Introduction: Super Awesome Rave Tent!
Supply List
*= Optional
-Neopixels (we used 240 for this project, but it’s really up to you how many or little you choose)
-Aurduino Uno and USB connecter cable
-Tent (We used a kid’s size tent)
-Computer Speakers or any type of plug in speaker
-Portable Power Source (at least 5V)
-Soldering Iron and Solder
-Resistors (we 2 used 1k ohm)
-Red/ Black Wires
-Heat Shrink Tubing
-Wire Ferrell and pliers for them
-Heat Gun*
-Scissors/Cutting Razor
- Shiny Fabric
-Black Felt *
-Spray Glue
-Networking cable*
IMPORTANT:
BECAUSE POWER OUTPUT WILL VARY DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF LIGHTS USED, IT IS UP TO YOU TO DECIDE HOW MUCH OR HOW LITTLE POWER YOU SUPPLY THEM WITH.
Step 1: Power Source
For this I used black, yellow, and red wires.
Black and yellow are 12 volt
Black and red are 5 volt
Hook up the LIGHTS to the 5 volt
The wire connecting the Arduino to the power source goes into PIN 6
Hook up the Arduino to the 12 volt, the microphone will also be powered off the Arduino
Step 2: Setting Up the Microphone!
Attach
one wire to each leg of the microphone.
The LONG leg is the POSITIVE, you will attach the resistors to this leg if you decide you need them, attaching a wire at the end of the resistor afterwards as well as attaching one to the leg itself.
The resistor wire goes into the 5V slot on the Arduino, the wire attached directly to the microphone goes into slot A0.
The SHORT leg is the negative, and goes to the ground slot.
And there you have it, simple, huh?
Step 3: CUTTING THE LIGHTS
IMPORTANT!!!!
IF YOU DECIDE TO CUT THE STRANDS PLEASE BE SURE TO PURCHASE CAT 5E NETWORKING CABLE, SOILD, NOT STRANDED. FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS BELOW IF YOU DECIDE TO CUT THEM, PLEASE!!!
Soldering the strands:
IF YOU DON’T CUT, YOU CAN JUST PLUG THE STRANDS INTO EACH OTHER, THE MODEL OF THE LIGHT’S LINKED INCLUDE MALE AND FEMALE PARTS SO YOU CAN JUST PLUG AND GO!
If you ordered your lights in spools like I did, you won’t have to bother with soldering unless you want to cut the strips, which I did to make them easier to pose.
If you plan on cutting, be sure you cut along the dotted line, and it’s best to cut at the ‘joints’ of the lights, as they are pre tinned most of the time.
Pay close attention to the arrows on the strips, it you’re using multiple, you’ll want to connect them in a manner that the arrows are pointing in the same direction.
See those little copper spots, that’s where you solder the new wirings, you’ll need three wires.
IF YOU DON’T CUT, YOU CAN JUST PLUG THE STRANDS INTO EACH OTHER, THE MODEL OF THE LIGHT’S LINKED INCLUDE MALE AND FEMALE PARTS SO YOU CAN JUST PLUG AND GO!
THE OPTIMAL TEMPERTURE FOR THIS IS 750 DEGREES!
On the Networking cable, Cut the brown and orange wires, and unravel the blue wire and the green wire, saving the bluewhite wire as well.
Blue: 5v
Green: Center
White with Blue stripe: Ground
After soldering the wires to the strip, break out that heat shrunk tubing and slip on a piece around the exposed wire like so
You can use a soldering iron or heat gun to shrink the wires, as long as they wires are covered it does not matter.
We used two pieces, one slightly larger than the other to make sure it was nice and snug, tucking the smaller piece into the bigger one.
After that, simply solder the two stands together and there you have it!
Cutting and rewiring the strands allows for the lights to be used in a more flexible fashion!
Step 4: THE CODE
THE CODE!
BIG UPS TO USER anouskadg FOR FINDING THE CODE, GO GIVE THEM SOME LOVE!
Now that everything is soldered, it's time for the code.
First, you’ll want to perform a strand-test, go to https://learn.adafruit.com/neopixel-painter/test-... and follow the instructions provided!
It's VERY important to test the strand, even more so if you soldered the strands together.
Once you’ve confirmed that all the lights are in working order, NOW you can mess with the musical code!
There’s a bit that you’ll have to edit of this code before you can sync it to music, don’t worry, it’s not hard!
On line 6 you'll see the following code: #define N_PIXELS 240 - Change that 240 to the number of LEDs you're using!
Next we'll have to define the noise level on line 9. This is a bit of touch and go!
If the microphone is not sensitive enough you'll need to lower the number on line 9. For example: change #define noiseLevel 2 to #define noiseLevel 1.
If your microphone is too sensitive. You'll want to raise the number. For example: change #define noiseLevel 2 to #define noiseLevel 6.
You also might want to change the fade delay on line 8. If your LEDs are blinking too fast, you'll want to raise the number. For example: change #define fadeDelay 10 to #define fadeDelay 50. If the LEDs are not blinking fast enough, you'll want to lower the number.
Attachments
Step 5: THE TENT
The Tent!
Turn the tent inside out to make things easier.
The amount of fabric you use will vary with the size of your tent, but it’s best to lay out the fabric along the ‘walls’ of the inside-out tent and glue it on with spray glue, trimming off the excess after.
You’ll probably have to re glue some parts, mainly the corners, when you put the tent back up, this is normal, if not annoying.
The felt is entirely optional, we used it because it not only helped to block out outside light, but also made the wall we mounted the lights on a tad more sturdy.
Simply lay the felt over the wall of the tent you wish to mount the lights on, you don’t have to take the tent down, just glue and trim, as before.
Applying the lights is, without a doubt, the most challenging bit, and it’s entirely up to you how you arrange them, as long as they are connected in the end and is receiving power, it is good.
