DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Smart String => Topic started by: lightingnut on July 20, 2011,
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I will be placing my order SS next month but with so many people having trouble I am nerves about ordering. Have we decided if its the strings, software, hardware or what? I won't have hrs and hrs to trouble shoot them. I need to start programming my show.
David
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David,
You may want to re-consider and wait till next year. My personal experience has been good but I had to send 75 count strings back to Ray because they where bad (yes he did replace them and paid me for sending the bad ones back) and I still have a couple strings I have to replace pixels in. On the programming front I am waiting like so many others for Light Show Pro 2.0 to come out as I most likely will be using that to program my show. If for some reason LSP is delayed I may have to use Vixen which I will have to familiarize myself with. The one thing I have on my side at this point is time to play with everything.
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I will be placing my order SS next month but with so many people having trouble I am nerves about ordering. Have we decided if its the strings, software, hardware or what? I won't have hrs and hrs to trouble shoot them. I need to start programming my show.
David
Which issue are we talking about. There were a bad batch of strings made but my understanding is they were replaced if the people asked them to be.
Some strings from that batch have bad nodes. So that is the strings. Feedback from the later batches that have been posted seem to be positive.
I just updated the vixen plugin to resolve an issue some users were seeing. Everyone that has responded says it has taken care of it.
I will again this year be using them and I have over double the number. IF you are using LSP they are still working out the bugs in the plugin but he should knock that out in no time now that I sent him some hardware to test with.
You have to remember that over 150,000 nodes of SS has been sold and almost 4000 controllers. you will always see post of people having issues. They do not need to post when it works the first time. I am helping someone with 3 expresses that they built that do not work. I think everyone would agree there is no serious issues with Expresses.
I bought $8000 of standard leds from a place I got them from before. These would burst into flames on a regular basis. There is always a chance for a issue but if they take care of them then it is just a inconveiance. Thats why the escrow is setup. Make sure you have them, look them over and test them before accepting so you can send them back and not pay if they are bad.
If your nervous start slow by doing some this year so you learn and then you will be ready for next year. Even just a couple of strings will get your feet wet and help you understand how to design and seqence RGB next year.
RJ
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Thats why the escort is setup. Make sure you have them, look them over and test them before accepting so you can send them back and not pay if they are bad.
As far as the LEDs I would do the same, Nobody wants a bad escort or LEDs.
Sorry RJ, couldn't help myself, my mind is in the gutter. >:D
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RJ is right, get some to get your feet wet and try them. I've had some problems but most of it was me not understanding what i was doing so I learned a lot by getting my feet wet like so much in the light contorl bussiness. Try just a few and learn how things work. So many on here are willing to help you if you just tell them the problems you might have.
Ronniek
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My advice would be to think of one element of your display - either new or a old one which would benefit from the color and versatility of the smart strings. The flex strings are absolutely beautiful but expensive. The squares and rectangles are quite cheap and can be used in a variety of ways. I will use some rectangles mounted to a 1x4 board and covered with a coroplast strip to act as a diffuser. The effect is quite pleasant and does not cost much. This approach will allow you to get your feet wet and learn the technology.
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Thats why the escort is setup. Make sure you have them, look them over and test them before accepting so you can send them back and not pay if they are bad.
As far as the LEDs I would do the same, Nobody wants a bad escort or LEDs.
Sorry RJ, couldn't help myself, my mind is in the gutter. >:D
Ok, you want a guy that can speel amd worte or a guy that can design new hardware! <la..
RJ
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My spelling really sucks, yours was a mistype.
Thank goodness for Google spell check because without I am a imbecile (<-Google spel cheked cuz I spelt it rong the first tyme ;D ).
The funny part was what you unintentionally said, I was cracking up so much I could barely type.
I cracked up some more after I pointed it out and 2 other posters still missed it. (It's the little things that amuse me sometimes)
I love your hardware because it is incredibly well thought out and easy to assemble. You can misspell all you want if you keep pulling those hardware rabbits out of your hat. Looking forward to your next rabbit!!!
Thanks ;D
P.S. We now return you to your previously scheduled Topic...
