(Topic ID: 225462)

Loft gameroom build DONE!

By MT45

5 years ago


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  • 86 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by PAPPYBALL
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    There are 366 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 8.
    #101 4 years ago
    Quoted from gentrsa:

    Awesome room and looking forward to seeing the end result, I admire individuals with your skills, great work!
    Now how soon can my son and I come stay in the sleeping loft?

    Shout at me when I'm done. Always happy to host some Pinsiders! Especially nearly neighbors.

    #102 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    Shout at me when I'm done. Always happy to host some Pinsiders! Especially nearly neighbors.

    Will do for sure, and you are welcome at my place anytime also! Hope you get the chance to go the Chattanooga Pinball & arcade museum if you haven't, those guys have become friends and they now have about 17 pins taken from my private collection!

    Anyway looking forward to following your continues progress, and again excellent work!

    #103 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    A bit more progress tonight. I'm getting ready to hang the perimeter LEDs and will need a molding to hold/shield them from direct view.
    I used crown in my last house and it worked great. This home is farmhouse style and I want to avoid crown at all costs so ...
    I got an idea from a contractor friend of mine to RIP 8 foot sheets of MDF into strips, then router using a rabbet bit to create the 1/2" channel needed for the LEDs
    So far, so good!
    Instead of full (and awkward) 8 foot sheets, I bought 12" wide x 8 foot long planks of MDF, then ripped to to 2.75"
    Got them all done tonight 175 linear feet ready for my router
    Hope to have them all routed this weekend
    [quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

    How close to the ceiling will it be? That will determine the light spread. And paint the channel white to reflect all the light in it.

    #104 4 years ago
    Quoted from MustangPaul:

    How close to the ceiling will it be? That will determine the light spread. And paint the channel white to reflect all the light in it.

    Very close. 5" to be exact. But ... I'm not real concerned about total light output. More just mood and atmosphere lighting.
    I also wanted to leave some available wall space above the machine heads for artwork, etc.

    I worked at it from 8am today until about 6pm and with help from my daughter, got it all hung.

    I had to use the rabbet router bit to route a groove in each MDF strip. 22 strips total.
    First I built a simple jig from poplar scraps to hold each molding piece as I routed it. Produced quite a pile of MDF dust!

    Then, I tried to hang them alone ... using a special type of cabinet "finish screw" and THAT was a disaster.
    Trying to hold, measure and use a screw gun alone just sucks. My daughter popped in to help and I switched to using my Passlode finish nailer - much better!

    I cut each of us a measuring stick with a notch that was 5" tall. We used that as we nailed to the studs to insure even spacing from the ceiling.
    This molding is so close to the celing, you need to follow it, not level. In my case both were pretty true.

    The only challenge was going around the areas where the roof transition enters the room on the far ends. You can see in the images how I solved it
    The solution required a light block installed underneath and I cut 2 pieces of scrap poplar for that.

    Next steps are to wait for painters to paint it (molding will be same color as walls to blend in)
    Then lay in the LEDs

    Last pic is the waste after install. Started with 175 linear feet... not bad
    IMG_5110 (resized).JPGIMG_5110 (resized).JPGIMG_5111 (resized).JPGIMG_5111 (resized).JPGIMG_5112 (resized).JPGIMG_5112 (resized).JPGIMG_5114 (resized).JPGIMG_5114 (resized).JPGIMG_5116 (resized).JPGIMG_5116 (resized).JPGIMG_5117 (resized).JPGIMG_5117 (resized).JPGIMG_5119 (resized).JPGIMG_5119 (resized).JPGIMG_5120 (resized).JPGIMG_5120 (resized).JPGIMG_5121 (resized).JPGIMG_5121 (resized).JPGIMG_5122 (resized).JPGIMG_5122 (resized).JPGIMG_5123 (resized).JPGIMG_5123 (resized).JPGIMG_5124 (resized).JPGIMG_5124 (resized).JPGIMG_5127 (resized).JPGIMG_5127 (resized).JPGIMG_5128 (resized).JPGIMG_5128 (resized).JPGIMG_5118 (resized).JPGIMG_5118 (resized).JPG

    #105 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    ...Started with 175 linear feet...

