DiyLightAnimation
Fun => The Porch => Topic started by: vttinman on January 19, 2015,
-
I'm looking to build some snowfall tubes for next year and was looking for advice. I keep going back and forth between flex strips with SSCs and FAST tubes. Here are the advantages that I've come up with for each...
FAST Tubes:
Slightly less expensive
"Set it and forget it"
Less wire for power distribution
Flex Strips:
Can use any color
Full control over rates and timing
Can reuse the hardware later
What haven't I thought about? I'm curious as to what others are using and how they like it.
-
As far as the less wire goes, there really isn't any added wire when using flex strips and SSC's. The SSC gets its power and signal on the same cable and you could put the SSC on the top of the snowfall tube and hardwire the strip to the controller but even if you still use the 3 pin connector, there will still only be one wire going to the top of the tube, just like the FAST tube. It will just be a different type.
If you are creating a static display, then I would go with the FAST tube because like you said, they are set it and forget it devices. If you intend to create an active display, then you will need a method to control them, even if it is just turning them on and off. You would need an AC controller to do that and even then, there is the issue that many of these devices don't work well when connected to the output of a dimming controller. When you add in the cost of the AC controller and possible relays to switch them on and off during your sequences, the cost savings just disappear.
As you also said, with the SSC setup, you not only have full control over the rates and timing, you have dynamic control over the device. This allows you to change the rate, timing, color, and even pattern to suite your sequence as it runs which is something you simply cannot do with FAST tubes. Sure, there is more work to do this but with the advances in NutCracker and Vixen, even that is not all that hard to do anymore.
-
i made my tube using a smart string controller in each tube.
with the powered-pixelnet I could get good distances between each tube... i had a hub at the base of the tree and the tubes hung from various limbs... in fact I had the wire coming out from the bottom of the tube so that I wouldn't need to run wires within the tree.
i used WS2812 strips -- 60-pixels per meter, providing a nice level of resolution.
in each tube i used 2 strips back-to-back to provide nice light in 2 directions.
i connected each strip to the same data source so that I only needed to program 60 pixels (1M) and this provided a identical behavior front and back.
the strips were 5v, so I used buck converters after the smart string controller to downgrade the 12v to the string's 5v.
-
Here's an idea...
use an SSC, and a short string of pixels in each tube...
run the tubes kinda close together... and keep each tube the same length..
not only do you have snowfall tubes... you now have a decent sized matrix. So you can a graphics, or text in addition to running snowfall (or for an even neater effect, run both at the same time!
-
^^i like it!!
-
Great ideas, keep 'em coming!
Here's an idea...
use an SSC, and a short string of pixels in each tube...
run the tubes kinda close together... and keep each tube the same length..
not only do you have snowfall tubes... you now have a decent sized matrix. So you can a graphics, or text in addition to running snowfall (or for an even neater effect, run both at the same time!
I was thinking about pulling paracord between a couple trees and hanging them from that, which would play nicely with a matrix. ;D
i made my tube using a smart string controller in each tube.
with the powered-pixelnet I could get good distances between each tube... i had a hub at the base of the tree and the tubes hung from various limbs... in fact I had the wire coming out from the bottom of the tube so that I wouldn't need to run wires within the tree.
i used WS2812 strips -- 60-pixels per meter, providing a nice level of resolution.
in each tube i used 2 strips back-to-back to provide nice light in 2 directions.
i connected each strip to the same data source so that I only needed to program 60 pixels (1M) and this provided a identical behavior front and back.
the strips were 5v, so I used buck converters after the smart string controller to downgrade the 12v to the string's 5v.
Could you provide more detail on the buck converters? The ebay ones all seem to be limited to 3A with heatsinks and I'm not sure that's enough to drive 120 pixels (granted they likely won't all be on at the same time).
-
Could you provide more detail on the buck converters? The ebay ones all seem to be limited to 3A with heatsinks and I'm not sure that's enough to drive 120 pixels (granted they likely won't all be on at the same time).
IF you are going to string out 120 nodes on one controller, it would be a bad idea to go with 5V strips. The SSC is a 12V controller for a reason and that reason is to reduce voltage drop on long strings. The 12V strips are about the same price as the 5V ones so when you add in the cost of the buck converter there is no cost savings there and most long strings on 5V require power injection which could actually increase your costs.