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Don't ask us if we regret purchasing them before all the kinks are worked out. Ask us after we win decorating contests!!!!!! >.d9
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David, I think something that I have heard before (used a lot in IT departments) is applicible here. Is if you want to be on the cutting edge (RGB's would be that for the most part) then you have to deal with more kinks and problems to get worked out and fixed. Why most companies dont upgrade software for a year plus after introduction.
On top of a newer product hitting production with the mass amounts of orders there were kinks. I personally had a couple (1 being 40x male connectors w/out a female in sight...hmm maybe I needed RJ's escort 8) ) and not enough rigid strip hangers. Ray was GREAT in dealing with the issue and the ordering procedure I have not done before with Alibaba but think is excellent. I was able to hold back payment until everything was acceptable on both sides.
I fully agree with what RJ mentioned at the bottom. Start slow, because if you go big then you end up with a lot of lights and no house to put them on ;D.
I would have no problems ordering from Ray again and in fact will be doing so soon for a couple extra things I need.
-JS
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Thanks for everyones help. Good idea to test all the SS before I ok payment. But I can't test them cause I have no DMX/pixelnet dongle. Not seen a coop for them.
Also It sounds like LSP is the best to use but has bugs and lots of people waiting for 2.0. I really don't want to lean one brand of software program then have to do it all over again with a different program.
David
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Greetings,,,
There is no coop for the standard dmx/pixelnet dongle. See here for info: http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=1243.msg17767#msg17767
In short, you get the pcb from RJ and order the parts on this one yourself. Not much savings if any in a coop for this bit of equipment.
Keith
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After I looked at my post I think it came off rather negative but I did not mean it to be that way. I would have no problem ordering more strings from Ray as (for me and from what I have seen most others here) stands behind his products and wants you to be a happy customer. Ray does sell a device that you can use to test the pixel strings which many others on this board have bought and I am sure can give the exact item number. As far as no dongle or SS string controllers/hub I am sure there will be another coop for them sometime soon but you can always PM RJ and see if he has the PC boards and then order the parts yourself (more expensive but you would get them sooner). Finally as many others said so much better than me start with a small part of your display that would lend itself to RGB nodes and if for some reason you can't get them programmed into your show this year, well you can be sure you will next year. Your not going to lose out on your investment into smart strings, in fact from what RJ has already revealed or hinted at this is only the beginning and the future looks bright indeed! (no pun intended)
Thanks for everyones help. Good idea to test all the SS before I ok payment. But I can't test them cause I have no DMX/pixelnet dongle. Not seen a coop for them.
Also It sounds like LSP is the best to use but has bugs and lots of people waiting for 2.0. I really don't want to lean one brand of software program then have to do it all over again with a different program.
David
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I remember getting an email from RJ with special links to to buy the SS. I cant find it. Can someone share the link with me.
David
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Greetings,,,
Try http://diylightanimation.com/wiki/index.php?title=Equipment#Smart_Strings .
Under "Links to purchase online".
Keith
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I remember getting an email from RJ with special links to to buy the SS. I cant find it. Can someone share the link with me.
David
All links are now in the wiki
See the light chart
http://www.diylightanimation.com/wiki/index.php?title=Equipment#Smart_String_.2F_Pixelnet_Library
Rick R.
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Thanks Ricky! you are the Man!
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After I looked at my post I think it came off rather negative but I did not mean it to be that way.
Oh I did not take it that way. But I do know it is easy to look at post and think nothing works. I use to be a mechanic and thought all cars were junk!
But think about all I saw every day was the broken cars of every type.
This really ramps up everytime something new comes out. That because we are battle the new learning curve along with normal user mistakes and also from time to time a hardware issue will come out only after many people have them. so I have to point this out so new users do not get a false impression that everyone has issues building the stuff. The truth is just look at the number of coop kits pcb's ect that we send out every year. What percent really are having issues? Hard to say but it is not very high. Most build them, have no issues and then have no reason to post. Only the very social members which are the minority will every post and say "I got my Express built and it works." It is nice to have some of them our it would be boring and make some of us wonder why we do it.
RJ