Unsure About RGB Floods

[Jefffrompawpaw]

Just curious.

Why ask?

And welcome aboard. (noticed it's your first post).

 

 

This is my first year doing a LOR show ( or any lights at all)  I want to incorporate 3 flood lights and all I've seen are  12V powersupply floods that are being used.  I don't think I want to do hallogen (do I) , I would prefer LED 110v basic plug in flood lights.  Thats why I'm looking for options on flood.  Examples would be helpful.

 

All of this is completely forign to me and I have plenty of questions for the pros on this message board.  I literally recieved my 16 channel controller on December 4th.  I have a runing show with 5,000 lights and 2 purchased sequences.  I want to sequence my own shows next year but there was no time for this Xmas. 

 

I took on a new hobby with a steep learning curve in just a matter of weeks.  It's been amazingly fun and addicting.  I just purchased 4,300 more LED lights yesterday between Menards and Target. 

Edited December 21, 2014 by Jefffrompawpaw

[Santas Helper]

I would prefer LED 110v basic plug in flood lights.

The bad thing is, the LEDs are low voltage. About 3vdc or so in general for each LED in the 10w floods.

If your looking for 110v white LED floods, your going to be dealing with some sort of step-down transformer which will cause a delay and not sure how they react to dimming/fading up or down or shimmering. Maybe you could use a color gel to make it a different color but then your stuck with that one color.

If your wanting RGB 110v, then your going to be dealing with the transformer AND circuitry for the remote because that's how they come to control the color of choice. So without hacking, you can't use that with a LOR controller.

But there is the DMX version but then you can't use the 16 channel DC controller.

What controller did you get?

Hope I didn't confuse you.

[sax]

Floods come in many varieties. But most are 12vdc.

I have a few types, dmx versions that have built in controllers, dmx DIY from holiday coro (it's an online store) and the LOR 10watt models.

By far, the easiest to use are the LOR version. Plug and play. It requires a DC controller card, I recommend the LOR version, and a 12vdc power supply. More than likely you will set this up outside so you will need a weatherproof box to put your power supply and DC card in.

The dmx version with built in controller works great. These floods will require you to set up a dmx network which will require a USB to dmx dongle (entec pro compatible from holiday coro is what I use) and a DC power supply. Since the controller is built in you don't need a controller card. And if you get a weather resistant power supply, you won't need a weatherproof box.

The DIY version works ok. These are just 5 RGB led strips you put in a shop light you get from Home Depot or harbor freight. You need a dmx dongle, a 12vdc power supply, a dmx controller card and a weatherproof box. You could plug these into the LOR DC card as well and that eliminates the need for a dmx dongle and dmx controller.

The DIY, well, after 2 seasons the led strip lights are failing. The LEDs are just going out on the strips or only 1 color goes out on one of the LEDs on the strip. Result is poor colors. This might be my fault as I put the strips on cedar planking and spike them in the ground with lawn staples instead of inside some housing. They are supposed to be ip68 but they are failing none the less.

Santas helper has hacked several RGB floods and is a great resource for this type of project. His method will get you some floods for half the lowest going price you can find. But you will still need a controller card, power supply and weatherproof box. And you will have to solder some wires and do some other DIY tasks. Going LOR controller card eliminates the need for a dmx dongle and network so keep that in mind if you go this route.

Good luck.

[EmmienLightFan]

If you are just starting, just get the LOR ones and a DC controller. There is little to go wrong that way, and if it does LOR will help you.

 

[James Elliott]

JefffromPawPaw

LOR makes a 110VAC 50 Watt RGB flood that connects to your LOR system over an Ethernet cable.  It produces an incredible 48 watts when all 3 colors are on at 100%.

I added 2 this season and they light up 2 stories high with a very intense coloration.  I am very pleased with the results. Problem is they cost $150 each.  You could wait for the LOR sale or look for a DMX version, but you will then need some form of DMX controller. I have seen 50 Watt DMX RGB Floods in the neighborhood of $60 plus big shipping from China but have not pounced yet. Need to verify how waterproof they really are.

