dgrant Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Some of us have already started setting up for Christmas. Some of us are set up for Halloween such as myself. For me, Nov 1st, Halloween comes down then starting Nov. 2nd, I start putting up Christmas. It should take me about 1.5 to 2 weeks to get it all up, checked out and ready to run although this year, its two homes instead of one. So it might take a hair longer. lol, time will tell. For general suggestions to everyone, keep electrical connections off the ground, find ways to insure people aren't walking on your wires, wire safely therefore no electrocutions, secure props for wind, snow, ice and etc...test GFCI sockets/circuit breakers, audio to the yard, FM Transmitters and verify all controllers are communicating with the computer or show controller. Do Not Mix RS485 and TCPIP! One more thing, check your show editor and reset it just in case file locations have changed from last year. Such as migrations from Windows 7, 8, 8.1 to Windows 10. Previous locations are no longer valid in many cases, so you need to build a new show profile otherwise the show player won't be able to locate the needed files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 One more thing I discovered yesterday. If you play from a computer, check to make sure that all the windows sounds are turned off. Some update between last year and now turned all the default sounds back on. The only reason I noticed it was that I was doing some work in the data cabinet at the time that the show computer did it it's daily re-boot. I'm sitting there and all of a sudden, there plays the standard Windows shutdown music, followed shortly thereafter with the standard Windows startup and log on music. I went into the Control Panel and checked and it looked like all the defaults were there. Had to re-assign them all back to <none>. As for setup, the GECE lights on the eves went up a week ago because they get used for Halloween. I'll pull the pieces of the Pixel Tree out of the attic later this week and if I'm inspired I'll put it together after work one evening. If not, next weekend (a three day weekend for me), is largely dedicated to setup. I should have all the major pieces put up. Then I can start testing sequences. Everything got re-sequenced this year, so I want to be able to start testing early. The following weekend is also a three day weekend due to the Veteran's Day holiday, so I should have most of the minor stuff up. I should have Zara radio running on the FM transmitter by the end of that weekend too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmienLightFan Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 I am mostly setup. Just a few things left to go up, like the matrices, arches and icicles (Which will have broken since last year) I an using Falcon Pi Player this year, but am going back to LOR next year, as long as it can run the show, as FPP is pretty rubbish compared to LOR and just another complication. Last year I didn't turn off Windows sounds, and there was the occasional really loud Windows error message, or the Windows startup sound after a reboot, but not too bad. Falcon Pi Player reads out it's IP address in a synthesised voice when you turn it on, and I can't find how to turn it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 Halloween came down starting last night and finished this morning. All stowed away in the shop. Started mounting my roof lights and probably start on the icicles before dark. Three weeks and two days for "Lights On" for me. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sctiger Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 Y'all aren't helping my anxiety about getting everything done! lol 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa6058 Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 Yes anxiety is a good word. Sold my tower and all of my controllers so I have ti figure out how to have the best display in the neighborhood using my lights and a very old Gemmy 6 channel box that I have no control over Never give up, forever forward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted November 2, 2016 Author Share Posted November 2, 2016 My Halloween came down yesterday and today, will start the Christmas setup. Hoping to have it all done, tested and ready to run within 2 weeks. Show startup for me starts Thanksgiving evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince4xmas Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 First year for smart pixels and Pixcon16. All pixels mounted, need to connect to Pixcon and then power inject. Also added 4 CCR arches. Hope to run pixel light test this weekend. Then all of last years props need to go up (6 AC controllers and 3 dumb RGB controllers). 6 new songs this year (all programming is done). Show startup is day after Thanlsgiving evening. Actually putting display up is the best time of the year! Hope the weather remains good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffF Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Anybody else feeling cursed this year? Geeze I just started and tons of little and/or stupid things happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianchristmas Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 14 minutes ago, JeffF said: Anybody else feeling cursed this year? Geeze I just started and tons of little and/or stupid things happening. I know how you feel, it was like that for me with halloween, last halloween everything was running by oct 8 this year it was running by oct 30 . Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debtoews Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 We have been setting up for the last 2 weekends...it will continue this coming weekend and everyday after that since we are both on vacation. With 16 houses to gt ready- it takes a lot of time and coordination! