MNLights Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I hope someone can help me. I am having a company install 12v Smart RGB pixels on my house and they say they will work with LOR. I have purchased 2 Pixie* controllers based on other threads and want to be sure I have what is needed to run them. Below is a picture of my house where the pixels will be installed. Will 2 Pixie8 controllers be enough for this? Thanks for anyones help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 You need to tell us a few more details. Type of pixel, eg WS2811. How many pixels, and spacing. Current draw or Wattage of each pixel. The location of the start of the strings is important and will dictate where and how many controllers are going to be required. Pixel strings are also directional and data can only be fed from one end. Each pixel should have a direction arrow on the tiny circuit board inside to indicate the direction of flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasLights Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 agree with points above, the key is the type of pixel being used and where you can place the controllers. Power and distance are not your friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNLights Posted September 7, 2021 Author Share Posted September 7, 2021 I have reached out to the installers for these questions and will let you know what they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I have bullets on 3" centers. That makes a string of 100 : 25' (12.5' /50 ). S if you feed at the middle that would be 50' (25 right, 25 left). 15' cable to the controllers dongle (because I am using 100 nodes without Power injection) Draw 15' radius circles from the feeds, that is where you can place controllers. You want the circles to touch for least amount of controllers. OTOH Don't rule out Pixie 4' use. Bigger is not always better 😀 OH And WHERE you want and can place controllers (remember Snow and Rain need to be kept out: Upright mount if not under eves. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNLights Posted September 7, 2021 Author Share Posted September 7, 2021 Here is what I do know. The spacing is 9"between each pixel and each pixel is .6 watts (according to their web site). They (Trimlight) said they are mounting their boards (which I will not use) inside of the garage to protect it so I would assume I would have to mount the Pixie8's there as well. They will do all of the power injection that is needed. What I am waiting on is the type of pixels. Since the LOR sale is ending today I went ahead and bought 2 Pixie8's as I heard 1 Pixie16 is not always the best option. I hope 2 of the Pixie8 will work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNLights Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 On 9/7/2021 at 9:58 AM, PhilMassey said: You need to tell us a few more details. Type of pixel, eg WS2811. How many pixels, and spacing. Current draw or Wattage of each pixel. The location of the start of the strings is important and will dictate where and how many controllers are going to be required. Pixel strings are also directional and data can only be fed from one end. Each pixel should have a direction arrow on the tiny circuit board inside to indicate the direction of flow. I was told today that the pixels being used are the UCS1903 pixels at .6 watts per bulb at a 9" spacing. They did not know yet how many pixels that would be for the whole roof but will get that info to me. The location of the controller box they will install is located on the small garage on the bottom left of the picture marked with a blue X. They only plan to install one box for the entire roof line in yellow and will power inject when needed. This seems far away from the other side of the house but that is how they are going to install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMassey Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Nine inch spacing is quite a lot. My temporary show uses three and a half in on the house and windows and that is fairly typical but some folks use less. The nine inch spacing is partly how they are getting across the whole house but they will need PI with 0.6W pixels. I'm not familiar with UCS 1903 Pixels but looking on Google they are physically bigger than the pixels most of us use. My Falcon controllers do not support that pixel type but I can't speak for LOR controllers as I don't have one, but I don't see it in the data sheet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNLights Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 Thank you for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 I just looked in my Pixie user manual, and LOR has the UCS1903 listed as the same as the WS2811 chip, provided I'm reading the chart correctly. Daryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 1 hour ago, Daryl said: I just looked in my Pixie user manual, and LOR has the UCS1903 listed as the same as the WS2811 chip, provided I'm reading the chart correctly. Daryl Correct. Reember if things don’t work right select the other hz There at 400/800 JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNLights Posted September 18, 2021 Author Share Posted September 18, 2021 5 hours ago, Daryl said: I just looked in my Pixie user manual, and LOR has the UCS1903 listed as the same as the WS2811 chip, provided I'm reading the chart correctly. Daryl I received my two Pixie8 boxes that each came with a manual and I did see the UCS1903 is the same as WS2811. Thanks for letting me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNLights Posted September 18, 2021 Author Share Posted September 18, 2021 4 hours ago, dibblejr said: Correct. Reember if things don’t work right select the other hz There at 400/800 JR This is good to know. Thanks for the tip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 9 hours ago, MNLights said: This is good to know. Thanks for the tip One more tip If your pixie came with instructions that told you to install a dip switch in a certain set of pins and yoi did - remove that dip switch. Install it on JP2 for pixie8’s this will allow you to transfer data from one pixie to other controller (daisy chained). JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNLights Posted September 18, 2021 Author Share Posted September 18, 2021 36 minutes ago, dibblejr said: One more tip If your pixie came with instructions that told you to install a dip switch in a certain set of pins and yoi did - remove that dip switch. Install it on JP2 for pixie8’s this will allow you to transfer data from one pixie to other controller (daisy chained). JR What is JP2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, MNLights said: What is JP2? Look On the controller there is JP2 in front of the network jacks JP2 allows data to transfer to or from other controllers. Without JP2 daisy chaining will not work. Also In my previous post i mistaking said “dip switches” that should say jumper (the black jumper that came in a bag with fuses and connectors). JR Edited September 18, 2021 by dibblejr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSignGuy Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 Thanks for the heads up @dibblejr, glad I follow some of these threads. I just looked at my Pixie 8 for my 16X50 Tree, I just installed the JP2 jumper. Last year the Pixie 8 was at the end, not a big deal it worked. This year it will be first in line for 2 Pixie 2's and 1 Pixie 4, that would have been a pain.... Do all the Pixie's 4/8/16 arrive with the JP2 not installed? Would there be a reason they leave them off, just curious.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 I am Confused. JP2 is accessory power to devices like the Director. Leaving it out prevents cross powering other controllers. My Gen2 Pixies work without this jumper (Only Gen 2's have it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, TheDucks said: I am Confused. JP2 is accessory power to devices like the Director. Leaving it out prevents cross powering other controllers. My Gen2 Pixies work without this jumper (Only Gen 2's have it) JP2 is needed for his 8/ 16 and 4 All pixies have the jumper but depending on the pixie model it is a different pin Your v2 pixie2 may be dif JR Edited September 19, 2021 by dibblejr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 5 minutes ago, dibblejr said: JP2 is needed for his 8/ 16 and 4 All pixies have the jumper but depending on the pixie model it is a different pin Your v2 pixie2 may be dif JR I have some gen2 Pixie4 and 8 (no pixie2... yet 🙃) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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