    Do you have to run multiple controllers/power supplies with that many feet? Got an outlet up there somewhere or do you run a wire down to the outlet?

    Whatever you do, based on prior posts, it will be top-notch!

    #106 4 years ago

    That's a ton of sawdust! Fuzzy arm, too! LOL Nice work.

    #107 4 years ago

    Wow! I just saw this thread for the first time. Well done. Can’t wait to see the finishing touches come together.

    #108 4 years ago
    Quoted from mbwalker:

    Do you have to run multiple controllers/power supplies with that many feet? Got an outlet up there somewhere or do you run a wire down to the outlet?
    Whatever you do, based on prior posts, it will be top-notch!

    Yes, the RF controllers run one strip per and my max runs are 33 feet each.
    That means my 4 runs will each need a controller
    Check earlier in this thread for the powerplants that I will be using - the Meanwell HG600. It has 600 watts output at 24 volts and the LED strips are also 24 volts
    This all helps control voltage drop on these long runs
    There are 5 outlets up near the ceiling to plug all this in

    Quoted from scottslash:

    That's a ton of sawdust! Fuzzy arm, too! LOL Nice work.

    Thx!

    Quoted from Luckydogg420:

    Wow! I just saw this thread for the first time. Well done. Can’t wait to see the finishing touches come together.

    Thx, me either!

    #109 4 years ago

    Just had to do a test run on the 24 volt LEDs. So far so good!
    Lights up the dark room really well considering that there is only one of the 4 total 33 foot runs turned on.
    I just laid the strip into the channel so there is a little hot spotting here and there because the strip is not glued flat
    I included a few shots in the daylight as well

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    #110 4 years ago

    Looks great. I did that on 3 walls of my garage/shop/gameroom II. But I put an additional strip on the underside to get a downward wash too.

    #111 4 years ago

    such a massive space, bigger then most village halls here in the little uk, very jealous!!!

    #112 4 years ago
    Quoted from russdx:

    such a massive space, bigger then most village halls here in the little uk, very jealous!!!

    Agree!! We have no shortage of space in Australia, but this would top almost everything I've seen. So envious!!

    #113 4 years ago
    Quoted from MustangPaul:

    Looks great. I did that on 3 walls of my garage/shop/gameroom II. But I put an additional strip on the underside to get a downward wash too.

    Great idea and I would most definitely have done that had I thought about it. Only issue is that it would have doubled the load on my power supply's and at the time I started designing this I was testing/using 50/50 LED strips with 60 LEDs per meter that as you know draw about 3 to 4 watts per foot (some brands driven even higher)
    The strips im using now are 50/50 LEDs but are only 30 pieces per meter and the power consumption is 96 watts total for all 10 meters (almost 66 feet) - that's only 1.5 watts per foot

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DCKF16S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00

    And, here's the PS I'll be using (2 of them) to drive 150 or so feet of LEDs

    https://www.amazon.com/Meanwell-HLG-600H-24A-Power-Supply-600W/dp/B0752J7PN7/ref=sr_1_10

    Hers the RF controllers ... there is one dedicated to each 33 foot run, but all are synched to one master RC on the wall

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BYD0VYG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00

    Quoted from russdx:

    such a massive space, bigger then most village halls here in the little uk, very jealous!!!

    Yeah it's big and I get reminded of that anytime I do almost any work in there ... takes twice as long, costs twice as much!

    Quoted from Flynnyfalcon:

    Agree!! We have no shortage of space in Australia, but this would top almost everything I've seen. So envious!!

