what to buy

[RaceMedic]

Gary Levelius wrote:

RaceMedic wrote:

So what is the difference between a lor1602w and a pc-ctb16pc other than price and assembling some of the wires ... is that it ?!

Dave

As was stated earlier, the Showtime controllers are certified as waterproof, the PC series are not. The Showtime controllers can also run animation (but not music sequences) stand-alone. The Showtime controller are also rated somewhat higher in current capacity (40 amps vs 30 amps per controller)

-Gary-

Sorry Gary;

I must have missed the posting in regards to the waterproofing etc. I still don't see it.

Thank-you everyone ... now I know which way to go as far as buying.

Dave

[Gary Levelius]

RaceMedic wrote:

Gary Levelius wrote:

Sorry Gary;

I must have missed the posting in regards to the waterproofing etc. I still don't see it.

Thank-you everyone ... now I know which way to go as far as buying.

Dave

Dave, that's part of the UL rating for the Showtime controllers is that they be waterproof. They are designed just like the outdoor rated distribution panels, with overhanging lips and designed to handle direct hits from almost every angle without water getting in. I know I had to tape the three sides (both sides and the top) of my PC enclosures this year. Just didn't want to take chances with any water getting in as some have had happen.

If you're lucky enought to have something where the PC enclosure can sit above the ground and with a slight tilt (back higher than cords so water runs off), you'll probably be fine. Mine had to sit vertical as they were mounted inside a megatree.


-Gary-

[wallleyes]

Yes this is very great thread.It just saved me a bunch of money so i can get more controllers.I was figuring out how to use 128 channels and realized that was not going to be enough channels.Now i will start out with 160 channels and dive into this craze.Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread and cleared it all up.

[Guest guest]

I actually started with a CTB16PC that I bought used in Dec. 2009, and then in Jan. 2010 I bought the license(S2 software w/USB485B adapter) and the Showtime MP3 Director so that it can control the shows without being connected to my PC.

This is mainly because the PC is used for other things, if I had a spare PC, then I'd have used the PC to control everything. But as it is, it's easier for me to just have the Showtime MP3 Director running the show(s) off an SD card. This way the Showtime MP3 Director and my Eclipse 4000 Mobile BlackBox FM Transmitter is housed all in one box, and the Director is daisy-chained via cat5 to the CTB16PC controller.

Currently I only have one CTB16PC controller, again, purchased this as a used unit, but as soon as my tax refund arrives into my bank account sometime in early Feb. 2010, then I will be upgrading my S2 software to the Advanced license and buying TWO brand new CTB16PC controllers (the complete versions), giving me a total of 48 Channels. (That's why my LOR graphic in my sig now shows 48 channels, because I will be at that soon enough!):cool:

The only thing I will have to do is connect the CTB16PC controllers to my PC to set their ID #'s to #02 and #03 so that the Showtime MP3 Director can control them. easy enough using the LOR Hardware Utility that all comes with the S2 software.

Once I've used the PC to set their ID's they can stand-alone as long as they are daisy-chained together to the Showtime MP3 Director unit using cat5 cables, like this:

Showtime MP3 Director >-> CTB16PC Unit01 >-> CTB16PC Unit02 >-> CTB16PC Unit03
NOTE: the Controllers DO NOT have to be connected in numerical order to work together either! It could just as easily be unit 02, then unit 01 then unit 03, etc. You just need to be sure if using a Showtime MP3 Director that it is in mix somewhere so it can control everything! Same with using a PC to control everything.


Doesn't really get any easier than that. And if you run into issues, the support here on the forums and from LOR itself are fantastic.

Welcome to the "addiction!":D

[Surfing4Dough]

Well said Orville.

Here are the options I know of for directing any of the LOR controllers without a PC (in order of increasing $):

Mini Director with MP3 Player mDM-MP3 (labeled as mDC-MP3 at least one place on the LOR site) --what I personally use.

Director Card with MP3 Player DC-MP3

ShowTime MP3 Director DC-MP3 in a steel case (still needs put in enclosure if outdoors in weather)

LOR1602W with MP3 Show Director a Showtime controller with a DC-MP3 card in an enclosure

And here is the enclosure that the PC controllers come in: http://store.lightorama.com/enforpcco.html (note that they are listed as "weatherproof"). Somebody can probably add to this, but the only stories I have heard of any water getting in these is if the person modified the enclosure and added their own "weatherproofing" by adding a rubber gasket themselves. They figured out that this affected the inherent weatherproof design of the plastic enclosure. Once they removed the gasket they put in, it solved the problem. There is an overhang lip when the case is closed--you then tighten a screw to seal it shut. This is the type of enclosure that telephone companies use for their outdoor equipment. The only place that water could begin to get in is through where the cords enter. The 16 outgoing cords are so snug, and tighten by a strain-relief bracket, it is nearly impossible. Where the cat5 cable enters is a loose opening though. Assuming you have the enclosure upright though, this opening will be on the bottom side, so only water spraying from below could enter it. Both of mine, which were half buried in snow, were both dry inside (despite snow coming up against the bottom of the enclosure). Any water that could enter there though would only make it as far as the strain-relief plate, which is in a separate compartment from the actual controller electronic board. See picture http://www.lorwiki.com/lor-hardware/pc-line

[Guest Don Gillespie]

surfing4dough wrote
[line]
Glad we could help! My commission rates are pretty low--accept checks or paypal.