 

Jimbo (from Saranac MI)

[philnuffer]

To convert Amps to Watts, Watts to Amps, Amps or Watts to Volts, etc. use the following formula:

P = I x E.

Where P = Watts, I = Amps and E = Voltage. Therefore Watts = Amps times Volts. The formula can be converted 2 more ways:

I = P over E (Amps = Watts divided by Voltage, or E = P over I or Voltage = Watts Divided by Amps. This is Watts Law. 

[Orville]

Or if you're looking for LED 110-120VAC Floods that ARE dimmable, Home Depot and Lowes both sell some IN STORE.  

 

They aren't too bad, last check I think they were around $30-$50 price range.  

 

Make sure the box says they are dimmable, as many are not, if they are dimmable, then you can also use the other LOR AC Controller effects on them as well, twinkle, shimmer, and fades all work.   I bought one and it worked out well with all the effects I used for Halloween.   Now if I could only remember where I stored it! LOL

 

Now this will only be bright white LED color, if you want to make it Orange, Purple, Red, Green, etc. you'd have to get some type of colored plastic or gel that could cover the lens to change the color to a different one depending on what holiday you're using it{them} for.

 

But dimmable LED spotlghts are out there using 110-120VAC current that work with LOR CTB16PC AC or any LOR AC Controllers.

 

EDIT: Spirit Halloween also sells 110-120VAC LED spots that are Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Purple, {I think White} and one that is RGB {no way to control the colors independently unless it could be hacked}, but that one automaticly cycles the colors when it's powered on.  And I don't believe any of the Spirit Halloween LED Spots are dimmable, but they were around $25.00 each.  

 

 You can view them at spirithalloween.com, but their description is lapse of any real details on the site {or were last time I looked}. I looked at them in the actual Spirit Halloween stores when they opened in 2014 for selling their Halloween wares, and the box didn't state they were dimmable, looked at the instruction sheet inside the box{had clerk open one so I could read the details}, and it didn't say if they were dimmable there either.   So I took them as to be non-dimmable, didn't buy one to try, so can't say if they just don't say it, and maybe they can be dimmed in reality.  You'd have to get one and try it and see if it worked or not.

 

EDIT 2: Here's a review I copied from the green LED spotlight {they are double as strobes by switch selection} off Spirit Halloween, this person apparently does animated lights to music from their description and their experience with these Spots.  

 

Here's the review:

 

This product has great color and serves well as an accent light up or down. However, it does not work well with a timed light/music display. The LED lags a split second before turning on so it is not in sync with other lights on those channels. It throws the display off despite the great color. It does ok if left on for long stretches but if in sync with a beat it doesn't work. I need spirit to offer their old LED bulbs. Those flashed instantly.

 

End Review of Spirit Halloween spot.  Hopefully that gives you a little more info on the spirit LED spots.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Orville

[djr]

Orville, do they have Lowes and H.D. in the UK?

[jrock_at_rons]

I'm going to be purchasing the LOR RGB flood 8 pack this year and I was planning on buying this power supply from holiday coro.

 

http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/49-ps.htm

 

I hope I'm not missing something. 

[Don]

I'm going to be purchasing the LOR RGB flood 8 pack this year and I was planning on buying this power supply from holiday coro.

 

http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/49-ps.htm

 

I hope I'm not missing something. 

 

Any reason you wouldn't use the one Light-O-Rama sells?

 

You can get it from them, or us.

[plasmadrive]

Any reason you wouldn't use the one Light-O-Rama sells?

 

You can get it from them, or us.

I am guessing $19.50 at 350 watts vs. $70 at 200 watts might have something to do with his train of thought..  Not apples and apples for sure.. but my guess...

[Santas Helper]

I am guessing $19.50 at 350 watts vs. $70 at 200 watts might have something to do with his train of thought.. 

 

That would be my reason.

[Santas Helper]

I'm going to be purchasing the LOR RGB flood 8 pack this year and I was planning on buying this power supply from holiday coro.

 

http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/49-ps.htm

 

I hope I'm not missing something. 

