using smartstrings for arches?

[CourtBard]

Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on using a string of rgb leds for leaping arches. My thought is that you could get some neat effects, but i am concerned about how they will look. I understand the rgb leds on the strands from ray are pretty bright. Would they be good enough for this use?

Any thoughts commentd would be great.

[Steve Gase]

I'm planning to use 4x 128-pixel strings for this purpose, but I'm still waiting on my strings to arrive to see how well they compare to my older arches.  I think the color choices and smoothness of stepping 1/128th of the arch along the way will be great, but the arches that I had from last year cover 20' with 8 channels of 100 LED lights each and 8 more channels of another color.  so... i expect 800 LEDs + 800 LEDs will not be a fair comparison to 128 pixels.

with that in mind, i expect most of my rgb to be "highlights" in my display, and the old LED strings from last year to be a "chorus" of light that I use to impress during finale and the big part of the songs.

[CourtBard]

That was my concern. Having one light every so often vs a whole bunch wrapped tightly together would not be bright enough. Being able to control each light and the color is a big advantage. Over the normal arches.

[taybrynn]

I'm doing similar to Steve this year using 4 flex strips.  Also treating RGB as highlights and somewhat experimental.

I think it will work out nicely.  Sure is an easier way to do an arch.  Those flex strips are insanely bright, but somwhat directional, both in light distribution and in flexibility ... which is the main concern.  I am encasing mine in clear tubing, just to achieve a more linear bend and better light distribution ... then zip tying that to 1/2" sch40 EMT conduit in slightly greater than 4m lengths ... rebar ends, maybe a support line or two in the middle as needed.

I can tell you that after wrapping mini lights onto PVC extensively in 2010 ... I think this will be much easier.  The look and how it compares ... hmm, only time will tell.  I'm thinking of setting it up in LSP 2.0 as groups and that will make programming a little more conventional, but still able to use pixel control if desired.

To me, the flex strips were the most retail-ready TM1804 product I have seen this year ... and really are amazing to look at with the TM1804 test controller from Ray.  Like I said, REALLY bright and vivid colors.

I think if we eventually could form (n channel) groups in the SSC firmware and utility ... that the use of these could be simplified a bit on the software side.

[bwhite505]

I have some extra nodes that I was thinking about putting inside some 1" PEX tubing to make a couple of arches. I was hoping the PEX would diffuse the light enough to like like a continuous stream of light. 

Brian

[taybrynn]

I think it would look fairly good, if the light shines through enough.  I was also looking at PEX, but it seemed pricey.  I was too cheap to even try it.  I finally found some clear tubing on Amazon that was around $39 shipped for 100' ... enough to do a lot of arches ... and way cheaper than the hardware store prices, which were insane around here.    I need to pull an entire flex strip through it ... and see how it looks.  The small sections I have tested with ... look really good in the tube and provides a little additional protection from the elements, while giving a better light distribution.

I have not actually finished my prototype using this tubing, but it appears perfectly sized for use with the SS flex strip.  Here is what I ordered.   You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

I'm planning on using fish tape or a pull string attached to the flex strip wire ... to pull it through.  I don't think it'll be too difficult.

[dmaccole]

I have not actually finished my prototype using this tubing, but it appears perfectly sized for use with the SS flex strip.

Please keep us updated on this project. Mucho interested.

Thanks.

\dmc

[TAdamsOK]

I thought about some clear tubing as well.  I was worried that the flex strips would get too hot in an enclosed space with no moving air.  Might not be a problem come December, but the strips run alot warmer than the nodes from my experience.  I have 1.25ID clear vinyl tubing and it really doesn't spread the light up much, the strips are still highly directional.  I have some 1.0ID braided tubing and it does a little better but not much.  Also once you get it in there about 3 feet it starts dragging pretty bad.  The vinyl isn't very slick and neither is the flex strips tubing so might need some kind of lubricant that isn't going to eat either material to get it 4m down a tube.  To get the diffraction I think you are wanting you would probably need to frost the outside or inside of the tubing.  Of course YMMV and you may be looking for something completely different than I was.

[taybrynn]

Ok, well TadamsOK was absolutely right ... getting it through the tubing was a pain.  I managed to get it through with fish tape, but had to cut a slit in it half-way ... and it was still a nightmare.  I'm not sure its worth the hassle.   

I'm thinking maybe I could just use short sections of he tubing to just act more like a 'padded clear clamps' to secure the strip (w' zip ties) to the conduit without actually encasing it all in a tube ... and this might also protect the flex strip?   Either that or just try greasing up the next one and see if that makes it a lot easier.  The light dispersion is a little better, but not sure its enough to warrant all this hassle.

I think the point about heat is a good one, but these things are already in a sealed tube to begin with ... so I wonder how much worse another tube would make it.  I think in Colorado, its typically not very warm and these things are hardly ever going to be on very long periods of time, so I doubt they get too hot.

[CourtBard]

Has anyone tried cutting some pvc pipe in half and using the inside of the pvc as a sort of reflector? This wouldn't work with the flex strips, but could help with the node type strings. Maybe you could use the pvc as a housing with the flex strips facing out and some wax paper/ coro/ pex in front to act as a diffuser. You could wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap to help seal it.

[MrChristmas2000]

Did anybody ever come up with a good solution for making arches?

I thought a read a post somewhere about strapping a flex strip facing down on a pvc pipe but can't find it again.

[chrisatpsu]

i'm halfway through  my design and will show soon.

[MrChristmas2000]

I am trying to plan an order. Did you use the flex strips or the rectangles?

[chrisatpsu]

neither   

[taybrynn]

I use the flex strips facing down on the 1/2" EMT conduit ... they work great.   

There is no need to put them in anything, IMHO.  They looked fantastic and were very bright.

Facing down actually diffuses the light somewhat so that are not quite as blindingly bright.

Most of my show is minis and C9(s) ... so facing down actually turned out to be better than facing out or up.

Just my opinion.  Most fans gave them the most compliments and only the spiral megatree got more kudos.