LOR RGB Icicles and controllers

[BCBjorklund]

HI,

Moved to a new home and new layout in progress.

Phase 1:

Plan on installing RGB pixels Icicles up on house using the boscoyo strips. 7.5 ft=15 drops of  7 pixels per strnd, 12mm holes(I have 280 Ln Ft) . and about 800 RGb C9 pixels , and approximately 180ln ft of pixels for windows and garage door trim

 

Phase 2:

4-0RGB Arches

2- 6'6" RG Mega Trees

 

Will LOR pixels fit?

What controllers to use ?

Who uses them? and if not what do you use?

DO I use 485 or E1.31

I currently Have (8) CTB16 controllers full in LED's, 1 controller RGB 8 floods

 

your guidance is appreciated

 

 

Bruce

 

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by BCBjorklund

[Orville]

Since I'm not exactly sure which Boscoyo Icicles you're using, the ones I read state 12mm pixels, if these are the same ones, then the LOR Bullet Node Pixels should fit without any modification to the icicle.  So the RGB pre-built units that come with the correct RGB nodes would probably work from LOR, any of the LOR RGB controllers should work as long as the RGB nodes are of the same type {I'd think}.

  However, if you have to cut the strand to make them work with this product, this will void any warranty on the LOR RGB strands.  Which you may and probably will have to do with the LOR RGB nodes..  And if you have to do that, you may also require power injection at some locations along the strand.

   And Boscoyo does recommend nodes from Ali Express 7 node 10 drop RGB nodes for Boscoyo Icicles that will fit their icicles, but I don't know much about their product line or warranty. 

But that's about all I can tell you.  Hopefully others here can give more details and better information.

Edited January 28, 2020 by Orville

[TheDucks]

Regardless on what you go for Icicles, you are a LOR 485 network user for the stuff you listed.  

A couple of years ago, someone sold these kind of strings with the drops of different counts (pattern repeated), but I can't locate the notes to give you a link. 😚

Icicles are not all the same size, which is why I find the concept of all drops the same LENGTH and bulb orientation, a bit jarring.  (The demo I saw, just had them hanging free 👍 , pointing any which way)

Splices BETWEEN drops should work fine, but do keep track of the Node # and what part of the drop pattern (if varied) you are at.

Icicles are dense (lots of nodes in a small area, compared to simple strings), so your controller options  can easily lean to more port counts than longer runs of simple strings (but you power supply will need to be sized for the node counts)

 

 

[BCBjorklund]

Here is a picture of my general layout I did this year,

The house sits about 100 ft from Mega Tree

@Orville  I've looked at Ali Express.. been trying to stay with LOR but not against more learning and going out

@TheDucks  Do I need to upgrade the LOR 485 to the High speed, I have been looking at Ali Express for the pixels  as the cost is half will that make a difference?

 

I also have  another 16 trees on side yard (left side of Picture and not visible) so that would be a additional controller CBD16 Controller

in addition to Phase 1 & 2, we will also be adding singing faces

 

xmas lights angle view from driveway.pdf

[TheDucks]

For Pixels, you need a controller that does E1.30 or LOR 500k+.  The controller choice decides.

It would be ab Addition to you existing system.

OTOH Having a (spare)

HS adapter never hurts.

Switching gears. Looking at your house (placement): IMHO Pixels  (detail) would be lost at that (100') distance. Why not just go for Dumb (CMB24) RGB ones, that still allows for color choice?

Do others Agree with my take?

