Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:43:12 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] LEDs


Hi all,
This one   http://www.celestialaudio.com/ca_dmx_48/index.html
seemsa to be the best for toy theater.  I will send for more info and
keep you posted.  I am wanting to simulate several "electrics", those
overhead lighting grids that have various color lights on a theater
stage, but in miniature for my toy theater.  I want to be able to
individually set up a lighting plot for scenary and stage.  I was also
considering having mechanical dimming where each LED is in a small
short cylinder with a hingeable cap that  when completely closed shuts
off the LEDs .  Another more general control would be a series of
enveloping plastic tubes with sections blacked out so to dim a series
of LEDs you'd rotate the tube till the LED s are masked.  The lights
of coure would be in the tubes.  The tubes could also be gelled  in
different ways to change color with less LEDs.  I can solder and
muddle around with eletronics but will need an electrically minded
friend if I go the DMX route.  The nice thing about that is that the
lighting would resemble actual spots . The mechanical method would be
the simplest electrically but would not look like anything in a
theater.  My overriding rule on this project is that anything goes
behind the facade. My 2nd rule for this is do it on the cheap,  so the
mechanical method is probably the route I'll take.

Any one ever see Joe Lancaster's toy theater.  He lived near Rollins
College in FL.  He brought a toy theater to the regional fest in GA
years ago before he died.  It was that little town that looks like
Switzerland.  Anyway he casually asked a few of us to his room and our
minds were totally blown by this theater.  It had flies for scenary
dimmable lighting moving scenary scounces all over the theater.  It
had ever bell and whistle from an old opera house.  He performed a bit
using a scene from london at night with little cars going over the
bridge with light posts and pedestrians.  It was given to the college
when he died and tha last time I askked, it sat in a closet somewhere,
although I don't know anyone who could figure out how the wholle thing
works anymore.  Anyway I've been inspired ever since to try making a
humbler, but flashy attempt.

I have been making scenary out of Maxfield Parrish jpgs seperating
them into layers with photoshop.  I have come up with a nice universal
control for the puppets which have one or two movements.  When I get
it going a little further I'll post some pictures and  more detailed
info on the controls.
On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 8:20 AM, Brad Shur <mr_utamaro-AT-hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> This place
> http://www.celestialaudio.com/dmx_led/
> makes DMX dimmer packs for LEDs. Not a bad price either.
>
> 32 channel DMX 4-Amp LED dimmer pack:
> this board controls 32 LED
> clusters (or anything DC powered) of up to
> 48V -AT- 4 Amps each.  Beefy!
> $259 USD.
>
>
>
> 48 channel DMX 20mA LED dimmer pack:
> this
> board controls 48 LEDs (single
> LEDs or several in series) at 20mA each,
> with no current-limiting resistor needed.  $159 USD.
>
> B. Shur
>
>
>
>
>> From: heyhoot-AT-mindspring.com
>> Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:18:03 -0500
>> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
>> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] LEDs
>>
>> Hi Hobey,
>>    I haven't worked much with LED lights and I don't know if this
>> approach will work for you, but I have noticed that some LED lights are
>> dimmed and brightened by having lights in a series. Dim is, say, 3
>> lights, medium is 6, bright is 9, or whatever your stage requires. Not
>> exactly the same effect, but if you work it sort of like a 3 way bulb
>> you could perhaps place 3 lights next to each other at each light
>> location, then light one, two, or all three as needed. If they come in
>> different intensities you could do the same with only two of different
>> "wattages" (not the correct term for LED, I'm sure) by lighting one,
>> the other, or both.
>>    Just a possible work around solution.
>> Christopher
>>
>> On Dec 22, 2008, at 5:44 PM, Hobey Ford wrote:
>>
>> > Can you dim LEDs?  I am messing with the toy theater and want to do
>> > some cool lighting, any suggestions?  Like those new high intensity
>> > LEDs.
>>
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