A good RGB LED Control solution for Control4 is there

[Pounce]

4 hours ago, RobbieF said:

Yeah - saw those.  but the sound to light stuff - although SUPER Cool - is not that practical for me- I'm not the disco type  Looking for some more real world examples.

So what has drawn you to DMX specifically? DMX has its roots in dimming and theatrical lighting. DMX is really just a unidirectional protocol that is more reliable and faster in practice than using something like tcpip and ethernet etc. Those disco effects are quite a bit easier to master with DMX than anything else due to speed/response time.

[RobbieF]

4 hours ago, Pounce said:

So what has drawn you to DMX specifically? DMX has its roots in dimming and theatrical lighting. DMX is really just a unidirectional protocol that is more reliable and faster in practice than using something like tcpip and ethernet etc. Those disco effects are quite a bit easier to master with DMX than anything else due to speed/response time.

The flexibility in terms of LED strip lighting is pretty awesome - I'd like cove lighting (Using LED Strips), and under counter lighting in the kitchen.  I've been unimpressed by the Philips Hue Lighting........

 

Once you have the DMX Engine - Adding Strip Lighting throughout the remainder of the house becomes seriously cost effective too......  

 

I'm doing a major renovation - so thought I'd spruce things up a bit too

[RobbieF]

5 hours ago, SMHarman said:

This, but pay attention to the current you are sending down those 12v cables.

I started this route but gave up as NYC electrical code would have likely had a confused coniption fit.

Interesting comment about the current - I assume the current is related to the length & Lumens of LED strip you use per PX24500.  With a maximum current of 5A, what is the maximum length of LED strip you could use?

[jackstone]

3 hours ago, RobbieF said:

Interesting comment about the current - I assume the current is related to the length & Lumens of LED strip you use per PX24500.  With a maximum current of 5A, what is the maximum length of LED strip you could use?

A 16' LED strip usually consume 72w, you can put 3 of them per 5a channel but I would stick with a maximum of 2 (32') to avoid dimming.

 

also, don't use 12v when doing a whole house, always use 24v, it can travel much longer without dropping voltage. 12v is good only for small retrofit of things like cabinet pucks. 

[Pounce]

3 hours ago, RobbieF said:

The flexibility in terms of LED strip lighting is pretty awesome

How would you describe the flexibility in this context? I don't think you are limited with other technology to switch LED strips if all you are doing is on/off and dimming.

[SMHarman]

A 16' LED strip usually consume 72w, you can put 3 of them per 5a channel but I would stick with a maximum of 2 (32') to avoid dimming.
 
also, don't use 12v when doing a whole house, always use 24v, it can travel much longer without dropping voltage. 12v is good only for small retrofit of things like cabinet pucks. 

72W at 12v is 6 A running down the cable. Put 3 on the cable and that is 18A.

As you say, do it at 24v and it is now 3A and 9A.

As they say. Current Kills.

[SMHarman]

How would you describe the flexibility in this context? I don't think you are limited with other technology to switch LED strips if all you are doing is on/off and dimming.

DMX is a control language and message bus. You can use it for all sorts. On off switches, motors etc, not just dimming LED.

[Pounce]

1 minute ago, SMHarman said:

33 minutes ago, Pounce said:

How would you describe the flexibility in this context? I don't think you are limited with other technology to switch LED strips if all you are doing is on/off and dimming.

DMX is a control language and message bus. You can use it for all sorts. On off switches, motors etc, not just dimming LED.

Yes, of course. I'm only trying to make the point that DMX isn't the only solution to controlling LED strips if you are going to the trouble to run the cable required. I may have done a poor job making that point.

[jackstone]

1 hour ago, SMHarman said:

72W at 12v is 6 A running down the cable. Put 3 on the cable and that is 18A.

As you say, do it at 24v and it is now 3A and 9A.

As they say. Current Kills.

Sorry my mistake, 72w is for RGB, for single white is more like 25w per 16'

 

[SMHarman]

Your and my point still stand. Most 16A cables in a home are going to air conditioner and dryers and things, not a strip of lights.

[RobbieF]

3 hours ago, Pounce said:

How would you describe the flexibility in this context? I don't think you are limited with other technology to switch LED strips if all you are doing is on/off and dimming.

1 - Easily integrate into Control4

2 - All Control Equipment is hardwired, and mounted centrally

3 - Cost effective to add Dimable Strip Lighting (Or Spots) at a later stage in the build, utilising the initial investment (Both DMX and Driver Already Paid For)

4 - Can do both RGB and White Lights

 

I'm not sure there's anything that can compete with the above.....

[RobbieF]

1 hour ago, jackstone said:

Sorry my mistake, 72w is for RGB, for single white is more like 25w per 16'

 

So does that mean only 1 x 16' RGB Cable per DMX Decoder?  Or 3 x 16' White Light Per DMX Decoder?

 

[lippavisual]

Depends on the decoders that you use.  Each decoder has a certain Amp rating that its been tested to.

The PX24500 is rated for 5A per channel.  So you have up to 5A per red, green and blue channels.  No more than 15A load total on a single PX decoder.

It also depends on what your ratings are for the lights that you drive.  You can't really give a blanket statement of "it will drive X amount of strips."

Unfortunately, math does get involved when designing these systems.