    Pop over to NZ and see rotordave for the real deal!
    51xdZF-QV5L (resized).jpg51xdZF-QV5L (resized).jpg

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    #115 4 years ago

    Re wash down with led lights, would drilled holes to the mdf at set centres give an effect you would like?

    Re timber floors to the house. In my own home i used a product called Loba, a German water based floor sealer, which i am very happy with. It provided a satin finish which personally i prefer. Minimal smell and extremely hard wearing.

    https://taitflooring.com.au/products/loba-ws-2k-duo/

    PS looking real good.

    #116 4 years ago

    Wow, cannot wait to see the finished room.

    #117 4 years ago
    Quoted from PinPatch:

    Re wash down with led lights, would drilled holes to the mdf at set centres give an effect you would like?
    Re timber floors to the house. In my own home i used a product called Loba, a German water based floor sealer, which i am very happy with. It provided a satin finish which personally i prefer. Minimal smell and extremely hard wearing.
    https://taitflooring.com.au/products/loba-ws-2k-duo/
    PS looking real good.

    Thx and thanks for that info

    Quoted from theant:

    Wow, cannot wait to see the finished room.

    Me too ... I'm tired!

    I just finished flooring the bathroom/pinball workshop

    Decided to go with a barn board look like we did in the pinball room but this is a bit more gray.

    We had it plumbed for a bath but were "gonna do that later" ... should have known. We are not "do it later" people
    So I talked to our plumber yesterday and he said to get a toilet and a vanity and he would get it hooked up for me.
    No problem except the flooring was not done in there because you cant use the MDF laminate I used in the pinball room due to the potential for moisture in a bath, so ...
    Off to Lowe's this morning to get 70 square feet of luxury vinyl plank. Click lock style just like the pinball room but MUCH harder to install.
    On this type you DO use a rubber hammer to tap in place. Stuff I used in pinball room specifically advised against and it sure installed easier

    No matter, it's done, I'm done for the day and weekend!

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    #118 4 years ago

    My final game layout made me realize that the 2 dedicated 20 amp floor outlets might not handle all the games that will be in the center of the room.
    So ... tonight, I crawled up into the attic space (it's not insulated yet) and used my fiberglass glow sticks to fish some fresh 12/2 wire to run 2 more outlets in the ceiling
    I put the new ceiling outlets directly above the floor outlets

    The center bank of ten games needed the most help, so the added ceiling outlet in the front of the room is now tied to the circuit that runs below the sleeping area (the area where the chairs are) - that circuit has ZERO games planned for it so I can now split the load of those 10 games between the floor outlet and the new ceiling outlet.

    The new ceiling outlet above the second rear bank of 8 games is now tied into the circuit to the left of the workshop/restroom. That bank only has 5 games (area where Jokerz is) dedicated to it so I can add 2 games and reduce the floor outlet load to 6

    Sucks adding outlets and up in the attic on a 90+ degree day but getting done now is way easier than after the attic is insulated with 20 inches of blown fiber.
    Also stinks that I didn't plan this part better cause I would have run 4 total floor circuits during my rough in - oh well, minor issue in the big scheme.

    New PB Layout (resized).JPGNew PB Layout (resized).JPGIMG_5166 (resized).JPGIMG_5166 (resized).JPGIMG_5167 (resized).JPGIMG_5167 (resized).JPGIMG_5168 (resized).JPGIMG_5168 (resized).JPG
    #119 4 years ago

    More progress today.

    Dressed my new outlets and climbed back into the attic to add strain relief

    Back in the attic once more to add my 24 volt jumper wire that goes from the Mean Well power supply over the top of the sleeping loft and onto the other side
    There won't be LEDs in front of the loft but I need to get power over there to run the strip that begins immediately to the left
    In and done.

    Also made my plywood mounting panels for the Mean Well and the RF receivers. Will get some pics of them up soon

    I fixed poor Homer. I broke his head off when I got him in a deal with those 5 pins I bought (few posts back).
    He used to dance and his head turned but now he just talks to you based on when movement is sensed.
    He's over 4 feet tall and will be a cool addition set up near my TSPP machine!

