Author Topic: Co-ops?  (Read 4349 times)

Offline Orion

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Co-ops?
« on: November 19, 2012, »
I was wondering when co-ops normally start this time of year??

Offline rm357

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Co-ops?
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2012, »
At this point its really too late for this year.

I don't expect anything until January.
Robert
Warner Robins, Georgia, USA

Offline Orion

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2012, »
sounds good.  I just want to get a head start for next year and I figured winter time was a good time to solder inside.

Offline taybrynn

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Co-ops?
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2012, »
If you look at the forum of past/completed coops, you will see the timing of last years coops but they will occur on a slightly unique pattern each year as rj and coop managers determine.
Scott - Castle Rock, Colorado   [ 2 homes, 100% RGB in 2016; since 2008; over 32k channels of E1.31 ]
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Offline jnealand

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2012, »
Be sure to go to the top of the coop area and click on notify.  Make sure your email address is registered correctly and you should get notification everytime a coop starts up.  Be aware that for newer items they can fill up within hours.  Established items like LEs will run for days or weeks before closing.  Research and learn what you really want to get started and be ready.

My rule of thumb is that 32 channels of DMX will put on a decent show for any house.  And that is a good place to start and learn from.  That would be one USB dongle and 2 LEs.  Then uyou have to start looking at FM transmitters, software, programming, etc.  So lots to learn.
Jim Nealand
Kennesaw, GA

Offline tbone321

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2012, »
I wouldn't really waste my time with the USB dongle.  The EtherDngle is the way to go.  It doesn't cost all that much more, it has the ability to become a Conductor or Slave unit  if needed later, and if you decide that this hobby isn't for you, it will be easy to sell and pretty much what you bought it for.  Now don't get me wrong, the USB Dongle is still a good device but the development for it is finished and anything new will probably be pointed toward the EtherDongle.  As for the channel count, I agree with jnealand.  You can get over your head real fast with huge RGB counts which turns it from fun to hate real fast, especially in the first year.
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Offline jnealand

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2012, »
I like the ether dongle and have two of them.  That being said the etherdongle is very difficult to get these days and the USB dongle is more readliy available.  I still use my USB dongle, but on my test bench where I am building and testing everything so I do not think it is "a waste of time" to get a USB dongle since they are still good and also more readily available.  Long term the ED is the better way to go, but lets be practical here.  Get something now and get started.  I know the store has been empty, but there are hundreds of USB dongles in this population, some of which will become available as high channel counts become more and more prevalent and as people with more than one USB dongle are ready to sell them off.  I have already made one of mine available to someone new.
Jim Nealand
Kennesaw, GA

Offline tbone321

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2012, »
The thing is that you don't really need either one to "get started", especially this late in the year.  The first thing that anyone really needs to learn is how to sequence and the software that they will be using to do it.  The only hardware needed right now is the PC that will be running the sequencing software.  Since the more realistic time to start a show is next year, there is plenty of time yet to get an EtherDongle.  Even as you said, your USB dongle now lives its life on the test bench.  I would shoot for the Etherdongle and if it starts getting toward the middle of the year and he still doesn't have one then I would look into a used USB dongle to run the show but until that time, the cost of the USB dongle could be much better spent.
If at first you don't succeed,
your not cut out for sky diving

Offline kgustafson

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2012, »
The DMX Dongle is a great way to intro into the light animation field (as I believe was mentioned prior).  Don't diss it.  Later, you can reconfigure it for PIXELNET and use on your test bench if you end up going smart strings.  If you KNOW you are going smart strings eventually, then the ETD is probably the smarter choice.  If you do NOT know, I would go with the DMX dongle. 

Kurt
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Offline barbotte

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2012, »
well i used my dmx dongle for 3 year now and i am happy with it .... the only time you would need bigger dongle is if you pass the 512 Chanel mark ..so unless you do pixel you mos likely will not pass the mark for a while as it will be around 32 LE  ..so it will be a great show lol ....cheer

Offline tbone321

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Re: Co-ops?
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2012, »
It's really nothing about channel counts.  It's about the future in lighting and equipment.  Sure, the USB dongle is a solid device and works well for what it does but it really is at the end of its line.  The price difference between the USB Dongle and the Ethernet Dongle is close enough for most not to be a deciding issue.  What should be is where they are going and what they can do now and in the future.  The EtherDongle is at the beginning of its life and already has adapter boards to make it a Conductor or a Conductors Slave unit and this is only the first year.  Who knows what the future will hold for it.  If and when RJ has the time to release the specs on it, who know what other members might come up for it on both the hardware and software sides.  As said before, the USB dongle is at the end of it's life.  RJ wrote the Pixelnet firmware for it to allow people who already owned then to be able to use PixelNet devices with it but I don't really see anything else happening with it.  It does not have an expansion slot and it's processor does not have anywhere near the capabilities the the one the EtherDongle has so I really don't see much more that it can do on the firmware side either. 

Now don't get me wrong, the DMX Dongle is a solid design and works well but I can say the same thing about my 3 head, 3 drive motor cassette deck and my 400 disk CD player as well but neither one is exactly the best way into today's high fidelity audio market either.
If at first you don't succeed,
your not cut out for sky diving