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Wireless LED frame props


mk_193

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Hi,

 

I've been given a brief to create 12 light up frames, that are mobile and held by cast members. They ideally would be fully dimmable and colour changing. My initial thought was wireless LED strip hidden on the inside of the frames. Unfortunately I don't really know much about wireless DMX kits (not set up before myself) and we do not have much of a budget, (£100ish for lighting). Is this something that is even possible with that amount of money? We do already have lots of 12V LED strip... What are the essentials I would need, and how would I go about setting it up?

 

Many thanks

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To do it really cheaply, you can reflash the cheap H801 wifi led strip controllers with new firmware using the header pins (they use an ESP8266 chip). There is firmware out there ready to go for the H801 that accepts SACN that you could send from a lighting desk or lighting software package.

 

You're still not going to get 12 frames for £100 though. That's £8.33 per frame! You need the physical frame, the tape, the controller, a battery, and the backend to serve SACN over wifi. You might just manage it for £30 a frame if you're mega frugal.

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Is wireless control essential? I know trusting cast members to operate props correctly is a whole other discussion topic but it would be vastly cheaper if it was feasible.

 

Not essential I don't think, at the least the frames need to be turned on and off whilst being held by the cast members on stage.

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If you can do without wireless control and colour changing, this should be doable.

 

12 volt LED tape, in whatever fixed colour is desired, affixed to frame, battery holders for 8 or 9 AA cells. No switch needed for talent to forget. Have a sensible person insert the batteries 10 minutes before talent due on stage, and remove batteries afterwards. Brightness can be varied a bit by use of 7 cells for dim, 8 cells for medium or 9 cells for bright.

 

Battery run time depends on type of tape and lengths involved, but should get a number of shows per set of batteries.

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To do it really cheaply, you can reflash the cheap H801 wifi led strip controllers with new firmware using the header pins (they use an ESP8266 chip). There is firmware out there ready to go for the H801 that accepts SACN that you could send from a lighting desk or lighting software package.

 

 

Oh, no, why did you have to tell me that, Jon :rolleyes: .....

The fact that these things come pre-boxed, with the right sort of terminals, and are dirt cheap, makes them quite attractive. Now if only there was a similar unit that could drive pixel tape...

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If you can do without wireless control and colour changing, this should be doable.

 

12 volt LED tape, in whatever fixed colour is desired, affixed to frame, battery holders for 8 or 9 AA cells. No switch needed for talent to forget. Have a sensible person insert the batteries 10 minutes before talent due on stage, and remove batteries afterwards. Brightness can be varied a bit by use of 7 cells for dim, 8 cells for medium or 9 cells for bright.

 

Battery run time depends on type of tape and lengths involved, but should get a number of shows per set of batteries.

 

Even cheaper - pound shops sell lengths of LED tape with a USB plug on the end, they also sell USB power bank / booster cells which would be powerful enough to keep the LED tape lit for hours with the added bonus of easy recharging and no actual electrics skill needed by anyone.

 

On the other hand RGB with remote control your cheapest / easiest option would be an arduino with a wireless shield / module, some coding that ties that to the many ready made LED tape driver programs with the whole lot powered from a poundland power bank but all that lot would cost you £10-12 per frame plus assembly and coding time.

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Oh, no, why did you have to tell me that, Jon :rolleyes: .....

The fact that these things come pre-boxed, with the right sort of terminals, and are dirt cheap, makes them quite attractive. Now if only there was a similar unit that could drive pixel tape...

 

Me too...

 

Now if only there was a similar unit that could drive pixel tape...

 

Not as low cost but very convenient there is the SmartShow PIXIE if you've not spotted it.

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Oh, no, why did you have to tell me that, Jon :rolleyes: .....

The fact that these things come pre-boxed, with the right sort of terminals, and are dirt cheap, makes them quite attractive. Now if only there was a similar unit that could drive pixel tape...

 

Same ESP8266 chip, just don’t need the drivers that the H801 adds. There are a few that are appropriately boxed, can’t remember the names of them though. Check the WLED pages.

 

There are 5 H801s running LED in my kitchen. Soon to be more in tbe lounge too.

Edited by J Pearce
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5V is a massive advantage of pixel tape for wire free use, USB power banks, usual limit of 2.1A per port excepted, are easier than NiCd banks, lipo are a whole different world of safety.

 

WLed has become stock answer for anything with relatively low pixel count,

 

https://github.com/Aircoookie/WLED

 

https://www.welcometothefuture.one/blog/wled-get-started

 

Crowd sourced , user editable, www.awesomeledlist.com for a broader list of pixel stuff.

 

Level shifter or sacrificial pixel right beside the ESP to act as a shifter , kind of combo:

 

https://hackaday.com/2017/01/20/cheating-at-5v-ws2812-control-to-use-a-3-3v-data-line/

Edited by musht
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