Author Topic: Making sure I have this right  (Read 3498 times)

Offline Whip

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 28
Making sure I have this right
« on: December 28, 2011, »
Hey guys,
After reading as much of the info here as I could before my eyes were too tired to continue, I think I know what I need but lets make sure. I want to do 80 channels.

1. PC with Vixen or Prancer loaded on. Any difference?
2. Cable to connect PC to Dongle. Cat5 or USB?
3. Build Dongle and have a member program it? Mouser says the LEDs that go with the build are unavailable. Is it okay to use the similar product they suggest?
4. Cat5 cable to the 1st of 5 Express boards I'll have to build. Can the Express boards be connected to each other or will I have to build a freestyle and connect them all to that?
5. Connect extension cords to each channel.
6. Spend many late nights programming sequences.  :o

Also...If I'm using all LED and no more than 4-6 strands per channel, is it okay to build the extension cords out of 18/2 landscaping extension? I know it's alot thicker than the wire the lights are built with but I dont want to make the mistake of building them only to find out I went too small.

Thanks in advance everyone. If this is all correct, I'll be placing the order hopefully by this coming week.

Whip

And I just read something about the Co-op's. Will there be a Dongle and Express one fairly soon because I might wait for that. I just dont want to wait too long because I have lots of outside stuff I want to build too and time is tickin'.  ;D
« Last Edit: December 28, 2011, by Whip »

Offline Steve Gase

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2915
    • WinterLightShow in Georgetown, TX
Re: Making sure I have this right
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2011, »
Prancer appears to be discontinued.  There may be other future free solutions, but vixen is the big one.  LightShow Pro2 is another option -- for a price.

USB connections to the USB dongle has been the standard up until now.  RJ has just rolled out an ethernet version now.  from the dongles you can use cat5 or wireless to reach your elements.

the similar LED should be fine.

the express units can be daisy chained together... 1st to the 2nd to the 3rd, etc.  another option is a passive hub. 

there does not appear to be a usb dongle on the slate of upcoming coops, but the ether dongle and expresses are in the list being discussed.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  |  110K channels, 50K lights  |  Nutcracker, Falcon, DLA, HolidayCoro

Offline dpitts

  • Restrictive
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 466
Re: Making sure I have this right
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2011, »
I would get the etherdongle. More universes for the money.

Offline jnealand

  • Patron Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2494
Re: Making sure I have this right
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2011, »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

1. PC with Vixen or Prancer loaded on. Any difference?

Not sure Prancer is a viable option these days.  It was someones development project, but I have not heard anything about it for months and it was never in production or used by anyone but the programmer.

2. Cable to connect PC to Dongle. Cat5 or USB?

USB for a DMX dongle, Cat5 for an etherdongle.  For what you are doing either works, but one DMX dongle will do 512 channels.

3. Build Dongle and have a member program it? Mouser says the LEDs that go with the build are unavailable. Is it okay to use the similar product they suggest?

You will always be better off buying your own pickit 3.  With what your are wanting to do it will always be best to be able to program things yourself.

4. Cat5 cable to the 1st of 5 Express boards I'll have to build. Can the Express boards be connected to each other or will I have to build a freestyle and connect them all to that?

Daisy chain cat5 between expresses.  freestyle is only for ssr without DMX

5. Connect extension cords to each channel.

Extension cords depend on where you place your controllers and on how long you make the outlets coming from each express.  I put my controllers as close to each element as possible

6. Spend many late nights programming sequences.  :o

YES - YES -YES

Also...If I'm using all LED and no more than 4-6 strands per channel, is it okay to build the extension cords out of 18/2 landscaping extension? I know it's alot thicker than the wire the lights are built with but I dont want to make the mistake of building them only to find out I went too small.

Should be fine, but most people will recommend that you use spt1 or spt2.  I used to use a lot of standard 6ft, 9ft, 12ft, 15ft and 20ft green extension cords to my lights, but not so much anymore.  I run grounded 12 ga cords to my controllers.

And I just read something about the Co-op's. Will there be a Dongle and Express one fairly soon because I might wait for that. I just dont want to wait too long because I have lots of outside stuff I want to build too and time is tickin'.  ;D

Order the dongle PCB from RJ and order the parts from Mouser.  Dongle parts have never been in a coop.  I would wait on for a coop on the expresses and begin your other building and learning vixen.

Welcome to the addiction.
Jim Nealand
Kennesaw, GA

Offline n1ist

  • Coop Manager
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 760
  • 02148
Re: Making sure I have this right
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2011, »
Quote
Also...If I'm using all LED and no more than 4-6 strands per channel, is it okay to build the extension cords out of 18/2 landscaping extension?
No.  The insulation on landscape wire, speaker wire, sprinkler wire, cat5, or similar low-voltage wire is NOT rated for 110V and would be a safety issue (and if it shorts, it would blow your TRIACs).  This is different from the wire guage, which must be thick enough to handle your current draw without having too much voltage drop.  18-2 SPT or SJOW/SOOW should be fine for a number of strands of LEDs.  It looks like NEC specs it at 6A max.
/mike
« Last Edit: December 29, 2011, by n1ist »

Offline Whip

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 28
Re: Making sure I have this right
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2011, »
Thanks for the info guys. I didnt know about SPT wire but after a quick search I'm definitely going to get rolls of that. The price is way better too. The cheapest I've found the vampire male/female ends for is $0.80. Anyone know where a better price can be had or is that pretty standard? Is there ever a Co-op for them?

Offline jnealand

  • Patron Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2494
Re: Making sure I have this right
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2011, »
You can find coops for the spt2 and vampire plugs at doityourselfchristmas.com/forums  Joining is free.
Jim Nealand
Kennesaw, GA