    Lastly, the mattresses I ordered from Foam Factory arrived today.
    Ordered in two pieces to make it easier to move around

    They were shipped in that skinny box you see! Wrapped in thick plastic with all the air sucked out
    I added the custom covers I ordered and dragged them to the spare room for now
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    #120 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    My final game layout made me realize that the 2 dedicated 20 amp floor outlets might not handle all the games that will be in the center of the room.
    So ... tonight, I crawled up into the attic space (it's not insulated yet) and used my fiberglass glow sticks to fish some fresh 12/2 wire to run 2 more outlets in the ceiling
    I put the new ceiling outlets directly above the floor outlets
    The center bank of ten games needed the most help, so the added ceiling outlet in the front of the room is now tied to the circuit that runs below the sleeping area (the area where the chairs are) - that circuit has ZERO games planned for it so I can now split the load of those 10 games between the floor outlet and the new ceiling outlet.
    The new ceiling outlet above the second rear bank of 8 games is now tied into the circuit to the left of the workshop/restroom. That bank only has 5 games (area where Jokerz is) dedicated to it so I can add 2 games and reduce the floor outlet load to 6
    Sucks adding outlets and up in the attic on a 90+ degree day but getting done now is way easier than after the attic is insulated with 20 inches of blown fiber.
    Also stinks that I didn't plan this part better cause I would have run 4 total floor circuits during my rough in - oh well, minor issue in the big scheme.[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

    Any interest in installing a ceiling sub up while your at it for the pins prior to insulating?

    #121 4 years ago
    Quoted from mbwalker:

    Any interest in installing a ceiling sub up while your at it for the pins prior to insulating?

    What you thinking? I've never been impressed with a shared sub before (when multiple games being played simultaneously)
    The bass gets "stepped on" by each game and gets muddy ... maybe there is some new tech? Open to ideas!

    #122 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    What you thinking? I've never been impressed with a shared sub before (when multiple games being played simultaneously)
    The bass gets "stepped on" by each game and gets muddy ... maybe there is some new tech? Open to ideas!

    We only play one pin at a time, so we don't have that issue. But I suspect even with separate subs they would start to sound mushy. Just too much going on all at once even if the signal isn't distorted.

    But I did combine 5 pins going to two modest subs using a mixer (same signal, just split between two subs) and it added an entirely new dimension to playing both old (90's) and new pins. Honestly, I was completely blown away regarding how much bass was 'hiding' in the 90's pins. Our JD was a different beast after adding a sub. HS2 was right behind it. I've noticed 3 or 4 games is about the max distance you want before the bass sounds too far away.

    I'm not a fan of wires all over the place, so I thought some ceiling subs might add a bit of 'omph' to the pins while keeping a clean install. It really doesn't take much bass, actually too much is overwhelming. It's more about the ambiance than shaking the windows out of their frames.

    I did a home theater setup based on some Monoprice in-ceiling speakers and 12" subs and honestly, I'm surprised the police haven't showed up to tell me to 'turn it down'. Not audiophile stuff, but it just sounds incredible w/a music video or movie. Haven't been back to a theater in ages, since it would be a step down from the home experience.

    So cutting to the chase, now might be a good time to add some speakers in the ceiling to compliment your incredible build. Here's the mixer I use (below). Sweetwater is based out of Ft Wayne, which is right down the road from where I live, so I picked up a demo unit for about $80. Look up in ceiling speakers and subs at Monoprice.com

    Regardless of what you do, outstanding build!
    pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).png

    #123 4 years ago
    Quoted from mbwalker:

    But I did combine 5 pins going to two modest subs using a mixer (same signal, just split between two subs) and it added an entirely new dimension to playing both old (90's) and new pins. Honestly, I was completely blown away regarding how much bass was 'hiding' in the 90's pins. Our JD was a different beast after adding a sub. HS2 was right behind it. I've noticed 3 or 4 games is about the max distance you want before the bass sounds too far away.