[jackstone]

12 hours ago, Pounce said:

So what has drawn you to DMX specifically? DMX has its roots in dimming and theatrical lighting. DMX is really just a unidirectional protocol that is more reliable and faster in practice than using something like tcpip and ethernet etc. Those disco effects are quite a bit easier to master with DMX than anything else due to speed/response time.

A note beside the "unidirectionnal" fact of the DMX protocol, this is partially true, yes the "Light" can't provide feedback of it's state but the way DMX work by constantly refreshing the whole 512 channel 60 times per seconds lead the DMX Engine to always keep a real-time updated buffer of every light state in the universe, thus allowing us to query the state of any light through the Engine and always getting an accurate result. You can't lose track of a light if it is properly communicating with the Engine.

[Pounce]

50 minutes ago, RobbieF said:

1 - Easily integrate into Control4

2 - All Control Equipment is hardwired, and mounted centrally

3 - Cost effective to add Dimable Strip Lighting (Or Spots) at a later stage in the build, utilising the initial investment (Both DMX and Driver Already Paid For)

4 - Can do both RGB and White Lights

 

I'm not sure there's anything that can compete with the above.....

I think other approaches can compete or compare favorably. I'm not knocking DMX. I'm not trying to talk you out of DMX. I'm actually working on wireless DMX after some options have popped up for wireless bulbs. My interest is RGB+cct and occasionally syncing to music or holiday themes in a retrofit where I am not going to run cable (I will for landscape lights)

Control4 offers structured lighting that appears to be very popular among those implementing and owning. If I were building I would consider it myself.

 

[livitup]

I'm heavily considering using this solution for outdoor landscape lighting.  However, like RobbieF, I'd love some real world examples.  Everything I can find on the Internet is stage/DJ lighting or large commercial installations. There's so many lights out there, with a huge range of pricing from cheap to horribly expensive - I'm just scared to take the risk on a large investment to never get it "right".

Does anyone have any photos or links to products where DMX has been used for residential landscape lighting?

Thanks!

[jackstone]

1 hour ago, Pounce said:

I think other approaches can compete or compare favorably. I'm not knocking DMX. I'm not trying to talk you out of DMX. I'm actually working on wireless DMX after some options have popped up for wireless bulbs. My interest is RGB+cct and occasionally syncing to music or holiday themes in a retrofit where I am not going to run cable (I will for landscape lights)

Control4 offers structured lighting that appears to be very popular among those implementing and owning. If I were building I would consider it myself.

 

We are currently testing the new Mi-Light RGB+CCT Wireless DMX Bulbs with our DMX solution...

[RobbieF]

1 hour ago, Pounce said:

I think other approaches can compete or compare favorably. I'm not knocking DMX. I'm not trying to talk you out of DMX. I'm actually working on wireless DMX after some options have popped up for wireless bulbs. My interest is RGB+cct and occasionally syncing to music or holiday themes in a retrofit where I am not going to run cable (I will for landscape lights)

Control4 offers structured lighting that appears to be very popular among those implementing and owning. If I were building I would consider it myself.

 

I'm implementing panelised lighting - 50 lighting circuits - but need something for colored mood lighting (Strips and Spots).  Hue is rubbish, and not an option in my opinion (I have that currently).  What other options are there?

[RobbieF]

2 hours ago, lippavisual said:

Depends on the decoders that you use.  Each decoder has a certain Amp rating that its been tested to.

The PX24500 is rated for 5A per channel.  So you have up to 5A per red, green and blue channels.  No more than 15A load total on a single PX decoder.

It also depends on what your ratings are for the lights that you drive.  You can't really give a blanket statement of "it will drive X amount of strips."

Unfortunately, math does get involved when designing these systems.

Thanks for the clarification

[Pounce]

51 minutes ago, RobbieF said:

but need something for colored mood lighting (Strips and Spots)

The requirement is that color is controlled through C4 and the units are not wireless?

[RobbieF]

11 minutes ago, Pounce said:

The requirement is that color is controlled through C4 and the units are not wireless?

Correct

[SMHarman]

So does that mean only 1 x 16' RGB Cable per DMX Decoder?  Or 3 x 16' White Light Per DMX Decoder?

 

The decoder has 3 channels either RGB say 1,2,3 or you could put 3 white tapes, one on each channel.

 

But some white tape is higher current with more LED per cm that rgb (or more on one channel)

 

You can also have warm white / cool white tape that would take 2 channels.

 

[SMHarman]

I'm implementing panelised lighting - 50 lighting circuits - but need something for colored mood lighting (Strips and Spots).  Hue is rubbish, and not an option in my opinion (I have that currently).  What other options are there?

I used these in another lighting panel.

 

https://www.enttec.com/us/products/lights/led-controller/din-led4-1000x/

 

In fact the transformers and drivers are in the panel.

 

[Pounce]

If you know a good 5ch led strip controller let me know. They seem to be hard to find. I am trying to ensure I am using RBG+CCT strips where possible and they need 5 channels.

[SMHarman]

If you know a good 5ch led strip controller let me know. They seem to be hard to find. I am trying to ensure I am using RBG+CCT strips where possible and they need 5 channels.

You don't need a five channel controller. For four tapes, Five four channel controllers works just as well.

 

In the programming you map the tape channels to driver channels to the control4 setup