RGB LED Lights strip/ribbon HELP!

[thebeav2004]

Looking at buying RGB LED Lights strip/ribbon off Ebay or what not.   

 

What do i need to know or ask to make sure these will be able to change colour / work using the LOR system.

 

Type of board ? DMX or something ?

 

I dont know why this is so confusing but i am having a hard time figuring out what is compatible, and i want them to be able to do everything LOR can do.

 

Thanks for any help.  I really want to get into this.  I am just getting really frustrated.

 

Beav

[Mega Arch]

Why not just buy from LOR ?

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

[dgrant]

First you need to know what you are looking at on Ebay... 5 volt, 12 volt, Intelligent strips or dumb strips, waterproof or resistant? Both dumb and intelligent strips/nodes/pixels, use different controllers. Dumb strips are where the entire strip lights up, but all one color...any color but all one color. The intelligent strips, each LEd group or node/pixel, is indivdually addressable. You pay for that but you can make them move, chase or in groups like a pixel tree, you can do animation. The closest LOR similarity is CCR's, CCP's and CCB's.  LOR's items come with their own controllers which are compatible with the LOR RS485 network. Non-LOR, you'll need a controller although for dumb strips, LOR's CMB24 DC controller is probably the best and it works on the LOR network. For pixels/nodes, you'll be getting into E1.31 protocol which is DMX over TCPIP. Its a lot easier than it sounds. But in either dumb or intelligent, you'll need the correct power supply as well which is why I mentioned 5V or 12V. Also, if mounted outside, you'll need a weather proof enclosure and possibly a stand.

[Ron Boyd]

http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/32367-many-questions-on-rgb-cmd24d/?p=297706

 

If you'll go through the links I posted in the above thread, (warning, there are quite a few), you should be able to learn all you need to know to get RGB basic and smart pixels up and running. The links are everything I studied and researched when I first started. My entire display is RGB now.

[Bull11]

http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/32367-many-questions-on-rgb-cmd24d/?p=297706

 

If you'll go through the links I posted in the above thread, (warning, there are quite a few), you should be able to learn all you need to know to get RGB basic and smart pixels up and running. The links are everything I studied and researched when I first started. My entire display is RGB now.

Hey Ron

Can you save me some time

I looked at your website

How do you keep the RGB strips facing the viewers on your mega tree

are those dumb strips ?

[Bull11]

http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/32367-many-questions-on-rgb-cmd24d/?p=297706

 

If you'll go through the links I posted in the above thread, (warning, there are quite a few), you should be able to learn all you need to know to get RGB basic and smart pixels up and running. The links are everything I studied and researched when I first started. My entire display is RGB now.

Another Question 

I am just starting to look into slowly converting to RGB

When the LOR DC box says 8 channels, does each RGB ribbon (dumb) use 1 channel or 4

 

[Max-Paul]

Actually 3 channels. Hence 24 \ 3 = 8

[Ron Boyd]

Hey Ron

Can you save me some time

I looked at your website

How do you keep the RGB strips facing the viewers on your mega tree

are those dumb strips ?

The stars in front, on the garage and the mini trees, which were added after this picture was taken, are all that is RGB Nodes. Everything else you see is Pixels (Smart). I only have a few sections of actual strip that I use. The Mega tree you asked about is 800 pixels at 50 per string, 16 legs. The tree is built using the Walter Monkhouse method with a tweak or two of my own.

 

The 2 sections on his site, http://www.magicchristmasnews.org/magic_christmas_news_002.htm

will tell you exactly how to build this tree. I used flat style pixels instead of the bullet style. I marked the banding material to 3" increments, dropped a dab of hot glue onto the band, put the pixels into the glue and then put 2) 4" tie wraps on each pixel. Yep, 1600 tie wraps. I used this method as opposed to Walter's method of taping. Otherwise, the tree is almost identical. His, I believe is 270° where mine is 180°, but everything else is much the same. The basket weave he speaks of is how the pixels stay facing forward.

 

 

Another Question 

I am just starting to look into slowly converting to RGB

When the LOR DC box says 8 channels, does each RGB ribbon (dumb) use 1 channel or 4

 

Max is right. The CMB24-DC is a 24 channel board. Each set of 4 channels make up the RGB channel 1 Red, 1 Green and 1 blue, The 4th output on the board in each section, is your power for the dumb RGB. Pretty simple board to set up. I ran it on the LOR setting for Halloween and am running it in DMX mode for my Mini Trees.

[Max-Paul]

Sorry Ron but aint that 3 channels per strip. The 4th as you call it is just a terminal that is not  controlled (aka channel). This terminal has a direct path to the Positive power terminal on the board. While the Channels go through a MOSFET that turns on and off the negative source to the LEDs? Calling the 4th terminal a channel is confusing.

[dgrant]

Max is correct!! There are 4 terminals but only 3 are actual channels for R, G an B. The 4th is the +12volts. This is done for 8 possible sets of connections on the card or 24 channels. These are for dumb strips only and will not work for intelligent strips.

[Ron Boyd]

The CMB24-DC is a 24 channel board. Each set of 4 screw terminals make up the RGB channel, 1 Red, 1 Green and 1 Blue. The 4th output on the board in each section, is your power for the dumb RGB.

 

I apologize to anyone that I may have confused. I have made and underlined the corrections in this post. The terminals are marked R,G,B and +. As Max corrected my previous statement The RGB connections are for The Red, Green, and Blue LEDs, per strip and the + is for the power.

 

There Max, is that less confusing to you?