This will be a overview of the setup in my 2013 display. Several things have already been listed in the blog and I will provide those links.
Software - Light O Rama S3
This software allows me to animate the show along with the music and video. It tells the lights when to turn off and on, fade up and down, twinkle or shimmer and many other effects. I have the advanced version which allows the maximum effects or offerings from this software. The software is rock solid and is very well "serviced" by the Light O Rama team and community.
Controllers
We use a combination of controllers. My first set of controllers that I started out with and still use is Light O Rama controllers.
I have a mixture of controllers from this company;
Kit Form - I have built several of these controllers. I use the controllers with the high amperage heat sinks that are rated at 30amps. I have used "Pig Tails" or cords from Light O Rama and have also used 6 foot 13amp extension cords on these as well.
Residential Controllers - I have have purchased several of these both used and new. At the time I have purchased these as little as $130.00 to $175.00 used. From time to time I have seen these on the forums for this price and even more. NEVER pay more. Especially if these are the 1 and 2 versions....don't pay that. They are in version 3 at the time of this entry. On the above page you will see the "dongles" or "pig tails" offered by Light O Rama. They are worth it if you do purchase a kit.
DC Controllers - I use one of these with my Flood and Spot lights. (Look halfway down the projects page for the ones I have made (http://burtonchristmaslights.weebly.com/projects.html)
DMX RGB Controllers - If you are a "newbie" reading this; DMX is a "Lighting" language that is used in the lighting community to run different types of equipment. (I will leave it at that, click on the link above for the wiki on DMX) "RGB" stands for RED, GREEN,BLUE. With these colors... you can get any color you want out of your lights. Later on in this post, I will go over the different types of RGB lights I use.
Sandevices e682 controller - This is the controller I use to run my Lightshow "Flextech" arches. This is a comparison between using incans and the Flextech strips. They have worked great this year. You just cut off the whole power supply and wire these up to the controller. The strips are even labeled. Some people will use "Pixels" , but I like these better for my arches. Really don't want anything but WHITE for these.
Now...again for the "Newbie"... here is a wiki on RGB and "Dumb" vs "Intelligent" Pixels.
I have a mixture of controllers from this company;
Kit Form - I have built several of these controllers. I use the controllers with the high amperage heat sinks that are rated at 30amps. I have used "Pig Tails" or cords from Light O Rama and have also used 6 foot 13amp extension cords on these as well.
Residential Controllers - I have have purchased several of these both used and new. At the time I have purchased these as little as $130.00 to $175.00 used. From time to time I have seen these on the forums for this price and even more. NEVER pay more. Especially if these are the 1 and 2 versions....don't pay that. They are in version 3 at the time of this entry. On the above page you will see the "dongles" or "pig tails" offered by Light O Rama. They are worth it if you do purchase a kit.
DC Controllers - I use one of these with my Flood and Spot lights. (Look halfway down the projects page for the ones I have made (http://burtonchristmaslights.weebly.com/projects.html)
DMX RGB Controllers - If you are a "newbie" reading this; DMX is a "Lighting" language that is used in the lighting community to run different types of equipment. (I will leave it at that, click on the link above for the wiki on DMX) "RGB" stands for RED, GREEN,BLUE. With these colors... you can get any color you want out of your lights. Later on in this post, I will go over the different types of RGB lights I use.
Sandevices e682 controller - This is the controller I use to run my Lightshow "Flextech" arches. This is a comparison between using incans and the Flextech strips. They have worked great this year. You just cut off the whole power supply and wire these up to the controller. The strips are even labeled. Some people will use "Pixels" , but I like these better for my arches. Really don't want anything but WHITE for these.
Now...again for the "Newbie"... here is a wiki on RGB and "Dumb" vs "Intelligent" Pixels.
Lights
I will start out with the different Floods and Spot lights that I use. I have a combo of "Rainbow Floods and Spots" (Here is some actual project pictures. Scroll down.) I have also "DIY 'ed" some Flood lights here. Those have their own dmx controller in them and fit into the gutted flood lamps GREAT. They work well as well. The Rainbow Floods and Spots are ran off of the LOR DC controller.
