Sean Meighan
General => My Show Setup => Topic started by: Steve Gase on January 15, 2014, 03:08:27 PM
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BLUE = 2013
MAROON = 2014
Sequencer: XL/NC (same)
Show Computer: (1) FPP (2) FPP
Network: Pixelnet + Wireless DMX (none)
Radio Transmitter: EDM LCD http://www.edmdesign.com/ (http://www.edmdesign.com/) with Dennis Cherry's 2011 Ground plane Antenna
Channels: 30K 40K
Lights: 32K 50K
Controllers/Hubs:
Falcon F16 Controller (7) (6)
Falcon F8 Controller (+3) (same)
DLA 16pt Active Smart Hub (4) (5)
DLA 4pt Passive Smart Hub (2) (3)
DLA Lynx Express (5) (same)
DLA SSCv3 (8 ) (0)
DLA SSCv4 (14) (0)
Falcon uSC (0) (34)
DLA wireless DMX: (4) TX/RX (0) TX
Ray Wu 27-channel DMX: (4) (0)
Elements:
Coro Flakes (50xsquare pixels) (9) w/SSCv4 (9) w/SSCv3
AetherII floods (16) (16)
10ft PEX RGB arches w/40 bullet nodes (24) w/8 SSC/uSC (same)
1Mx1M Greenhouse Panels w/24x30 TM1809 flex and F16 (3) (same)
Wireframe concentric stars w/50 bullet nodes and SSCv4/uSC (2) (same)
Starburst porcupine ball w/PEX w/260 bullet nodes (1) w/3 SSCv4/uSC (1)
5-color tomato cage Mini-tree w/LE: (15) (same)
Dumb string Mega-tree 16 PEX 10ft tubes w/dumb flex w/Ray Wu controllers: (2) (0)
Mega-Pixel tree: (8 strings, 85ct Bullet 180-degree) (48 strings, 85ct Bullet 270-degree)
Pixabulbs on ground radiating from large tree: (32-strings of 50ct)
Pixabulbs on ground radiating from crystal tree: (32-strings of 25ct)
8ft Glass Block tree: (42 blocks)
Donation coro sign: (w/80 pixels)
LED 1M icicle tubes: (10) tubes with 120 pixels each
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wow Steve! I think i should make a trip to texas just to see your setup.
did you post any videos from this last season?
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did you post any videos from this last season?
(whining-mode=ON)
I had some frustrations, and didn't do pictures or videos.
The panels each had a strip that failed... the Technicolor strings were a bust and my 8-backup strings were forgettable... then my floods stayed on the day before I planned to do the video...
Then, the day after (new years) was too nice not to tear down the display.
(whining-mode=OFF)
Next year...!!
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Steve,
wow, i am sorry to hear all that..
sounds like the failures i had 2 years ago (2012).
fortunately in 2013 everything rocked SOLID. i had about a thousand more visitors than ever before :) thanks to the awesome people at NUTCRACKER (designed all my effects) and FALCON (designed the awesome PI player).
i too have big plans for 2014..
good luck!
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Actually it was a very good year, I had a LOT of lights working for a month without any real problems.
After working on the prep for about 10 months straight, it took just 2 afternoons to put it all together and I was in business! The show was dependable, it started on time every night, the lights went off on time and had no "sticky" pixels. The effects from Nutcracker were incredible. Falcon, DLA, and Raspberry Pi were workhorses. My waterproofing activities paid off -- despite more rain, ice and wind than I've seen in a while.
Frankly, after 10 months months of work and a lot of late nights soldering and assembling, I was tired. I was more than happy to watch it chug along each night -- and December was almost a vacation from the lights. :) My light fatigue served a purpose, I wasn't out there fiddling with stuff and creating new problems.
At the end of the month I was starting to get enthusiastic again with ideas for next year -- and that probably led to me taking it all down quickly -- before I had my video in hand.
For me, the truism applies: "Its more about the journey than the destination."
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I would be interested in reading about your waterproofing tips and tricks
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2 things worked well with the water-proofing:
I used battery boxes to enclose all of my boards, power supplies, and 110v cable connections. Nearly all of the boxes had a power supply at the bottom, and a 110v splitter to break out power and send another extension cord to the next box. On top of that setup I rested a piece of loosely fitting coro and placed my 12v boards. All cables exited through the side openings. I hot-glued the vents on the lid to seal them off from rain.
