I want to build a Christmas tree using the 5M 300 LED Waterproof Light Strips. However note that i want the addressable kind so that i can control each led color.
Have any of you bumped into some site that has great pricing on these ?
Adafruit [url]http://www.adafruit.com/products/306[/url]
Sparkfun [url]http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10312[/url]
There is a class for the SF strip on the code site. Unfortunately, they are currently backordered. Adafruit has sketches available that you should be able to port to NETMF. Note the chips on each are different. The SF strip has the WS2801 which is slightly better, IMHO.
Pricing - When each LED has its own chip, the price jumps up considerably. Adafruit has a known markup of 30%, whereas SF’s markup is unknown, but generally they are not shy about taking your money (meaning higher margin).
Have fun!
Although not waterproof, but considerably cheaper: http://www.samenkopen.net/action_product/936552/397725
@ ransomhall, thanks for the links but those prices are way to high you can almost get 5M for those prices. By the way SFE markup as of 2 years ago was 1.5%.
@ EriSan500 (Eric), that looks good, but need something in English 
JDal, feel free to ask, I’m always willing to help (even with ordering). I speak dutch
okedoke, from what i can kinda make out “Prijs:” is price and what currency is that so i can convert it to US dollars.
I am assuming that it is Prijs: 12, per foot.
I got it now 
The link that is no english appears to be the HL1606 chip. Do not buy that chip it is terrible. You can’t even set a specific color … you are left to using of limiting patterns and very odd control mechanism.
Being able to set the actual color is the only reason to want individual control - so go with the other solutions provided. I always use the WS2801 myself.
Also - I think you may have a time looking for a 5m strip with 300 leds with individual control - particularly if you are concerned about the prices shown in the links provided.
FYI: I order directly form China and it usually takes a few weeks and the order is a 1000 pixel minimum. I also never use the strip (anymore). They break, are hard to solder, are limited in how they can turn and force your distance of LEDs. I prefer the “pixel” type that are strung together on wires as they are much easier to solder and use in general.
Hope that helps.
hookedup,
got any links to your preferred addressable “led strings” ?
These use the LPD Chip which are 32 levels per color - 32K colors (OK).
http://www.adafruit.com/products/307
This uses the WS2801 chip which is the best tried and true solution out there with a smooth 256 levels per color for 16M colors. Also it is much easier to run and no timing issues like the LPD chips do.
This site has a wide variety of form factors - mostly the LPD chip.
http://www.bliptronics.com/
- I have purchased LEDs and spectrum boards from bliptronics. Depending on your location - shipping from AU may add cost - not sure shipping for adafruit.
My focus has been on developing a range of related systems - only doing installations for pilot purposes. That is why I don’t sell these retail … but maybe I should if there is demand and they are hard to find. If I were to sell these I am not sure I could offer a huge savings. I would have to charge 1.25 each in 50 strands - at least until I hammered out some quality / shipping damage issues. Rock bottom is still over a buck each. Consider each one of these has a chip, board, led, three resistors and a waterproof coating. The nice part is they last for years and years - so I personally think it is a great deal and hence it is what I deal with almost exclusively. Even at the higher prices you see on the links - these are the best of what is out there - particularly the WS2801 variety.
Also there is power. Depending on the installation - you may need a pretty large power “brick”. Even a 60w power supply is pretty big (4in x 7in x 2in roughly) and that will run 200 RGBs (20ma each). You can run 50 LEDs using a power supply from an old DLInk router - any 3amp - 5v supply. So if the project is small - then a cheap $8 power supply (from ebay if you can’t find one “around”). Once you get into the larger projects you have to factor in a lager power supply which effects shipping more than you think it may. So when your considering your LED project … don’t just add up LEDs and controller - consider power.
Also consider DC power has limits on the run length and the LEDs themselves has limits on how fast you can feed them as you chain so many together. So even if you have a small project and think by all calculations it should scale up fine - leave yourself plenty of runway.
Sorry to get off on power supply details there but I think anyone looking to run a project with lots of these LEDs needs to consider power and total length up-front.
Also see this: http://www.tinyclr.com/forum/topic?id=7002