Anyone else trying out the new Firefly units?

[Paul Roberson]

Duke wrote:

I share your pain Paul.

My excitement over th enew strings lasted one night.

1 of 4 now have the dreaded flicker-osis disease.

Maybe if we wash them in gasoline and then dry them with a match?

Just kidding.

:?Just kidding??? I thought that sounded like a good idea!!

Did you report this on the D-light forum or email them? I posted in the "flicker problem" thread.

[Duke]

I emailed Darryl

[thebaronn]

what we need to do is make and sell a nice white dispersal cover to wrap around leaping arches(like the white cap on the firefly) and then wrap your arches in red green and blue minis and then you put our "special" cover on and maybe we get the same color??

I said that as a joke...but now im thinking...what could i use....

I need to make a small version....

[Denny]

Received my replacement pixels today and got them installed just in time for the show to start. The problem with flckering pixels was not corrected by the new string. Pixel 6 stays on red; pixel 4 stays on blue and pixel 16 doesn't turn on at all. I only have Firefly sequenced in two sequences, but Firefly is triggering random pixels in all the sequences. I e-mailed them again.

[thebaronn]

when you receive replacements, do they just send the lights, or do you get a new power supply and controller also?

Eric

[tboerjan]

Denny do you go from 0% to 100% in you fades? Are you just turning on/off? Have you tried using 0% to 90% in any test seqs.? Have you checked to make sure you don't have any un-accounted for channels. Any CFL's? And lastly, have you tried just the FF with no LOR's conected?

I am not trying to sound like a techie, but trying to see if there is a pattern or what to eliminate.

We need to increase our knowledge base...

[Paul Roberson]

thebaronn wrote:

when you receive replacements, do they just send the lights, or do you get a new power supply and controller also?

Eric

Replacement just includes the pixle string.

I have not sent my old ones back yet. I am affraid to now. I think I may hook the originals back up and see what they do.

[thebaronn]

Paul Roberson wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

when you receive replacements, do they just send the lights, or do you get a new power supply and controller also?

Eric

Replacement just includes the pixle string.

I have not sent my old ones back yet. I am affraid to now. I think I may hook the originals back up and see what they do.

well then to me this sounds like a controller issue if it does the same thing.

you should swap controllers to another string and see if that string does the same thing. (actually hard to do if you have my set up everything is sealed in a box with sealer, all connections are inside the box)

just my 2 cents...its worth more than that though, usually

[Ponddude]

I don't have Firefly...yet...but it will certainly be at my house next year. I got all excited when I saw them and thought they were gonna be a great addition to my display. Then I thought about it some more and realized that the whole thing just happened to quick. It seemed like they designed them, sold them, shipped them and that was it. I'm sure they didn't, but that is what it seemed.

You know we all sometimes bark and make a fuss over how long it takes LOR to put out a new product or updated firmware, but one thing I will say....when the stuff does end up with the end user, it is perfect and works! LOR certainly puts a ton of effort into the things they make and sell and it really shows.

Now...If we could only get LOR to make something along the lines of Firefly and I would be THRILLED!!!!

[thebaronn]

Ponddude wrote:

I don't have Firefly...yet...but it will certainly be at my house next year. I got all excited when I saw them and thought they were gonna be a great addition to my display. Then I thought about it some more and realized that the whole thing just happened to quick. It seemed like they designed them, sold them, shipped them and that was it. I'm sure they didn't, but that is what it seemed.

You know we all sometimes bark and make a fuss over how long it takes LOR to put out a new product or updated firmware, but one thing I will say....when the stuff does end up with the end user, it is perfect and works! LOR certainly puts a ton of effort into the things they make and sell and it really shows.

Now...If we could only get LOR to make something along the lines of Firefly and I would be THRILLED!!!!

i agree , I want a LOR version, but I want a single pixel trand I can wrap around my roof in a big line!! Only 3 channels, R, G, B. Then I mix colors to my hearts content!!