Gutter Lights - For my gutter lights, I use RGB Dumb strips. I have written a pretty extensive blog post on this before. This setup works GREAT for my house.
RGB Trees - For my mini trees, 4ft and 6ft WHITE trees I used RGB dumb nodes. These were powered by 4, 27 channel dmx controllers . Look in the Photo gallery under 2013 to see pictures of these.
Snow Fall or Dripping Tube Lights - I purchased these from two different vendors and are also two different sizes. The smaller tubes were purchased from Christmas-LEDs.com . These referenced here are a little different, but close. The other larger tubes are retro c9 tubes. Not cheap. I have blogged on these tubes earlier. I really like these and for those wanting dripping tubes, I would not get any that are shorter. The shorter ones might work better in mega trees or smaller trees in general.
Spiral and Mega Trees - I have a pretty extensive info on these in an earlier blog.
Bushes or Christmas Trees next to the house - So interesting stuff on these. Several years back I complained to my wife that half the bushes we had were dead. Told her, I am going to pull these up and plant some new ones. She said (amazingly enough)...ok. SHE proceeded to the grocery store. Before my wife got back, I had every one of the bushes dug up. Yep, they were dead all right! Before I had a chance to plant any more (and get those things a growing so I could put lights on them!)... I went to a "Yard Sale". There someone had an artificial tree for sale...CHEAP! I got to thinking, these would sure look better than the bushes!!!! And they do. All of the trees were either donated OR gotten at yard sales for $10.00 or less. NEVER pay more. The lights on the trees are a mix of cool white (5mm), Red mini incans, 60 Red Walmart LEDs (which look just like the dark red incans!) and Walgreen green LEDs. If you look closely at the pictures...NEVER decorate the backside. Why waste lights that way?
Wreaths - Just a mix of cool white, red and green incans. All of the lights are pretty my laid on the front side of the wreaths...not buried into the wreaths. Again...why hide the lights. Daytime, it might look ugly. Looks great at night.
Gutter Lights - For my gutter lights, I use RGB Dumb strips. I have written a pretty extensive blog post on this before. This setup works GREAT for my house.
RGB Trees - For my mini trees, 4ft and 6ft WHITE trees I used RGB dumb nodes. These were powered by 4, 27 channel dmx controllers . Look in the Photo gallery under 2013 to see pictures of these.
Snow Fall or Dripping Tube Lights - I purchased these from two different vendors and are also two different sizes. The smaller tubes were purchased from Christmas-LEDs.com . These referenced here are a little different, but close. The other larger tubes are retro c9 tubes. Not cheap. I have blogged on these tubes earlier. I really like these and for those wanting dripping tubes, I would not get any that are shorter. The shorter ones might work better in mega trees or smaller trees in general.
Spiral and Mega Trees - I have a pretty extensive info on these in an earlier blog.
Bushes or Christmas Trees next to the house - So interesting stuff on these. Several years back I complained to my wife that half the bushes we had were dead. Told her, I am going to pull these up and plant some new ones. She said (amazingly enough)...ok. SHE proceeded to the grocery store. Before my wife got back, I had every one of the bushes dug up. Yep, they were dead all right! Before I had a chance to plant any more (and get those things a growing so I could put lights on them!)... I went to a "Yard Sale". There someone had an artificial tree for sale...CHEAP! I got to thinking, these would sure look better than the bushes!!!! And they do. All of the trees were either donated OR gotten at yard sales for $10.00 or less. NEVER pay more. The lights on the trees are a mix of cool white (5mm), Red mini incans, 60 Red Walmart LEDs (which look just like the dark red incans!) and Walgreen green LEDs. If you look closely at the pictures...NEVER decorate the backside. Why waste lights that way?
Wreaths - Just a mix of cool white, red and green incans. All of the lights are pretty my laid on the front side of the wreaths...not buried into the wreaths. Again...why hide the lights. Daytime, it might look ugly. Looks great at night.
Transmitter
We use a Vast FM-02 30mw transmitter and a simple dipole tuned to 102.1mhz. It is encased in pvc pipe and is attached to one of the porch post (turned for vertical polarization) . Next year? I may up for a unit that has the RDS info transmitted as well. This is the info you see on a car radios display. That way we can send song info or other "stuff" about the display.
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