[line]
I will gladly pay you next Tuesday for a hamburger today :cool:

Thanks for all your help

[lightzilla]

Gary Levelius wrote:

RaceMedic wrote:

So what is the difference between a lor1602w and a pc-ctb16pc other than price and assembling some of the wires ... is that it ?!

Dave

As was stated earlier, the Showtime controllers are certified as waterproof, the PC series are not. The Showtime controllers can also run animation (but not music sequences) stand-alone. The Showtime controller are also rated somewhat higher in current capacity (40 amps vs 30 amps per controller)

-Gary-

Also 2 year verses 1 year warranty.

As far as this water proof stuff goes, for us Canadians who live in the dry, cold air of Alberta where it snows and does not rain during the Christmas season the CTB16PC controllers well work just fine.

3 of my controllers were not covered in a plastic garbage bag and were completely buried under snow and they worked fine.......no moister got inside. I would however cover them in a garbage bag if they were laying flat, and two were laying flat, the other five were uncovered and under the deck.

I bought a laptop to run the show but never used it (still new) but instead I used the miniMP3/Director unit and I like it.........I stay warm in side, I insert a SD card and voila the show runs. Beats going outside and inserting an SD card into the Mp3/Show time controller that is setting outside where the temperature is well below -30F.

If your an LED user 30 amps well go a very long way. I have 10 out of 12 controllers set at 15 amps, with lots of room yet for more LEDs.

[Surfing4Dough]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

And here is the enclosure that the PC controllers come in: http://store.lightorama.com/enforpcco.html (note that they are listed as "weatherproof"). Somebody can probably add to this, but the only stories I have heard of any water getting in these is if the person modified the enclosure and added their own "weatherproofing" by adding a rubber gasket themselves. They figured out that this affected the inherent weatherproof design of the plastic enclosure. Once they removed the gasket they put in, it solved the problem. There is an overhang lip when the case is closed--you then tighten a screw to seal it shut. This is the type of enclosure that telephone companies use for their outdoor equipment. The only place that water could begin to get in is through where the cords enter. The 16 outgoing cords are so snug, and tighten by a strain-relief bracket, it is nearly impossible. Where the cat5 cable enters is a loose opening though. Assuming you have the enclosure upright though, this opening will be on the bottom side, so only water spraying from below could enter it. Both of mine, which were half buried in snow, were both dry inside (despite snow coming up against the bottom of the enclosure). Any water that could enter there though would only make it as far as the strain-relief plate, which is in a separate compartment from the actual controller electronic board. See picture http://www.lorwiki.com/lor-hardware/pc-line

For anybody who is interested, here is a zoom-able view of the plastic enclosure (from the manufacturer) where you can see the housing edge and how it protects against water:

http://www.pacificcabling.com/Data%20Products/Primex_ProductGuide.pdf (P136 on Page 10 of pdf)

http://www.primex.ca/pdf_specs/PrimexProductGuide.pdf (page 14 here)

[Gary Levelius]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

For anybody who is interested, here is a zoom-able view of the plastic enclosure (from the manufacturer) where you can see the housing edge and how it protects against water:

http://www.pacificcabling.com/Data%20Products/Primex_ProductGuide.pdf (P136 on Page 10 of pdf)

http://www.primex.ca/pdf_specs/PrimexProductGuide.pdf (page 14 here)

Thanks for the update I guess even we seasoned amateurs can learn something Of course, this is from a guy who builds hurricane proof controller enclosures for a state that'll never see a hurricane By the way, the first link came back with page not found but the second did list the enclosure.

-Gary-

[toddmoon]

I have two CTB16PC. They have gone through two Halloweens and Christmas seasons now. I have laid them flat on the ground each time and they have worked flawlessly through rain storms and this year we had over three feet of snow on the ground. I never had any issues with the PC controllers.

I did have some moisture that effected one channel on the Ethernet line. It would not completely dim off. Once I shoveled the snow off of the buried box the issue went away.

I am planning on purchasing more this year. All depends on the wife and the budget.

The addiction only gets worse with time. You see so much of what others do and then you get the crazy idea's to do something bigger and better. You just have to keep feeding the need. Welcome to the addiction.

[Surfing4Dough]

Gary Levelius wrote:

Surfing4Dough wrote:

For anybody who is interested, here is a zoom-able view of the plastic enclosure (from the manufacturer) where you can see the housing edge and how it protects against water:

http://www.pacificcabling.com/Data%20Products/Primex_ProductGuide.pdf (P136 on Page 10 of pdf)

http://www.primex.ca/pdf_specs/PrimexProductGuide.pdf (page 14 here)

Thanks for the update I guess even we seasoned amateurs can learn something Of course, this is from a guy who builds hurricane proof controller enclosures for a state that'll never see a hurricane By the way, the first link came back with page not found but the second did list the enclosure.

-Gary-

I this link link might fix it (if not, just copy and paste the one above--it has to do with the link formatting of the space between "Data" and "Products" since it gets converted to %20).

P136 on Page 10 of pdf

[Kenneth D]

Wow, in all the postings about enclosures, I had never seen one that identified what company the LOR enclosures came from until now. Based on what I just searched, Dan sells these for a better price than anyone else. I guess he must be one of the biggest seller of these things!