I could just leave them up all year and change colors for valentine's, st patricks, easter, cinco de mayo, 4th of july, memorial day, halloween, festivus...

[Paul Roberson]

thebaronn wrote:

Paul Roberson wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

when you receive replacements, do they just send the lights, or do you get a new power supply and controller also?

Eric

Replacement just includes the pixle string.

I have not sent my old ones back yet. I am affraid to now. I think I may hook the originals back up and see what they do.

well then to me this sounds like a controller issue if it does the same thing.

you should swap controllers to another string and see if that string does the same thing. (actually hard to do if you have my set up everything is sealed in a box with sealer, all connections are inside the box)

just my 2 cents...its worth more than that though, usually

I have not even thought of playing the swap controller game. I did the controller swapping when the flickering pixels or steady on pixels would not go off first appeared.

Bout tired of troubleshooting the p.o.s!!

I am sure I will try something though. These cost too much money for them to just be in the display and do nothing!!!

[Paul Roberson]

Ponddude wrote:

I don't have Firefly...yet...but it will certainly be at my house next year. I got all excited when I saw them and thought they were gonna be a great addition to my display. Then I thought about it some more and realized that the whole thing just happened to quick. It seemed like they designed them, sold them, shipped them and that was it. I'm sure they didn't, but that is what it seemed.

You know we all sometimes bark and make a fuss over how long it takes LOR to put out a new product or updated firmware, but one thing I will say....when the stuff does end up with the end user, it is perfect and works! LOR certainly puts a ton of effort into the things they make and sell and it really shows.

Now...If we could only get LOR to make something along the lines of Firefly and I would be THRILLED!!!!

I would love an LOR version my self.

Last year using a different controller company I was trouble shooting COM. problems the whole lighting season. I changed over to LOR late this year and have had absolutly ZERO problems with LOR equipment or software.

Firefly and CDI LEDs are stomping on my Christmas spirit though.:X

btw. I would not recommend that anyone buy Firefly right now. Maybe that will change in the near future, but it is not looking promising. Its looking like if these things are going to improve for next years display everyone who has them needs to move them to the back yard and run and trouble shoot them all summer:shock:

[thebaronn]

Paul Roberson wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

Paul Roberson wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

when you receive replacements, do they just send the lights, or do you get a new power supply and controller also?

Eric

Replacement just includes the pixle string.

I have not sent my old ones back yet. I am affraid to now. I think I may hook the originals back up and see what they do.

well then to me this sounds like a controller issue if it does the same thing.

you should swap controllers to another string and see if that string does the same thing. (actually hard to do if you have my set up everything is sealed in a box with sealer, all connections are inside the box)

just my 2 cents...its worth more than that though, usually

I have not even thought of playing the swap controller game. I did the controller swapping when the flickering pixels or steady on pixels would not go off first appeared.

Bout tired of troubleshooting the p.o.s!!

I am sure I will try something though. These cost too much money for them to just be in the display and do nothing!!!

did u swap them yet???

LOL!!

What, isnt it 11pm there?? Its early!

I need to know if i'm right!!!!!!

I'm dyin' here

[Paul Roberson]

Its raining and sleeting here now. I am sure they wont work in the sleet and rain.

I am thinking where it says on D-lights website that Firefly is waterproof up to 1 meter.......that they may have meant that the will not work properly if they are not submerged in water. That is one thing I have not tried yet.


My guess it is the string though. I did the controller swapping before and the problem stayed with the string. My replacements worked perfect for 3 shows. Well until the first rain!!

[thebaronn]

Well good news!!!

After the absolute worst day at work in my lifetime I drove up at 450am this morning to my house to see all 4 of my front Fireflys freaking out!!!

pixels flashing

Arch #1 did some cool chase sequences on its own.

Figures........Better go to sleep before I just fall over dead.

Good night.


I seriously ready to just pull the plug on everything now.

[Paul Roberson]

thebaronn wrote:

Well good news!!!