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=battery%20box&typeahead=battery%20box (http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=battery%20box&typeahead=battery%20box)
I also converted all of my pixelnet cat5 cables to retain the rj45 connector on one end -- to connect to the board inside the battery box -- and used solder/heat shrink to replace the cat5 with a 4-core waterproof connector. All of my SSCs used waterproof connectors: 4-core coming in, and 3-core going out. And I had all wires exiting the "pipe bomb" PVC through a single end cap. I pushed small stakes into the ground and zip-tied a SSC pipe bomb to the stake so it remained upright and off the (wet?) ground.
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2 things worked well with the water-proofing:
I used battery boxes to enclose all of my boards, power supplies, and 110v cable connections. Nearly all of the boxes had a power supply at the bottom, and a 110v splitter to break out power and send another extension cord to the next box. On top of that setup I rested a piece of loosely fitting coro and placed my 12v boards. All cables exited through the side openings. I hot-glued the vents on the lid to seal them off from rain.
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=battery%20box&typeahead=battery%20box (http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=battery%20box&typeahead=battery%20box)
I also converted all of my pixelnet cat5 cables to retain the rj45 connector on one end -- to connect to the board inside the battery box -- and used solder/heat shrink to replace the cat5 with a 4-core waterproof connector. All of my SSCs used waterproof connectors: 4-core coming in, and 3-core going out. And I had all wires exiting the "pipe bomb" PVC through a single end cap. I pushed small stakes into the ground and zip-tied a SSC pipe bomb to the stake so it remained upright and off the (wet?) ground.
I'm sure the nsa loved reading this post after referring to a pipe bomb twice! lol can't wait to see video steve! you certainly have a lot going on.
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My wife has been strongly encouraging me to find a new term. :-X
...nothing more descriptive comes to mind. :-\
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My wife has been strongly encouraging me to find a new term. :-X
...nothing more descriptive comes to mind. :-\
I here ya! they looked at my kind of funny when I was at home depot buying all this pvc pipe and 40 pipe caps!
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I posted the first of my videos... I particularly liked 3 sequences... so they are up first.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Cc4LGQUSgxPXB2G7zxDa5vzBg3wM8LO (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Cc4LGQUSgxPXB2G7zxDa5vzBg3wM8LO)
http://WinterLightShow.com (http://WinterLightShow.com)
I don't how long the videos will be up before yahoo declines my copyright fair use request... so catch them now.
My show stretched across the street line of my 3 acres, so it was not easy to get good videos with trees in the way -- instead I've created one version with the big tree and the house, another version with the "Tree Cam", and a third with a new addition -- a glass block tree. (I made this on Christmas eve...)
I've got to give credit to a couple people:
bpducman (Brad) shared his beautiful rendition of "Mary Did You Know" and in 15 minutes I had a my favorite sequence of the year. Thanks, Brad!
Charles Belcher (on the Great Christmas Light Fight) used a stack of glass blocks in his display, I liked it so much I stole the idea to create an 8ft crystal-pixel tree -- and I mirrored the effects used on my pixel tree.
The biggest credit goes to the Falcon and Nutcracker teams -- fantastic solutions to a lot of complicated problems.
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Very nice show Steve, wow you've got a setup!
Would you mind sharing your/Brad's Mary did you know or point me to the thread? I always love seeing what people come up.
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Very nice show Steve, wow you've got a setup!
Would you mind sharing your/Brad's Mary did you know or point me to the thread? I always love seeing what people come up.
Try asking Brad for the nutcracker sequence...
http://nutcracker123.com/forum/index.php?topic=749.msg3914#msg3914 (http://nutcracker123.com/forum/index.php?topic=749.msg3914#msg3914)
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Radio Transmitter: EDM LCD http://www.edmdesign.com/ (http://www.edmdesign.com/) with Dennis Cherry's 2011 Ground plane Antenna
With the ground plane antenna, does it increase the distance or quality of the transmission?
I have one of these antenna cut down to the appropriate size for my frequency and it's what I'd call, just ok.
http://www.durhamradio.com/wilson-w500b-500-magnetic-mount-whip-ontario-canada.html
Wondering if the ground plane would make for a better experience.
Thoughts?
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Very Nice Steve;
I would say this year is totally different than your last years show.
