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First year in the hobby!! Looking for a CMB24D


Bobothegreat

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Hello,

So this year will be my first year in this hobby. I am already starting to plan out for Halloween and am realizing this is going to be a bigger challenge then I thought.

so half my lights I found out are dumb RGB strip and I am in need of a cmb24d to use them to their potential. Since I have already dropped $500+ on starting up, I just don't have $175+ to add to the budget for this year so I am looking for used options. I know the board is only $109 but once you add in the box, mounting plate and power supply it gets up to around $230. Any advice or if you have something you want to get rid of I will consider it.

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You can always wait for our summer sale (which we should have) where that will most likely be on sale.

Be sure to sign up for our eMail list on our server.  That's how we let people know if/when a sale will happen.

Before anyone asks:  NO  I,  and everyone else at the company except Dan, DON'T know if/when a sale will be.  We typically find out at the same time you do :)

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9 minutes ago, DevMike said:

You can always wait for our summer sale (which we should have) where that will most likely be on sale.

Be sure to sign up for our eMail list on our server.  That's how we let people know if/when a sale will happen.

Before anyone asks:  NO  I,  and everyone else at the company except Dan, DON'T know if/when a sale will be.  We typically find out at the same time you do :)

I have signed up for the emails and will definitely keep a look out. I heard it should be coming soon. 

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If you get the CMB24D at the Summer Sale you can shop around and get a box for $12 and a Power supply for $16. Look around the house you can probably find an old cord somewhere you can cut off. In this hobby you have to be frugal and inventive or you will go broke.  😁   Just last week my wife was throwing out two vacuum cleaners, each having 30' cords on them. I cut off the cords knowing I can use them somewhere.

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About 80% of my LED lites are used from thrift stores and from folks on the site, someone always has something to move as they get bit by the bug. 

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On 7/24/2019 at 12:45 AM, Bobothegreat said:

Hello,

So this year will be my first year in this hobby. I am already starting to plan out for Halloween and am realizing this is going to be a bigger challenge then I thought.

so half my lights I found out are dumb RGB strip and I am in need of a cmb24d to use them to their potential. Since I have already dropped $500+ on starting up, I just don't have $175+ to add to the budget for this year so I am looking for used options. I know the board is only $109 but once you add in the box, mounting plate and power supply it gets up to around $230. Any advice or if you have something you want to get rid of I will consider it.

For mounting boxes, I've been scavenging old telephone boxes, they make great enclosures, but they may require some internal modification to work for mounting items.   I've had to modify some by cutting out some of the plastic molded studs and sand them down to get PC boards to fit inside. 

When I was using an MP3 Director {one of the older original units} and my FM Transmitter, I had them both mounted inside one of these old telephone junction boxes made of weatherproof plastic.   Worked great for 4 years, then when my MP3 Director died, went to a computer to run my shows, but still used the old telephone boxes to put my transmitter and even electrical outlets in for power distribution to my CTB16PC controllers and CCB100D RGB Controllers.

Many times the phone company replaces these older boxes with newer ones or they are removing them completely.  If you see a local telephone service truck, just ask the guy if he has any old boxes, they just take them back and junk them, so they will usually be glad to give them to you in most cases.  They're great for putting in power supplies too.   I use them for all sorts of projects for my LOR displays to my Model Railroads {G and O gauge trains}.   They have a lot of good uses and will last for a very long time as they are also usually always UV protected from sunlight as well.

And like others, any appliance that has outlived it's usefulness, I also cut off the cords for use elsewhere, I even cut off the old power cord {male} and female ends off old Christmas light strands that no longer work for power cord or extension cord use as well.

Like some other had said, in this hobby you need to look around and become inventive or you'll go broke trying to purchase everything you need.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting and Inventing. :)

 

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