LOR on boats!

[dewbscott]

Greetings, LOR Folks!

This is my first year playing with LOR, and I'm having all kinds of fun...I hope to cut my teeth on sequencing soon - I have tons of holiday music that I'd love to sequence with LOR. I began my LOR experience with two residential controllers attached via wireless data network on two boats - 16 channels each. I used a few pre-canned sequences from LOR for our first "show" which was a holiday boat parade on Tampa Bay. The LOR units and wireless data network worked flawlessly! One HUGE DISSAPOINTMENT was the FM transmitter I tried to use for music between both boats. The "Whole Hose" FM transmitter was horrible. Max range was less than 50 feet, with static. This was even after I read the instructions for the antenna extender and measured as close as exact as I could get with the antenna. Many of your forum members have already commented on the poor reception with this transmitter. I wish I had done some more research before I went with that..."water under the bridge, as they say..."

My question has to deal with voltages on these LOR units. Both boats had to carry portable generators to run the LORs. The boats, like cars, are 12v DC systems. Can LOR units be configured to run off of straight DC? Any plans to make a DC version? Just a thought...LOR could branch into vehicles, boats, RVs, etc... LEDs are also available. If I'm using LEDs, how much draw would one of these LORs pull? Could we get away with simple DC/AC inverters?

Regardless, I was amazed at how quickly and seamlessly everything "just worked" together. Within minutes of installing the software & USB driver on my laptop, I was talking to the controllers wirelessly. No hiccups, no head scratching, nothing. Amazing product!

Thanks;

Don

[MCas4380]

maybe this is what your looking for?

http://store.lightorama.com/cmdedcca2.html

[Max-Paul]

But even if the controller outputs DC voltage. Now you will need to find say 12VDC lights. I know you can search for and find rope lights that run off of 12VDC.

[Stephen Blue]

Syncing up 2 boats together? Now THAT's a show stopper!

I don't see why you couldn't use a standard 12v-120v inverter. Granted, you won't be able to do but so much, unless you're running LED's (Your average halfway reasonably priced inverter is what, 400-500w?) Perhaps to protect the LOR unit you might want to put a power conditioner or some kind of UPS like you would a computer... Though this probably isn't a requirement. I guess then you get into how much your boats batteries/alternator can handle.

But I'd love to see two boats in a boat parade sync'd up. #stopgivingmeideas

Oh, and on the radio - I use a Ramsey FM30b. I get about 800-1000 feet line of sight radius with the standard antenna.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Stephen Blue

[Guest wbottomley]

Syncing up 2 boats together? Now THAT's a show stopper!

I don't see why you couldn't use a standard 12v-120v inverter. Granted, you won't be able to do but so much, unless you're running LED's (Your average halfway reasonably priced inverter is what, 400-500w?) Perhaps to protect the LOR unit you might want to put a power conditioner or some kind of UPS like you would a computer... Though this probably isn't a requirement. I guess then you get into how much your boats batteries/alternator can handle.

But I'd love to see two boats in a boat parade sync'd up. #stopgivingmeideas

Why would a person want to use that garbage? Go with pixels or just use DC boards with DC lights.

[k6ccc]

Lots of DC lights out there that can be used with the LOR DC controller mentioned in post #2. Most of what I am running for my landscape lighting is 12V LED based.

[Stephen Blue]

Why would a person want to use that garbage? Go with pixels or just use DC boards with DC lights.

I wouldn't call it garbage. It would probably look pretty awesome. If he's already got a pair of standard controllers, this is likely a better option/uses standard lights. Not everyone (myself included) has interest in pixels. But to each his own, I suppose...

[dewbscott]

Yes, two boats in sync was very cool...except that we had no audio b/c of the bs transmitter, so the boats just sortof twinkled in unison. We did manage to pick up 2nd place, even with no sound. We're taking baby steps here...maybe pixels further down the road...the other piece of the puzzle is we need to be able to get the lights installed in a hurry (24 hours or so) because the boats are also used for charters/rentals during the day. This year was more of a "proof of concept" (success) and we'll probably add more LORs/wireless/more boats in our armada next year. Interesting the CMB-16-D-QC is supposedly exactly the same as the CMB-16-D except with quick connectors instead of screw terminals...should I assume I can run my existing boards on 12V DC without issue?