-
Could you provide more detail on the buck converters? The ebay ones all seem to be limited to 3A with heatsinks and I'm not sure that's enough to drive 120 pixels (granted they likely won't all be on at the same time).
good eye... I had 3A buck converters, and 2 failed -- but I replaced them and the 10 had no issues -- even with full white.
i have considered some changes... running 5v at the hub (assuming that i have a string controller that works with 5v) or using a separate buck converter for each strip.
-
i made my tube using a smart string controller in each tube.
Great idea Steve! What kind of tubes/caps are you using? And where did you source them?
-
I think this was the size I used:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-4-ft-Fluorescent-Tube-Protector-TGT12CL4-R24/100173390
And I used a PVC end cap -- which was slightly larger than the tube -- but with hot glue, I had a great seal/connection.
-
I think this was the size I used:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-4-ft-Fluorescent-Tube-Protector-TGT12CL4-R24/100173390
And I used a PVC end cap -- which was slightly larger than the tube -- but with hot glue, I had a great seal/connection.
Excellent, easy to find. Thanks!
-
Thanks Steve and tbone. In a quest for some 12v strips, I stumbled upon some WS2812B strips in Ray's store. They're 60 pixels per meter and it looks like they have buck converters built into the backs of the strip every half meter. This seems like the perfect application for them. Can anyone confirm that they'll work with the SSCs?
-
do you have a link? that would be a nice solution..
Thanks Steve and tbone. In a quest for some 12v strips, I stumbled upon some WS2812B strips in Ray's store. They're 60 pixels per meter and it looks like they have buck converters built into the backs of the strip every half meter. This seems like the perfect application for them. Can anyone confirm that they'll work with the SSCs?
-
do you have a link? that would be a nice solution..
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/4m-DC12V-WS2812B-addressable-pixel-srip-non-waterproof-60pcs-WS2812B-M-with-60pixels-72W-white-pcb/701799_32274384238.html
-
This strip looks very nice and should do well. myself, I'd prefer to have a waterproof version of the strip.
in my first generation of the tubes I didn't do a great job with keeping the water out of the top -- i used through the cap and it wicked the water. fortunately I had waterproof strips and had no problem. so, having IP68 is a good precaution.
-
Yea, these are beyond non waterproof, they are completely exposed with no cover at all and it is MUCH harder than you think to seal them up in tubes. Where exactly are you doing to place the tubes or more importantly, what will be the viewing angle of those tubes. Remember that flex strips only have around a 180 degree viewing angle and usually a little less. This also means that the tubes need to be properly anchored so that they cannot twist or turn in the wind. If you want to hang them from trees where they may have viewing angles in excess of 180 degrees or where they may swing or turn, you might want to use Chris's idea of using string nodes in a clear tube.
-
While I'm not trying to belittle designs from good DIYers, I had a lot of problems with, um, SLOW snowfall tubes.
Not only did I have water incursion, I was never able to get them to fire correctly during the show. I had them up for the 2011 and 2013 seasons (I skipped the 2012 show) and I attempted to drive them in a variety of ways, including heavy wire from the driving controller (R48lsd) at 5v and then reworking them with a small PS in each one and driving them with 12v.
Last fall there was talk about a cheap snowfall light available through Ray's store; I did some looking around and found these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-50cm-144-240-LED-Meteor-Shower-Rain-Lights-Waterproof-8-Tubes-String-for-Xmas-/360796753442?pt=US_String_Lights_Fairy_Lights&var=&hash=item5401298e22
And these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A2FWUAQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1#
(They are the same product.)
I bought one 50cm (19-3/8") string and one 30cm (11-7/8") string from the eBay guy and one 50cm from Amazon.
I didn't like the spacing and wanted some 30s mixed in with the 50s. So I cut apart three strings and put them back together the way I wanted.
I plugged them into a spare MR16 (here's the Lynx connection!) 12v channel and then put a little 5v linear PS (I built mine but you can find them on eBay for $2-$3) right before the first tube.
They worked great; they do have the problem that they all start at the same time, but quickly go out of synchronicity. The key to these is that there is a big hole for each LED in the PCB ... after the LED is soldered to the board, it's bent to fit into the hole, so you can see the light from almost any angle.
These are not as bright as a SLOW tube, but considering these worked and the SLOW didn't ...
YMMV.
\dmc