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The Pest

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hcl1 I like the design you have. I am planning on doing something simalar when I get ready to do mine, Only I plan on putting all the controlers in an electrical room and hard wiring all the outlet's around property including various boxes in middle of yard. The boxes in the yard will be a triple deep boxes that will have a solid cover when not in use, and one that the wiring can be thru for use. I'll eventually get a design made and post it here for all to see.
As for the Cat5 wiring Yea I was planning where ever I need to run feeds out to the yard or other locations they would be in there own conduit.
I was thinking instead of using regular vampire plugs on the ends of fixtures around yard to using a multi channel plug like trailer plugs and sockets. Mostly for tree's and other props like arches.
I would put not only pull boxes in area's where needed, but I also plan on running pull strings in the conduit when ever I chase a line through them.

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Hey Pest,

As an retired electrical contractor, a controls engineer and a person that built a custom home, I can tell you that if you get this Christmas lightshow bug you will never have big enough conduits to the outside world if you do it this way! :-)

If you decide to run wiring outside however there are a couple of things I would recommend. (advice is worth every cent you pay for it) ha ha!

1. Put in at least three 1"-1 1/2" conduits for high voltage (different area of the yard) and 1 1/4" for data. I would not go smaller then 3/4". Keep the data away from the power by 12"-18" where parallel. Where ever you run power conduits, run data conduits.. just in case.. you never know.. CCRs require both data and power. Keep in mind that dimmer outputs with long distance wiring makes for Lot-O-Noise if the dimmers are standard triac type.

2. For every 100 feet of wire, go up one wire gauge. With twinkling lights it is not so bad for the voltage drop, but at some you may want solid on.

3. For Cat cable use Cat6 wet location rated, gel filled cables. Every one of your conduits will fill with water at some point and you don't want to risk water incursion in the cables. (experience talking on this one)

4. Leave lots of room in your equipment room and sub panel for future additions. You will need it. Make sure you organize the layout in advance. Remember, you will need more space than you think.. and then more on top of that.

5. As suggest by others, run power and data under the eves of your house. If you can do it with conduit all the better. If no conduit, run spares!

6. Every time you pull wire, add an extra pull string in the conduit and perhaps a spare wire groups.

7. Large pull boxes if above ground. If you connect underground, follow the NEC for pull boxes, drainage and connections.

8. I installed a 400 amp panel in my place with a 100 amp sub in the garage for my display stuff. That 100 amp sub has been plenty for the garage and the displays.. Consider that a 100 amp 220VAC 1 phase panel will give you about 160 usable amps at 120VAC. (80% rule). That is one hell of a lot of lights..

9. Use GFCI circuits for all of your outdoor display controller feeds. Yes, you will most likely get nuisance tripping from time to time but worth it, and required BTW.

10. Use your wire fill wisely! As you expand.. and you will... the need for the extra wire will creep up on you. Your electrician can tell you what you can do if you don't already know.

Be safe and have fun.

Craig

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Thank you very much Craig. I was already thinking about doing all that you said. they only one i didn't think of was sub panel for lighting control. I now am in the stages of calculating what my total circuts /amperage is as well as best way to deal with wiring the controllers. By chance would you suggest using a terminal block from each channel output on the Cards going to a terminal block then to the run's or just go from cards to outlet in single wire? Also do you by chance know of any 8-12channel plug/receptical's that are rated at 240v15amp every thing I've come across is either 3-4channels at rating or multi'channel but only 40v5amp. Why i'm asking is say for a mini tree or Arch instead of having 4-6 standard outlets I would like just a single outlet to plug single plug into. (Like a Heavy Trailer Plug)

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Good morning Pest..

I would for sure use terminals. If you are doing a control room, you don't need the hassle of plugs and receptacles. I would use din rail and din rail mounted terminals. They are clean and expandable. You can also use quick jumpers for neutrals and channels if need be. I use Phoenix in all my control panels. I get really good pricing since I use so many in my control business...

As for the connectors.. It sounds like you are spending some coin to do this right.. so look to the stage lighting industry for real heavy duty multi pin connectors.. Socapex for example... if you want to go a bit lighter, research circular or rectangular connectors by Molex, Amp, Harding, TE or a list of others. (rectangular may be a bit big and costly) Make sure you get weather proof (IP 65 or higher types). Or you can boot lower cost connectors if that works for you. Automobile connectors are not the way to go. Try Allied or Digikey or the like

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plasmadrive wrote:

Craig



Hey Craig,

Welcome to the forum (saw there is just 2 posts). Lots of great people and great ideas here. And of course, electrical experience is always a must in our hobby.

