What Did You Get Done Today?

[viennaxmas]

Got my 3,500 pixels today - will be a lot of work but things are well prepared so I am not worried and vacation is comIng soon!

Set up an additional VLAN for e1.31 traffic on all switches and started testing all the pixels :-) very good day!

[dgrant]

I think I'm all done now. Fixed one ripped wire on my arches and fixed how I connected them electrically, so unless anything shows up that I'm not expecting, I'm complete. 

[FarrOut]

Hooked up spare lap top to first controller.  Hooked up FM transmitter.  Everything works.

10 months of work and planning starting to show!

[plasmadrive]

put up the arches, Santa, New Costco Christmas trees, presents, the "North Pole" various other pieces in the puzzle.  LEDs on the hedge (thank you my lovely wife).  Fixed my one bad pixel on the Plasma Icicles (ok, two days ago) and ran more testing.    Trouble shot about 20 or so bad LEDs on the mega tree and the hedge.  Figured out a good way to trouble shoot them with a meter... that worked awesomely. 

[dgrant]

   Trouble shot about 20 or so bad LEDs on the mega tree and the hedge.  Figured out a good way to trouble shoot them with a meter... that worked awesomely. 

Please do tell how you found a way to troubleshoot a string of LED's? They're not near as easy as incandescent strings.

[75redman]

Hooked up the transmitter last night testedit and everything is working great.  Spent 1/2 hour explaining to a neighbor how everything works!  (I might have him hooked)

[plasmadrive]

Disclaimer:

I am not recommending to anyone to do this, you asked how I did it.  Wet knees on the ground and poking a test lead in a live socket can get you shocked, especially if you don't know what you are doing!

 

This will only work if you have replaceable LEDs unless you have very sharp pointed test leads, then you can pierce the insulation.

 

I found that on the strings I have (3 or 4 different brands) that I can poke one test lead in the ground (since neutral is ground) and pull an LED and measure for DC volts.  For these strings I wound up with a DC voltage from the 20s to about the 50s.  Keep cutting the string in half and half again until you find 0v.  Then back up and find the one where you have Vin but no V on the next LED.  That one that has the Vin is bad. 

 

For the string that were in my Mega tree I had to use two hands because they were in the air already.  So I removed the first LED and I put the one lead on the deeper socket contact at the first LED socket.  I again divided and divided until I found the section with the bad LED.  Worked every time.

 

I even had a few strings with multiple LED out.  Found em quickly. 

 

 

Took my less then 30-40 minutes to find around 20 bad LEDs in many different strings once I figured out a process.  

Crap the edit is off.. 

 

When I say "keep cutting the string in half" I mean keep dividing the number of LEDs under test in half.. doh!

[Santas Helper]

 to find around 20 bad LEDs in many different strings once I figured out a process.  

 

Dang, that many bad LEDs? what brand are you using? Or which big box store are you getting them from?

[Little_b]

I got the Mega Tree pole and guy wires all up yesterday.  Dang wind and rain this morning is going to delay hanging the lights though.  Everything on the house itself is hung and power cords hooked up.  It's been a busy week.

[plasmadrive]

Dang, that many bad LEDs? what brand are you using? Or which big box store are you getting them from?

The two that had the multiples out are old box store strings from many years ago.  We have used them for years for our static and now automated display.  I don't even remember where they came from.  One string had 4 out, another had 3.  Every time we pull them off and put them in tubs and pull them out again, there is a lot of physicality for them to deal with.  I think they are about on their last tour of duty.. But, non the less, I was able to fix them very quickly this year.  I had about 12 out on my Mega tree.  First time I had more than one go out and this is year 3.  Those came from Target.  Most wound up being physical issues like a broken LED lead in the socket. Some just plain died.. But for the $8 I paid for them I have been quite happy with them. 

[Frank Farmer]

Finish putting lights on my CCB tree's:

http://lightshow.franktronics.net/?attachment_id=990

 

Working on my leaping lights, 4 more to go.

http://lightshow.franktronics.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_20131108_191728_109.jpg

 

Built two singing Christmas trees, 2 more to go.

http://lightshow.franktronics.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_20131113_201004_148.jpg

[Jeff Messer]

Wired in 5000 incands laid another 2500 out and wired up. Stared to rain so went and got the four singing tree's out and installed them at the shed. Still raining so wired them up and shed today. Tomorrow morning install 11 LOR boxes and wiring them up early. 

 

Jeff

[Bizywk]

We managed to get our "First Attempted Animated Display" videos up on-line from Halloween.    First year newbies put one in the completed column - Thanks due in very large part to all the help from you folks!