I had Mary did you know from Pentatonix also, a beautiful song.
i loved the lights on the yard that had effects
I posted the first of my videos... I particularly liked 3 sequences... so they are up first.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Cc4LGQUSgxPXB2G7zxDa5vzBg3wM8LO (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Cc4LGQUSgxPXB2G7zxDa5vzBg3wM8LO)
http://WinterLightShow.com (http://WinterLightShow.com)
I don't how long the videos will be up before yahoo declines my copyright fair use request... so catch them now.
My show stretched across the street line of my 3 acres, so it was not easy to get good videos with trees in the way -- instead I've created one version with the big tree and the house, another version with the "Tree Cam", and a third with a new addition -- a glass block tree. (I made this on Christmas eve...)
I've got to give credit to a couple people:
bpducman (Brad) shared his beautiful rendition of "Mary Did You Know" and in 15 minutes I had a my favorite sequence of the year. Thanks, Brad!
Charles Belcher (on the Great Christmas Light Fight) used a stack of glass blocks in his display, I liked it so much I stole the idea to create an 8ft crystal-pixel tree -- and I mirrored the effects used on my pixel tree.
The biggest credit goes to the Falcon and Nutcracker teams -- fantastic solutions to a lot of complicated problems.
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Impressive!
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The antenna does not improve clarity, just range.
There is a back story on the radio transmitter/antenna... so glean from this what you can. :)
I've been using an EDM-LCD transmitter for a few years now, and have liked it for the clarity and range. Right from the start I paired it with the 1/4 wave ground plane antenna, and I was able to reach a good portion of the neighborhood.
Last year I was able to reach about 1/2 mile in my new neighborhood with this setup.
This year my range was poor, i couldn't get quality reception even to the end of the property. I also had pockets where the audio would turn to static as I drove a couple feet, or walked a couple feet with my boom box.
I found that there was a new radio station that camped on my signal, so I changed my station -- and adjusted the length of my antenna to match. Still, I had problems.
In my research I found that my symptoms could be caused by a damaged transmitter. The transmitter was likely damaged when I connected/disconnected the antenna while the transmitter was powered up. There are cautions about this, which I failed to recall.
As I've visited various displays I've found some with excellent reception -- covering entire neighborhoods, and asked the owners what they were using... each said they used the CZE-05B transmitter with the whip antenna that came in the box.
I purchased the CZE-05B and it solved my problem... with the 1/4 wave ground plane antenna I can now reach 1/2 mile again.
I've sent the EDM into the US repair facility.
Radio Transmitter: EDM LCD http://www.edmdesign.com/ (http://www.edmdesign.com/) with Dennis Cherry's 2011 Ground plane Antenna
With the ground plane antenna, does it increase the distance or quality of the transmission?
I have one of these antenna cut down to the appropriate size for my frequency and it's what I'd call, just ok.
http://www.durhamradio.com/wilson-w500b-500-magnetic-mount-whip-ontario-canada.html
Wondering if the ground plane would make for a better experience.
Thoughts?
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Steve, very nice, great job! I have a question on your Mega Tree, how did you mount your pixels and how durable were they this season?
Thanks,
Fred
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Last year I had problems with the technicolor pixels -- this year I went back to using the TM1840 IP68 bullets.
This year I used the strips available in the DIYC bulk buy...
http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?33355-New-Pixel-Mega-Tree-Mounting-Strips
The strips were 8ft long, but could be joined by overlapping the strips and pushing pixels through the overlapping holes.
At each end I used grommets from Harbor Freight... just push them through the holes (I folded the ends first) and and hammer the ring over the grommet.
I put the pixels into the strip every 2" (I was happy with the density because it really made the effects crisp from top to bottom.
I hooked each strip to the top of the tree using a crown purchased from one of the dealers -- can't remember who -- but next year I think it would work better to use a larger crown with more hooks... I used a 16-hook setup and hooked 4 strips onto each hook (270-degree).
At the bottom I used small bungee cords (again from Harbor freight) and looped the cord around my metal conduit 25' ring and hooked (both hooks) into the grommet.
I adjusted tension on the bottom ring -- and kept it from swinging -- by using more bungees to hook it to stakes.
I plan to post pictures and some video on my reworked web site in the next few weeks -- documenting my DIY designs.
