LOR Secret Sale
Well... I got home from a trip to South GA. 30 minutes later the Light O Rama secret sale began. I quickly eyeballed what controller(s) I wanted. Got the PC version already and built...with the high power heat sinks. $113.95 per. 10pm eastern rolled around. I had 2 computers up and ready to go. The computer that came up with the order page ready to go (laptop won). I quickly entered my info...and got the order in. 10:01:58 pm eastern. 10:03pm eastern they were sold out!!! Got 2 more controllers ...just barely. So I am up to 80 channels now. I still may be adding more. Found a dc controller on the board tonight I may buy (great deal at $50.00). Might run some LED spots with this.
LED C9s
I willbe getting my lights from LED Holiday Lighting soon (see other post for url). 120 of them. Just hope they will look ok. 5 LED's per bulb. Won't be as bright as the incandescent, but sure will save money. I may get some regular LED C9 strings of red and green to go with it, but they won't be the retros as from LED Holiday.
Now what to do next???
Mini Trees
I am pretty sure I will add some green incandescent lights to my mini trees. I haven't made up my mind whether I am going to put relays in so as to avoid more channel usage. (I can't find the link right now over at forums.planetchristmas.com .) This would eat up one channel, but would allow me 15 other channels. Just not sure if I would be able to fade back and forth between colors on the mini trees. It would be a hard switch.
More LED C9's
I may some LED "Stringers" on the gutters. These would not be the retros but sealed, non-replaceable bulbs. Look at some videos, they look ok. No. they are not as bright as the incandescent bulbs, but would be a neat change over, especially in some chase sequences between the colors. Not sure if I am going to get just Green, or go with some Red as well. Good prices at www.christmas-led.com .
Single Sided Mega Tree
I have a large pine tree on the corner of my pine island. I am thinking about going up about 25', connecting a pulley, attach a large carbine to some heavy stranded wire going through the pulley, then attach the ends of some light strings to this. I would then attach the ends at the ground with tent stakes. Fan out the bottom in a half circle. Not sure yet how many channels and also how far up to really go on the tree. Most lines are about 23.5' to 24'. That will really determine how far to go up. I might even DIY a star at the top and use the DIY 4 channel controller to make star flash, spin, etc. I may do some mini versions of this on the other trees in the island as well. May run out of channels...and power capabilities before going this far. I tell ya....one day I have to make the LED switch. It will be the ONLY way I can add more lights...while dropping the power bill!
Speaking of more power....
Whether I do all of the above or not...I am going to tap into the Air Con. circuits next to the outside units. If I don't, I am afraid I will end up tripping some circuits. Knock on wood...no breakers tripped last year for that reason. Just the wet conditions. Hopefully with all of the stakes I got after Christmas...I can elevate that problem this year. Once the mini trees got their "insulation" put on their legs...everything stayed on in light rains.
Well... I got home from a trip to South GA. 30 minutes later the Light O Rama secret sale began. I quickly eyeballed what controller(s) I wanted. Got the PC version already and built...with the high power heat sinks. $113.95 per. 10pm eastern rolled around. I had 2 computers up and ready to go. The computer that came up with the order page ready to go (laptop won). I quickly entered my info...and got the order in. 10:01:58 pm eastern. 10:03pm eastern they were sold out!!! Got 2 more controllers ...just barely. So I am up to 80 channels now. I still may be adding more. Found a dc controller on the board tonight I may buy (great deal at $50.00). Might run some LED spots with this.
LED C9s
I willbe getting my lights from LED Holiday Lighting soon (see other post for url). 120 of them. Just hope they will look ok. 5 LED's per bulb. Won't be as bright as the incandescent, but sure will save money. I may get some regular LED C9 strings of red and green to go with it, but they won't be the retros as from LED Holiday.
Now what to do next???
Mini Trees
I am pretty sure I will add some green incandescent lights to my mini trees. I haven't made up my mind whether I am going to put relays in so as to avoid more channel usage. (I can't find the link right now over at forums.planetchristmas.com .) This would eat up one channel, but would allow me 15 other channels. Just not sure if I would be able to fade back and forth between colors on the mini trees. It would be a hard switch.
More LED C9's
I may some LED "Stringers" on the gutters. These would not be the retros but sealed, non-replaceable bulbs. Look at some videos, they look ok. No. they are not as bright as the incandescent bulbs, but would be a neat change over, especially in some chase sequences between the colors. Not sure if I am going to get just Green, or go with some Red as well. Good prices at www.christmas-led.com .
Single Sided Mega Tree
I have a large pine tree on the corner of my pine island. I am thinking about going up about 25', connecting a pulley, attach a large carbine to some heavy stranded wire going through the pulley, then attach the ends of some light strings to this. I would then attach the ends at the ground with tent stakes. Fan out the bottom in a half circle. Not sure yet how many channels and also how far up to really go on the tree. Most lines are about 23.5' to 24'. That will really determine how far to go up. I might even DIY a star at the top and use the DIY 4 channel controller to make star flash, spin, etc. I may do some mini versions of this on the other trees in the island as well. May run out of channels...and power capabilities before going this far. I tell ya....one day I have to make the LED switch. It will be the ONLY way I can add more lights...while dropping the power bill!
Speaking of more power....
Whether I do all of the above or not...I am going to tap into the Air Con. circuits next to the outside units. If I don't, I am afraid I will end up tripping some circuits. Knock on wood...no breakers tripped last year for that reason. Just the wet conditions. Hopefully with all of the stakes I got after Christmas...I can elevate that problem this year. Once the mini trees got their "insulation" put on their legs...everything stayed on in light rains.
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