Welcome aboard. (sorry for the hijack, had to welcome a new member. Now back to the program at hand)

Tom
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Santas Helper wrote:


Hey Craig,

Welcome to the forum (saw there is just 2 posts). Lots of great people and great ideas here. And of course, electrical experience is always a must in our hobby.

Welcome aboard. (sorry for the hijack, had to welcome a new member. Now back to the program at hand)

Tom

Thanks Tom. I have watched LOR for years.. I was going to use my own stuff since we make DMX control cards for the entertainment industry but with the structure of LOR for this hobby I have decided it is the way to go and to plunge in this year. Now I just have to figure it all out in my free time! LOL...

hey, how do I get the cool LOR "channels and lights" thingy at the bottom of many peoples posts? Kinda like that..
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No problem Tom.
hanks for the info Craig. I am just starting the blueprinting stages right now. But yes I do plan on putting $$$ into it. I have had the decorating/Lighting bug for quite sometime now I have even been to 2 years of LDI down in Orlando when I lived there.
I am planning on doing say a deep double gang box, with a double blank box on top with the connectors between the layers with all the wiring coming out the top totally weather sealed. and when not in use I would have a blank lid on top of it.

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The Pest wrote:

No problem Tom.
hanks for the info Craig. I am just starting the blueprinting stages right now. But yes I do plan on putting $$$ into it. I have had the decorating/Lighting bug for quite sometime now I have even been to 2 years of LDI down in Orlando when I lived there.
I am planning on doing say a deep double gang box, with a double blank box on top with the connectors between the layers with all the wiring coming out the top totally weather sealed. and when not in use I would have a blank lid on top of it.

You may want to think more in the 12x12x6 pull can range.. plastic is good.. My next expansion will be in a Plastic version of a Christy box underground for the main runs and 4x4 PVC for the off shoots with 3/4" PVC from the underground box feeding those.
I also suggest NOTHING comes out of the top of any box. Leave the top for the rain.. you take the bottom.. cables draped out the bottom will less likely allow the box to fill with water. Water can ingress in oh so many ways..
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Hey Pest,

I was thinking more like this perhaps.. conduits for feeder on the right side bottom.
Output cable come in the bottom and perhaps connect to pre-made female connectors that are mounted on something like an "L" shaped piece of aluminum.

You could cover the holes in the bottom when not in use with KO seals.

I am not sure this is what you are wanting to do.. but just a thought..


Attached files OUTDOOR BOX Model (1).pdf

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That would work for other areas. My design is for middle of yard with nothing around it. when not in use the blank cover plate would be ground level so no risk of chewing it up with lawnmower.

Is is a multi view of what I'm talking about.

All connections are hidden from sight. only thing you would see is a Green color Plate with wiring coming out going to fixtures.

Attached files 276829=15329-goundbox2.jpg

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plasmadrive wrote:

Santas Helper wrote:

Hey Craig,

Welcome to the forum (saw there is just 2 posts). Lots of great people and great ideas here. And of course, electrical experience is always a must in our hobby.

Welcome aboard. (sorry for the hijack, had to welcome a new member. Now back to the program at hand)

Tom

Thanks Tom. I have watched LOR for years.. (snip) hey, how do I get the cool LOR "channels and lights" thingy at the bottom of many peoples posts? Kinda like that..

You can get it here: http://www.planetchristmas.com/signatures/

MikeH
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The Pest wrote:

No rush I know it is the time to be dealing with Halloween and then have to start with X-mas. I think i'll let everyone know that i first learned of LOR when I was working for Disney when the first got the Osbourne Family Spectal of Light's. So I know what it takes to Setup/install and then Test every thing.


Sorry to go off topic bit what type of system do they use at Disney's Hollywood Studios for Osbourne Family Spectacle of (dancing) lights? Was it custom built or DMX?
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I think they are using a combination of DMX and custom built stuff. I haven't been around to see them setting up since the second year they did it. I know alot of there display is static but the animated ones have some interesting control boxes.

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Unless they have changed all there controllers, I know they did have a few controllers that were custom that took care of simple animation like train wheels and smoke on 3ft tall by about 8-10 ft long rope light wire frames.

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Somewhere on the web (and I definitely recall seeing it, as it is what got me into this insane hobby...) is a really good "behind the scenes" tour of the Osborne Lights setup.

And, in Disney-esque fashion, it is all pretty much custom.

I'll do some searching for the site and post when/if I find it.

Edit: found it...duh...obvious location.

http://www.planetchristmas.com/Osborne2005.htm

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