dumb strings

[bassmants]

OK.  I have a smartstring active hub.  I pull dmx for my expresses there.  I can daisy chain off of that also?

[sirloinofbeef001]

The short answer is yes.

[bassmants]

Can you give me more details of this controller.  For example, how many nodes can each channel handle, power supply recommendations.  My intent is to make 17 bushes rgb dumb lights.  Looks like I can use two of these to achieve that. Most bushes will be between 50 and 100 nodes, but a couple will take several hundred.  Will the 100 count nodes listed on DLA wiki work with this controller?  Sorry for the mass of questions.  Just want to get where I need the best way. 

[Steve Gase]

Can you give me more details of this controller.  For example, how many nodes can each channel handle, power supply recommendations.  My intent is to make 17 bushes rgb dumb lights.  Looks like I can use two of these to achieve that. Most bushes will be between 50 and 100 nodes, but a couple will take several hundred.  Will the 100 count nodes listed on DLA wiki work with this controller?  Sorry for the mass of questions.  Just want to get where I need the best way.

The Ray Wu 27-channel controller controls 27 channels.  
How I use it... and I believe most do the same... I group 3 channels together and connect them to the Red-Green-Blue wires on a dumb string.  The 3 channels control a RGB dumb string.  You can have 9 of these 3-channel groups.
In your example... if you had 17 bushes, each with a different RGB string to be controlled independently, you would use 2 Ray Wu 27-channel controllers...  to provide control over 2x9 strings.  ...you'd have 3 channels, or 1 string left over for a future need.

Why don't they call this a 9-string controller?  maybe you would choose to control 27 single-color strings!

[zwiller]

I originally wanted to add alot of dumb gear and was convinced it would be cheaper...  After I researched it is not cheaper due to controllers/wire etc.  I think all smart with using grouping is the way to go.

I wish there was PIXELNET firmware for the MR16 or a new pixelnet 12vdc controller with constant current options. 

Bassman, the MR16 does the full 2.5A per channel (40A) which is nearly 3x the stock 27 channel controller or 2x the modded one.  I think your figure is good.  I figure .356w per node/12volts=amps.  IE 100*.356w/12v=2.97A.  17 bushes @ 3 amps is 51 total amps.  Spread nicely over 2 MR16s with 350W PS (30A).  FYI I ran a large tree that took several hundred nodes using smart gear setup for 3 channel mode and just had several SSCs set to same start channel... 

[Steve Gase]

17 strings would require 4 MR-16s  ... each MR16 would control 5 strings with a spare channel.

[David Pitts]

AAH in his testing said you could run at least 1+ amp per channel on the modified 27 channel controller. That is 27-30 amps per controller. Power supplies are usually only able to drive 30amps. One amp per channel is good enough to drive a 150 pixel dumb strip all white. So you could drive 9 strips all white at same time. I am doing this at several points in my show. So unless you need to drive more then 150 nodes of strip the 27 channel is good. If you need more than that you would also have to power inject even with MR16. Most people are not driving more current than 1 amp per channel. 

[bassmants]

What distances to first not can you achieve from this controller or the MR16.  Depending on that, I may just go the SS way instead of dumb like Zwiller said.

HMMM.

[David Pitts]

What distances to first not can you achieve from this controller or the MR16.  Depending on that, I may just go the SS way instead of dumb like Zwiller said.

HMMM.

Any new elements I create from this point on will be smart not dumb.

[bassmants]

Yeah, I think I'm leaning that way.  Would be pretty cool to do a butterfly effect throughout the yard or sparkles throughout.  Little more expensive per node, but I think it will be worth it.  Thanks for the input/info.  Looking forward to learning about your other hardware/software here.  Glad I found the site.  I like options.!

Terry

[zwiller]

17 strings would require 4 MR-16s  ... each MR16 would control 5 strings with a spare channel.

Oops, good catch.  I think LSP has spoiled me with watching channel counts. 

In terms of distance with dumb gear, you are only limited by voltage drop of the wire and you can go pretty far.  I ran some dumb gear 75' away but was surely a waste of wire.

I went back and forth about smart vs dumb and it is likely a toss and just finding something that clicks for you and the smart stuff does for me.  I also like the ability to switch things up and having all SS gear allows this.  I really want to learn falconware/gear and see if I figure a way to do some chases or other effects on SS stuff with a minimum of channels. 

BTW I would just cut one of the dang bushes down to get an even 16 for sequencing purposes...   

[bassmants]

I've been know to cut trees/bushes to make Christmas better