Just a quick post on this. For our Mega-Tree, I bought 1.5″ and 1.25″ galvanized conduit for the pole. We also have a hole in the ground for it already. I’ll post more details about that build once we set the tree up this year. It quickly became obvious that […]
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General stuff not just for holiday/LED Pixel lights.
Raspberry Pi 5v Power Regulation
We have a lot of Raspberry Pis that run various elements of our shows, and powering them from “wall warts” in enclosures isn’t always practical, especially since we are already running 5v power everywhere. The problem is- if you power them using the GPIO header, there is absolutely no internal […]
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xConnect: I was wrong, and I admit it…
Last year, I wrote a post about how there is no reason to use “proprietary” connectors like xConnect over the JST connectors that most bulk pixels already come with. I still believe JST connectors with a dab of dielectric grease are perfectly fine for joining strings of pixels together in […]
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Re-Using 12v PSUs for 5v Pixels and LED Panels
Last year there was a lot of debate among Pixel junkies about 12v pixels, in part due to a bad production run from a popular Chinese supplier that resulted in fires. I did my own (controversial) analysis and decided that I would eliminate the 12v pixels we already had in […]
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Add an OLED to a Raspberry Pi
It’s kind of silly since they spend most of their time closed up in a weathertight box, but I really like the little OLED screens on the Kulp controllers. They give me a quick indication if the controller is working, so I can at least rule it out (for the […]
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Info Matrix (2021)
Last year we did a “Tune In” Matrix under our carport roof. It was my first DIY matrix, which actually turned out and worked pretty well after going through three revisions. It was functional, but just didn’t fit in well with the rest of our display and I wanted something […]
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Yes, I changed the name (and the look)… This site was initially started as joke, called BubbaLectric.com. It was supposed to represent a series of my cost-cutting (cheap!) and unsophisticated hobby builds, using satirical “BubbaTronic” branding. Since I first set it up- I’ve grown the site with a lot more […]
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Tool Tip: Zip Tie Tightener
Just a quick tip here. You can often find these on sale at Harbor Freight for a few bucks: They are utter garbage when it actually comes to stripping wire. BUT- they are excellent for getting the last few clicks out of a zip tie! Just slide the tie in […]
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“Dolphin” Connectors for Pixel Repairs
I mentioned in an earlier post about Scotchloks ™ that I was also going to check out “Dolphin” connectors. I don’t have any experience with them, but I have seen them used as an alternative to Scotchloks in Tele/Data-com applications. I bought a pack of them on Amazon. These are […]
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Scotchloks ™ for Pixel Repairs
First- Scotchlok is a registered trademark of 3M Corp. In particular- I am referring to their IDC (Insulation-Displacement Contact) Butt Connectors. These “button splices” are filled with a gel to protect the connection from water and corrosion, and can be installed with almost any pliers. I just use the plier […]
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Quick-Hack: Jumper
Can’t find your baggie of circuit board jumpers and need one in a pinch? Do you have some Scotchloks and some jumper wires (that you CAN find)? Then just do this: Now, granted, I could have just used the jumper wire, but I didn’t really want an extra foot of […]
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JST Connectors
UPDATE: I revised my thinking on this after realizing I was dead-wrong about xConnect connectors. See it here. This started out as a side-note for my Pixel Data Cables story. I decided it needed it’s own write-up… I’ve seen a lot of hate for these online, usually from people who […]
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Pixel Data Cables
I’ve seen a lot of debate about this, and of course everyone does things differently. I just wanted to show what I am doing for my cables this year. So- you have a fancy new controller, like a Kulp K16A-B: You stick it in a box with power supplies, terminal […]
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Solder-Seal Connectors
These things are a godsend to anyone who tinkers with electronics or repairs low-voltage systems in cars, boats, etc. I can’t imagine working with pixels without them. Sure- you can solder connections and shrink tube them, but when you have to do dozens or hundreds- it’s very tedious and slow. […]
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Ferrule Crimper
Screw terminal blocks got you down? Sick of twisting wires and trying to make sure all those strands made it? Having problems with stranded electrical cables working their way loose? There is a solution, and it works great! Ferrules! You can buy these ferrule crimping kits on Amazon, eBay, or […]
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D1 Mini E1.31 (DMX) Relay Controller
I wasn’t content to just be able to run RGB pixels, I also wanted to be able to programmatically turn the system on and off. I could use some off-the-shelf home automation gear, but it seemed overly-complicated to try to drive it from FalconPlayer (FPP). Of course I could also […]
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Quick Take – Drilling Plastic
Doing holiday lights and building power supply and controller enclosures out of off-the shelf ammo boxes and waterproof junction boxes means you have to drill a lot of holes in plastic. Don’t use regular twist bits for this- you will get uneven holes with really bad burrs. Use a step […]
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WAGO Lever Nuts
I use these things A LOT! They are great for temporary builds, as you can very easily disconnect and reconnect wires using them. They are also certified for permanent installation. Best of all- they will connect everything from 20AWG “alarm” or “network” cable up to 10AWG, mix and match, stranded […]
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USB/Power Adapter Hack
The little D1 Mini controllers I use, and other gadgets like Raspberry Pis, run on USB-style adapters. You can get various sizes and shapes of these “wall worts” dirt-cheap, and probably have a bunch in a junk drawer somewhere. So- what do you do when you want to use them […]
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Fuse Holders
You are dealing with DC electricity operating at a fairly high current. You don’t want your roof, yard, shed, outhouse, etc. to catch fire. You want to protect your wiring with fuses! Some will advocate those fancy in-line automotive fuse holders. Others are big fans of marine fuse blocks, or […]
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