Random Sparkle

[Master__Gracey]

Is there already a How-To, or does anyone know how to do a strobe-like sparkle that's more singular and random than a whole string flashing? For an idea of what I mean here's a video of Disney's lighting, you can see the sparkle right before each section lights up.

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I would think some white LED's would be nice but I don't know how to make them go individually without making each light it's own channel. Thanks all!

[Wayne J]

Not strobe like..... they are strobes. You can use LEDs to get the same effect if you wish to save some money though. You can even drive them directley off a 595 board, providing you have a parallel port on the PC.

[toodle_pipsky]

Page 10 of the April 2008 Newsletter is what you're after http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/newsletter/pdf/april2008.pdf (use this for a 595 or a Grinch)
You'd then use one of the preset effects in Vixen to get your strobe on (random set to 2 or 3 event periods works best).

[Master__Gracey]

Page 10 of the April 2008 Newsletter is what you're after http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/newsletter/pdf/april2008.pdf (use this for a 595 or a Grinch)
You'd then use one of the preset effects in Vixen to get your strobe on (random set to 2 or 3 event periods works best).

I did see that, but it seems that you would need to have each strobe on a different channel in order to get the chase sparkle I'm looking for. It would seem to eat up alot of channels quick. I was just wondering if there would be another way to make a set that would chase and have a few sets instead of alot of seperate channels? (side note: I just ordered a Grinch board and some SSRs from wjohn :D)

[toodle_pipsky]

It would depend on how you wired them up. You could, for example, have 2 LEDs on each channel and make connecting wires long enough so they're not right next to each other. Follow that principal and you have doubled your strobes. It would all come down to planning and a bit of layout jiggery-pokery.

I was planning on doing something like that this year, but ran out of time. Oh well it's a 09 project.

[dnesci]

I am using a separate channel with one C9 bulb for the strobe effect. You would need additional circuits to have more than one bulb on each channel flash at different intervals. You may want to consider getting real strobes. They sell strobes that will fit a C9 socket.

[joshlisa]

I am still learning this leccy stuff so please excuse me if this make no scence at all. Could you use capacitors with the bulbs to fire them. If so diffrent limits for random timing.
Josh

[Sloanhaus]

You are talking about disney,,, they probably are running on over 5000 channels and have enough electrical cord to go around the world... The strobes they are using are the ones you can buy, you would just have to put them each on there own channel which is what they have done.... Trust me,,, if you have 4 sections of strobes and you light up each section individually with the strobes of that section leading off, you will get a wow factor of 11. But if you really want the disney look, I would recommend renard 16's so that you can place 1 in each section. You could than have 64 strobes going, or use 2 per channel and have 128 which would wake up the guys on the space shuttle... Say hi to Danny Devito for me.

Brad

[slug]

Page 10 of the April 2008 Newsletter is what you're after http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/newsletter/pdf/april2008.pdf (use this for a 595 or a Grinch)
You'd then use one of the preset effects in Vixen to get your strobe on (random set to 2 or 3 event periods works best).

Can anybody describe the building of the strobe a little differently or a simple diagram. I understand connecting 4 individual led to each of the pairs in the cat5 cable, but the powering is where I'm getting confused. Does the coupler go between the board and the leds, or is it somehow a separate connection to power the lights? Thanks.

[bmcgeeny]

Is there already a How-To, or does anyone know how to do a strobe-like sparkle that's more singular and random than a whole string flashing? For an idea of what I mean here's a video of Disney's lighting, you can see the sparkle right before each section lights up.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-FqWITvldto&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-FqWITvldto&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

I would think some white LED's would be nice but I don't know how to make them go individually without making each light it's own channel. Thanks all!

Hey, that's my display, how did it get on youtube?

[Master__Gracey]

Can anybody describe the building of the strobe a little differently or a simple diagram. I understand connecting 4 individual led to each of the pairs in the cat5 cable, but the powering is where I'm getting confused. Does the coupler go between the board and the leds, or is it somehow a separate connection to power the lights? Thanks.

I wish to second this question. I found some 265,000 MCD led's online and was considering using them but I'm a little confused on the wiring to hook them directly to the controller. Would I kill them since they say to use 3.5 V ?