As far as durability... with 4000 pixels, I only had 2 pixels that failed... I used old strings (but made sure that they were IP68!!) and augmented the old with new strings. The 2 pixels failed because of broken wires -- weakened (no doubt) from past years using paracord, and once -- no support at all. The 2 pixels were within reach and quickly replaced using crimping butts.
We had all kinds of wind and rain this year -- and I ran my show for 4+ weeks regardless of weather and not a single issue -- no failures, no shorts, no GFIs. I'm very satisfied with the success of my prior waterproofing actions.
Hope this helps.
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Thanks for the input on the edm. I'll have to be cautious when there is power to the transmitter. I had a nasty hum which I first thought was Raspberry B related but after reading further found that some people wrapped with foil the ribbon cable to shield the signal. It made a big difference as well for me. Still not fantastic quality but not too bad.
As for the range 1/2 mile is about right for what I get so I won't mess with my setup any further.
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One of the guys here in town was having a bad hum with his CZE-05B. We changed the plug around for the adapter and it helped a lot. (I recalled my old stereo when I was growing up... the turntable made a hum through the amp until i changed the "polarity"... yes, its AC... but I did recall hearing that hint 40 years ago. :)
We also moved the transmitter further from the Pi and that helped as well.
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Thanks for the details Steve. My Mega tree was 24 strands with 112 (2" spacing) pixels per strand this year (360). It looked OK but I really like the looks of yours and may have to redesign! Thanks again for the info.
Fred
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Steve do you think the color of the diyc strips caused you any issues? I've been wondering if I might be able to stain mine with some woodworking stains or even tanic acid like the old days to take the white out of them.
I have a little 9' bush that i want to turn into a "mini mega" this year to mirror my "mega tree" and haven't decided, but was leaning, on using paracord because it would blend in better with the new pixclips i bought or using the diyc strips I also bought just in case. 2" spacing will give me 50 nodes in 9' which is just right to match the "mega tree" 50 nodes at 12"
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I like the white, actually... it reflects more of the color back to the viewer IMO,
i realize its a subjective call.
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I have some sample strips and they are more ivory than white. I doubt that the color would be a problem. I am more concerned about wind catching them like a small sail.
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Steve do you think the color of the diyc strips caused you any issues? I've been wondering if I might be able to stain mine with some woodworking stains or even tanic acid like the old days to take the white out of them.
I have a little 9' bush that i want to turn into a "mini mega" this year to mirror my "mega tree" and haven't decided, but was leaning, on using paracord because it would blend in better with the new pixclips i bought or using the diyc strips I also bought just in case. 2" spacing will give me 50 nodes in 9' which is just right to match the "mega tree" 50 nodes at 12"
I understand James on the DIY Christmas board (where I believe Steve got his strips - thanks Steve!) is going to offer the strips in white or black with his next offering. He is not taking orders at this time but will be soon.
Fred
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Steve - loved your display and really noticed the lights on the ground. I threw out some white LED lights on the ground and everyone liked them but I really wanted to replace them with pixel lights to add more flexibility. Curious what pixels did you use? Were they just laying on the ground or did you have them staked? And how did you set that up in XL - as a horizontal matrix? For your lawn, you created some nice effects.
Randy
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I used Pixabulbs from DIYLED Express. They have a pre-sale going on now!
http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?36772-DIY-LED-Express-2015-Pre-Sale-Announcement! (http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?36772-DIY-LED-Express-2015-Pre-Sale-Announcement!)
Official Pre-Sale Announcement:
The first DIY LED Express LLC Pre-Sale will run from January 2nd to January 31st. Delivery of product is expected to be around early to mid May.
I was originally thinking of staking each pixel, but my wife said... "2400 stakes??? are you crazy???"
I then attempted to stake the start, middle and end of the string... but I found that the plastic stakes from home depot were no match for my yard where I have 1" of soil (at best!!) over limestone rock.
So, I placed them directly on the ground and it took no time, and they were packed away just as easily!!
I created a vertical matrix... but other than the presentation in the visualizer I don't think it matters if you select a tree or a matrix. I placed the corner at the top left where my controllers were found.
For the lawn I often placed the same effect used on the tree, trying to have the tree "spill out onto the ground".
