What do I need to get started?

[UncleBuck]

Looking towards 2013 and I want to build a SS mega tree. I ran my lights this year with a USB dongle and some LE'S. I have a couple of questions.

1. Can I run both the SS's and LE's from my USB dongle or do I need to invest in an ether dongle.

2. Can I daisy chain from a LE to SS hub and to another LE?

3. Will LORs3 run the SS's or do I need to use a different software package?

Thanks
Kurt

[Steve Gase]

Looking towards 2013 and I want to build a SS mega tree. I ran my lights this year with a USB dongle and some LE'S. I have a couple of questions.

1. Can I run both the SS's and LE's from my USB dongle or do I need to invest in an ether dongle.

One USB dongle running Pixelnet firmwareware can do 4096 channels.  Taking a portion of the 4096 channels for your LEs, you should still have enough capacity to do 25 strings of 50 pixels, which would be a nice tree.  With grouping you can do even more pixels... but you'd need more SS active hubs and power.  Lots of options, but an EtD is not essential.

2. Can I daisy chain from a LE to SS hub and to another LE?

No problem.  a portion of the 4096 channels can be accessed as DMX channels -- up to 512 without using additional hubs.  The DMX connection can be daisy-chained to other DMX devices.

3. Will LORs3 run the SS's or do I need to use a different software package?

Thanks
Kurt

LOR S3 can control this... but I'll let someone authoritively answer this question.  I use LSP.

[MrChristmas2000]

As far as question 2, I believe UncleBuck asked if you could do something like this:

Lynx Express >> SS Hub >> Lynx Express.

Which you can not do with an SS Hub. The SS hub is a DMX output device only, just like a dongle. You can do this though:

SS Hub >> Lynx Express >> Lynx Express.

[UncleBuck]

So if a USB dongle will run both LE's (DMX) and SS's (pixelnet) what is the advantage of using the EtD?

[rdebolt]

So if a USB dongle will run both LE's (DMX) and SS's (pixelnet) what is the advantage of using the EtD?

Ok as far as the DMX dongle running Le's and SS it cannot as a DMX Dongle.

1. The DMX Dongle must be reflashed to a Pixelnet Dongle.
2 Then you run cat5 to an Active hub that will drive 16 strings of Smart Strings up to 80%max capacity of the power suipply that you are using.
3. Then the DMX is run out of the Active hub to the LEs (the Active hub changes the Pixelnet back to DMX, but uses some of the Pixelnet channels for those DMX channels.)

For example If you wanted a full universe of DMX and let's say that you wanted DMX 1-512 then the first Pixelnet channel would start at 513 -4096.

There is a lot more to it, but that is the basic set up.

The benefits of the Etd is that it will run 4 Pixelnet universes of 4096 channels each for a total of 16384 and is run through your network and not a USB port.

[UncleBuck]

So the EtD does the same thing but has more capacity. As far as running both LE's and SS's I just need to start my daisy chain with the SS's hub and then daisy to my LE's.

SS's hub >> Le >> Le >> Le and so on.

Is that correct?

[rdebolt]

SS's hub >> Le >> Le >> Le and so on.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

[rdebolt]

So the EtD does the same thing but has more capacity.

There is actually more to it then that, but basically yes.

[UncleBuck]

I'm not one of these guy's that has a billion channels just a simple display of no more then 10 to 12 Le's and a SS's 1/2 mega tree. Do I need to invest in a EtD or just sick with my USB dongle along with a back USB dongle. I won't be going all RGB just because I like the look of the incandescents. I'm old school if I had a 55 chevy I would drive that over my newer truck. Hey maybe my next project. 

[taybrynn]

If you have plenty of channels using the USB donge then you don't need the ether dongle .   To me the ether dongle performance has been better and the cost is just a little more and 16k ch vs 4k channels .   I find it easier to use and the e1.31 works great under LOR s3 advanced .   I go with a Tx after the ss hub and then can put the les anywhere provided they have a ex/ex card on them

[dpitts]

I'm not one of these guy's that has a billion channels just a simple display of no more then 10 to 12 Le's and a SS's 1/2 mega tree.

You are not one of those guys yet. 

If you are adding a mega tree that will be thousands of channels more than you have now. I think you should get an etherdongle. Only a little bit more.

[rdebolt]

+1 ^^^

[taybrynn]

+1 also

While you might not need it right away, as soon as you so, the $20 saved will haunt you.

Also, once the USB dongle gets to the channel count where maybe it lag sor you want a conductor ... all will leave you wanting the ED now !

The main thing is you probably need a backup dongle ... if something goes wrong, then you got a backup.

If $$ is tight, then sell the USB dongle, get the ED at a coop and its only a small cost differential to upgrade.

I find its easier to use the ED because it plug into my network switch ... or any of them ... and I can use it
from any computer attached to the network.  That a lot handier than having the USB dongle plugged into a single computer.
You can also use it with regular wireless networking stuff ... so again, options are nice to have.

[sjb]

Sorry UncleBuck

Not trying to steal your thread, but one silly question.

It is the same set up for the flexstrips correct?

What is the longest flexstrip can you have?

Ok 2 questions....

Thanks

Steve

[rdebolt]

It is the same set up for the flexstrips correct?

What is the longest flexstrip can you have?

Ok 2 questions....

Thanks

Steve

Same set up for flex strips and flex strips come with 120 nodes. I personally would not go more than that, but you could add 8 more to the max @ 128 nodes.