Greg Macaree

Hardware: Updating Firmware on Kulp & Falcon Controllers

In this weeks video we take a look at how to upgrade the firmware on Kulp and Falcon boards.
We explain why it might be needed, how to get the files and then how to apply the updates using a Kulp K-16 and a Falcon F16 (with Srx1 v5) as examples.

Kulp Firmware from: https://kulplights.com/firmwares/
Falcon Firmware from https://github.com/Pixelcontroller/f16v5_issues/tree/main

From Workshop to Parade: Ramblers & Wick Carnival Clubs Build Their Bridgwater Carts

Go behind the scenes of Bridgwater Carnival like never before! 🎇
We follow Ramblers Carnival Club and Wick Carnival Club inside the workshop as they design, weld, build, paint and wire up their incredible carnival carts ready for the big night.

From giant set pieces and flashing lights to late-night fixes and final touches — this is the real craftsmanship, dedication and passion that makes Bridgwater Carnival the biggest illuminated carnival in Europe. 🔥

If you love creativity, engineering, music, community and pure spectacle… you’re in the right place.

📍 Filmed in Bridgwater & Glastonbury, Somerset
🎉 Featuring: Ramblers Carnival Club & Wick Carnival Club
✨ Event: Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival

Improving Wifi on Raspberry Pi running FPP.

https://youtu.be/JOIMpAw_klc

In this weeks video we take a look at how the Raspberry Pi could be seen as having slightly limiting Wifi performance – especially when used in an enclosure with power supplies, controller etc.
We add an external USB wifi adapter, with a removable antenna which can then be mounted outside the case for optimal performance.
Finally, I demonstrate how to disable the internal (onboard) wifi in software so that it cannot inadvertantly come back into use.

Notes:

Look for a USB Ethernet adapter (preferably with removable antenna) based on the RTL8812BU Chipset.

Pi-Config change:
edit /boot/firmware/config.txt
and append:
dtoverlay=disable-wifi

Save & reboot.

Normalising your Audio Levels for FPP and xSchedule.

In this weeks video we take a look at how music from different sources can end up at different volume levels and what we need to do to fix it – so that we have a nice quality audio level across the whole show.
We demonstrate the use of MP3Gain within FPP v9.2 and for more advanced users, or those running xSchedule we look at using Audacity to normalise the files before uploading.

Audacity is a freeware music editing tool and is available from: https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

FPP 9.2 Proxy Update !

This week we revisit the setup of proxies within FPP v9.2

There have been a few updates in the way things are done since our last visit & it has led to confusion for both newbies & elders alike.

So we start from scratch & run through the setup on a Pi4, culminating in a demo of accessing a Baldrick DMX & lighting up a DMX flood via the proxy.

Which Ethernet Cable is best!

In todays video we take a look at the different Ethernet categories, explain what they are and then go on to look at the wiring formats and make our own cable & test that it works.

Baldrick Input 8 – Introduction & Demo

If you really want to put smiles on faces then audience participation is the way to go! The Baldrick Input 8 is an easy to use method to add buttons to either a standalone self prop or to drive FPP for full show control !

Repairing Pixel Strings

What happens when a pixel in a string goes wrong ?

In this video we demonstrate the replacement of failed pixels on a string used on my house.
We show a connectiivty oddity, prove a failed pixel and why we would often cut that pixel & the one prior to it & then we spilce a couple of new pixels in using some solder seals to complete the task.

Tools of the Trade: The Multimeter

In this first video in a new mini-series, we look at some of the tools a Newbie to the hobby will find useful.
The humble multimeter is a vital addition to the toolbox and can help in a multitude of ways as we find out.

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