Searching for the 'best' outdoor LED strip/string. UPDATE: Got HD107 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2023, 11:58:28 pm
content: So, I'm in search of an outdoor LED strip/string light which can be controlled with an Arduino or Pi. The use case is outdoor decorations (house and the fence) for Christmas and the feast of St. George (which is a huge festival in my part of the world).I already have the SK9822 which I'm finding very easy to work with. But that's 5V. I'm guessing I need a minimum of 50 metres of the strip and thinking a 12V strip would be more manageable (less power injections).I have identified strips based on the GS8208 as a potential option.Quotehttp://www.normandled.com/upload/201805/GS8208%20LED%20Datasheet.pdfHave anyone worked with this chip?Or do you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

author: liaifat85
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2023, 07:30:17 am
content: Here are some choices. You can take a look:https://www.flexfireleds.com/outdoor-led-strip-lights/

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2023, 04:29:54 pm
content: Thanks for the link but they are a bit costly, don't you think?My limited research suggests I should be going with led strips with the "GS8208" chip and they are fairly cheap at AliExpress.

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2023, 08:03:42 pm
content: The downside of 12V strips is that the LEDs run at the usual current and the extra power is wasted in resistors or current-sources. So 30 led/m strip uses maximum 1.8A/m - 9W at 5V but 21W at 12V or 43 W at 24V. If you're running from mains power that may not matter, it's up to you, but you'll need big power supplies and thick wire.A nicer way to do it is to supply 12 or 24V everywhere and use small DC-DC converters to change to 5V at the point of use. This only uses approximately the same power as the 5V leds, so at 24V you use about 1/4 of the 5V current. But it costs more to build.

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2023, 05:34:39 pm
content: Well, I thought it was expensive and involved more effort on my part for like 6 days of use.I guess, I need to explore this option more.Edit:I think redundant data lines would be nice as they could be really long (50M!).

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2023, 04:31:56 pm
content: Well, I was doing a lot of 'research' and it seems like DMX protocol would be the best option for my application as I might try to get some lasers and disco lights and control it using just one system.EDIT:Have anyone worked with DMX led strips (there are lots of 24V led strips).https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001708445118.html

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2023, 04:58:30 pm
content: Quoteyep,and they eat up the universes.A single rgb led is a minimum of 3 channels or a maximum of 170 leds per universe.

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2023, 05:12:26 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on August 15, 2023, 04:58:30 pmYeah, I was thinking about that. If I add the dedicated white led, there would be 4 channels and even less space for addressing them, right?So, I have to wire them in parallel or more universes.I plan to use a Raspberry Pi 4 or a cheap Intel NUC to control them. Gonna dig more.BTW, please feel free to chime in with your experience and how did you control your rig.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2023, 05:33:44 pm
content: Quotechamsys lighting desk for the control and entec pixie drivers to convert the dmx into ws2812.The chamsys built in media server makes life very easy.

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2023, 02:16:21 pm
content: Sorry to bring this thread back. But, I have been digging and it seems like long lines of LED strips are bad for data integrity.I was looking at some of the projects (APA 102 and SK9822) and people have had trouble going past the 9-metre mark (even with power injection and data line smoothing with series resistors). Are there any workarounds for ones with VERY LONG strips (I'm talking 50 metres of LED strips here)?I also looked at the DMX converters for LED strips (for those other than the 'native' DMX512 strips) but it seems like I need a lot of such things if I were to wire everything up (as there is a limit even if I parallel the connections to LED strips of 170 LED per strip).Any cost-effective solutions?

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 07:00:16 am
content: Quote from: themadhippy on August 15, 2023, 05:33:44 pmDid you encounter any data corruption (flickering, wrong colour shown etc) due to wire length/transmission loss?

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2023, 12:36:18 am
content: QuoteNone that i know of,but i was only there for the fit up and rip out.In the years of playing with dmx the only time ive had problems with data corruption its nearly always been down to dodgy cabling not the control or fixtures .

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2023, 09:22:14 am
content: Finally, I got the HD107 strip and a bunch of 24v to 5v buck converters. Got some ESP32 too for use with WLED.But, there is a problem.I bought a 24V power supply from Amazon to test everything. While there is a power LED on the device illuminating when turning it on, after connecting the 24 to 5v buck converter, there is a strange buzzing sound. It's really loud! Also, the power LED blinks like I guess 50hz (the mains supply frequency).Then I connected the LED strip to the power supply and there should be a test LED program which should run but while it runs (very slowly), the whole strip blinks at the same 50hz ish frequency.I'm guessing the power supply is faulty?What do you guys think?

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2023, 08:44:02 pm
content: Sorry to bump this topic.I soldered everything when I was connecting the above setup to minimise any chance of a loose connection. But I tried connecting again without soldering everything and now it's fine! Weird!But the WLED is not working. The HD107 self-test program runs but that's it. I guess there is something wrong with the data clock signal or both (I selected the APA102 protocol which should be compatible with the HD107).I'll create an account at their forums and get their responses but if you guys have any idea, please let me know.

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2023, 08:05:27 pm
content: I tried my Raspberry Pi 4 and had no luck (used apa102 python library).I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong! I mean the APA102 and HD107S have very similar protocols and it should have worked!https://www.ledlightinghut.com/files/HD107S.pdfhttps://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-files/2477/APA102C-iPixelLED.pdf

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2023, 10:28:37 pm
content: As a sanity test, do you have an Arduino (or anything compatible, like ESP32) that you can test with the FastLED library, with which people have reported success with the HD107? That should at least help you rule out hardware problems with the strip itself.

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2023, 02:19:48 am
content: I tried the ESP32 wroom D with Wled already without any luck. But one of the Wled people asked me to try level shifting to 5v. I can try to get an Arduino but it's gonna be 3.3V, right?

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2023, 02:27:22 am
content: Avoid 5V addressable strip. It causes so many problems once you want to go more than 3 meters.Get 24V addressable for long run outdoor stuff if at all possible, much better choice.Watch Intermit.Tech videos on LED strips.Just be aware of the zones per meter.Normally with 5V strip you can address a single LED, not so with 12/24v strip.Higher voltage gets worse with more 'pixilation'

author: x_marx
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2023, 07:31:38 am
content: I have a bunch of 24V to 5V buck converters and 24V power supplies. So, I guess it is OK, right?BTW, Arduino is 5V, right? But it's costly for its computing power (compared to ESP32).@tookiWhich Arduino should I get? Arduino Uno R3? Do I have to get specific 'shields' or 'hats'?ThxEdit: I bought a bunch of 3.3V to 5V level shifters (74AHCT125) and will receive them shortly. Will make a circuit out of a prototype board and see if it would work.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2024, 07:49:07 am
content: Quote from: x_marx on December 28, 2023, 07:31:38 amI think everyone should have an Arduino Uno or Mega around, since they’re so well supported. (Yeah, the computing power per $ is miserable in them, compared to newer stuff. But it’s good to have an extremely battle-tested, natively 5V board handy.)Did you get your level shifter working?