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[Sticky] I built an 1827 LED map, video and pictures attached

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(@marty)
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(Note: The changes that are included in these attached files needed to accomodate more than 300 airports have been incorporated into the downloadable image starting with version 4.375)

 

Hi Guys,

I just finished my full USA map with 1827 LEDs / 1822 Airports + 5 Legend. The size of the map is 90x60cm (36x24 inches).

The map is based on 6 PCBs that are mounted together. I made a tutorial a while back on how to do it with a smaller map, it's that same just 6 times over. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h0e_8wZPvg&t=0s

The code also needed to be changed because the API from aviationweather.com can't handle more than 1100 airports at once. I also attached the changed files here. Just replace them in the /Neosectional folder. 

Here is a video and some pictures:

With the map:

How it looks without the map:

 

2022 05 31 12 44 57
2022 05 31 12 45 39
2022 05 31 12 45 51
2022 05 31 12 46 03

   
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(@marty)
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Here are all the airports I used for the map

 


   
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Mark Harris
(@markyharris)
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Wow Marty! That is remarkable. I can't tell you how impressed I am. Thanks for sharing the YouTube videos on creating this using a PCB. That is beyond me, but it might be worth trying one just to say I did.

I'm sure you will get a bunch of questions about this. Great Job - Mark


   
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Bogdan
(@bogdan)
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Awesome Marty! How did you stitch the boards together? Did you produce 3d printed mount? And how does the signal go from one board to other? Simply ends on “out” on the board and then starts from “in” to the first led on the next board?


   
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(@marty)
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@bogdan Yes I designed some mounts to screw the PCBs together. And yes it's just out to in to the next board. I tried to place them next to each other as close as possible so there are no long wires. 


   
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(@shelbykitcar)
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This is amazing.  How large of a power supply did you have to use for this?  Did you do it with six separate pi's, or just one that you linked through?  I'd assume this is beyond the power supply capacity coming off that pi zero.


   
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(@marty)
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@shelbykitcar I used a 5V 40A power supply. But if you have the LEDs at just 20%, I think a 10A would work as well. It works with a pi zero, but it's a bit slow. I tried a Zero 2, and that works great, or a Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+


   
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(@shelbykitcar)
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Thanks @marty.  It makes sense.  I've been looking for Pi's but their all out of course.  Hopefully I can snag one soon.  I've got an old Model 3B+ that I may repurpose if I can find a Model 4B (or newer if they come out in the mean time) for a different project.


   
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(@thestanz)
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Can you tell me the model/part # of the LED's you used and where you got them?

I'm considering making one like this as well, just a lot bigger in physical size (4'x6'), but not quite as many LED's 🙂

I was looking at something like the 3094 from adafruit, or the WS2812B from sparkfun, but either way, its $500 for 1k.

That's a lot on just the LED's haha

 

Thanks!


   
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Mark Harris
(@markyharris)
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I've used a couple different ones, but hers theblast set I used;

Rextin WS2811 Pixels Digital... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AU6UG70?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Let me know if that isn't enough info. - Mark


   
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