Before I jumped in to invest completely in this whole RGB Pixel Lights display, I decided to research all I could and watch a ton of "How-To" videos on YouTube. How to set up, build, sequence... etc. I could not afford to just jump in and buy everything so I had to slowly save and collect the different items required. Here is the list of what I collected to begin my light journey. [All underlines are links to products or videos]
COMPUTER TO RUN SHOW
• Raspberry Pi Kit ~$70
^Super small and cheap computer to run entire show
• Keyboard & Mouse for Raspberry Pi ~$20
• Newly formatted mini SD Card ~$12
• Falcon Pi Player (Free Firmware to install on the Raspberry Pi)
^Great video on how to set up the Falcon Pi Player
FREE SOFTWARE TO SEQUENCE THE LIGHTS
• xLights - on Mac (This is what I use)
• Vixen3 - on PC
LIGHTS, THE CONTROLLER, AND POWER SUPPLY
• 12V RGB Pixel Lights - 50 count (For testing purposes, all you need is 1 set) ~$20
^When buying in bulk, I recommend Ray Wu's Online store on AliExpress. You can purchase 1000 lights at a time for about $250 depending on sales.
• SanDevice e682 Controller (This device communicates with your lights)
^There are many different kinds of controllers out there, but I use the SanDevice e682 Controller. You can buy it pre-soldered, assembled, and tested for $189, or as a kit you have to solder yourself for $118. I chose the kit because I figured at some point, I'll have the need to purchase more controllers.
^The beauty of the e682 controller is that it can accommodate up to 16 plug in connections and 12 universes of 170 lights each for a total number of up to 2,040 RGB pixel lights!
^My current show is running on 1 SanDevice e682 Controller! It requires a lot of cable, but it's a fun challenge to only use one controller for 2017.
• Power Supply (Powers the controller and lights... depending on total lights, you will most likely need several of these.) ~$20 each
^The 2017 show is running on 2 of these Power Supplies.
SOLDERING STATION or SOLDERING GUN
• Hakko Digital FX888 Soldering Station (This thing is AMAZING!) ~$100
^I had zero soldering experience so I watched several online How-To videos.
^I used this to build the e682 controller kit, and solder my RGB lights together!
• PC Circuit Board Holder (to hold SanDevice e682 for soldering as a kit) ~$13
• Keiser 44 Rosin Core Solder (Recommended to solder e682) ~$11
• Desoldering Wick (to suck up excess solder mistakes) ~$ a few bucks
^Also recommended is a Solder Sucker Vacuum Pump, ~$6... but I did not use one.
• Wire Stripper ~$6 (Quickly strips wires for soldering RGB strands together.)
• Shrink Tubing ~$6 (For an assorted pack)
• Hot Glue Gun (For waterproofing strip lights in conjunction with shrink tubing)
• 3 Pin Pigtails (My favorite, but they are more expensive. I ended up using these mainly for the connections at the controller inside the CG-1500 box. A cheaper alternative are these 3 Pin Waterproof Wire Connectors and 2 Pin Connectors for power injecting.