What Smart Strings are Good ????????????

[Made2Rock]

In the last month or so we (just about everybody in the US) has ran the Technicolor LEDs into the ground and from what I see the new version of these strings will be better but it doesn't sound like they will completely fix the overheating problem. 

My question is who has RGB LEDs that work? I would like to restrict this to only those LEDs that were purchased in 2013. This way we don't include the original problem the TM1804 smart strings had.

Can you tell us what you think of them and also give a link to where we can get them.

I'll start by asking how people like these (The LEDs listed in the WIKI)

100 node LED pixel string ;DC12V input;new model,IP68;TM1804IC
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Joe

[einstein2883]

I have purchased SS nodes from the wiki the last 2 years (2012, 2013) and so for not one node has failed on me.

[Steve Gase]

When I dropped the Technicolor strings, I went back to the earlier strings:


100 node LED pixel string ;DC12V input;new model,IP68;TM1804IC

I'm using the first generation IP66 inside PEX, and no failures.
I'm using the second generation IP68 in a tree, and again no failures.

The success with the second-generation could be due to way that I've "hung" them -- I've zip-tied each pixel in an upright orientation to EMT (conduit).  This avoids the tension on the wires, problems with wind, and it also limits the chance of water getting up into the PCB.

Zip-tying is a pain... but it is working very well.  Even in rain and cold/icy weather.


I have flex strings as well -- they haven't worked as well.  Despite being placed inside a panel with the original silicon covering still in place, I have had 4x 1M segments fail out of the 72 segments that I'm working with.  These are the TM1809 strips in the wiki.

I'm using the square 4-LED pixels without problems inside of 9 coroflakes.  I did have problems last year with SSCv1, but the SSCv4 with a short 1M lead to the first pixel, and power injection to the last node has fixed all problems.  These are the square pixels in the wiki.  BTW, I am using only 50-pixels per SSC.

[Hauvega]

Steve,

Could you ask Ray if the circuity in the tc 1804 is the same as the 1804 bullet nodes?  Reason why I am asking that question is that if the circuity the same the tc1804s should not fail and operate at 12v.

[arw01]

I bought almost all my strings from Ray this year and had no failures.

10 of these, all in pex tubes and with their silicon still on them.  No failures.  At 41 ' you have 128 nodes as best as I could count and you could use some end power injection because all white fades towards the end and the last pixel can occassionally be a different color.  However with non white I cannot tell the different..
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I bought this style 100 node string with no failures exposed on a bush, but we really have not had any rain to infiltrate the pixesl with.

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and a pair of these, pretty much protected under the eaves of the house on a porch:

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From Todd's store I bought a pair of these:

WS2811 IP68 Square pixel 50 Cnt 18AWG 12Volt

No failures for me, we are a dry climate however, and cold this year in comparison to normal this time of year.

[bassmants]

I am using the wiki nodes, 100 count.  No problems.

[zwiller]

My opinion is that quality is going to vary with all this stuff and by using a particular design there will not guarantee success.  IE I have had no issues with my flex strips...  Bullet nodes I just got already have failures, some failures in rectangular modules, and 4 led squares going strong.  In the end I think it would be wise to assume a 10% failure rate and I am still below that.  I will say this, I ran into more weather related issues with SSC failures and hub fuses than my lights...   

[rick surette]

I ordered 16 strands of 50 count from the wiki for a mega tree in October. I have no failures even with the ice storm here in the Toronto area over the last four days.
Rick

[taybrynn]

I bought around 50 strings of 128 nodes each this year of the DLA wiki approved "smart strings" and not one has failed.  One arrived bad, but it was part of a bonus string of 50 he just threw in. That what I'd recommend.

I don't want to get into the issues related to "well those are brighter" and "those need injection" and "those need a different RGB mix to get a certain color" and "those have a different max nodes", etc.  ... I mean, I did all that with incandescents and even with those I got burned on some being better, some worse, some brighter, some dimmer, some looked different, sockets different, some didn't last,etc. ... so staying with the KISS principle now, consistency & simplicity should mean a lot ... esp. at the cost of these RGB lights.

[bassmants]

I bought around 50 strings of 128 nodes each this year of the DLA wiki approved "smart strings" and not one has failed.  One arrived bad, but it was part of a bonus string of 50 he just threw in. That what I'd recommend.

I don't want to get into the issues related to "well those are brighter" and "those need injection" and "those need a different RGB mix to get a certain color" and "those have a different max nodes", etc.  ... I mean, I did all that with incandescents and even with those I got burned on some being better, some worse, some brighter, some dimmer, some looked different, sockets different, some didn't last,etc. ... so staying with the KISS principle now, consistency & simplicity should mean a lot ... esp. at the cost of these RGB lights.

That's what I'm going to do...

[Made2Rock]

The most important thing to me is that they work!!!!! I don't need the brightest lights on the block I just want them to work. I don't care if I have to inject power, I just want them to work. When I went for the Technicolor nodes it was because I thought I had a good design that built on what was learned in the past. It is beginning to look like those listed in the WIKI are a good working design.

Joe

[jnealand]

There is no perfect light string, i would not waste too much time looking for one.  It is more important that you get some and learn how to use them.  Buy a little of each and experiment because you may change your mind on what works best for you after you see some in action and have worked with them.  YMMV.  I have used the 1804 nodes from the wiki for 3 seasons now, but I started with the 2nd gen IP68.  I've had a few failures, but I don't obsess over them.  I have 1809 flex strips and I have had a few bad pixels and this year one one meter section quit.  This year I also bought some WS2811 flexstrips because they were cheap, but I learned that you can only control 3 pixels at a time instead of one so that meant I could not play with them for a matrix, but they work ok in an arch.

[taybrynn]

My advice is to stick with wiki recommended nodes ... Why?   Because you don't want to end up with a high maintenance show that's complicated and hard to understand and maintain.   Over time it will become a huge burden.  You also can end up with a pile of junk that doesn't work.   RJ set up this board in large part up to minimize problems and make DIY Christmas lighting more approachable to a wide audience with minimum problems.   Once you get into tinkering it gets costly, very techie ... and the True DIY path is not for the timid ... It's painful and bleeding edge.   That's just my opinion .... I bought all the different things in the past and now I can admit I wasted a pile of money going off the list when I should not have.

[tbone321]

+1