 

That's one heck of a price for that power supply. I have two of them and they work great.

[Orville]

Orville, do they have Lowes and H.D. in the UK?

I have no idea, I suppose it's possible.

 

The person I was actually commenting too was JefffromPawPaw, which says he's from Michigan{If I recall my state abbreviations correctly, MI = Michigan in the U.S.}.    As he was the one asking about 110-120V AC L.E.D. spotlights.

 

 

Now if there's a Michigan, Canada I couldn't say.  But since he only has MI listed under his name, I'm thinking Michigan in the U.S.

Edited February 12, 2015 by Orville

[Darryl Lambert]

 

 

Now if there's a Michigan, Canada I couldn't say. 

 

 

Nope. No Michigan here.

but we do have Lowes & H.D.

[Dcroc]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KYOE2Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the flood.  Ignore what it says about only having 16 color tones, thats because the remote for it only allows 16 options.  The LOR controller will have full color control.

 

Conversion is easy, and you can see video's on you tube.  In a nutshell, you open it, peel the board out (has tape on back) cut the board inside to only have the resistors, and attach the RGB wires to the resistors, and the + line to the LED +.  Remove the little transformer inside and your good to go.  Takes about 10 min.

 

The 10w are amazingly bright.

 

I can not find one video on how to do this.

[EmmienLightFan]

I just broke my LOR one looking at the board inside. The + wire came off. Will solder back on very soon!

 

The board inside has a bit more than resistors. Does anybody know what it does?

[Army Lights]

I'm thinking I will get the power supply that jrock linked to. Looks like a great deal. Would love to hear if anyone has any more feedback on that.

 

Also, I'm completely new at the RGB Flood element (planning on purchasing the 8-pack during the sale). I just want to make sure I understand correctly: The 8-channel controller that it comes with means it will not eat any channels of my 16-channel boxes that I have, correct? In other words, I currently have a 48 channel show, expanding to 80 this year with 2 new controllers PLUS i want to do the floods. I just want to make sure I don't need to set aside 8 channels of my 80 (5x16 channel controllers) for the floods.

 

Thanks!

[oilmoney]

I'm thinking I will get the power supply that jrock linked to. Looks like a great deal. Would love to hear if anyone has any more feedback on that.

 

Also, I'm completely new at the RGB Flood element (planning on purchasing the 8-pack during the sale). I just want to make sure I understand correctly: The 8-channel controller that it comes with means it will not eat any channels of my 16-channel boxes that I have, correct? In other words, I currently have a 48 channel show, expanding to 80 this year with 2 new controllers PLUS i want to do the floods. I just want to make sure I don't need to set aside 8 channels of my 80 (5x16 channel controllers) for the floods.

 

Thanks!

It comes with a 24CH controller which is a totally separate unit. It has nothing to do with your other channels whatsoever.

[Premier]

I'm thinking I will get the power supply that jrock linked to. Looks like a great deal. Would love to hear if anyone has any more feedback on that.

 

Also, I'm completely new at the RGB Flood element (planning on purchasing the 8-pack during the sale). I just want to make sure I understand correctly: The 8-channel controller that it comes with means it will not eat any channels of my 16-channel boxes that I have, correct? In other words, I currently have a 48 channel show, expanding to 80 this year with 2 new controllers PLUS i want to do the floods. I just want to make sure I don't need to set aside 8 channels of my 80 (5x16 channel controllers) for the floods.

 

Thanks!

Army Lights:

No, you do not need to set aside any channels for the Floods, you will get with the 8 pack kit or have to buy separately a CMD-24 board, AND a cat-5 network cable plus a power supply. The cable can be piggy backed from your existing controller. 200+ watt 12 vdc power supplies can be gotten cheaply anywhere ( amazon, computer repair shop, Holidaycoro, etc.... )

Just remember when setting up your channels in the Sequencer that you convert those 24 channels to RGB, makes it a lot easier to program.

 

I bought my first Flood kit last year, made a huge impact on both my Halloween and Christmas displays, really nice, and so easy to set up.