Hanging Lights Around Windows

[WVXmas]

Good day all, 

First year with the RGB lights and I have the plastic strips that LOR provides. Im have attempted to come up with a solution to hang the lights around my windows with no success. What are you guys doin to get them perfectly set up around each window? 

 

THANK YOU!

[Mr. P]

I use 1/2 inch pvc pipe and built a frame to go around my windows. I zip-tie the strips to the pvc frame then snap the frames on with clips. After the season I pull them down and put them in storage with the strips attached to the frame. Been doing this since 2013 with the same frames and strips.

[WVXmas]

This sounds good, but how do you clip PVC on to your windows? My windows don’t have a spot to use a clip I don’t believe. 

[TheDucks]

1 hour ago, WVXmas said:

This sounds good, but how do you clip PVC on to your windows? My windows don’t have a spot to use a clip I don’t believe. 

What are your windows made of?

What is the material right next to them? (and do you own the property?)

[Mr. P]

I use these clips for 1/2 inch pvc. FYI, wife is from 26505. 😁

https://www.holidaycoro.com/PixelPipe-Clip-for-PVC-and-PixelPipe-Track-p/770.htm

Edited October 22, 2022 by Mr. P

[WVXmas]

TheDucks,

I do own…My windows are vinyl so my thought was attempt outdoor 3m hooks? They may get grip since they are smooth? There is not an edge to clip to so if the 3m doesn’t work, I’ll have to screw into the house, which I would love to avoid. 

[WVXmas]

2 hours ago, TheDucks said:

What are your windows made of?

What is the material right next to them? (and do you own the property?)

TheDucks,

I do own…My windows are vinyl so my thought was attempt outdoor 3m hooks? They may get grip since they are smooth? There is not an edge to clip to so if the 3m doesn’t work, I’ll have to screw into the house, which I would love to avoid. 

[TheDucks]

15 minutes ago, WVXmas said:

TheDucks,

I do own…My windows are vinyl so my thought was attempt outdoor 3m hooks? They may get grip since they are smooth? There is not an edge to clip to so if the 3m doesn’t work, I’ll have to screw into the house, which I would love to avoid. 

I use the square Cable tie anchor pads, but I use a dab of Bathtub (RTV) calk on stucco (not relying on the stickum). The pads come in Black or whiteish. Those stay year round, I then use zip ties.

Wipe down the surfaces with alcohol, just in case the mold release survived or they have started chalking.

BTW you might want to cut the strips and use jumpers (soldering required) to get square corners (warranty will be voided, verify all is well befor cutting.

[dibblejr]

I use 1/2" pvc conduit. You can make it the shape of your windows and a little smaller than the inside dimensions and wedge them in place. For my arch window I took the same 1/2 " pvc conduit and forced it in place during the hot summer months and the heat shaped it and it keeps the shape. 

A few years ago I just left my arch up since it cant be seen and all of my rgb lights stay up year round anyway.

JR

[WVXmas]

On 10/21/2022 at 9:46 PM, TheDucks said:

I use the square Cable tie anchor pads, but I use a dab of Bathtub (RTV) calk on stucco (not relying on the stickum). The pads come in Black or whiteish. Those stay year round, I then use zip ties.

Wipe down the surfaces with alcohol, just in case the mold release survived or they have started chalking.

BTW you might want to cut the strips and use jumpers (soldering required) to get square corners (warranty will be voided, verify all is well befor cutting.

I was wondering how you get the lights to end where you need them. Around my small windows is almost exact one string, but around my bay windows it’s not big enough for two so I have about 15 extra lights. So, what is the process? I have never done it before. 

[dibblejr]

Just now, WVXmas said:

I was wondering how you get the lights to end where you need them. Around my small windows is almost exact one string, but around my bay windows it’s not big enough for two so I have about 15 extra lights. So, what is the process? I have never done it before. 

You can cut the excess off and dip in silicone (voids warranty) or just do not sequence them. 

 

Extra nodes can be used as replacements in the event that you have a failure(s)

 

JR

[TheDucks]

The node number is its position relative to the controller port. you have 15 spares. 💡 Mark the spare to which lot they come from (different batches can have different color. Triple that if you have both 5V and 12V nodes The V+ terminal may be marked, but a labeled baggie of spares is still a good idea. PS mark the cut end for the same reason it is DI )

[WVXmas]

11 hours ago, TheDucks said:

The node number is its position relative to the controller port. you have 15 spares. 💡 Mark the spare to which lot they come from (different batches can have different color. Triple that if you have both 5V and 12V nodes The V+ terminal may be marked, but a labeled baggie of spares is still a good idea. PS mark the cut end for the same reason it is DI )

Well, this went over my head. So if I cut 15 off and terminate the string where I need it, is there some setting that I need to change for the sequences to work correctly? 

[TheDucks]

13 minutes ago, WVXmas said:

Well, this went over my head. So if I cut 15 off and terminate the string where I need it, is there some setting that I need to change for the sequences to work correctly? 

