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Strips vs. Nodes


Dcroc

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I have used pixel strips (both smart and dumb) for 2 years now.  I had to replace each of my dumb strips after leaving them up all year.  Many of the red pixels in every one of my dumb strips from last year died. I contracted HC, and they sent me ONE strip to repair all 9 strips.  Needless to say....I was less than pleased.  They claim that it was either my mounting method (zip ties too tight, sharp turns), or moisture.  None of those make sense to me, because I have some strips on straight runs, very very loosely held in place with zip ties, that could not be more waterproof...and again, its only the red.  No real patern to the red pixels that died, just kinda random thru each strip.  Every other color pixel works just as well as the day they were unpackaged.  In all, I lost 9 strips to this, and only in the dumb strips.  Smart strips that were installed/purchased at the same time still  work like a champ.  I have heard several possible reasons for this, but I keep going back to a bad lot of strips. If the new ones go bad after this season, I do not see me using strips again, as the nodes seem a whole lot easier to repair in such a case.

   That being said.....what are the advantages/disadvantages to strips and nodes?  It seemed to me that the strips would be a lot easier to mount around the windows and doors, and well as the roof line. Was pretty basic to mount the strips to PVC and clip the PVC to the house/windows/doors, and the best part is that they really can't be seen in the off seasons.  Not even sure how I would even go about mounting nodes in such a manner, and they would, I imagine, be very visable on the house at any time they are not in use.  I love the look of the strips for Halloween, but am thinking the nodes might have a more "traditional" look for Christmas.  Either way, I will be adding the larger c9 size pixel "bulbs" in addtion to which ever other type of pixel I use.  There are just some songs I would like to have a more traditional look for, and they seem to please the older viewers more than the strips. I figure mounting them should pretty much be the same as mounting standard C9 lights.

Also, I am now considering a pixel tree.  Seems some claim the graphic displays on strips is better than using nodes.  Any views on this?  I would really be interested in everyones list of pro's and con's for both in all applications?

On one last note, I would really love to get a bunch of different people's views on these subjects.  Is there a better place to post this that would get better results, or am I in the right place?

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I see both bulbs and bullets and you won't honestly find a strip used in my display. I don't like the look of strips. Bulbs and bullets and much simpler to fix. All my house outline is 1/2 emt with my bulbs zip tied, I can have all the pixels off the house in less then an hour. My pixel tree is a flat tree with bullets as well. I think it shows images well
https://vimeo.com/197518158


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Wow, really nice display.

So you zip tied bullets to PVC?  Would square be easier?  That spacing did you use?

Edited by Dcroc
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I have pixel strips for my tree and have nothing but moisture problems this season. I am planning on doing nodes next year for the tree and retiring the strips.

Plus with nodes i can shrink my tree down from 17ft to 9ft to make it easier to move and store. Only thing is i am not sure how it will look till i build it with nodes.

As for the dumb strips...I use what i got off Ebay 2 years ago and just had 1 window section die on the red as well. It's about a 20" run that died on the red. Green and Blue still work great.. But i cant complain because i paid $5 a strip.

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Really can't say that bulbs are better than strips or vice-versa.  Really comes down the the look and feel that you want for particular display element. 

RGB modules (rectangle, square, round) are also another option to bulbs/strips.  

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My house, roof, windows, garage door, fence are all lined with Dumb nodes. the windows and garage door use 1/2" pvc drilled every 4 inches for nodes. Check out the pics  below. I mounted the frames on the windows using PVC clips. At the end of the year, they pop right off and right into storage. No muss no fuss. Got the drill jig from RainyOregonChristmas.

13239251_582593798575553_164386997527294

13227595_582593735242226_298453227743249

13198491_582593731908893_278566498948979

13254401_582593698575563_812485264927777

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  • 6 months later...

My smart pixel strips have now suffered the same fate as my dumb strips.  Only used 2 seasons, and they have random dead red pixels through out the strips.  Way too many to repair.  I believe I am done with strips.  I am especially done with HC strips.  I simply can not afford to replace all my dumb, and smart strips every year or 2.  In fact, I am very much considering getting out of this hobby due to this.  Putting out hundreds of dollars, every year, to simply replace what I already purchased is insane, and is breaking my spirit.

