almost double your channels

[dadams14]

I was thinking about this and I don't see any reason why it would not work.
I wanted to pass it by you more experienced people.
Taking a mega tree as an example , say 8 channels of white lights , red lights and blue lights.
That would total 24 channels in vixen.
Why not define just the 8 channels and then define a white channel, red channel and blue channel
These color channels would be fed to a relay that would pick if "ON" and light the corresponding set of lights . If you use 1 relay/channel/color (SPST) and you could even light all three colors at once..
it is more hardware but you save ssrs and for you guys that are maxed out ...
you can almost double it.
and besides, relays are pretty cheap .
From what I see most people rerun the same script onto the different color channel. This way you would just turn on white or red or blue and replay the same megatree...
I need to draw a schematic. Anybody know a drawing program.?

[Wayne J]

It is not a great idea, simply because of the mechanical hardware. Give this a read.....

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2998

[pete]

I agree with wayne. Mech Relays are cheap but they don't hold up to the on/off cycle a seq could put them thru. Also if you use this config on your mega tree you cant chase in a color change.

[Virtus]

I thought the very same thing when I got into this...I called the idea a 'shift register'. Everyone I told about it said basically what Wayne and Pete said. The low cost per channel of the DIY controllers doesn't make the shift register idea very favorable and the mechanical portion wasn't what most people wanted out in the cold.

That said...I totally see your point...because I had it , too!

[dadams14]

I use relays all the time and they are reliable. Not only that , I have a snowman that I light when the show is off. I was going to take my channel for the dial to FM 99.9 and pick a spdt relay that when the show is off will default back to snowman light.
I must admit , it appears a little cludgy , but when you think about it , you replay the same cells in vixen , but turn on a color and it will light that color lights. I think it's pretty cool.

[Wayne J]

The biggest thing to remember is, this is DIY. ;) If it is what you want, then do it. It's your display and you have experience with them, so go for it if you feel it will work for what you want to achieve. :)