[BCBjorklund]

		C9RGB Bulbs							Pixels -Icicle					Pixels Trim
		Universe	Controller	Pixals bulbs	Total RGB Bulbs	Strands	Load Per strand	Total Load	Zone	Length in Feet	6.5	70		Length in Feet	4/ft	strings
	shop			1-124	124	1.5			rt sp edge	6.5	1	70	Shop	60	240	5
	left garage			125-223	99	1			rt sp gbl indv	13	2	140	Garage	84	352	7
	rt garage			224-359	136	1.5			lft sp gbl indv	13	2	140	Liv Rm	51	204	4
	entry			360-499	140	1.5			sp lft edge	41	6.5	455	Entry	32	128	3
	ridge			500-610	111	1.25			rtt sp gbl indiv	13	2	140	BDrm1	28	112	2.5
	bedrooms			611-779	168	1.75			lft sp gbl indic	13	2	140	BDrm2	36	144	3
	gingerbread			780-795	16	0.3			gar left	19.5	3	210
									gar rt frnt	26	4	280
									gar rt side	19.5	3	210
									entry	36.5	5	350
									lft bedroom	15	2.5	175
									front bedrooms	28	4.25	297.5
									rt bedroom	13	2	140
												0
									gingerbrd	22	3.5	245
												0
					794	8.8				279	42.75	2992.5		291	1180
		Power sourcce
		C9 pixels Ridge lines
		Icycles -  12mm pixels		15 drops of  7 pixels per strnd of 70 = 7.5 ft
		Possible Controller location

[Orville]

On 1/28/2020 at 11:46 PM, BCBjorklund said:

Here is a picture of my general layout I did this year,

The house sits about 100 ft from Mega Tree

@Orville  I've looked at Ali Express.. been trying to stay with LOR but not against more learning and going out

 

I prefer to stay with LOR products myself, but I'm thinking of using Ray Wu's promotional special {$5 for 50 5VDC WS2811 RGB Pixel Bullets} to replace 4 bad strands C7/9? RGB LOR 5VDC CCB's I have that are pretty much useless as they are. 

They worked great when I got them {purchased used} for one season, but after taking them down, now they have just too many bulbs out on each strand, that is too many are missing 1 or 2 of the RGB colors in them.  May see if I can cut them up and possibly use them elsewhere for some smaller RGB items I'm thinking of creating for my Christmas display.  I'm sure I'll figure out some use for them, somewhere.

But I like the bullet nodes over the C7/9? CCB's.  Especially when it comes to using them in props or some type of cut-out figures.

[BCBjorklund]

Thanks Orville, a friend used GE's C7-9 and liked them.. I am just now headed towards the RGB so I am really nerveous about set up. a lot of people are pushing Xlights for software and going e1.31  

 

[Orville]

1 hour ago, BCBjorklund said:

Thanks Orville, a friend used GE's C7-9 and liked them.. I am just now headed towards the RGB so I am really nerveous about set up. a lot of people are pushing Xlights for software and going e1.31  

 

I checked out Xlights, just to see what it was, and if it may be easier to use than LOR software.   It's way too much like LOR's S5 for my taste.  So I'm staying with the most stable version of S4 PRO, and that's version 4.4.4 for me.   I much prefer the interface in the SE and I find it easy enough to sequence my Pixels in just fine.  But that's me.  I did uninstall and delete Xlights as it was just as confusing to me as S5 is.

 

[BCBjorklund]

HI All,

I had a conversation recently and someone suggested to not use designated Icicle pixels for the Boscoyo Bicycle strips. Instead just use a regular pixel strand and loop through each icicle. Has anyone tried this?

[Orville]

8 minutes ago, BCBjorklund said:

HI All,

I had a conversation recently and someone suggested to not use designated Icicle pixels for the Boscoyo Bicycle strips. Instead just use a regular pixel strand and loop through each icicle. Has anyone tried this?

I'd say that was up to each person that uses them.  It also hinges on just how close together you want the icicles to be.  There's only about 6 inches between each bullet node pixel that LOR sells.  So that would put them a little too close together by looping them, or so I'd think.

So I'm not sure that may be as practical for feasible as it may sound. 

I just measured my LOR Bullet Nodes, and they are 6" apart, so that may put your icicles about 1-2" apart{if lucky maybe 3-4 inches, but I think that may still be too close together, at least for me it would}.  So I'm not really sure as to how well using the loop method going from one to the other would work out.   

Me, I'd probably just go with the pixels that were made specifically for them, otherwise you may find them too close together for your liking.

 

Edited February 12, 2020 by Orville