[TriEmbed] Group LED Buy

Tue Dec 23 11:58:24 CST 2014

The WS2812 should certainly be fine for what you need but be aware of the
difference between the 12V and 5V variety. The 12V strip you mentioned
controls 3 RGB LEDs per IC (in series, which is how it's 12V). So, each
logical "pixel" is actually 3 LEDs and about 2-4 inches of the strip. This
may be what you want. Just warning. It's certainly the cheapest way to go.

IP67 should certainly be enough, especially for the ones not in direct
rain. But I admit I don't know how long they would hold up to direct
exposure. Probably the worst thing for them is likely extreme cold... not a
huge issue here, but if it gets cold enough it might mess with some solder
joints. But I have some outside (under the eaves) and they've held up for a
couple years so far.

The Pixel strings are meant more for the application you mention (they are
completely potted in silicone) however they are MUCH less pixel dense. So
it all depends on the look you are going for.

On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 12:27 PM, Rodney Radford <ncgadgetry at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
> I am definitely interested in putting up some outside - around the inside
> top of my front cover (so outside, but out of any direct rain), around the
> inside top of our screened in porch (also outside, but outside of direct
> rain), and then around the deck railing (outside, and in direct rain
> potential).
>
> I only want to put up a single strand and will use it more for low level
> ambient mood lighting, so I will not be doing any fast color changes.
>
> Of course, I am looking for the cheapest possible that meets my needs, so
> I was hoping for some advice from those that have used these outside
> before.  The WS2812 IP67 sound ideal (IP68 would be even better for the
> deck railing, but is this really needed?).
>
> I see the TW5050RGB30T-2811-12V for $5.30/meter which is an excellent
> price - will that work for me, or does anyone recommend a different
> product?  I have not gotten out and measured it, but possibly 30 meters is
> needed (I will get exact measurements once I determine which kind to buy,
> and cost per meter, as I may end up adding or subtracting from this
> depending on total cost).
>
> Also how long will these last - I would hate to go through the cost, and
> trouble, only to find out they are tearing down 1-2 years later from
> exposure to the elements.
>
> Thanx,
> Rodney
>
> On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Adam Haile <email at adamhaile.net> wrote:
>
>> This is actually unrelated to the AllPixel Kickstarter, but I'm going to
>> be ordering a decent quantity of LED strips from the manufacturer that I've
>> used for about 3 years. (I'm building a VERY large display for Maker Faire
>> 2015). Which happens to be the same one we are using for the AllPixel
>> rewards. They make a wide array of high quality LED strip and strings (XMas
>> style lights).
>>
>> So, since it's always cheaper to buy in as much bulk as possible
>> (especially when shipping from China), I wanted to open up the option to
>> get in on the order to everyone with TriEmbed. These are insanely cheap as
>> they will be coming direct from the manufacturer. As much as 1/3 the price
>> as from places like Adafruit. I'm not looking to take any profit from this.
>> Everyone will get the pricing listed in the PDFs (plus shipping and
>> manufacturer's fees). Here's the details:
>>
>> Go here to get pricing PDFs: http://adamhaile.net/LEDPrices/
>>
>> As a quick reminder for those unfamiliar, here's the differences:
>>
>>
>>    - WS2812 (NeoPixel) - 1 wire, 800Kbps data, 400Hz PWM, 24-bit color.
>>    Cheapest but slow. Good for most things.
>>    - WS2801 - 2 wire (SPI), 1Mbps data, 2.5kHz PWM, 24-bit color.
>>    Mid-range speed and price.
>>    - LPD8806 - 2 wire (SPI), 24Mbps data, 4kHz PWM, 21-bit color.
>>    Fastest, most expensive. Great for POV displays
>>    <http://maniacallabs.com/2014/11/19/weekend-project-povstick/> or
>>    video applications. 1 IC per 2 LEDs so much use in LED pairs.
>>    - APA102 - The new hotness. 2 wire (SPI). IC built into the LED like
>>    WS2812. 12Mbps data. 2kHz PWM. A little more expensive than WS2812 but MUCH
>>    faster.
>>
>> All of these are controllable using FastLED on Arduino, with the AllPixel
>> and BiblioPixel, and in most cases on the Raspberry Pi (WS2812 and APA102
>> are complicated).
>>
>> For those that don't want strips but prefer christmas light style
>> strings, checkout PixelStringLights.pdf. Note however that in the interest
>> of a timely order I will not order anything that doesn't have green text
>> (PixelStringLights PDF only). The black and red text items are made on
>> demand and have a several week lead time.
>>
>> All are available in various levels of water resistance:
>>
>>    - IP40 - NOT waterproof in any way. Bare strip.
>>    - IP65 - Epoxy coating. Resists moisture and light splashes.
>>    - IP67 - Silicone sleeve. Submersible up to 1m for up to 30 minutes.
>>    (I have hit these with a pressure washer to no affect).
>>    - IP68 - Silicone sleeve AND epoxy coated. Pretty much impervious if
>>    you don't cut. Only available on some.
>>
>> All are sold as 5 meter rolls, except the string lights. See
>> the PixelStringLights PDF for length and quantity info.
>>
>> If you would like to order some, send me the Item Number (for
>> example: TW5050RGB32T-8806 - which is LPD8806, IP67, 32 pixels/m) and the
>> quantity in rolls (or strings). Note that the prices listed for the rolls
>> are PER METER not per roll. Multiply times 5 for the full roll price.
>>
>> You can probably ignore the 300m or more pricing. It's highly unlikely
>> we'll hit that (barely did for the Kickstarter). But I will still see if I
>> can get a better price... I've bought a LOT of leds from them :)
>>
>> Once I've had some time to collect everyone's orders, I will submit an
>> invoice request to the manufacturer. That will give me the final price with
>> shipping and fees. Generally, the fees are a 4% transaction fee for using
>> Paypal (I really don't like the idea of doing a bank transfer to China). So
>> you can assume about 4% more, plus shipping (was about $35 when I ordered
>> 10 rolls). Fees and shipping will be divided among everyone based on your
>> order quantity.
>>
>> I will then send a paypal invoice to everyone and once I get all payments
>> I will submit the order to the manufacturer.
>>
>> Since part of the point is to save on shipping, the intention is for that
>> anyone who orders to either pick up at a TriEmbed meeting or make other
>> arrangements with me. I'm unsure of the time frame on this since it depends
>> on when I get all the orders in and it usually takes a few weeks anyways.
>> So the sooner I hear from those interested, the sooner everyone gets their
>> LEDs :)
>>
>> Let me know if you are interested or have any questions.
>>
>> Adam Haile
>>
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>>
>>
>
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