The boats currently run all LEDs, and I want to go with larger (C7) LEDs & C7 strobe LEDs next year. Things weren't quite bright enough for my taste.

Thanks all for your feedback - most helpful and encouraging;

Don

[Guest wbottomley]

I wouldn't call it garbage. It would probably look pretty awesome. If he's already got a pair of standard controllers, this is likely a better option/uses standard lights. Not everyone (myself included) has interest in pixels. But to each his own, I suppose...

He would need an inverter that has a true sine wave (expensive) to up convert, run the controller, then, the led's will down convert. Stick with all DC and you won't have any problems. You'll waste more money on things that not necessary by changing voltages.

[dewbscott]

Oh, and I have one of these little bad boys inbound to take care of the FM problem:

http://www.amazon.com/SainSonic-Stereo-Broadcast-Transmitter-Antenna/dp/B0096KYDF8/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1356635848&sr=1-6

If it performs even marginally better than the WHFM thing I'll be much happier.

Thanks;

Don

[dewbscott]

Sorry, I missed that...I need the D-QC controllers for DC operation. Not the same as my existing AC LOR controllers.

Thanks;

Don

[spomalley]

Oh, and I have one of these little bad boys inbound to take care of the FM problem:

http://www.amazon.com/SainSonic-Stereo-Broadcast-Transmitter-Antenna/dp/B0096KYDF8/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1356635848&sr=1-6

If it performs even marginally better than the WHFM thing I'll be much happier.

Thanks;

Don

If I'm reading the specifications right it says it outputs 0.5W. This means your new transmitter is going to have a very large range. And I mean VERY LARGE (At least compared to the WHT). But remember this breaks FCC laws and you may have the men in black suits come knocking...........

[Max-Paul]

If I'm reading the specifications right it says it outputs 0.5W. This means your new transmitter is going to have a very large range. And I mean VERY LARGE (At least compared to the WHT). But remember this breaks FCC laws and you may have the men in black suits come knocking...........

First spomalley, not picking on you, just had a big grin when I realized who was quoting stuff about FCC and men in black. Tis ma good lad from Ireland, none the less. But you are spot on with your advice. Thanks for jumping in spomalley.

[BryanZ]

You wouldn't have, by chance, sailed those boats in the boat parade around Channelside within the past couple weeks?

[dewbscott]

Yes, I would have sailed those boats around Channelside...on Saturday, 22 December. Our lead boat was a 36 ft. Cat named "noshooz." I was bobbing along behind...not doing much sailing

[dewbscott]

Oh, and I received that SainSonic FM transmitter today. It is much much better than that WHFM thing (and half the price). I took a little drive around the neighborhood - fades out to static in less than 1/8 mile. I think I read somewhere out of the box it's rated at 0.1W, unless you reconfigure it at power-up to the 0.5W "high power" mode. I don't plan to do that. 0.1W is fine. That WHFM transmitter would barely hit the street, about 15 yards from the house...when it was outside.

[Preston Meyer]

The CMB -16D is virtualy the same thing as the regular controller just designed for DC voltages (anything up to 60 V. so if you have 24V. on board you could use that also). It has all the same effects and is less expensive than the AC controllers. You could probably sell the AC ones and come out even. You really don't need to run anything AC.

[spomalley]

First spomalley, not picking on you, just had a big grin when I realized who was quoting stuff about FCC and men in black. Tis ma good lad from Ireland, none the less. But you are spot on with your advice. Thanks for jumping in spomalley.

No problem, thanks for confirming. I realise that I am not the best source regarding the US Part 15 Laws. :-)

[Max-Paul]

Shameful as it is to say. Sounds like to me that you have a better handle on it than those of us who live here.

[pdowns]

I thought the typo in the original post to be funny. Whole "Hose" transmitter. You got that right! We used to have a big boat and would put it in Christmas light parades. Just static lights, no LOR. Luckily, we had a 20 KW generator and didn't have to plan much for power.

I always wondered about the FM radio for the boat though. How do the viewers on shore know what station to tune to? Do they even have FM receivers? In our case, in Chattanooga, TN there would be over 30,000 people on the shore and on bridges. No one was in cars. No one had a FM receiver. I always assumed we would only do animation. I still wish I could try LOR on boats. With ELLs I think you could control a LOT of boats. Way cool.

Wisely though, we sold the boat.