Steve - loved your display and really noticed the lights on the ground. I threw out some white LED lights on the ground and everyone liked them but I really wanted to replace them with pixel lights to add more flexibility. Curious what pixels did you use? Were they just laying on the ground or did you have them staked? And how did you set that up in XL - as a horizontal matrix? For your lawn, you created some nice effects.
Randy
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Hi,
Love the look of your display, especially the mega tree. Just wondering what the height of your mega tree is and the spacing between pixels.
Cheers
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thanks!
the megatree is 48 strings of 85 pixels, in a 270-degree layout.
the pixels are 2" apart using plastic strips found on the DIYC forum.
the center pole is about 24" high (1-1/2" black iron pipe) with a winch to lift a hook system.
the pole is so high because I didn't cut it down before this new tree design. the pole was used for years when I had 85 pixels 3" or more apart for about 21 feet of lights. The strips worked well and I'll do it again this year -- and also 2 additional (smaller) trees. The earlier attempts used metal conduit, paracord, and no support at all -- each had problems.
i'll shorten the pole this year.
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My glass tree was an interesting last minute project. I had plastic rgb pixels I wasn't using, and my wife saw some used glass block available on craigslist from a gutted building. so, i thought it would be nice to try this out.
when doing my sequencing I applied the same effects from my large megapixel tree over this glass tree... so the sequencing was "nothing".
Failure #1: i stacked up the blocks 4 feet high, and it really wasnt that stable -- and it didn't have the height i wanted... in the morning it had blown over and 4 blocks were shattered and a few more chipped. I found that using duct tape to affix the lights did not work. But I did find that there was not a lot of light pollution between blocks due to the finish on the sides -- so there was no need to paint the sides or put in dividers (I had plenty of spares, so on to the next attempt... :) )
Failure #2: I had some old 3/4" outdoor plywood left by the prior home owners. I cut it into a 8ft tall tree shape, 4ft at the base, and 8in at the top. I drew lines for all of the blocks, staggering each row from the prior row. 42 blocks total. I then stapled lights to the back. I decided to put 2 pixels behind each block (grouping=2) for a total of 84 pixels to get a lot of light to the street. (This worked well.) I hammered some wooden poles into the back/top of the wooden tree, leaning it back slightly, and created a flat base on the ground. I stacked up the glass blocks so that they leaned against the wood. (The wind knocked this over within hours and more broken blocks.)
Success #1: I grabbed an old aluminum step ladder and leaned the wood back even further against the ladder. I hung a 5-gallon bucket filled with heavy rocks from that ladder with the center of mass hanging, but low to the ground. I put the wood poles back in place. I then leaned all of the blocks (and replacement blocks) back against the wood (and ladder). This time I ALSO got plastic wrap which is used in shipping large boxes. I wrapped the tree -- holding the glass blocks to the wood form. with a few more passes, I also wrapped the ladder. The clear plastic did not interfere with light getting out. For the next couple of weeks -- no problems!
Success?? #2: This year I am simplifying. I have built a new coro tree that is similar to coroflakes -- light is inside, and the light is diffused by the coro. The tree has the same measurements 8ft tall, 4ft at the base, and it has the same pixels inside. There is black coro in the back, and about 3in side walls and a white coro face. Inside the tree, I create a simple interlocking set of light baffles with the white coro... this baffle keeps light contained into a "block-like" cell so that it still resembles glass blocks. But the whole thing is easier to setup, carry away and store. It is also "unbreakable" but I will ensure that the wind does not catch it and send it across the street to the neighbor's yard. Maybe I'll use the same ladder.
I'm contemplating putting pixels on the outside as "garlands" on the tree.
I was happy with 8ft. I would not be happy with the original 4ft... it would have been lost.
I liked the 8in block look as large pixels.
xlights made the sequencing easy, but the tree provided an entirely different look with the same effects.
Hope this helps. :)
I will post this to the forum for others to consider and add their ideas.
Hi Steve,
I'm wondering if you have any information that you could share on how you made your glass block tree? I too saw that on TV last winter and thought it was really neat looking. I have my plate full already for this upcoming seasons display (first year), but I'm already thinking ahead for the following year.
My questions about the blocks are...
1. How did you keep it together, and from tipping over since it was so tall.
2. Did you have to mask off between layers to keep the lights from bleeding into other blocks.
I'm sure I could come up with a lot more questions, but I'll leave it at that for now.
Thanks,
Kevin