 

  

 

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/LightsOnLancaster

Website:          www.LOLWeb.org

 

[dgrant]

Disclaimer:

I am not recommending to anyone to do this, you asked how I did it.  Wet knees on the ground and poking a test lead in a live socket can get you shocked, especially if you don't know what you are doing!

 

This will only work if you have replaceable LEDs unless you have very sharp pointed test leads, then you can pierce the insulation.

 

I found that on the strings I have (3 or 4 different brands) that I can poke one test lead in the ground (since neutral is ground) and pull an LED and measure for DC volts.  For these strings I wound up with a DC voltage from the 20s to about the 50s.  Keep cutting the string in half and half again until you find 0v.  Then back up and find the one where you have Vin but no V on the next LED.  That one that has the Vin is bad. 

 

For the string that were in my Mega tree I had to use two hands because they were in the air already.  So I removed the first LED and I put the one lead on the deeper socket contact at the first LED socket.  I again divided and divided until I found the section with the bad LED.  Worked every time.

 

I even had a few strings with multiple LED out.  Found em quickly. 

 

 

Took my less then 30-40 minutes to find around 20 bad LEDs in many different strings once I figured out a process.  

Crap the edit is off.. 

 

When I say "keep cutting the string in half" I mean keep dividing the number of LEDs under test in half.. doh!

Thank You! I do in fact have a meter with "needle leeds", so will give your method a try. The usual AC inductive scanner won't work of course because this is all DC once its past the rectifier.

[rchatfield]

16 channels are up on the face of the house. Radio signage has been primed and ready for artwork. Making up 16 mini trees today and getting my sister and nieces in the act and putting them to work. Going out to meet neighbors and hand out some flyers and homemade hot chocolate to butter them up. Songs have been sequenced and I'm ready to build the show. 6 songs total for this year and I'm finding that I'm making progress on a couple more for 2014.

 

Have to get a 485B cable as we have the 485 and the light linkers aren't operational yet. Other than that, its getting extension cords hooked up and doing a test run. First year doing this, send good juju my way. Plan on rolling it out Friday Nov 29th.

 

Wouldn't mind hearing about how others have gone about theft proofing their controllers. Still working over the logistics of it.

 

Thinking about adding auld lang syne for New Year's Eve if I still have any ambition left over after this.

[testraub]

Was Supposed to have about 12 people over to help last Saturday, but only one showed. Oh, well. Been working the past few days and got the roof top work don and a few other things. Still have to get the Mega Tree out of the backyard. It's going to be close.

Tom Straub

[LORi P]

Please do tell how you found a way to troubleshoot a string of LED's? They're not near as easy as incandescent strings.

 

put up the arches, Santa, New Costco Christmas trees, presents, the "North Pole" various other pieces in the puzzle.  LEDs on the hedge (thank you my lovely wife).  Fixed my one bad pixel on the Plasma Icicles (ok, two days ago) and ran more testing.    Trouble shot about 20 or so bad LEDs on the mega tree and the hedge.  Figured out a good way to trouble shoot them with a meter... that worked awesomely. 

 

 

Please do tell how you found a way to troubleshoot a string of LED's? They're not near as easy as incandescent strings.

 

Here's a product designed to trouble-shoot LED strings:

http://www.ledkeeper.com/home/

If you shop around, you can get them for about $20. It is designed by the same company that makes the Light Keeper Pro.

[Ron Boyd]

Mega tree test last night. All good. RGB wiring scheduled for today. Hopefully test the entire display tonight

[Bigbaby]

Finish putting lights on my CCB tree's:

http://lightshow.franktronics.net/?attachment_id=990

 

Working on my leaping lights, 4 more to go.

http://lightshow.franktronics.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_20131108_191728_109.jpg

 

Built two singing Christmas trees, 2 more to go.

http://lightshow.franktronics.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_20131113_201004_148.jpg

 

I noticed your leaping arch has some extra length of pipe at the end. Is that for staking it to the ground? How did you attach the two pieces together? I am assuming that is pex tubing. correct? Sorry of all the questions, I have been thinking of building some of those.

 

Thanks in Advance 

[plasmadrive]

Here's a product designed to trouble-shoot LED strings:

http://www.ledkeeper.com/home/

If you shop around, you can get them for about $20. It is designed by the same company that makes the Light Keeper Pro.

Yes, that is a good piece of gear.. but I don't have one so I had to come up with a method to fix what I needed to fix right on the spot..  I do plan on getting one, but for now I got all mine to work with my meter..

Thanks for the link LoRi