Adding up the total number of lights in your display

[JSelph]

When you are working with RGB lights (specifically CCB's and CCP's), how does everyone count those when calculating the total number of lights in your display?  For instance, if you have a 100-ct CCB, do you count that as 100 lights?  Or do you count it as 300 lights since each bulb is RGB?

[k6ccc]

I counted every LED as a single number - whether is it's a single color or RGB. Oh wait a minute, I only had 4 lights that weren't RGB last year. Everything else was RGB.

[George Simmons]

IMO, CCBs and CCPs should count as a single light.  CCRs have 3 lights per pixel, as does most flavors of dumb RGB, so that's how I'd count them.

 

As for us, we stopped trying to count (or even caring very much) after we passed 50K a few years ago.  Way too many other things to keep track of.

[JSelph]

George, since CCB's and CCP's each have 3 lights per pixel, isn't that the same as a CCR?  Or am I completely misunderstanding what you mean?

[George Simmons]

You can either count lights or channels.  They're not the same thing.

 

When you light a pixel, CCB or CCP, how many lights do you see?  Not how many channels go into making that light, but how many points of light do you (or someone in the street) see?  With a CCR, you see three separate lights per pixel.  With a dumb strip you see either 30 or 60 lights per meter.  (Think of it like rope light)

[smeighan]

not that it matters much, but i count the lights that people can see. 150 rgb nodes (450 channels) I count as 150 lights.

[75redman]

A CCP string is 100 pixels.  I count it as 100 as I would a regular 100ct light string.

[PaulXmas]

I just make up a number...

[bobschm]

I've never counted my lights, but I encourage viewers to do so.

[JSelph]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

[jstorms]

I stopped counting at 25K. If it is good enough for Clark its good enough for me, and I'm too lazy to keep an accurate count.

[scubado]

You could have two numbers, one for regular lights and a separate # for RGB.  The numbers in my signature are approximate,  I gave up counting, plus I threw out some incads this year.

[crackchecker]

I stopped worring about the number of lights a couple of years ago.  If someone cares to ask, I just make something up...

[marsh28]

I count by the number of SHADES each pixel can create.  

[George Simmons]

I count by the number of SHADES each pixel can create.

Are you referring to lamp shades or window shades?

[Liberty-Laser]

Just put on the best show you can & no one really will care how many.

[75redman]

I suppose if I were to go ALL rgb then I would count 1 pixel as 3.  Just to say I have more lights.

[George Simmons]

I'm at the point where I'm happy to downplay the numbers of lights and cords both to help fly under the radar of those with questionable intent.

[TGabriel]

If I got a dollar for each light I might count them, but I don't.

So who cares how many lights I have as long as it lights up the neighborhood.