LOOKING FOR SMART SQUARE PIXEL NODES (In Strands of 20)

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XMAS WIZARD

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I have built 10 Mini-Trees this year, and they are 6 feet tall. There are 30 strands (1/8" Steel Wire) that make up the sides of the tree. They are grouped together in twos, for a total of 15 groups. Each Group is spaced wide enough to just fit a Square Pixel Node into it. I used Extra-Large Wreath Frames (metal wire kind) as the base and Large Wreath frames as the middle support and Small Wreath Frames as the top. A million small spot-welds later and I now have my own little metal forest to attach Square Pixel Nodes to.

I decided to place a Pixel Node every three (3) inches. So I find myself hoping someone makes strands of 20. This way, each strand would start at the bottom and end at the top. If I have to buy strands of 25, I will. That would simply mean crunching the Nodes (a little) closer together... No biggy.

Can anyone inform me about the Strand of 20? They would need to be 12V 12mm R/G/B WS2811 IC IP68 Smart Square Pixel Nodes
 
are you thinking of 15 x 20 node strings per tree and each strand going to a controller port? or connecting a wire from the top node back to the bottom node so that you have up to 300 nodes in series on one channel?
 
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ok smart pixel strings can be cut down too any size you need if you buy lets say a string of 50 nodes you can cut out 2 strings of 20 and have 10 nodes left over if you had 2 strings of 50 you cut out 4 strings of 20 2 from each string and have 2 stings of 10 nodes left over and you can wire them together for another string of 20
XMAS WIZARD said:
I have built 10 Mini-Trees this year, and they are 6 feet tall. There are 30 strands (1/8" Steel Wire) that make up the sides of the tree. They are grouped together in twos, for a total of 15 groups. Each Group is spaced wide enough to just fit a Square Pixel Node into it. I used Extra-Large Wreath Frames (metal wire kind) as the base and Large Wreath frames as the middle support and Small Wreath Frames as the top. A million small spot-welds later and I now have my own little metal forest to attach Square Pixel Nodes to.

I decided to place a Pixel Node every three (3) inches. So I find myself hoping someone makes strands of 20. This way, each strand would start at the bottom and end at the top. If I have to buy strands of 25, I will. That would simply mean crunching the Nodes (a little) closer together... No biggy.

Can anyone inform me about the Strand of 20? They would need to be 12V 12mm R/G/B WS2811 IC IP68 Smart Square Pixel Nodes
Click to expand...
 
neilric99 said:
are you thinking of 15 x 20 node strings per tree and each strand going to a controller port? or connecting a wire from the top node back to the bottom node so that you have up to 300 nodes in series on one channel?
Click to expand...

Haven't decided yet Neil. If I run each tree as I be "In-Series", I would wire the power wire to EACH strand so I don't lose power on the Nodes at the end of the line.

I am just now looking into the possibility of using 15 ports per tree (x 10 trees = 150 ports). That's gonna cost me some cash!! I'd prefer to do it this way, as it would offer me max flexibility when it comes to creating effects and controlling the strands. Perhaps I split the difference and link strands up to use only 5 ports per tree. The I could buy a few e682s from Jim and go from there. (More to share after I figure out the final plan).

But I do want to find Strands of 20 if they exist.
 
TazChaLet said:
ok smart pixel strings can be cut down too any size you need if you buy lets say a string of 50 nodes you can cut out 2 strings of 20 and have 10 nodes left over if you had 2 strings of 50 you cut out 4 strings of 20 2 from each string and have 2 stings of 10 nodes left over and you can wire them together for another string of 20
Click to expand...

Agreed James. If I can't find strands of 20, I will go ahead and buy strands of 100. I can get 5 strands of 20 from a strand of 100. It would nice and neat, and won't have any "left-overs". Because I have a nice round number (2400 Nodes = To create all 10 mini-trees), it may be more economical to buy them in the 100ct strands in bulk. I'm sure I could get a price deal from someone if I buy that many at once.

I'm also purchasing between 8,000 - 10,000 Smart Strip Nodes, and another 3,000 Bullet Nodes as well. All 12mm, Smart, WS2811, and IP-68.
 
Why not just run 20 up, 20 down, 20 up, 20 down in a zig zag. This way you use all 100 nodes with no cutting and using one port of the E682? 100 x 12v nodes are ok without power injection....each tree would only use 3 ports on the E682, would save on the controller costs...just a thought.
 
strands of 20 do exist and Ray Wu will sell you them that way if you wish and even put waterproof connectors on each strand as he can do almost anything in custom to your specifications.

spending $200 on a controller for each tree does not make sense to me though, just buy 100 node strands and you will have 5 lots of 20 nodes and they are very easily programmed that way either in the controller or sequencing software such as lights/nutcracker. there are even some controllers that will support 300 nodes per output as long as you can power inject every 100 or so 12V nodes. so that will be only require 1 output port per tree. If you are worried about distance from the controller to the tree you can also go with the new advatek controller which can use line drivers or the new falcon F16V2 that will drive pixels from an extended distance.

