ToddFun.com: G35 LED Christmas Light Review and Teardown

ToddFun.com: G35 LED Christmas Light Review and Teardown - YouTube
Video Link (37 Minutes Long)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q7znaoj-0xA

Uploaded by toddrharrison on Nov 25, 2011

In this video I review the G35 multi colored LED Christmas lights 50 count by GE. You get to pick from 14 sequence patterns and it is wireless controlled. Hacking these lights using Arduino is already very popular so I will be linking to some good hack posts and in a later video I will be trying some of these hacks.

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Howto & Style

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Standard YouTube License

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Great Detailed look at the G35 Multi Colored LED Christmas Lights. Thanks for showing the insides of the Controller. So... what do you think of these New Fangeled Flashing Lights???;) Hey, I don't like em either! Hurts my eyes and makes my body want to go into Spasms!!!:O

What's that you say? You think that were just a couple of old fogies and just don't get it??? Well, then... Maybe you'll like These Christmas Lights Better!!!;)

Hey Tod, Your Christmas Light Project reminds me of something I wanted to try, but never did. I use to run sound for bands and did some stage lighting too. And flowing, with the music, gives the best look and feel with Stage Lights too. I think that a lighting controller, would work great with standard light strings and maybe yours too. Just plug em in and set up your programs in the Stage Lighting Controller. And you might be able to Hack your lights to work wonders with a Controller too. I don't know much at all about Circuit Boards, but I'm very interested in learning. I read allot about Proto boards and Hacking them. I even got a Free TI MSP-EXP430FR5739 through Element14 for writing a Review on the Board!:) I want to learn enough to use it in a project. You got me started! I just spent a couple of hours looking at Lighting Hacks!:O I Posted what I found, along with your video, on my Blog, http://donsdeals.blogspot.com/2011/12/hacked-led-and-standard-christmas.html

Here's some links to Stage Lighting Controllers. They are not as expensive as they use to be 15 years ago. I haven't looked at them in a while. But, you would need a Dimmer Pack and a Controller Board. I noticed that they sell combination units from about $80 to $120 now. Several of these, say have built in Sound Syncing abilities too. One had a built in Mic too. We use to us an audio line in signal, into our higher end systems, back in the day. But, the good ones were expensive back then. I always liked the sound synced devices and would probably want that, in my Christmas Lights. If I were to do them, that is... But it didn't sound like that was what you were after in your video, though. Here's a basic unit that would do 4 Channels (Separate Circuits).

For instance, something like this Chauvet DMX-4 Dimmer/Relay Pack would get you started.

The 4-channel Chauvet DMX-4 Dimmer/Relay Pack lets you switch between dimmer and relay functions. The dimmer function is infinitely variable between 0-100%. A digital display keeps you informed. Features 16 selectable patterns, adjustable speed control, auto-switching 100V - 240V operation, a 2-year warranty, and is controllable via any universal DMX controller.

Features

4-channel DMX-512 Dimmer/Relay Pack
Choose dimmer or relay set-up
Dimmer infinitely variable 0-100%
Digital display
16 selectable patterns
Adjustable speed control
Programmable via any universal DMX controller
Auto-switching 100V-240V operation
2-year limited warranty

Go there...
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/chauvet-dmx-4-dimmer-relay-pack/803168000000000

Here another one...

Eliminator Lighting EC-16 4 Channel Light Controller

Great 4 channel light controller for pinspots, parcans, or even ropelights. This controller has a built in microphone with a sensitivity knob, 16 preset programs that go to the music and it is rated at 600 watts per channel.

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More Links Below...

Well, I better quit messing around on here! Have fun with your projects!:)

Don

Update: 12-05-11...

I was thinking, about Stage Lighting Controllers and Dimmer Packs and your LED's. I wonder if you plugged all of your lights into a Dimmer and then used the Control Board to auto Dim and then bring all of the lights back up together, ever so often. Not sure how long you can set them for. Maybe not too long of intervals. But, for sure. You could do, less than an hour (when you lights loose their sync). I believe that Dimming them all they way down. Would cut all AC Power to the lights. And when the Board brings them back up. The should still be in the last Mode - Program that they were in. Unless cutting Power resets them to a default program, that is... But, if that would work. Then you could keep them in sync for this year. Or until you have time to do your hacking on you lights and maybe the New Control Board too. The Boards are rally just remote controls for the Dimmer Packs. They may Communicate through Midi. I can't remember for sure now. But I know that I saw one, when I was looking at them, that mentioned Midi. That may just be for following Music though. Anyway, the Dimmer Packs are designed to handle high wattage Par Cans. So, you could add Strings of Christmas Lights to each channel, to your hearts content. Of course, the more channels of Dimmers you have, the more separate Changes you could do to each Strand. Dimming Raising etc... And building Sequences through the Programs in the Light Board. Also, there are some pretty cool lights available with Lazier like effects and real Lazier lights too. That are reasonably priced, these days. That could be a cool addition to your LED's. You can make the Transitions, as smooth or as fast as you wish. And since you like Solid Colors. The Dimmers could work well for you, I think. Still, I think that you would still need to Hack you LED's and maybe make them controllable by the Lighting Controller Board, to get the best Effects. Like individual lights changing the way you want them to and such. This may just be an old AV Tech's Dream though. Since, I'm sure you can do all of this stuff with a Custom Circuit Board and some Slick Programming. I would just really like using a Lighting Control Board, since I am familiar with using them. And I have trouble remembering... How many times do you click that one button to get to which menu!:O... Anyway, just some of my rambling ideas;)

Don

Wizards In Winter Christmas Lights

Video Link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=btUh--1xbls

Uploaded by lboucher on Dec 18, 2008

Merry Christmas everyone.
Here is a video of my Christmas lights this year. This is the first year we have owned the house and i finally had time to do this. Most of the crazy awesome light shows online use Light O Rama (LOR) Hardware and Software, I thought I would be different so I made my own relay boards, used a BS2 i had lying around and wrote my own C++ gui to run the lights. Waiting on the FM transmitter hopefully it gets here before Christmas. I did use LOR sequence files created by other people (Thanks Everyone). It was just way to time intensive to create the sequences manually without the nice LOR software.(Sorry holdmans i threw the word holdman into my tags to get better views. Hope ya don't mind.)

My lights to Let It Snow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nZLGOxQDnA

My lights to Jingle Bells Techno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QhCEZxfU38

For more information, pictures and the code see the parallax forum here.
http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=21&m=314308

Thanks a bunch to Alan Parekh for featuring this project on
http://hackedgadgets.com/

Also thanks to www.hackaday.com for putting this op on their sight.

Merry Christmas!!!