How do the Single Pixel strips work?

[chowell]

Currently I have four different colors outlining the roof, and it takes approxiamately 22 strands of each color to do it.  I would love to outline the roof with these strips but I am not sure how it would work.  I see the 8 ribbon packages but do the ribbons plug end to end or does every ribbon have to plug in to the controller?  Is it even possible to outline a decent sized roof line with these?  If every ribbon has to feed back to the controller I can't imagine how an outline would physically be possible. 

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance.

Corey

[htebault]

Are you refering to dumb RBG ribbons? I am using them with a CMB24 controller (runs 8 RGB ribbons). The RGB ribbons can be linked, but I am not doing that and cannot comment on how many can be linked.  Each RGB ribbon/channel is controlled on the LOR network as one RBG channel. The CMB24 is configured to a certain range of network addresses - so you can also have multiple CMB24's on one network, each controlling 8 RGB ribbons.

http://www1.lightorama.com/rgb-controllers/

[jerrymac]

Depends on what ribbons you are looking at, generally each 5 meters will require seperate power (some exceptions 5V -vs- 12V).  Basic RGB ribbons (dumb strips) can easly be controlled by small $10.00 controllers (one per 5 meter strip) although you could controll more than one strip.  Smart strips can be contolled by centeralized controllers (like E1.31 but the distance comes into play with some ways to reduce the distance issue).  Also available are smart string controllers that are very small and can handle up to a full universe of pixels (170 smart pixels or groups of pixels). Holiday Coro has a nice very small smart pixel controller that runs on standard DMX rather than E1.31.  There are now LOTS of ways available.  good start is checkout RGB data available from a number of sources.  www.HollidayCoro.com, www.seasonalentertainmentllc.com and Introduction to RGB Lighting on the Ausie board  http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/topic,1141.0.html .as well as many others.

[chowell]

Yes, looking at the Light O Rama dumb strips.  I would love to outline the roof with them but again not sure how the configuration works.  Not sure if I can run 8 strips end to end from one controller....but then start the next 8 with another controller?  Or do they even run end to end?  I don't see much information regarding that yet.

 

Corey

[Ken Benedict]

There's quite a bit of information about those "dumb" strips on the forum; lots of people have been doing this for several years and have the expertise to help you out. Do some searching yourself, both here and Youtube, because it's all out there in Internet Land.

Then if you still have questions, post them here.

 

Generally, a strip goes 16 feet. Then you would need more power and probably a RGB amplifier (they're on ebay).

You might think about controlling them with the LOR CMB24-D controller; it handles 8 strips and is simple to setup and program.

See: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/30656-dmx-rgb-in-lor/

[dgrant]

I've got a related question. Just because the Dc control card can handle 8 strips, that's 8 individual commanded strips, how many strips can you tag onto each of the 8 channels as in parallel? I'll assume its a matter of the current output of the card on the negative buss since it appears the R,G,B commands are nothing but grounds being applied as the positive side is applied directly to the strip. However, dimming a stip means obviously there's a current limit for each of the RGB lines in order to achieve the desired color combinations. So, to simplify the question, how many strips can be added onto a single card output without getting into trouble, generally speaking?

[indi]

Currently I have four different colors outlining the roof, and it takes approxiamately 22 strands of each color to do it.  I would love to outline the roof with these strips but I am not sure how it would work.  I see the 8 ribbon packages but do the ribbons plug end to end or does every ribbon have to plug in to the controller?  Is it even possible to outline a decent sized roof line with these?  If every ribbon has to feed back to the controller I can't imagine how an outline would physically be possible. 

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance.

Corey

I'm in the same boat as you on this. I think I can get away with 1 each 24 channel controller and 1 each power supply. But the ribbons with be about 10' apart ( I have a Tri level home) and was hoping I could put the controller and power supply at one end of the run and connect the other ribbons using cat 5 or some other wire from the controller to the other ribbons. I would have a 32' and a 22' and a 20' runs. But I can get an answer to that yet.

[KStatefan]

I've got a related question. Just because the Dc control card can handle 8 strips, that's 8 individual commanded strips, how many strips can you tag onto each of the 8 channels as in parallel? I'll assume its a matter of the current output of the card on the negative buss since it appears the R,G,B commands are nothing but grounds being applied as the positive side is applied directly to the strip. However, dimming a stip means obviously there's a current limit for each of the RGB lines in order to achieve the desired color combinations. So, to simplify the question, how many strips can be added onto a single card output without getting into trouble, generally speaking?

 

The card is rated at 60 amps total and 4 amps per channel. You need to look at the specs of the ribbon you have. The light-o-rama dumb ribbon say 20 watts or 1.7 amps.  but this is for three colors.  The red LED normally draws more power than the other two. The ribbon I have specs .76 amp red, .66 amp green and .70 amp blue per 5 meter

[Ken Benedict]

LED strips come in four basic sizes with different power needs: low density (30 led/m), medium density (60 led/m), high density (72 led/m) and very high density (144 led/m).