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nader Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 58 minutes ago, debtoews said: We have been setting up for the last 2 weekends...it will continue this coming weekend and everyday after that since we are both on vacation. With 16 houses to gt ready- it takes a lot of time and coordination! must be nice I not even thought about setup yet. working 6 to 7 days a week. fun help keep the family business going. LoL maybe get something done this weekend 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightsWithSoul Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 My setup will start the 21st. I really can't believe how fast this time came. Luckily I've been able to complete all of the pre-setup stuff without any problems, so now it's just a waiting game. It's weird.. most people think putting up lights is a hassle, but I find it hard to wait another 19 days to do it.. Why can't I feel this way about house chores? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcktpwrd Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 (edited) Started today by hanging icicle lights on the house, only another 29,900 more to go! We zip-tied the lights to 1/2" pvc and I mounted clips on the fascia under the soffit vents, so they just pop in place, aside from being 15 or so feet off the ground... This is the second year of doing them like this, much easier than the gutter clips! My wife will put up most of the rest of the lights, which are mainly wrapped around trees in the front yard. Edited November 4, 2016 by rcktpwrd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa6058 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Put up icicles today, this house has much more length I am 4 strands short on all 4 colors. arggg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1983ss454 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 must be nice I not even thought about setup yet. working 6 to 7 days a week. fun help keep the family business going. LoL maybe get something done this weekend We moved into this house in August after moving 1,200 miles from mass to Florida. Luckily I work 2nd shift so I drop the kiddo off at school in the morning and have the rest of the day till work to tinker on lights and the house. That's been the thing that has saved me because we've been working 10 hours a day and 6-7 days a week for months now. I'd be struggling to get it up otherwise. I have the pixel house outline on and working, rgb floods up and working, pixel tree up and working, Holdman star up and running. Today got my snowflakes on the roof and my guitar playing Christmas tree tested and put out. This weekend will be setting up my new planes props snoopy and the Red Baron up in my oak trees Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 I've got my arches up but they are easy. Also put out my new props, pixel driveway arch and four pixel circles. Made some repairs and tested one of the pixel trees. Working today and tomorrow but will be back at it this morning and then on Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1983ss454 Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 Now to finish sequencing snoopys Christmas Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 That's very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 This past weekend was the first weekend of setup, and intended to get all the major items operational. I set a realistic timetable, and actually accomplished what I wanted. Saturday: Started by pulling everything out of the attic, assemble the pixel tree in the driveway so it can be tested, and also test the CCP arches. Had a little issue with the Beta firmware for the SanDevices E682 that controls the tree and star, but that got resolved. The arches tested fine. Sunday: The first thing was to get the pixel tree placed into position which then meant I could hook up the LAN and power cables for it in the attic before it got too hot up there. Then install the CCP arches. Ran one sequence which worked perfectly on the tree and star, and the GECE lights on the eves (those were used for Halloween). The arches can't be run yet because I need to terminate a Cat-5 cable. Monday: When I moved the show computer into the new data cabinet, I did a quickie cable run to get the two LOR networks that are used year round. A couple weeks ago, I pulled the cables into the conduit to "do it right", and also add the third LOR network. This morning's plan was to clean up the temp wiring and get the third network completed. Spent a couple hours making it all nice and pretty in the data cabinet, then terminated the other end of the cable so I could connect it to the previously existing cable from where the show computer was last year out to the connection near the arches. After that, I ran some tests with the hardware utility, and then ran one sequence. It was the middle of the afternoon, so a little hard to see, but everything was playing. Next up was to install the FM transmitter and antenna so I can start playing sequences for real testing and can actually hear the music via the radio. Got that working too, so everything that was planned for the weekend was accomplished successfully. Next weekend (also a three day due to the Veteran's Day holiday) should have the last stuff installed. The only stuff that needs to get done is finish building the new "Tune to" signs, and install the perimeter light string. Last up is to add three 10W RGB floods. Should be an easy weekend (I hope). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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