Rainbow Floods...ASSEMBLED!!

[WayneKremer]

Thanks Randy! They look fabulous! My 12V 20A regulated switching power supply just arrived and I'm anxious to put these boards together...after the kitchen project is completed of course....

[TJ Hvasta]

Aside from the physical size of the resistors and pads, with the current changing after a time with the LEDS powered, anyone think it worth going to 1/2watt resistors instead of the 1/4w? I have an Astron 30a and Midland 15a supply that I used to use for my ham radios that have been whinning they do get used anymore so I wont have any trouble feeding these..

Randy, love the enclosure mods for the doubled boards. I had an idea of using real standoffs, (aluminum or nylon spacers) off either ply, or lexan inside the halogen enclosures. With 4 boards, I was going to do 4 separate housings but will really think about a doubled box now..

[Steven]

So far, I've built 3, and I'd like to say that the quality of the kits is excellent! So far, no failed components. One thing I found odd was the choice of pins for the 8P8C connector. I would have used something more standard, like T568B pairs, but it's a moot point, since it's hard to change it now.

One thing I would have done differently is to not tie the positives together. It probably wouldn't be noticeable, but tying them together results in a common return line, who's voltage drop will change depending on how many lights are lit. The difference is probably too subtle to notice, but theoretically, if you have green at 100%, and then turn on the blue, the green will dim slightly as the voltage drop increases on the common return. However, like I said, this probably can't be detected.

Another thing I would change is to add 6 more red LEDs, so they are in groups of 4 in series. This would result in the same current, but making the 180Ω resistors a smaller value. This would make the red brightness closer to the green and blue.

Randy, I used your measurements for the wood piece in the Home Depot fixture, and they look great! I didn't bother with the spacers, but just used a large amount of hot glue to fasten the RF boards directly to the wood.

[TJ Hvasta]

Hmmm as the red is darker, not as bright as th' green or blue, would adding the four more even up the brighness?

[Ponddude]

TJ,

Increasing the wattage of the resistor will really do nothing other than reduce the amount of heat it displaces...it would be less. And, like you said, they won't fit in the current holes. Some of the people in Australia who are buying these and using them with 24 volts are changing the resistors. They have no choice but to us 1/2 watt resistors for the blues and green's you have to put the resistors in the back and they will stick up a little.

Steven,

All your points are valid and were certainly thought about during the design process. Having a positive plan really helped in wiring the lights. Having all those traces really did not work out. We would have had to make the traces smaller which would have resulted in less current being passed through the the lights. We didn't want to risk overloading the traces will too much power.

When I did the Spotlight I added an additional red LED. I can't say that it makes a big difference but you can certainly see the added light output of the red's. One thing that will most like change next year with these and a newer version of the flood is to increase the MCD output of the reds. Again, there is a lot of stuff on the table for design changes and new things that are going to be coming out. Good things come to those who wait....

[Steven]

So far, I've put 4 Rainbow Floods in 3 fixtures:



(click on image to expand)



I got the white one from a FreeCycle post. I asked for a halogen light fixture that didn't work, and someone had this one they were going to throw away.

[Ponddude]

Those look great Steven!!

[TJ Hvasta]

'went to HomeDepot yesterday to buy 3 more of the small yellow 250w halogen lamps @ 7.88 each, but saw HD is having an overstock sale on the 500w larger halogen shoplights.. model 521-896 for 5.88/ea. it comes already painted black, has a one piece plastic handle that sticks out towards the back (not like the yellow tubular rubber-gripped handle light), but since it is a larger housing, it will -easily- fit two boards in it, for $3 less. I thot I goofed when I bought those instead of the yellow 250w version (ok, I actrually did), but since it's larger, the housing wont shutter the light as the sides are wider. On both, I really just hot-glued the board to the inside of the case, no ply base, no standoffs, just board, edge, gobs of hot glue.. for the larger case, I left the halogen bulb mount and just lobbed gobs of hotglue 'tween the single board and the top of the porcelin mount. Dropped it several times, I dont think it's going to come off.. I dont have the 16QC board yet, so I havent powered them to see if they work right.. I may just rig some wiring and se if they opower up from the Astron ps..

ummm, I thik, the aduly bevrage i hd is workng.. lucky i dont hav to go antwhere elsotonight.. aND no mor working on lites tonght ether...

There are the two side-by-side..

Smaller single-card yellow housing, $7.88
Larger double-card black housing, $5.88
Buying the store out before other RF users do, Priceless..



Attached files

[Greg Young]

Thanks fo the heads-up TJ!

Greg

[Ponddude]

I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a way to put these lights in some sort of enclosure. Most of you have either found a quality enclosure or are still not 100% sure how to enclose them yet. Somebody over on PC pointed me in the direction of an enclosure at Lowe's that allows you to install the light, with both jacks attached, into an enclosure. I picked one of them up and he is right...it works out great. So I contacted David Moore and he has designed and built a mounting system that allows you to mount the lights directly to a plastic, non-conductive board and enclose the lights inside this fixture. The jacks remain on, the strain relief in the light enclosure remains on and the light, is ready to be used in your display. The mounting system will include everything you need to install the light directly into the enclosure for just $5.00!! That means, for under $30.00 you can have a completely, LED RGB light ready for your display! However, before I order a ton of these mounts, I want to know how many of you are interested in them? I will put them up for sale on the site if there is enough interest.

Here are the particulars:

Here is the actual fixture from Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_320778-337-PQS45UT_4294857041_?productId=3182629&Ntt=utilitech&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_Work%2B_4294857041__s?Ntk=i_products$Ntt=utilitech

Here are some pictures of the mounting system installed in the light:







Is anyone interested?

