Newbie to LOR...#5 need input. (LOL)

[kiplorenzo]

Hello,
I am Kip from Elizabeth, CO (the toolies of Denver).
 
I have had the lighting bug since I was a kid... I used to watch the lights at shows rather than the shows when mom would take me to the theater. My mom when I was 11 bought me my first 3.5" Fresnel, which I still have. Now that I am grown and have my own budget, I built my home theater. (Pic Enclosed of it running) all images are done with Gobo's and Ellipsoidal fixtures. I had to reduce the wattage each from 1000watts to 250. There are 36 instruments and 1 Leprecon Dimmer system, 1 chiller fog machine and numerous strobes- for lightning.

 

On to Christmas displays, Picture enclosed of the house this last year. Everything changed over to LED. 

So recently I bought some Flexible LEDs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2F3KDQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)  2 packages of em and waterproof (300 LED's per string). I've been doing some of the blog reading and need someone in the Denver area that might know how to connect all of this to LOR. I am planning on LOR with DMX as there are other stage lighting that I want to bring in with new effects and also some laser shows. But let me slow down. I have heard of Pixelnet. Does anyone know if LOR will work with it? or am I stuck putting a power transformer on every string? I have plans to run this along the roofline and to outline the house. I am also planning to use these LED's to build Wash lights. They cost  125-250.00 each if bought ready made, or 40.00 each (and I design the size) if I build them.) I have a lighting plot on paper, and want to do this correctly- Cords will be buried underground in PVC.

 

I'd really like to find someone that can mentor me on this...I understand DMX512, I understand LOR. I am having a challenge understanding powering of LEDS and Pixelnet.

 

thanks for hearing me out and any help.

 

Kip

 

 

 

[caniac]

I would not bury cords underground, the second you do that you will think "do I really want that there".  This hobby is cool in that you can constantly change it, don't limit your self to putting things in the same place every year.  Because this is technology driven, what might have been cool this year is "so last year" the next.

[MCas4380]

From my understanding Pixelnet is very limeting in that it only conrols other pixel net stuff. there are options that will work with LOR but i'm not sure if Pixel net will. Also the strips you showed seem to only have one chip per strip so they would react like a basic or dumb RGB strip. meaning that the whole strip would change colurs at the same time.  I'm not familer with the strip you are showing so i'm sure someone else will chim in.

[kiplorenzo]

I would not bury cords underground, the second you do that you will think "do I really want that there".  This hobby is cool in that you can constantly change it, don't limit your self to putting things in the same place every year.  Because this is technology driven, what might have been cool this year is "so last year" the next.

Most of the display will be year round (wash lights and driveway lights) these will not change, except for colors. But I will be putting a long piece of string through every pipe... to pull more Cable through or make changes.

[k6ccc]

Kip, like you I am doing most of my stuff year round, and EVERYTHING is in conduit.  For temporary shows (which is what most of the people here are doing), there is little need to use conduit for most of them.  However, for permanent displays, I would recommend using conduit - especially for you since you get snow.  Here in the Los Angeles area, we NEVER get snow, so that's not a problem, but I did not want cables laying across the ground.  With the cable in conduit, it's well protected from animals or people catching a cable.  I have a very strange shaped yard that is long and skinny.  It's about 80 feet long and I currently have almost a quarter mile of conduit under the lawn.  There are 6 pipes that are there in case I want to use then for Christmas to 3 selected locations.  We'll see if I use them...

[Steven]

Kip, like you I am doing most of my stuff year round, and EVERYTHING is in conduit.

When I was first installing my conduit in my lawn, my neighbor asked if I was having problems with my sewer line.

[scubado]

For most applications the 150 led strips is plenty bright.  If you look at my signature pic, the ball tree and the inner star is rgb ribbon looking at it directly.  the garage eave is the ribbon reflected, ribbon not seen directly.  The red shining on the house is 10w leds.  My flood heads are RGBW.

Here is a link to the ribbon I use: http://www.ebay.com/itm/320972600820?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648

 

I sent you a PM

 

BTW, Welcome to the madness!

Edited April 13, 2013 by scubado

[TheJackal]

Hey Kip....welcome to the forum. I'm in Aurora and going to run my 1st show this year (hopefully) also. I'd like to come and see what your house looks like when you have it set up Since you're close enough, if you want to share shipping costs on some orders, shoot me a PM.

Edited April 13, 2013 by TheJackal

[kiplorenzo]

K6CCC,

I am wanting the underground cables for the same reasons , no one tripping over a cord. That and my Wash lights (Trees and house) I want permanent for effect during the year. For Christmas, I will put up the extra lights.

I enclosed a pic of the place lit up without any controllers. I've also thought about bringing in some of the LED Disco Stage Lights-DMX512 (Waterproof boxes will have to be built for the 4 instruments)  and lasers for picture drawing,

I'm trying to learn more about the smart pixels.

 

thanks

 

Kip

[kiplorenzo]

Oops forgot the PIC... Damn blonde moment. ( no offense to blondes.)