    Very cool and nice job too! I know that Pinnovators makes a mixer that you can use up to 4 machines on one sub - your setup looks similar but I believe has up to 8 channels. I have one of the Pinnovators units that I have tried and it most certainly works (and I have used it) but when all games are on, it's hard to distinguish individual bass lines. To be honest, with all the other noise it's hard to tell anyway

    http://www.pinnovators.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=58

    Quoted from mbwalker:

    So cutting to the chase, now might be a good time to add some speakers in the ceiling to compliment your incredible build. Here's the mixer I use (below). Sweetwater is based out of Ft Wayne, which is right down the road from where I live, so I picked up a demo unit for about $80. Look up in ceiling speakers and subs at Monoprice.com

    Now you've got me thinking about exactly "how" I will handle my subs ... I have 6 Polks on hand and will be needing to buy at least 6 more for the new room.
    Hmmmmmm ... you're right, I better figure this out

    Quoted from mbwalker:

    Regardless of what you do, outstanding build!

    Thank you sir!

    #124 4 years ago

    Can't wait o see this done.

    #125 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    I know that Pinnovators makes a mixer that you can use up to 4 machines on one sub...

    I thought it might be interesting to try one w/special effects. Has 100 special effects, but can't say they really add anything to complement the sound.

    #126 4 years ago

    Happy 4th everybody. What a glorious country we live in!
    Each day I'm reminded of how blessed we all are.

    Quoted from arcademojo:

    Can't wait o see this done.

    Me too!

    Was going to take the day off but thought I'd tackle some niggling things so ...
    - fixed the new bathroom/workshop floor where 2 of the vinyl tiles had not locked together perfectly. No sense in leaving it like that only to have problems with it later. Was no big deal, I pulled up 7 rows, tapped it with a rubber mallet and laid it all back in ... 20 minutes done
    - added my transition flooring pieces in the 2 storage areas. This is essentially a "T" molding that sits into a u shaped plastic clip to hold it tightly to the floor. 30 minutes
    - added the cedar shoe molding around the floor area of the sleeping loft. The loft backs up to the main house attic and that 1/2" gap on the bottom was allowing air exchange. Not anymore. Took some 1x2 cedar, ran it through the table saw to put a nice 45 on one side and tacked it all in with my Paslode finish nailer. 30 minutes
    - finally, I built up my LED power supply and RF receiver boards. Painted them the new wall color first. Then added the AC plugs, mounted the Mean Well PS, then wired up the RF receivers for 24 volts. These will wall mount in opposing corners and I pre-drilled the corner sides to accept cabinet screws which will be seated into the corner wall studs once mounted on the walls.

    Oh, and take a look at all that paint! 60 gallons plus gallons and gallons of stain too
    Painters start Monday!

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    #127 4 years ago

    Might want to put in an in-line fuse here. Don't mean to sound like I'm critiquing, just really tossing out ideas. Meanwell supplies have a good reputation.
    pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).png

    #128 4 years ago
    Quoted from mbwalker:

    Might want to put in an in-line fuse here. Don't mean to sound like I'm critiquing, just really tossing out ideas. Meanwell supplies have a good reputation.
    [quoted image]

    That's a great idea. Two minute job and potential to save that expensive power supply
    Those Mean Well HG600's are about $250 each

    #129 4 years ago

    OMG. How have I just now found this thread? It’s a good thing I don’t have any land in which to build. Wow. Just. Wow.

    #130 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    That's a great idea. Two minute job and potential to save that expensive power supply
    Those Mean Well HG600's are about $250 each

    I'm good at tossing out ideas for other people to do..lol

    I have some spare in-line fuse holders if you want them (free). PM me if needed.