 

There's also low power 3528 chips, and normal 5050 chips (the most common).

And to add to the confusion, there's double row RGB strips, using even more power.

 

Assuming you have a medium density 5m strip, count on 3-4 amps per strip. That's all colors full on. That would come to 8 strips per CMD24D.

If you plan to use low density strips (2 strips/ch) then if you ever upgrade to a higher density strip, you will overload your controller.

 

Plan ahead.

[Tstrel]

LED strips come in four basic sizes with different power needs: low density (30 led/m), medium density (60 led/m), high density (72 led/m) and very high density (144 led/m).

 

There's also low power 3528 chips, and normal 5050 chips (the most common).

And to add to the confusion, there's double row RGB strips, using even more power.

 

Assuming you have a medium density 5m strip, count on 3-4 amps per strip. That's all colors full on. That would come to 8 strips per CMD24D.

If you plan to use low density strips (2 strips/ch) then if you ever upgrade to a higher density strip, you will overload your controller.

 

Plan ahead.

 

Not sure how that last post got posted. I hit space and fwoosh! off it went!

Ken, Thank you for all of your patience. I finally feel like I have a decent grasp on the requirements for dumb RGB.

I do still have a few questions, but at least I think I'm in the right thread to ask them!

 

1. The end of my dumb RGB string will be right next to the beginnings, outlining a window or tracing a shutter, for example. Each is less than 192 inches (16ft.) I was planning on using 12v 5050 150s, Is connecting the + to both the beginning and end of a run that small going to affect watts, amps or brightness/evenness of color? Is there a reason not to do it? Is it advisable or inadvisable to also connect the R/G/Bs at both ends (giving four completed circuits +to+, r to r, g to g, and b to ? Is the + all i really need to worry about here?

 

2. I plan on only one long run for RGB (4 strips cut just under 64feet), my cmb24d will be conveniently located dead center of the 4, so I figured 2 parallel circuits. Is that too much for one set of channels? Will I need amplifiers?

 

3. Do the amplifiers take the draw off of the sequencer? I.E. If i had a lets say a 80 foot run (5 strips) amplifiers after the 1st and 3rd strip, would only the first strip draw power from the sequencers power supply? Could an endless run of strips and amplifiers draw the same amps and watts off of the cmb24d as a single strip, or would the watts and or amps increase?

 

4. Do you know if any of the amplifiers backfeed (this is likely not the right term), boost the power both ahead and behind themselves? This ones important to me because altho I havent gotten it yet, my cmb24 is a Christams gift from my Mom <3, and before I knew you could use a different supply I asked her to order the one next to it in the LOR store. I ask this because I want to know if running amps at the end of each run might allow me to go with 5050 300s instead of 150s

 

Anyway I'm thinking that my questions here may help the rest in the thread as well, so there's that.

Shameless youtube plug: 2 years ago and only 13 channels!

 

Thanks again!

   -T-

[Ken Benedict]

1. Yes, it's OK to tie the R,G,B and + together.

2. OK for parallel circuits, as long as you don't exceed the power requirements of the CMD24-D. Look at the specs: 4a/ch or 60a total, whichever comes first.

3. RGB amps don't draw anything from the CMB24-D, but you have to supply power to them from some power supply somewhere.

4. No, the RGB amps don't backfeed; look how they are connected.

 

Your show two years ago is good, but IMO, you're strobing the audience to death without telling a visual story.

But everyone programs differently.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Ken Benedict

[Ken Benedict]

The card is rated at 60 amps total and 4 amps per channel. You need to look at the specs of the ribbon you have. The light-o-rama dumb ribbon say 20 watts or 1.7 amps.  but this is for three colors.  The red LED normally draws more power than the other two. The ribbon I have specs .76 amp red, .66 amp green and .70 amp blue per 5 meter

 

Don't trust the power specs from outside the US; many are wrong. Sometimes even the US ones are incorrect.

 

They seem to cut and paste randomly between products and don't seem to care.

 

Especially the vendors on Aliexpress.com who sometimes say the strip is both 5 volts and 12 volts at the same time in different parts of the description.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Ken Benedict

[Tstrel]

Ken,

Thank you so much!

on #3 I knew each amplifier got its own p.s. I was more concerned about the amperage draw out of the channels on the controller, I clearly see on the one you posted from ebay that it says "Max Output: 3x4amps" and I'm not sure why I thought that amperage out of the controller would be affected by anything other than the first set of lights hooked to each channel set, but thank you for clearing that up for me.

on #4 That is so much smaller than the one i was looking at, so Thank you for that!

 

You are correct, Im totally strobing my viewers to death, not something Im pround of and I plan to remedy that for 2014

-T-

[dgrant]

Don't trust the power specs from outside the US; many are wrong. Sometimes even the US ones are incorrect.

 

They seem to cut and paste randomly between products and don't seem to care.

 

Especially the vendors on Aliexpress.com who sometimes say the strip is both 5 volts and 12 volts at the same time in different parts of the description.

Yes, I have been researching this too and saw the same as well. Claims vs Facts are many times different things.