Imagine
08-05-2017, 11:01 PM
OK - bear with me on this one because it's a labour of love.
I know this one's been discussed before (but differently)
As most of you know - I have this beast known as the Retro Roadshow (just to cheer Peter up....picture below). In it's full format, it's 16 feet in length and looks majestic when it's in full flow.
18333
It's going out on hire more and more at the moment (including a wedding of all things later this year), and I absolutely LOVE this setup because to my mind....it's how a disco should look (cue rose tinted glasses and teary eyes).
However - it's becoming a right royal pain in the bum.
The first problem is the heat. All told, it's around 2kw for the full 16ft show....which is hotter than the place Peter wants to sit his dieticians at times, especially in the summer. I know - it's how we used to roll but I'm getting old and heat doesn't agree with me.
The second is the lack of reliable controllers out there now (especially those that do any sort of meaningful S2L functionality)....plus the reluctance of my PAT testing Chappy to perform the fat finger test to verify that they're safe. He'll test the controller - he won't certify the leads or the boxes though. Not because they're not safe (he's had them to bits and checked the physical wiring in them)....he's just not comfortable with 7 pins of 240v potentially being easily exposed to liquids (i.e. unused daisy-chains on the backs of the boxes and beer for instance....). Fair play to him....I understand that completely.
The third - related to heat again, is that I keep blowing lamps left right and centre. With the insistence of venues wanting you out of the door quicker than a DJ getting to the buffet, the lamps aren't getting the chance to cool properly....and they don't like that. In establishments with RCDs on the fuse box....they've also been known to trip the power as the filaments short out.
So - I'm looking to finally upgrade to LED. It's a complete strip down, removal of the old wiring and bulbs, and in a way sacrilege....but should also help to preserve the effect (for that's all I offer - I don't do vinyl and valve amps these days), for a long time to come.
It's not going to be cheap either at around £50-£60 per box. Long term, it'll save money on lamps alone (yes...even they're becoming expensive)
But - need input to make sure I'm going the right direction (probably more from Nakatomi than anyone since he's the sage of all things electronical)
My idea?
I've found these online (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC5V-24V-12Channel-RGB-DMX-LED-controller-DMX-decoder-driver-LED-strip-module/262876898403?_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%2 6asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D10c0cce9c46243ef9a8 cc6722133dc01%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D16%2 6sd%3D322504215245)
Now, they're not the ones I intend to buy because I want 3 pin DMX, not RJ45....I'll keep looking. The point is that they're 12 channel DMX.
All of my boxes contain 4 different colours (RGB and White)...so to my mind, these bad boy decoders can control 4 different channels of RGB LED strips (bear in mind the LED strips can be cut and joined so can "span" across the sections of the boxes they need to be in).
I'm thinking of back-lining the boxes with reflective material (possibly something as simple as tin-foil), gluing LED strips around the edge of each segment angled towards the reflective material/tin-foil, and also adding DiFi boards to the decoder as I have with my LOVE letters (the 3 pin DMX in the previous paragraph by the way is for back up should the DiFi fail....as it does occasionally).
To my own simple little mind, this would mean literally plugging in a 24v supply for each box and having full DMX control over the entire show (so more than just the current RGB...I could make all segments the same or different).
I think in my own mind that this solution will actually work and be quite effective.
The two outer boxes have already been "sort of" modernised as a test. They actually contain cheap Chinese UFO style lights which in real life behind the pearl perspex are quite effective.
It's also a chance to make my own "patterns" - if you look, none of the boxes have any sort of logic to them and the two either side of the centre screen are actually FAIRY LIGHTS! I'm thinking of possibly reconfiguring the compartments to different shapes, which with LED I can do using cardboard if I want rather than trying to maniplulate and bend the hardboard that's currently in them. I also plan to re-glaze them all (either with the prismatic stuff in the bottom half of the centre box or the pearl in the top half....just need to find a supplier for those though).
