Best posts made by MadScientist

@sdetweil Hehe, I only remembered to mention the script after I already replied.
Let me take this opportunity to thank you for what you do or this community!

I got a broken 24" LCD monitor for free. The panel itself is working fine with a cheap universal LCD controller board.
I don’t know about your monitor but it shouldn’t be “extremely heavy”…

If you want to use more than one screen you’ll probably have to use a Raspberry Pi for every screen. Or you use a regular mini PC or laptop with dual monitor support.

@fonfon which module are you using? AFAIK @sdetweil created a modified version to stop the memory issue. At least that’s what I vaguely remember.

I am sure he’ll pass by within minutes to either confirm or deny :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes:

According to the datasheet my LCD panel weights 2530g. Thought it’s much lighter… my complete mirror with 6mm mirror glass weights slightly above 8kg. I think that’s not too much. The glass has probably the highest weight impact on the project. Thinner glass will reduce the weight drastically.
I am using only the naked LCD panel with an universal LCD controller board (check for V56 universal LCD controller board on ebay or aliexpress) and a 12V/50W LED power supply. All in a self-made wooden frame. It’s hanging stable on the wall for pretty much exactly one year now.

For the multi-screen part: It depends on multiple factors whether you can see them or not. First is the brightness of your LCDs. If it’s set too high you’ll have backlight bleeding (the black will not be fully dark anymore). Also it depends on the transmission values of your mirror glass and the light environment of the room. It’s best to find a location with constant light conditions. My Mirrorpane Chrome Spy has a transmission of 8%. I’d say that’s lower limit. If I could find one, I’d go for 15% or maybe even 20%.

@fonfon The way I would do it:
Rename the old folder of the old Maps-Module and download the new, modified version. Enter the folder of the new version and run npm install. Config should be the same, so no need to change anything there.

Test and report back if everything worked.

@lorcalhost This german shop also ships to Italy. The prices for the mirrors are pretty good. Shipping costs to Italy are:
up to 2,000 kg: 14,50 €
from 2,001 kg up to 10,000 kg: 24,50 €
from 10,001 kg up to 20,000 kg: 29,50 €
from 20,001 kg up to 31,500 kg: 40,00 €
from 31,501 kg: 150,00 €

The Pilkington MirroView might be the best option for a smart mirror. I currently have the Mirropane Chrome Spy with only 8% transmission which I will replace before summer with the MirroView (20% transmission and higher reflection).

@sdetweil I knew it wouldn’t take long until you show up! :beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes: :thumbs_up:

You have to execute npm startin the MagicMirror directory, not in the home directory of your user pi. E.g. do cd MagicMirror (or /home/pi/MagicMirroror whatever your MM directory is) and then run npm start.

Hi there,
what you want is a display with high contrast. I think VA panels have the best. At least on paper.

To power my mirror I use a 12V power supply for the LCD and a buck converter to reduce the 12V to 5V for my RasPi. That’s a dirt cheap solution which is working really well for more than 2 years.
There are also really, really cheap universal LCD controller boards that run on 5V only (around 4-5€, up to FullHD resolution, 30 pin LVDS, 2-CH, 8-bit) You configure them via jumpers. Although they have only a VGA output. Which means you’ll need an additional VGA to HDMI adapter (usually less than 3€). T

And of course: In bright conditions you should pick a mirror with a higher transmission rate. In darker conditions a lower transmission rate will do. What mirror have you got?

@habedehab I am pretty sure it’s the LVDS cable. The product description says it’s 1-ch 6-bit but your screen is 8bit. IIRC they are not compatible. The pinout for the Vcc and GND are different! Get a proper cable and try again. 2-ch 8-bit cables should work too but check the position of the black GND wires beforehand. Google your LCD panel name + datasheet to make sure they are correct.