there is only 1 controller used for the joined CCRs and it must be configured in the hardware utility to indicate how many CCRs are joined in series. Joining does reduce the resolution, ie with mine a pixel is now 6 LEDs instead of 3 LEDs in the standard CCR configuration.

For your application, it would be possible to join 3 CCRs for each side of your roof peak. If you then run these 2 lots of 3 joined CCRs with the start point as the roof peak, you could run them with just 2 controllers on the same address so programming will only require programming 1 CCR in the sequence editor. Macros still work with joined CCRs.

I've been running mine for 2 seasons without problems.
Hope this helps - Geoff

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Geoff Harvey wrote:

Hi
If I understand correctly, you want to create chase and other effects using CCRs, with the effects being mirrored on either side of the roof peak above the central garage. This is similar to what I have done with CCRs on my upper roofline where I mirror effects on each house frontage either side of the corner near the megatree.

I joined 2 pairs of CCRs to make a 10m length for each frontage. See technical details in http://forums.lightorama.com/forum89/22431.html . Joining requires baring the end of the first CCR and soldering joiner wires (and adding in another PSU). When CCRs are joined this way, there is only 1 controller used for the joined CCRs and it must be configured in the hardware utility to indicate how many CCRs are joined in series. Joining does reduce the resolution, ie with mine a pixel is now 6 LEDs instead of 3 LEDs in the standard CCR configuration.

For your application, it would be possible to join 3 CCRs for each side of your roof peak. If you then run these 2 lots of 3 joined CCRs with the start point as the roof peak, you could run them with just 2 controllers on the same address so programming will only require programming 1 CCR in the sequence editor. Macros still work with joined CCRs.

I've been running mine for 2 seasons without problems.
Hope this helps - Geoff


I haven't measured the exact dimensions of my roof to see where the breaks are. I kinda don't want to cut my CCRs up, is there another way of doing it so that programming isn't such a nightmare ?
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I don't know of any easy way of sequencing effects along multiple CCRs end to end - particularly if you want to use macros.

Joining CCRs only requires opening the far end, not cutting them up. With mine, the full length CCRs even in pairs did not match my roofline length and for 2011, I added some short sections of dumb 5050 RGB ribbon to fill in the gaps. These sections were driven by LOR DC boards.

Regards Geoff

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Geoff Harvey wrote:

I don't know of any easy way of sequencing effects along multiple CCRs end to end - particularly if you want to use macros.

Joining CCRs only requires opening the far end, not cutting them up. With mine, the full length CCRs even in pairs did not match my roofline length and for 2011, I added some short sections of dumb 5050 RGB ribbon to fill in the gaps. These sections were driven by LOR DC boards.

Regards Geoff


If I can get my wife on board, I'd love to see the show in the great 'Down Under' :P I guess my big question is, if I don't cut them, and run them next to each other, when I sequence a chase effect, will they look continuous, or will it be noticeably multiple CCRs hooked together ?

I'm getting on my roof tomorrow to take fine measurements to see where the CCRs would terminate which will really help plan my conversion.
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Now that I have a year with 4 CCRs under my belt here is what I learned.

I needed at least 2 networks to run 13 controllers and 4 CCRs.

When I ran them all on one network the CCRs didn't work correctly.

They were so bad I was going to take them out of the show.

ItsMeBobO took a look at one of my squences and told me I had too many command s going on and I should at at least one more network and take out the fades on the chases.

Ordered 4 more USB adapters (one for each arch)

Took out all the fades.

They ran! Looked great.

http://youtu.be/PGezCu_pLC0



So I loaded my old sequences and they ran they way I wanted

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For the CCRs, because I have them going left to right, I want them to do a slow, dotted-line, or hash mark chase effect slowly to the beat of a song. However, I'm not sure the behavior if you hook 3 up, if they remain synchronous. I may just need to order 2 or 3 of them, and find out and hope for the best... :?

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