    #131 4 years ago
    Quoted from andrewket:

    OMG. How have I just now found this thread? It’s a good thing I don’t have any land in which to build. Wow. Just. Wow.

    Stay tuned ... we're getting closer to "move in" date!

    Quoted from mbwalker:

    I'm good at tossing out ideas for other people to do..lol
    I have some spare in-line fuse holders if you want them (free). PM me if needed.

    Very kind of you but I also have a few as well. Sure appreciate that offer sir! Pinside folks are the best!

    #132 4 years ago

    Making final decisions on parts storage and rolling work cart and looking for any comments or advice.

    I can get this from Sam's for $399 plus $100 to ship. This would be for parts, workbench and large tools. All stored in that bathroom/workshop
    Screenshot_20190704-230625_Chrome (resized).jpgScreenshot_20190704-230625_Chrome (resized).jpg

    And, I want this to pull around on the gameroom floor as a rolling work cart. Most hand tools would reside in this unit. And when not in use it would be stored in that same workshop

    Screenshot_20190704-231117_Chrome (resized).jpgScreenshot_20190704-231117_Chrome (resized).jpg
    #133 4 years ago

    Harbor Freight. Too small or not close by? ~$200 with coupon.

    Edit: Oops, see below.

    #134 4 years ago
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    #135 4 years ago
    Quoted from mbwalker:

    Harbor Freight. Too small or not close by? ~$200 with coupon.
    Edit: Oops, see below.

    They are actually close to us - I'll at least run by and look ...

    #136 4 years ago
    Quoted from mbwalker:

    [quoted image]

    I have one of the Harbor Freight Yukon carts just like the one pictured (paid 200). It is a fine value... however the thing I dislike about it is that it is more of a cabinet. I would have preferred drawers, but I didn't realize that until it was in my gameroom. I wish I had spent more and bought one that would have stored things better.

    #137 4 years ago

    Those big metal cabinets are heavy and when you get them loaded up they are REALLY heavy. If you had a cement floor under it then that would be ok but upstairs on a wood floor I'd say no way. Stick with a few small plastic carts like in the picture

    #138 4 years ago

    Wow this is impressive and entertaining, thanks for sharing!

    Mike

    #139 4 years ago
    Quoted from MustangPaul:

    Those big metal cabinets are heavy and when you get them loaded up they are REALLY heavy. If you had a cement floor under it then that would be ok but upstairs on a wood floor I'd say no way. Stick with a few small plastic carts like in the picture

    Good point. Might not be an issue if it's against an outside wall. But I do like your idea to a couple of smaller ones just from being able to move around easier. Plus less likely to damage the floor since the weight is distributed among more wheels.

    #140 4 years ago

    Thanks guys for all the feedback. Floor capacity is good - no problems there. The floor trusses are engineered to hold over 55,000 pounds.

    -

    Update on work today. I took the day as a vacation day and got a bit more accomplished:
    - painters are here and are papering over everything as they get ready to get the ceiling sprayed
    - pulled the loft ladder and sanded it for staining
    - got the bolt holes of the ladder filled with dowel rod
    - few more cabinets installed in office (not by me) but with some issues to be corrected
    - still working the ranch too. Had to pick up 6 mineral blocks. Holy Moly they are heavy (50lbs each) on a 90 degree day!
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    #141 4 years ago
    Quoted from andrewket:

    OMG. How have I just now found this thread? It’s a good thing I don’t have any land in which to build. Wow. Just. Wow.