Am I barking up the wrong tree and thinking of doing the wrong thing here?
I know this one's been discussed before (but differently)
As most of you know - I have this beast known as the Retro Roadshow (just to cheer Peter up....picture below). In it's full format, it's 16 feet in length and looks majestic when it's in full flow.
18333
It's going out on hire more and more at the moment (including a wedding of all things later this year), and I absolutely LOVE this setup because to my mind....it's how a disco should look (cue rose tinted glasses and teary eyes).
However - it's becoming a right royal pain in the bum.
The first problem is the heat. All told, it's around 2kw for the full 16ft show....which is hotter than the place Peter wants to sit his dieticians at times, especially in the summer. I know - it's how we used to roll but I'm getting old and heat doesn't agree with me.
The second is the lack of reliable controllers out there now (especially those that do any sort of meaningful S2L functionality)....plus the reluctance of my PAT testing Chappy to perform the fat finger test to verify that they're safe. He'll test the controller - he won't certify the leads or the boxes though. Not because they're not safe (he's had them to bits and checked the physical wiring in them)....he's just not comfortable with 7 pins of 240v potentially being easily exposed to liquids (i.e. unused daisy-chains on the backs of the boxes and beer for instance....). Fair play to him....I understand that completely.
The third - related to heat again, is that I keep blowing lamps left right and centre. With the insistence of venues wanting you out of the door quicker than a DJ getting to the buffet, the lamps aren't getting the chance to cool properly....and they don't like that. In establishments with RCDs on the fuse box....they've also been known to trip the power as the filaments short out.
So - I'm looking to finally upgrade to LED. It's a complete strip down, removal of the old wiring and bulbs, and in a way sacrilege....but should also help to preserve the effect (for that's all I offer - I don't do vinyl and valve amps these days), for a long time to come.
It's not going to be cheap either at around £50-£60 per box. Long term, it'll save money on lamps alone (yes...even they're becoming expensive)
But - need input to make sure I'm going the right direction (probably more from Nakatomi than anyone since he's the sage of all things electronical)
My idea?
I've found these online (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC5V-24V-12Channel-RGB-DMX-LED-controller-DMX-decoder-driver-LED-strip-module/262876898403?_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%2 6asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D10c0cce9c46243ef9a8 cc6722133dc01%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D16%2 6sd%3D322504215245)
Now, they're not the ones I intend to buy because I want 3 pin DMX, not RJ45....I'll keep looking. The point is that they're 12 channel DMX.
All of my boxes contain 4 different colours (RGB and White)...so to my mind, these bad boy decoders can control 4 different channels of RGB LED strips (bear in mind the LED strips can be cut and joined so can "span" across the sections of the boxes they need to be in).
I'm thinking of back-lining the boxes with reflective material (possibly something as simple as tin-foil), gluing LED strips around the edge of each segment angled towards the reflective material/tin-foil, and also adding DiFi boards to the decoder as I have with my LOVE letters (the 3 pin DMX in the previous paragraph by the way is for back up should the DiFi fail....as it does occasionally).
To my own simple little mind, this would mean literally plugging in a 24v supply for each box and having full DMX control over the entire show (so more than just the current RGB...I could make all segments the same or different).
I think in my own mind that this solution will actually work and be quite effective.
The two outer boxes have already been "sort of" modernised as a test. They actually contain cheap Chinese UFO style lights which in real life behind the pearl perspex are quite effective.
It's also a chance to make my own "patterns" - if you look, none of the boxes have any sort of logic to them and the two either side of the centre screen are actually FAIRY LIGHTS! I'm thinking of possibly reconfiguring the compartments to different shapes, which with LED I can do using cardboard if I want rather than trying to maniplulate and bend the hardboard that's currently in them. I also plan to re-glaze them all (either with the prismatic stuff in the bottom half of the centre box or the pearl in the top half....just need to find a supplier for those though).
Am I barking up the wrong tree and thinking of doing the wrong thing here?