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Strips are a lot more fragile then the nodes and they can't take all the bending that nodes can when you are setting them up and taking them down. When I am planning out my display i am looking at what I can keep up year round (HOA rules) and what will have to come down at the end of the season. All of my strips are in locations where they stay up year round so they are not handled as much or they are mounted on frames such as my ribbon tree and window frames where they do not get handled but come down as complete sections,  all my other locations get strings.

All my ribbons have been up five years, six this year, with no issues so far.

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Installed them on the roof via 1/2" UPC, and haven't touched them since.  They are a straight run, with no bends, or curves. They have never been taken down, and stored.   I really can not see a reason they would go bad, but the fact that it's only the red, and random, suggests to me that it's a bad batch.  I don't think moisture would be picky about color.

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I thought I read somewhere that the current draw for Red was  slightly higher than Blue or Green.

Still... 

Where are the decoders?  Does it support 1 pix or a group of 3? (and are all 3 bad)

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Just now, Dcroc said:

All 3 are bad.

 

That sounds like a cracked trace. the 3 LEDS of each color are in series.

That, or the driver is shot. 

I go with the trace/LED connection

Is the covering soft enough that you could Voltage probe the trace with a sharp PIN?

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On 7/4/2017 at 1:42 AM, Dcroc said:

My smart pixel strips have now suffered the same fate as my dumb strips.  Only used 2 seasons, and they have random dead red pixels through out the strips.  Way too many to repair.  I believe I am done with strips.  I am especially done with HC strips.  I simply can not afford to replace all my dumb, and smart strips every year or 2.  In fact, I am very much considering getting out of this hobby due to this.  Putting out hundreds of dollars, every year, to simply replace what I already purchased is insane, and is breaking my spirit.

Sorry to hear about that as it sounds super frustrating.  I had some strips from HC this past year where the blue pixel went out randomly but he was gracious enough to replace them.  If more trouble shows up then I too might consider getting out of this hobby or at least go back to static lights.  I don't think I could ever not put up Christmas lights of some sort.

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1 hour ago, B.Y.R.G. said:

Sorry to hear about that as it sounds super frustrating.  I had some strips from HC this past year where the blue pixel went out randomly but he was gracious enough to replace them.  If more trouble shows up then I too might consider getting out of this hobby or at least go back to static lights.  I don't think I could ever not put up Christmas lights of some sort.

"...gracious enough to replace them."  How sad that vendor expectations in this hobby have slimed and slithered down to that level.

Before you bail on a hobby that brings so much joy to so many, perhaps you should get out of HC and go back to quality vendors who sell quality products.

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1 hour ago, George Simmons said:

"...gracious enough to replace them."  How sad that vendor expectations in this hobby have slimed and slithered down to that level.

Before you bail on a hobby that brings so much joy to so many, perhaps you should get out of HC and go back to quality vendors who sell quality products.

George got his HC dig in for the week........wohoo!

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3 hours ago, B.Y.R.G. said:

George got his HC dig in for the week........wohoo!

I have never seen someone actually hate a company such as George with HC.  :lol:

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5 hours ago, Mr. P said:

I have never seen someone actually hate a company such as George with HC.  :lol:

I don't hate HC.  But I have zero respect for the owner and the way he's treated so many customers..

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Last year, I Emailed them about the same issue I had with 9 of their dumb strips.  Only got one season out of them.  They sent me one replacement to cut apart and replace all the dead red pixels.  It was WAY to many to replace like that, and more red pixels were going bad every day.  I ended up buying 8 more dumb strips.  I'm gonna fire them up for the first time since Christmas, and see how they are doing, today.

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18 hours ago, George Simmons said:

"...gracious enough to replace them."  How sad that vendor expectations in this hobby have slimed and slithered down to that level.

Before you bail on a hobby that brings so much joy to so many, perhaps you should get out of HC and go back to quality vendors who sell quality products.

Yeah, that was a heat of the moment post.  I have things that I wanted to add this year,  and every dime I have to spend replacing these things, each season, keeps me from moving forward.  Wouldn't be so bad if it were a strip here, and there.   However, they ALL seem to go.  Really considering switching to nodes.

Edited by Dcroc
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