    Or money...LOL

    #142 4 years ago

    The painters got the entire ceiling done
    Today they got most of the staining done!
    That's a ton of work - window casings, door casings/jambs, baseboards, window trim and the entire sleeping loft (cedar boards and ladder)

    The last 2 pics are the cedar loft boards up in the gameroom

    Wife and I both love the tone

    Next they will fill the nail holes, add a sanding sealer, then finally the top clear coat (will be satin)

    After the trim, they will stain the doors grey

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    #143 4 years ago

    Final sealer coat on the stain today. Picture of loft area was from yesterday before final coat
    We picked the grey color for the knotty alder doors (it's the darker door on the left)
    I ordered all the (18 pieces total) 4" can light inserts from Amazon
    I got the wall mount LED remote control and tested it with the Meanwell and T3-5A receivers (works great)
    Ordered the kitchen "in-cabinet" LED strips for the glass faced cabs
    Ordered the remote RF outlets that they will plug into
    Ordered the exterior security flood lights
    Oh and its HOT here!

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    #144 4 years ago
    Quoted from MT45:

    Oh and its HOT here!

    What! No AC? Third world problems!

    #145 4 years ago

    I actually gave up on the motion sensing flood lights and went a different route. I used a Smartthings (i.e. smart home controller) connected to a zwave wall switch. Then got multi-sensors for the outdoor motion sensor (and light, temp, humidity). This means the flood fixture it just that - just dumb light sockets but now they won't fail. The multi-sensors then tells Smartthings to turn on the wall switch (backyard lights) when it senses activity. Multiple sensors gave me a great area of coverage focused exactly (i.e windows, back garage door) where I want it.

    Despite buying decent motion flood lights, seems like their lifetime was 2-3 years. Of course the ones highest up would fail. So that problem was eliminated. The multi sensors can be placed wherever I want them. If someone snoops around the shed at night, the sensor out there will turn on the back yard flood lights. Despite the shed being about 300 ft away from the house, the sensors reliably talks to the smart home. Another zwave switch controls the front soffet lights. No stupid switch that I have to adjust sunset/turn off occasionally. Smartthings knows sunset/sunrise and adjusts automatically. Plus the soffets can then also be tied into the motion sensors, turning on as needed.

    Sounds complicated (it's not) but has bee trouble free for ages.

    Looking at the one you bought - it has a 5 yr warranty, good! I figured all the zwave switches were indoors and didn't have to deal w/the elements, making them last longer. So far, so good.

    #146 4 years ago
    Quoted from mbwalker:

    I actually gave up on the motion sensing flood lights and went a different route. I used a Smartthings (i.e. smart home controller) connected to a zwave wall switch. Then got multi-sensors for the outdoor motion sensor (and light, temp, humidity). This means the flood fixture it just that - just dumb light sockets but now they won't fail. The multi-sensors then tells Smartthings to turn on the wall switch (backyard lights) when it senses activity. Multiple sensors gave me a great area of coverage focused exactly (i.e windows, back garage door) where I want it.
    Despite buying decent motion flood lights, seems like their lifetime was 2-3 years. Of course the ones highest up would fail. So that problem was eliminated. The multi sensors can be placed wherever I want them. If someone snoops around the shed at night, the sensor out there will turn on the back yard flood lights. Despite the shed being about 300 ft away from the house, the sensors reliably talks to the smart home. Another zwave switch controls the front soffet lights. No stupid switch that I have to adjust sunset/turn off occasionally. Smartthings knows sunset/sunrise and adjusts automatically. Plus the soffets can then also be tied into the motion sensors, turning on as needed.
    Sounds complicated (it's not) but has bee trouble free for ages.
    Looking at the one you bought - it has a 5 yr warranty, good! I figured all the zwave switches were indoors and didn't have to deal w/the elements, making them last longer. So far, so good.

