Newbie Guide to Do It Yourself Christmas (DIYC)

[Bwinter]

I have no idea what i am doing, but I have an Uno and some Mosfits, I ordered some WS 2811 led light strings addressible that are 5 volt. I bought a kit that was suppose to have four 15 foot 5050 12 volt led strips. I also bought a 12 volt power supply 40 amp to power my 5050 strips, but to make them come on and chase and blink and all that im not sure what else i need in the way of hardware. I need some help and info on how, I had no idea the beauty that you all created with your knowledge and skills. Everyones lights shows are amazing. I ordered a mega board and a relay box as well. I can slowly get more parts and peices, but I am just an average joe, with a tiny income to build off of. What might i still need to do a Vixen light show with some of what I already have, I know I am missing a few parts of hardware still but being a total newb at this I dont have a clue were to start. Thanks in advance to all that share and havw mastered the spectacular light displays.

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Before you buy anything, take the time to learn about how these shows are put together. Based off what you’ve listed, I’m not sure you’re on the most efficient path.

Come up with a plan of what you want in your display and THEN figure out the best way to achieve.

You’re definitely on the right mindset by starting this plenty early!

[MartinMueller2003]

That list is a conglomeration of "stuff" that will drive a steep learning curve. You can make it all work together, but you would need more controllers for the different technologies you have chosen. I suggest you pick one technology at a time, learn it and then add the next.

[dirknerkle]

If you haven't visited the Beginner info, you're really missing out on some valuable information that's designed specifically for you. It's goal is to help you get going in this hobby.

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com...Beginners_Info
beginner1.png

or

https://www.diychristmas.org/wiki/in...itle=Beginners
beginner.png

[kychristmas]

I have no idea what i am doing, but I have an Uno and some Mosfits, I ordered some WS 2811 led light strings addressible that are 5 volt. I bought a kit that was suppose to have four 15 foot 5050 12 volt led strips. I also bought a 12 volt power supply 40 amp to power my 5050 strips, but to make them come on and chase and blink and all that im not sure what else i need in the way of hardware. I need some help and info on how, I had no idea the beauty that you all created with your knowledge and skills. Everyones lights shows are amazing. I ordered a mega board and a relay box as well. I can slowly get more parts and peices, but I am just an average joe, with a tiny income to build off of. What might i still need to do a Vixen light show with some of what I already have, I know I am missing a few parts of hardware still but being a total newb at this I dont have a clue were to start. Thanks in advance to all that share and havw mastered the spectacular light displays.

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Are you familiar with the joke "how do you eat an elephant" .... "one bite at a time"

Don't go too fast. Purchasing stuff before you understand what you want to do or have any plan will usually mean wasted money. The good news about what you have purchased is that at a minimum, you can use it to learn. Even if you never use it in a show.

Search youtube for Holiday Lights "Behind the Signs" or "Walk Through" In addition to the information others have posted here, you can see how a particular person implements various elements of their display.

Richard Holdman's "Behind the Scenes" from more than ten years ago was the beginning for me. It broke it down and made a similar display seem achievable.

[rmore]

FYI: I think the "7 Steps to Selecting a Controller" in "4 - Hardware/Controllers" http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com...action=history is a bit out of date. Last update Nov 2013. All I see is the analog controllers. No mention of pixels.

[AJR214]

FYI: I think the "7 Steps to Selecting a Controller" in "4 - Hardware/Controllers" http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com...action=history is a bit out of date. Last update Nov 2013. All I see is the analog controllers. No mention of pixels.

Some of the info is a good starting point... but it probably hasn't been updated because the best source for total comparison of controllers Nutcracker RGB Pixel Controller Comparison Chart. Maybe the link should be put in the top of the wiki page.

[Bwinter]

Some of the info is a good starting point... but it probably hasn't been updated because the best source for total comparison of controllers Nutcracker RGB Pixel Controller Comparison Chart. Maybe the link should be put in the top of the wiki page.

I think even that list should be updated to include mention of the other means to control (PiHats, ESPixel stuff, etc.).

[AJR214]

I think even that list should be updated to include mention of the other means to control (PiHats, ESPixel stuff, etc.).

Yes, it's missing some stuff (like the Falcon F48) - The last update says 2017-01-16. At this point I think it needs to be redesigned as a searchable database with comparison selection. Put up pictures of all the available boards, select 2 or more to compare and it should display the list as we see it now, but with just the controllers selected. It is definitely a chore that only one with OCD could keep up with!

I was originally going to use an F48 with 5 F4 differential boards to start my display this year... but after coming across the Falcon specific spec sheets (which some of this can be added to the Nutcracker site), there seemed to be a lot of limitations with pixel protocols (at least at the F48) with no specific information about the differential receivers handling these protocols.

Then I thought I would go with an F4v3, add an F4v2 Differential Expansion and get (2) 4-String Differential Receivers. This would give me the same features as the F16v3 with the differential expansion I was looking for to go the long distance to a couple of receivers with just Cat5, and also give me 12 channels. But then I thought this might limit me on future expansion...

So I ended up buying an F16v3 Controller, an F16v3 Differential Expansion Board, and (4) 4-String Differential Receivers. This gives me 32 channels with room for expansion.

Each of the options I was looking at all came to right around $300, so it was just a matter of some pre-planning and layout to see what I needed now, and what I have plans for in the future.

[madcat1970]

Hi there as you can tell I'm new to this. I Have found hardware isn't my problem I recently got a raspberry Pi 4 and a 16 channel relay. What I need is a nudge in the right direction of finding or writing code to get the Pi to start, end, FM transmit, and blink my light strands off and on. I have Vixen 3.0 and once I get music I thinks I understand hw it works. If anyone has the time and patience to help a computer dummy out it would be greatly appreciated

[eaglebob]

Madcat1970
I use xlights for my sequences and use fpp that could be found at falconchristmas.com for the pi. There are groups on facebook, Official xLights Support Group, Holiday Lighting Think Tank

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