About Ray using a higher current in LED.

[sittinguphigh]

Just received a email from Ray. He is sorry for the problems. He is now changing the specs on all LED effected on his site. I asked Ray to send me any information toward the LED update.

[einstein2883]

My order is on its way from Ray.  My plan was to mix last years nodes with this order on my taller tree. Now that I see I'm most likely going to get the new LED in this batch has any one put these new LED next to the old ones? Are they going look different and stand out.

Thanks

[sittinguphigh]

I sent Ray a email asking that question. I think they are brighter.

[smeighan]

if usng xlights you can set a blanket brightness values of 60-70% thus reducing the current being drawn. the old lights were already too bright so i dial down the brightness. I watch the current draw and as expected the current drops as a dim the lights.

effects like butterfly set each nodes brightness to 255. if the brightness is set to 50% each nodes brightness will be set to 128.

this would allow you to get around blown fuses for this season

[Steve Gase]

if usng xlights you can set a blanket brightness values of 60-70% thus reducing the current being drawn. the old lights were already too bright so i dial down the brightness. I watch the current draw and as expected the current drops as a dim the lights.

effects like butterfly set each nodes brightness to 255. if the brightness is set to 50% each nodes brightness will be set to 128.

this would allow you to get around blown fuses for this season

That's great, sean!  where is that set?


Also, do you think you might ever implement a brightness level at a string level?

[smeighan]

if usng xlights you can set a blanket brightness values of 60-70% thus reducing the current being drawn. the old lights were already too bright so i dial down the brightness. I watch the current draw and as expected the current drops as a dim the lights.

effects like butterfly set each nodes brightness to 255. if the brightness is set to 50% each nodes brightness will be set to 128.

this would allow you to get around blown fuses for this season

That's great, sean!  where is that set?


Also, do you think you might ever implement a brightness level at a string level?

Brightness for current effect is bottom left quadrant

[sittinguphigh]

I agree. If fact I post that very thing. But got no answer.
Thanks for bringing that up. Can the brightness be brought down for every show. Like a switch? Well then by theory you could bring them down enough to go over the 128 nodes. That will help me.

[Timon]

You really have to look at what you need when it comes to brightness. The TM1804s only run the LEDs at about 8ma per color where the WS2811s run at 18.5ma per color however the WS2811 are brightner. If you don't need the brightness and the current smart strings work for you then use them.

Problem is that some are saying the Technicolor use mor epower because of the regulator but that's totally misleading, they use more power because they are brighter since the WS2811 runs the LED closer to the manufactures specification.

[sittinguphigh]

Steve Gase

Can you double check what smeighan is saying?
I don't see the switch in xlights.
My system is still not working.

[keitha43]

I agree. If fact I post that very thing. But got no answer.
Thanks for bring that up. Can the brightness be brought down for every show. Like a switch? Well then by theory you could bring them down enough to go over the 128 nodes. That will help me.

You still can't go over the 128 node limit because 128 nodes is the max the smart string utility can configure.

[sittinguphigh]

Yet
I know you guys to well
How far can we go. 

[Steve Gase]

Steve Gase

Can you double check what smeighan is saying?
I don't see the switch in xlights.
My system is still not working.

I do see, and now have used, the slider for the brightness and contrast.  It is within the Nutcracker tab's Effect section:

[sittinguphigh]

Have you tried using a 100 technicolor light strings with taking down the current to see if you can use 100 nodes or more?
Now can you only use the function with Nutcracker only?

[arw01]

Have you tried using a 100 technicolor light strings with taking down the current to see if you can use 100 nodes or more?
Now can you only use the function with Nutcracker only?

LSP also has some intensity settings, not sure if it's quite as easy as nut cracker, but I have seen right click on a channel and lower the intensity.

[chrisatpsu]

if you inject power from another source, you might run into issues like were discussed when people wanted to use multiple rail power supplies...

why not...
run another cat 5 cable from another port on the same hub out to the other end of the string, then use those 3 pin connectors to attach the power to the opposite end of you lights (with data NOT connected)

so you would have a 3 pin male connector on both sides of the string (the far end wont have data connected)
one cat5 cable running to your ssc with data
one cat5 cable running to the far end with + and -  with no data connected


or...
use a 2 pin connector on the far end to avoid confusion