A different way to use relays and LOR

[pixeldigger]

I've been reading the threads about using relays with LOR to switch the neutrals to gain channels. I thought I'd share how I leverage my diy stuff with LOR to leverage features and channels.

I use a digital IO board to run DIY solid state relays.
Each relay circuit board I have built has 4 relays on it
(see SSRs at http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/)

on some channels, I will power that relay board from 1 LOR channel.
In LOR I label that channel as a "main" and the 4 on/off relay channels as sub

for example, in my Mega Tree, I have
MegaTree Red MAIN (LOR)
Mega Red sub1 (SSR1)
Mega Red sub2 (SSR1)
Mega Red sub3 (SSR1)
Mega Red sub4 (SSR1)
MegaTree Green MAIN(LOR)
Mega Green sub1 (SSR2)
Mega Green sub2 (SSR2)
Mega Green sub3 (SSR2)
Mega Green sub4 (SSR2)
MegaTree Blue MAIN (LOR)
Mega Blue sub1 (SSR3)
Mega Blue sub2 (SSR3)
Mega Blue sub3 (SSR3)
Mega Blue sub4 (SSR3)

If I ramp red Main up, and chase 1 2 3 and 4, I will have a chase around the tree that ramps up as it goes. I can shimmer, fade or any other feature of LOR on all 4 channels.ofcourse, I can't fade sub1 down while I ramp sub2 up, but the way I arranged my tree is in "slices" I have a Redslice followed by a green slice, followed by a blue slice, with 4 sets of these slices all the way around the tree, so I can fade in red, then when green fades in, fade out red, then when blue fades in, fade out green etc etc to have a smooth chase transition through the slices.

I'm still limited in some ways with what I can do, but this allows me to play with the DIY stuff, and still use LOR and its features to a great extent.For the cost of 3 LOR channels, I get LOR features on 12 channels.