Nope! As long as the string is used as 1 is at the feed end (not reversed in hardware setting)

Remember grade school whet the Teacher passed out tests ('Take one, pass them back'). That is sort of how Smart nodes work. The instructions for the node are on the top sheet. that it takes and then passes the stack to the next node who repeats the process. When you reach the end of the row (string), any leftover sheets just fall to the floor (bit bucket) This only happens when the physical string is shorter than the Pixie was set for (and since Pixies only have 1 length setting, you ALWAYS use the longest needed. BTW this will be a PITA if you need to reverse a short string)

[WVXmas]

40 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

Nope! As long as the string is used as 1 is at the feed end (not reversed in hardware setting)

Remember grade school whet the Teacher passed out tests ('Take one, pass them back'). That is sort of how Smart nodes work. The instructions for the node are on the top sheet. that it takes and then passes the stack to the next node who repeats the process. When you reach the end of the row (string), any leftover sheets just fall to the floor (bit bucket) This only happens when the physical string is shorter than the Pixie was set for (and since Pixies only have 1 length setting, you ALWAYS use the longest needed. BTW this will be a PITA if you need to reverse a short string)

Can’t thank you enough for answering my questions, it is helping me become much more knowledgeable of what is happening. 
 

Two more for you lol … what is PITA? And why would I need to reverse a string of lights? 

[k6ccc]

46 minutes ago, WVXmas said:

Two more for you lol … what is PITA? And why would I need to reverse a string of lights? 

PITA = Pain In The Ass

Reverse goes like this - and I will use my arches as an example.  Reverse tells the controller to make pixel #1 be the farthest from the controller.  I have six arches that each have 50 pixels.  I am using the original CCP controllers so there are two strings of 50 pixels per controller.  Therefore, there are one controller with the controllers in between arches #1 and #2, and another between arches #3 and #4, and the last between arches #5 and #6.  So on arch #1, the first pixel is on the audience right end of the arch and on arch #2, the first pixel is on the audience left of the arch.  I want all six arches in Sequencer to appear as pixel #1 on the left and pixel #50 on the right.  By reversing strings #1, #3, & #5 in the CCP controller, they all function as if pixel #1 is on the left.  In the newer versions of the LOR software, you can also do this in the software, but it simplifies it do make the reversal in the controller - in my opinion.

Here is two of the arches.  The controller is under the black trash bag.  If the photo does not show for you, there is a direct link to it below.

http://www.newburghlights.org/photos/2014_2_arches.jpg

 

[WVXmas]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

PITA = Pain In The Ass

Reverse goes like this - and I will use my arches as an example.  Reverse tells the controller to make pixel #1 be the farthest from the controller.  I have six arches that each have 50 pixels.  I am using the original CCP controllers so there are two strings of 50 pixels per controller.  Therefore, there are one controller with the controllers in between arches #1 and #2, and another between arches #3 and #4, and the last between arches #5 and #6.  So on arch #1, the first pixel is on the audience right end of the arch and on arch #2, the first pixel is on the audience left of the arch.  I want all six arches in Sequencer to appear as pixel #1 on the left and pixel #50 on the right.  By reversing strings #1, #3, & #5 in the CCP controller, they all function as if pixel #1 is on the left.  In the newer versions of the LOR software, you can also do this in the software, but it simplifies it do make the reversal in the controller - in my opinion.

Here is two of the arches.  The controller is under the black trash bag.  If the photo does not show for you, there is a direct link to it below.

http://www.newburghlights.org/photos/2014_2_arches.jpg

 

Ahh makes perfect sense. I was wondering how some got that result. 
 

so last question for the day, I think….I have two node strings together for a window, will the controller know I have two 50s together and be able to light them? Or is there something I need to change?

[dibblejr]

49 minutes ago, WVXmas said:

Ahh makes perfect sense. I was wondering how some got that result. 
 

so last question for the day, I think….I have two node strings together for a window, will the controller know I have two 50s together and be able to light them? Or is there something I need to change?

If you have a pixie series controller you will have to change the # of nodes to 100 in the Hardware Utility --- DO NOT change the Logical Resolution, that must remain 50. 

You will also have to change the number of nodes in the Prop Def to 100 if you didnt put 100 when you built the Prop Def.

JR

[WVXmas]

2 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

If you have a pixie series controller you will have to change the # of nodes to 100 in the Hardware Utility --- DO NOT change the Logical Resolution, that must remain 50. 

You will also have to change the number of nodes in the Prop Def to 100 if you didnt put 100 when you built the Prop Def.

JR

So, I bought the pre made sequences and do not know how to do that. I also am having issues with two of the controllers only lights the first 6 nodes. I’m more than willing to take a call if that would make help me get this down and speed up the helping process lol

[TheDucks]

6 hours ago, WVXmas said:

Can’t thank you enough for answering my questions, it is helping me become much more knowledgeable of what is happening. 
 

Two more for you lol … what is PITA? And why would I need to reverse a string of lights? 

PITA Is an abbreviation for Pain in the A... 😛

Reversals can be handy because Smart strings hate long cables (Voltage drop or data bit wave shape loss). Placing a controller in the middle of a long (set of) props

Roof drip line: Mine is 236 nodes, (~51') that has a right bend (inside corner) near the middle. The middle is where the Pixie4 controller is 

 

-----

6 nodes is a different issue.  Each node is 3 channels (RGB) so 6 nodes is 18 channels.

This sounds like your sequence was done for a Dumb RGB with  using 6 strings (ports) The Board (dumb) has 1 ID and channels=ports), whereas a Pixie has 1 ID PER PORT and all the CHANNELS are outputted on the port.

A smart Sequence has a RGB (group) for every NODE (Yep, 100 nodes has 100 RGB lines in your sequence)

OTOH a dumb sequence has 1 RGB line per port (a CMB24 has 8)/string

Edited October 23, 2022 by TheDucks