Help design this home

[drivemewilder]

This home is a friend of mine. He lives to decorate for Christmas but has never ventured into controlled lights. He has asked me to just give him a quick and simple idea of what to do and how much it'll cost.  I was thinking original to do dumb strips, but these look to be loooong tall peaks that would require a lot of power supplies. With the limitations on how far from the board you can go, I don't think dumb is the way to go. CCP's could work. But he's looking at probably 3 of them just to outline the gray roof peaks. And another 2 for the face of the house including peaks. 5 CCP's would cost about $1K. Not sure that's a cheap option. I'm just now getting used to the Falcon, but I know it's way over his head (he's in another town, so I would be coaching over the phone.) but even the f16v2 round require a couple of boards and power supplies. What would you do?

 

well, it's not letting me upload his house picture.

Edited July 25, 2016 by drivemewilder

[Dennis Laff]

pixels  (2811)  and smaller controllers like  Sandevices E6804 located at several points on the house makes it easier then one big controller

[k6ccc]

2 hours ago, drivemewilder said:

well, it's not letting me upload his house picture.

Upload the picture to a website somewhere and link to the picture instead of trying to upload the picture here. 

 

[saxon]

4 hours ago, Dennis Laff said:

pixels  (2811)  and smaller controllers like  Sandevices E6804 located at several points on the house makes it easier then one big controller

+1.

  - A few e6804 with there own PS will handle what you described. Actually, one e6804 and one PS will easily do the job. I have tested and run distances of 48 feet from controller to first pixel on 22 g wire so distance shouldn't be much of an issue for you/them with the a sandevice..

 

[drivemewilder]

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.935248,-103.3646293,3a,52.2y,95.41h,83.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4RJXna0ssBFsPam2d0y7JQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Does this link work? 

[drivemewilder]

If the link works, you should see a white pickup out front and a trailer.  So, he wouldn't want a lot of control b/c he doesn't have the knowledge base to do that.  But, it's not that much more expensive to buy something that gives you the control and just use it for the solid colors he wants, and then if/when he decides to go full-control he'll already have the set-up.  Correct?  I think for the first year, just having pixels around all of the peaks and even in the trees out front.  Then add a pixel tree next year and a star or something on the chimney.

[uncledan]

It works.  Why not start off with some standard LOR AC?  Might be good seeing how his knowledge base is limited.  Maybe some LOR AC and a pixel tree?  Pixels and RGB are a whole different animal... 12 or 16 strips of 2811 and a controller offer the WOW factor with a pixel tree.  Plenty of premade sequences too.    Try to limit power injection first year.  Just my two sense.  Plenty of used LOR controllers for sale.  They are pretty easy to sell so wont be out much if he moves onto RGB next year. 

[drivemewilder]

Yea, I doubt he will ever use pixels for what they are. I can see him purchasing tree sequences and then just matching his house with a solid color. But those long peaks seem like it would take a lot of power injection. I don't really see being able to split the house into left/right or upper/lower. B/c no matter where I put the controller, it'll be a long ways from many of the strings. Won't that require a lot of power injection? 

[oilmoney]

Start with a standard controller, pixels seems like a lot to digest during the first year. 

When I look at this house I see:

1.)  4 great trees for lights

2.)  2 windows that could be lit

3.)  the front walkway is begging for chases running up/down it.

4.)  New Mexico? Look at the potential for what you could do on the roof! I'd put a bunch of LED snowflakes or something up there!

5.) I like the little hill around the tree on the left, I'd cover that area with net lighting, I think the natural contour of the ground lit up at night would be neat.

Just what I'd do...

P.S  His neighbor already has lights up....

[saxon]

first,,,yeah, that roof line is a "must" to light up, eventually.

I would do the eaves and the window frames. There will be plenty of room and time for expansion to do the roof outline next year. 

[Mr. P]

If it were me attempting to teach a newbie who wants different colors for the first year on that house I would go with two CMB24's with some dumb stips for the eaves and some dumb pixels/bulbs for the roof lines. They would get all the changing colors they need, easy to program the first year and not super expensive. After the first year when they gain some experience they can move them or add to them as they see fit.

[Old Sarge]

quick and simple... Basically it comes down to how much does he want to spend and how much does he expect to do the first year and how much of a budget for the coming years as it grows.. also what kind of lights etc. does he want.. Its not as simple as asking someone to design it for him... it has to be something that he likes or no matter how much he spends or what he does under the advice or someone else it has to in the end be something he likes and wants to do and not something that he doesn't like and points his finger at someone else saying... he told me to do it that way... He needs to take the time to work on HIS DESIGN and HIS budget..

He can learn more and get more ideas from going on you tube etc. and watching displays and not just the big ones that cost more then many of us make in a year to get his ideas.