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All three major vendors, AL, D-Light and LOR support LED lights with their controllers/software.
There are some C9/C7 retrofit bulbs that you might want to avoid if you are going to be doing ramps/fades, etc. A majority of them will fail when used in an animated display.
An overwhelming majority of LED strings (with the bulbs you can not replace) are going to work just fine.
Santacarl wrote: Are there any rules of thumb of thumb on LEDs and effects? Can you fade/dim them or shimmer...twinkle...sparkle etc like you can with incadescents?
There's no hard and fast rule, per se, but I've done extensive testing with LEDs of all kinds, and at a really high level, fading, shimmering, etc. are no problem IF you are using LED lights that are permanently attached to a string.
However, if you use C7 or C9 RETROFIT bulbs (the kind that screw into a socket), generally speaking you should avoid fading them. In my testing rapid on/off sequences were fine, but sustained intermediate line voltages tend to fry those bulbs beyond usability.
If you're looking at a specific brand, send me a PM and I'll tell you whether I've run tests on it.
Don, thinking of going DIY and maybe using Renards and Vixen.....since this is not the same format/protocol as the 3 you mention.....do the effects work OK or will I have to stay with the "Big 3"....?
Thanks,
SC
Last edited on Thursday March 13th, 2008 02:25 am by Santacarl
Did you test the replaceable type LED's to? Those are the one's I didn't think looked right. My husband says he thought they looked fine!
So... what would you think about checking a set of our lights, I think we could use a third opinion here. From someone who has done a lot of testing.
We used some non replaceable net lights that I didn't even check for the shimmer twinkle modes on... thinking they would be the same. I could send you a set of the non replaceables too?
Santacarl wrote: Are there any rules of thumb of thumb on LEDs and effects? Can you fade/dim them or shimmer...twinkle...sparkle etc like you can with incadescents?
Thanks
SC
There is one effect that LED's do that minis can't. My son and I found that
selecting all the lights on one of our mega trees (48 channels, 192 strings)
and and having them all twinkle (not shimmer) that the led's actually strobe
they turn and off so quickly.
You can see it in our videos and we think it's one of the coolest effects.
I'm sure all the types of controllers and software can accomplish this effect.
____________________ Kevin Thomas
"When you believe a thing, believe in it all the way" - Walt Disney
99,999+ lights - 500+ channels - FM100B http://www.ChristmasInKent.com
Let your light so shine before others...
Wirekat, I will definitely try that this Christmas. My megatree will be 64 channel of LEDs. That should twinkle like crazy! Red, Blue, Green and White.
of AC and 
of DC from D-Light