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Adding pixels this year


Raine

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Last year I ran the S4 software with a standard license on an old laptop. I ran all RTG sequences using ID 01, 02, 04. ID 08 ran my 10w rgb floods. This year I bought a new laptop, downloaded the S5 software and purchased 4 pixie2 controllers and several 12v square pixels (50 & 100ct) with the intention of lining the windows with the pixels. I also upgraded my license to Advanced. I have a few questions:

1) Am I able to cut the strand to perfectly fit the window frame? (ex. cut a 50 node strand down to 30 nodes?)

2) In the HU: Do I set the IDs with all 4 pixie2 controllers are chained together & plugged in? I understand if I set the first ID, the rest will follow in order?

3) SInce the current RTG sequences do not have any smart pixels programmed in, could I get them to act as dumb pixel strips and set them to unit IDs 20-27: therefore including them in the current sequences?

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29 minutes ago, Raine said:

Last year I ran the S4 software with a standard license on an old laptop. I ran all RTG sequences using ID 01, 02, 04. ID 08 ran my 10w rgb floods. This year I bought a new laptop, downloaded the S5 software and purchased 4 pixie2 controllers and several 12v square pixels (50 & 100ct) with the intention of lining the windows with the pixels. I also upgraded my license to Advanced. I have a few questions:

1) Am I able to cut the strand to perfectly fit the window frame? (ex. cut a 50 node strand down to 30 nodes?)

2) In the HU: Do I set the IDs with all 4 pixie2 controllers are chained together & plugged in? I understand if I set the first ID, the rest will follow in order?

3) SInce the current RTG sequences do not have any smart pixels programmed in, could I get them to act as dumb pixel strips and set them to unit IDs 20-27: therefore including them in the current sequences?

1- If using nodes it is easy and doable, if ribbons still doable but more difficult 

2- You will have to set each pixie separately. for example if your first pixie2 will be starting ID 1 it will assign 1&2. Your 2nd pixie ID starting point would be 3 and third would be 5

Thus you have used Unit IDs 1-6

Side note- If the new pixie2's have dip switches turn them all to off or at least two of them. This allows you to re assign the unit ID's. Of course if Unit 1 was going to be in your pixie scheme you wouldn't have to worry about changing one of them but still can so you don't get them mixed up.

3- If you have the editable versions of the purchased sequences you can incorporate them any way you choose. I am not sure about S5 put for S4 you can convert nor lights to RGB by right clicking on the channel, convert to RGB. You will copy it to the sequence and from there decide which color to make it. It is painstaking. 

JR

Edited by dibblejr
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JR, 

    Thank you so much for your response! Am I safe to assume I can just simply cut the wire after the last node I need in the string? Do I need to solder a tail on it, or just wrap in electrical tape? I understand the rest of your explanation, thank you for this!

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No, you don’t need to put a tail in the end.  In fact you don’t really even need to cover if you’re careful.  At the bottom of my pixel tree strings, I just cut the the three wire ribbon cable after the last node (leaving a the couple inches of wire with no exposed wire).  I could have split the three wires and insulated each one, but figured it was not worth the effort.  Been that way for six years.

BTW, I prefer heat shrink tubing over electrical tape.

 

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1 hour ago, Raine said:

JR, 

    Thank you so much for your response! Am I safe to assume I can just simply cut the wire after the last node I need in the string? Do I need to solder a tail on it, or just wrap in electrical tape? I understand the rest of your explanation, thank you for this!

I dip my ends in any water resistant or waterproof silicone. 3M5200. Just looks like a teardrop. Of course as Jim says, I cut the bare ends off first. Leave enough extra so if you expand you can do so because that 3M5200 is as hard as steel. You can use it under water if that says anything. You will need to cut that section off. With that being said it is a little pricy just for wire ends. I had a boat so I have it in my emergency kit.

JR

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If you take at look at this web page, there are a couple of the photos that you can see the end of the wire below the last pixel.  You do have to look a little carefully as that is not what I was intending to show...

http://www.newburghlights.org/pixel_tree.html

And here is one that does show the wire end.

Cable_End_bottom.sm.jpg

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If I cut down wire that end in no termination, cheapest method out here is a tube of super glue, get 3 for a $1.00 at most Everything's a Dollar stores.   Just coat the ends of the trimmed wire end with the super glue, makes a nice tight waterproof seal and holds up under sunlight/UV rays.   And then if you need to strip, split and add something to the end {I always leave mine long enough to add a connector, female end plug, etc}, you can use an X-Acto knife to trim the glued end off or wire cutters and snip it off just behind the glue, strip and add your pigtail, connector, etc.

Been doing this for years with my light strands I want to cut the female pass through ends off of and light sockets {C7}.

To weatherproof the wires in a C7/C9 light socket:  When using on light sockets, just be careful NOT to get it on the plastic socket, or you may have to break the socket if it ever needs replacing.   If you do it correctly and sparingly, you'll still be able to replace the socket and use the same protected wire in the new one. These are usually done on end of strand sockets, not the lead or sockets prior to the end of the strand, or on single light sockets for props that only require or have a single bulb.

 

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