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PC connection to the LOR network


MJMcBride

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Can you connect the Light-O-Rama network to a WiFi network.......

Say you want to program the lights from the neighbors house, and don't want to drag a cable across the street....
or say hook up the neighbors house to your network.... or maybe the whole street???

I know LOR has the 900mhz transmitters, but i cant send audio across them.....

The setup would be something like PC connected through WiFi on a non broadcasting network to the LOR controller attached to a WiFi router. the rest would all be normal cat5 daisy chained to each controller. Also via WiFi to the neighbors house would be their local LOR network......

any ideas??

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I think you pretty much answered your own question. Sounds like what you need are the LOR ELLs. As for audio, that's what an FM transmitter is for.

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MJMcBride wrote:

Can you connect the Light-O-Rama network to a WiFi network.......

Say you want to program the lights from the neighbors house, and don't want to drag a cable across the street....
or say hook up the neighbors house to your network.... or maybe the whole street???

I know LOR has the 900mhz transmitters, but i cant send audio across them.....

The setup would be something like PC connected through WiFi on a non broadcasting network to the LOR controller attached to a WiFi router. the rest would all be normal cat5 daisy chained to each controller. Also via WiFi to the neighbors house would be their local LOR network......

any ideas??




Yes, E1.31. A company based in New Zealand controlled a major Florida theme park display last Christmas from the other side of the world using E1.31 over the internet.
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I expect to do something similar during setup / testing. I will have a Wifi access point on the same network as the computer that is actually running the show. Then I will remotely control that computer from a laptop using RealVNC (http://www.realvnc.com/). I will have an FM transmitter so I can hear the music using an FM receiver. I also have speakers in the yard, but playing the same segment 27 times while tweeking would drive the neighbors nuts so I'll just use the FM.

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Well, i thought of using real VNC...... at least for the programing and running of the show.... you know they have a version for your phone right??

As far as the E1.31, It was on my mind as a possibility, as i have used this for my installed club DJ gig. Really cut down on the wiring that way, but for that to work, I'm back at two computers, and no sound.

In my neighborhood, we have all kinds of signal problems due to a near by military installation.... the 900mhz band is sooo way overused here that it inst good after a few feet. I could use the LOR transmitters, but the antenna is fixed. So I can't hook up any kind of external antenna to it. I could greatly increase the range they would work by hooking up a Yagi or parabolic dish to them.

currently, I have my entire neighborhood covered with my WiFi network. so this is really the best option for me. Probably going to still stream the music over the WiFi, and program/control using VNC.

Just wish this was native to S3

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MJMcBride wrote:

I could use the LOR transmitters, but the antenna is fixed. So I can't hook up any kind of external antenna to it. I could greatly increase the range they would work by hooking up a Yagi or parabolic dish to them.

You could place the entire ELL at the focal point of a dish.

Or, you could break the silicone calking seal at the ELL antenna by simply unscrewing it. Then you could remove the circuit board from the box and attach whatever 900MHz antenna you want.
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Looking at the manual for the ELL, it looks like i can remove it all together, from its housing, and solder on a new antenna cable. that way i can connect any antenna i want.

As work the WiFi, I have a network set up that covers 4 1/2 blocks with very strong WiFi signal. I am using N band as it is pretty open. the neighbors all like it......

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ShaggySS wrote:

What if you take wireless two routers and bridge them?

Or just buy a wireless bridge

That will get you an Ethernet connection. It will not work for the LOR network, because it is not Ethernet.
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As Steven points out. The LOR network is a serial network based on RS-485. This is no form of Ethernet. Different voltages and different protocol. And you run the risk of damage to one or both devices that you connect if you connect the LOR cable to an Ethernet device.

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MJMcBride wrote:

I guess I should ask if anyone has made a Ethernet to RS485 adapter....

Please don't say "It's called a computer"
:dude:
I cant remember the different modules that B-B electronics offers. But they do have some converters. Cant remember if anything there will be to your likings.
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