After the absolute worst day at work in my lifetime I drove up at 450am this morning to my house to see all 4 of my front Fireflys freaking out!!!

pixels flashing

Arch #1 did some cool chase sequences on its own.

Figures........Better go to sleep before I just fall over dead.

Good night.


I seriously ready to just pull the plug on everything now.

It's probably a controller issue! Try swapping the controllers around:P

[thebaronn]

im out of controllers!!! LOL!!!!

[Denny]

I can't swap controllers as I only purchased one set just to see how they worked. Have not attempted any additional troubleshooting, as the new pixels arrived in the mail at 5 PM yesterday. I swapped them out immediately and the show ran from 6:00 PM until eleven last night. I will try and further troubleshoot today, but it is supposed to rain today through Thursday! Nothing like living in the desert where you don't get rain!!!!

[Denny]

tboerjan wrote:

Denny do you go from 0% to 100% in you fades? Are you just turning on/off? Have you tried using 0% to 90% in any test seqs.? Have you checked to make sure you don't have any un-accounted for channels. Any CFL's? And lastly, have you tried just the FF with no LOR's conected?

I am not trying to sound like a techie, but trying to see if there is a pattern or what to eliminate.

We need to increase our knowledge base...

I don't have any fades involving firefly, just on and off. No CFLs. I haven't had a chance to try firefly with the new pixels without LOR controllers connected. I did try it when I first received it (with the original pixels) and had the same problem, only not as bad. The more I used it in the show, the worse the problems became. I am wondering if it is a controller problem. Also, thinking back on it, when I first received Firefly, I tried changing the channel assignments on the unit using the D-Light adapter and D-Light hardware utility. It would not change from channels 2, 3, & 4. Figured I was not doing something correctly, so I just reassigned my LOR controllers from 2, 3, & 4 and left the Firefly units have those three assignments. Maybe I have a defective controller? Whatever the problem is, I doubt that it will be corrected before I take down the display with only a week until Christmas.

[tboerjan]

Saw this post by Gary Martin on the D-light forum board and thought it might help us. Although I won't recommend the disection and re-soldering to anyone not familiar wirh a soldering iron and probably void any warranty. The timing issues at the bottom may help some/all of us. Anyway here it is and thanks to Mr. Martin:

Also, I would recommend joining D-Light forums if you're not already a member.


Firefly update
by Gary Martin on Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:06 pm

After getting the email from D-light letting me know replacements are on the way, I went ahead and did a field repair on my Firefly string.

I had the issue where a given pixel would start changing colors, or causing the pixels past it in the string to change colors or even go full white. This FF string is on a leaping light arch so I brought the whole thing inside to work on it.

Using some dental tools, I removed all of the silicone sealant used to waterproof the pc board and the wiring connections. It was fairly obvious that the data lines (the smaller wire pair on the inside) had cold solder joints. Using a low wattage pcboard soldering iron, I repaired those connections pretty quickly and painlessly. The outer pair, which I assume is the power, would not get hot enough with a 15 watt solder iron and required a 30 watt to redo them. After resoldering all 8 connections inside that pixel, I re-filled it with Lexan (silicone sealant), popped the cap back on and re-installed the arch outside.

It's been six days now, warm temps, cold and freezing temps, dry and with precipitation and (knock on wood) it's still working perfectly.

So if you're comfortable with some small solder work, comparable to building a D-light controller in the first place, then you should be able to fix your Firefly strings pretty easily.

I will update this post if another pixel fails on either string.


P.S. I also determined that the cause of one of my other pixels "sticking on in a wierd color" was caused by too much traffic on the controller network. Too much 20th of a second packets going to the FF controller could cause other pixels to wierd out. These were just 100% on, 20th of a second timing events. Changing that event to a two-tenths (4 20ths timing segments) of a second ramp down fade from 100 to 0 made the problem go away and the end effect is *almost* identical to the naked eye.

Gary Martin

Novice