Power injection becomes second nature to you once you have to do it and get used to the techniques. I started out with 5V systems and that was much more a pain to do power injection. 100 12V s2811 nodes though is not a problem and you can always add power injection run the the end of the string anyway if it is a concern to you.

One option that you have to keep the power injection points to the base of the tree would to use 80 node strings and zizag up,down,up,down.
 
DrNeutron said:
Why not just run 20 up, 20 down, 20 up, 20 down in a zig zag. This way you use all 100 nodes with no cutting and using one port of the E682? 100 x 12v nodes are ok without power injection....each tree would only use 3 ports on the E682, would save on the controller costs...just a thought.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more Doc & Robo. Dealing with a lot of unknowns right now. I'm at a major crossroads when it comes to decision making, and all paths are going to take me where I wanna go. It's just that some will get me there a little cheaper.

The only thing I'm sure of at this point is, WHERE I want specific types of nodes, the total number of each type Pixel Node I'll need, and finally, how much money I've still have in the Bank!! lol. So I'm just buying the lights and constructing the frameworks I'll need. The "Electronic Schematic" is being drawn in pencil at the moment, and I'm sure I'll be looking to you guys for some rudder steers.
 
I added 8 new pixels trees 24x25 each. 100ct string Zigzag every 25. Easy 6 connects to my E682 each tree. No cutting needed
 
Doc / Robo,
Hopefully you're still there. While I'm on the subject, take a look at this thought:

Changing directions (maybe) on how I'm going to mount those 2400 Square Nodes on my 10 Mini-Trees. Instead of spot welding matching rods to the already placed 15 Rods around the circumference of the trees (the 2 rods together would create a cradle for the square node's frame to sit in), I thought about buying those Pixel Mounting Strips from James.

The concern I have is, with so many of these mounting strips around the tree, the front two or three trees might completely block portions of the trees behind them.

Thoughts?
 
Robo said:
Very short video in my basement
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lights-On-Rosewood/661280007325303
Click to expand...

Nice Robo!!!! So I will be able to make my Mini(s) do what your video showed, and I can do it without making each vertical line it's own strand? Put it another way, for each of my ten (10) trees, I can take three (3) strands of 100 and go 20-25 up then turn and go 20-25 back down, resulting in only three (3) ports being used on my e682?

Hell, that means I'd only need two (2) e682s to run ALL my Mini-Trees vice the ten (10) I was dreading!

Sounds like that's what you, Doc, and Neil were all recommending in one way or another. After that little video, I'M SOLD!!!
 
my 8' 180 degree tree 12' too top of star is made up of 6 strands of 50 nodes folded in half at top and run back down too bottom to make up the 12 legs of my tree
XMAS WIZARD said:
Nice Robo!!!! So I will be able to make my Mini(s) do what your video showed, and I can do it without making each vertical line it's own strand? Put it another way, for each of my ten (10) trees, I can take three (3) strands of 100 and go 20-25 up then turn and go 20-25 back down, resulting in only three (3) ports being used on my e682?

Hell, that means I'd only need two (2) e682s to run ALL my Mini-Trees vice the ten (10) I was dreading!

Sounds like that's what you, Doc, and Neil were all recommending in one way or another. After that little video, I'M SOLD!!!
Click to expand...
 
TazChaLet said:
my 8' 180 degree tree 12' too top of star is made up of 6 strands of 50 nodes folded in half at top and run back down too bottom to make up the 12 legs of my tree
Click to expand...

lol. After seeing how great ya'lls trees look and the number of nodes you used in creating them.... I'm beginning to think that I'm definitely over-killing with my plans! If I keep going with my same thought process, I'm gonna mess around and have 10 MEGA-TREES instead of 10 Mini-Trees!! HA!

I think I need to dial back my ambitions to around 11 or so.
 
Here's what my Trees will look like. I haven't inserted the 2nd matching rods yet. This is just the single rods showing the 15 legs of my 360 degree Mini-Tree.

MY MINI-TREE FRAME.jpg

Perhaps my concern of "blocking other trees" behind the front 2-3 trees can be better understood now. Still thinking I'll get those Mounting Strips, but maybe in the Clear color and it won't block parts of the other trees.
 
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