    Thanks for sharing all that. Very cool!
    Once I'm in the house I'll assess the Smartswitch stuff again. I was an early adopter of Smartswitch tech but it was not fully baked at the time
    Seems like it's way more advanced now

    #147 4 years ago

    What a day!
    Exhausted. Easy work was in the loft pinball room. Hard work on the ranch before and after.
    - Horses back in the barn at 7 am and fed
    - Hung and wired the HG600 Meanwell power supplies.
    - Painters are done up in the pinball room so I’m full steam ahead up there now
    - I laid in all the LED strips that I had on hand. I’m one section (32 feet) short, but it will be here Monday
    - I soldered on the 4 pin connector that jumps over the loft so when my next piece gets here, it’s plug and play
    - Also solder tinned all wires on that jumper
    - All LED work went well. I had to blow the Sheetrock dust out of the router groove before trying to stick down the strips
    - They stuck fairly well given its MDF surface
    - Corners did not need to be cut and soldered, just carefully folded/creased to make the 90 degrees. Seemed to work real well


    Part 2:
    Back out to the pole barn to wrestle new tires onto the JD lawn tractor. I got them off with a breaker bar. My 14,000lb impact drill wouldn’t even budge them. Next was the challenge of breaking the bead. Used my bucket on the big tractor. Worked perfect. Lower the bucket and phsssssss. You could hear the bead break. Next was to clean the rim and get the new tire back on it past two rims. Got that done. Now what? No way for me to seat these on the rim and get a bead for air to inflate it. They have no tubes. I tried every trick. Ratchet straps, etc. On to Walmart. OMG was that painful. One poor guy doing 9 million things ... none of them to completion. I was there 2 1/2 hours before they even touched the tires.

    I had the sense this was not going to go quickly so ... I went back to the ranch while Walmart was doing their thing and fed, watered and cleaned the horses.

    —-
    Back to Walmart to find the tech was struggling just as much as I was but he had a bead blasting air tank and after 6 attempts got the bead to seat on the first tire. One hour after that first tire was done, the other 3 were ready. Got there at 3:15. Left at 7:00 pm - I'm not kidding

    —-

    Back to the ranch to put the tires in the pole barn. Too tired to put them on tonight!

    ——
    Back to the pinball room to see these newly installed lights!! Pics attached and a short video
    Still missing one 32 foot section. That gets added Monday

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    #148 4 years ago

    Looks great! Does the transformer/control box in the corner get a cover?

    #149 4 years ago

    Great and interesting thread. We went with dmx-controlling for our synthetic icehockey mini-stadium.
    Going full digital means you have individual controll of all the lights, creating cool effects, syncing with sound and even message boards. The downside is you need computer controll all the time.

    For the outside floods, what is your view on roaming badgers and deers? We have a similar thing, but it's abit annoying some Times the floods start due to cat or badger activity.

    #150 4 years ago
    Quoted from ReadyPO:

    Looks great! Does the transformer/control box in the corner get a cover?

    Man, I keep going round and round on this! There are 2 of them, in opposite corners of the room. Needed because each drives 2 full rolls (32' each roll) of LEDs.
    As far as covering them, I'm not sure. I've gone both ways on it. Easy enough to make one but just not sure that I care that its exposed. There is even a possibility that the one on the backside could be moved to the storage closet right next to the air handler and the one opposite that could me moved 4 feet around the corner and completely hidden. We will see
    If I cover it, I thought about cutting a piece of 1/4" masonite into a pinball circle, then cutting out the "reflection" rectangle that would be present in most illustrations of a pinball ...this would allow light from the LED strip behind it to pass. Open to any other ideas for decorative covers

    Quoted from Dr-pin:

    Great and interesting thread. We went with dmx-controlling for our synthetic icehockey mini-stadium.
    Going full digital means you have individual controll of all the lights, creating cool effects, syncing with sound and even message boards. The downside is you need computer controll all the time.
    For the outside floods, what is your view on roaming badgers and deers? We have a similar thing, but it's abit annoying some Times the floods start due to cat or badger activity.

    Great question and we'll see how much our local wildlife sets them off. That area of the backyard has a game camera set up on it and we see (almost nightly): Deer, raccoon, Turkey, lots of coyotes and a wide assortment of small mammals and birds

    Here's a Bobcat caught on the gamecam on the trail behind the new house

    And ... this is the area DIRECTLY behind the house!

    There are 366 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 8.

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