[Guest guest]

Is the blue backing the mounting plate you mention? Assuming not, so would want to see what this thing looks like and understand any benefits compared to more homebrew methods.

[Ponddude]

Yes, that is the mounting system. There really isn't a benefit but so many people ask me on a day to day basis if I can get an enclosure made. The answer is no unfortunately but I can offer this. It is custom made to fit perfectly in the housing and allows you to attach both cat-5 cables with all the mounting holes you need.

It isn't an enclosure but it is a step in the right direction.

[Guest guest]

Ok, so that said, to answer your first question, don't see me having an interest. Have 4 to enclose, will likely use some of the ideas in the thread to get me where I need to go.

[Bill Hoffman]

Ponddude wrote:

I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a way to put these lights in some sort of enclosure. Most of you have either found a quality enclosure or are still not 100% sure how to enclose them yet. Somebody over on PC pointed me in the direction of an enclosure at Lowe's that allows you to install the light, with both jacks attached, into an enclosure. I picked one of them up and he is right...it works out great. So I contacted David Moore and he has designed and built a mounting system that allows you to mount the lights directly to a plastic, non-conductive board and enclose the lights inside this fixture. The jacks remain on, the strain relief in the light enclosure remains on and the light, is ready to be used in your display. The mounting system will include everything you need to install the light directly into the enclosure for just $5.00!! That means, for under $30.00 you can have a completely, LED RGB light ready for your display! However, before I order a ton of these mounts, I want to know how many of you are interested in them? I will put them up for sale on the site if there is enough interest.

Here are the particulars:

Here is the actual fixture from Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_320778-337-PQS45UT_4294857041_?productId=3182629&Ntt=utilitech&Ntk=i_products&pl=1¤tURL=/pl_Work%2B_4294857041__s?Ntk=i_products$Ntt=utilitech

Here are some pictures of the mounting system installed in the light:







Is anyone interested?

I'm not really interested in buying something to use, simply because I enjoy coming up with my own ideas, but it's a great idea. In fact, it gives me some new mounting knowledge, so I might just borrow it. lol

Bill

[Surfing4Dough]

Ponddude wrote:

Yes, that is the mounting system. There really isn't a benefit but so many people ask me on a day to day basis if I can get an enclosure made. The answer is no unfortunately but I can offer this. It is custom made to fit perfectly in the housing and allows you to attach both cat-5 cables with all the mounting holes you need.

It isn't an enclosure but it is a step in the right direction.

One of the reasons you might get that question often is that on your accessories page of your store, you state the following:
"Need a Cat-5 cable? How about a case that fits our products perfectly? Every accessories you could want can be found right here."

However, no cases appear to be available--just a blizzard injector and bootless cat5 cable.

FYI, I am not interested in the above style of enclosure you are offering. I am hoping to use something that looks more like landscape lighting, much like what Dan Ancona is using. Either way, thanks for trying to offer a solution.

[rgardner518]

Ponddude wrote:

I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a way to put these lights in some sort of enclosure. Most of you have either found a quality enclosure or are still not 100% sure how to enclose them yet. Somebody over on PC pointed me in the direction of an enclosure at Lowe's that allows you to install the light, with both jacks attached, into an enclosure. I picked one of them up and he is right...it works out great. So I contacted David Moore and he has designed and built a mounting system that allows you to mount the lights directly to a plastic, non-conductive board and enclose the lights inside this fixture. The jacks remain on, the strain relief in the light enclosure remains on and the light, is ready to be used in your display. The mounting system will include everything you need to install the light directly into the enclosure for just $5.00!! That means, for under $30.00 you can have a completely, LED RGB light ready for your display! However, before I order a ton of these mounts, I want to know how many of you are interested in them? I will put them up for sale on the site if there is enough interest.

Here are the particulars:

Here is the actual fixture from Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_320778-337-PQS45UT_4294857041_?productId=3182629&Ntt=utilitech&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_Work%2B_4294857041__s?Ntk=i_products$Ntt=utilitech

Here are some pictures of the mounting system installed in the light:







Is anyone interested?

I'm interested in at least 6 sets. I have not bought my floods yet because I have yet to find an encloser I like. But if that you have works. I'm game. Will you let me knnow when they can be ordered.

[Ponddude]

There seems to be enough interest in them from the emails and PMs I am getting. I am going to place the order for them and get some sort of a time frame on them. I will put the complete kits up in the store so you can order the floods and the mounting system.

[rgardner518]

Ponddude wrote:

There seems to be enough interest in them from the emails and PMs I am getting. I am going to place the order for them and get some sort of a time frame on them. I will put the complete kits up in the store so you can order the floods and the mounting system.

WAHOO!!!

[Greg Young]

ny_yankee_25 wrote:

Ponddude wrote:

There seems to be enough interest in them from the emails and PMs I am getting. I am going to place the order for them and get some sort of a time frame on them. I will put the complete kits up in the store so you can order the floods and the mounting system.

WAHOO!!!

Hmm, I can sense some excitement here...

Greg

[Ponddude]

Just so everyone is aware, I have been working on a manual about setting up RGB channels in the new version of S2. This manual explains how to use the Sequence Editor to control the Rainbow Brain and setting up a DC controller. I also am working on one explaining how to use the new effects, but that is a work in progress. Hopefully this will get people going on how to use the RGB Channels with the Rainbow Brain.

It document can be found on the support page:

http://www.christmasonmanor.com/support/support.htm

Or here is the direct link:

http://www.christmasonmanor.com/pdf/RGB%20Channel%20Setup.pdf