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Is a LOR type display worth it?


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I have been planning to buy 6 LOR controllers since last christmas but now I am having second thought. I was waiting for the sale and the prices have certainly gotten better but I just can't justify spending $1500 on a display that is only up for a month and a half. I wanted to buy 6 PC pre-assembled boards, FM transmitter and all the extension cords and extra lights. The lights and cords really aren't my concern is the other stuff. ..........So my question is, how do you justify such high cost of LOR and everything else?

I know it will be cool and exciting but spending so much, i don't know. I know I really won't be using LOR for anything else but christmas. Oh and not to mention the time needed to sequence.

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For me it is a personal choice. I don't spend a lot of money the rest of the year. Also, I have built my display up slowly. This year I will be 32 channels with just over 19k lights synchronized. I had 16 channels last year. It is far easier for me to justify the cost if I spread it out over several years. Afterall, Christmas is not going anywhere, and my love of the season won't either.

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I also just had 16 channels last year. Buying 1 more controller this year. Waited until the "after Christmas sales", bought more lights. Converted last years sequences from 16 to 32 channels. Worked on Halloween sequences. Other people do Fourth of July shows--I've thought about it, definitely not this year; too many other times I need to do around the house. Also, if you buy it all now and you'r hesitating, you may hate it---doubtful, can't imagine not getting hooked on this. Just my 2 cents.

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It's all about the celebration of the birth of Christ... or having the coolest Christmas display in the county... or both! I'm lucky my wife thinks it's so cool, otherwise she'd nix all of my little additions... 7 new controllers this year for a total of 11, another 1000' of extension cords, more outside electric circuits... they all add up. I guess it comes down to personal choice and what makes you feel good. What makes me feel good is seeing the cars with smiling kids lined up in front of my house watching, or seeing someone I don't even know (in the middle of March) and they say to me "Hey, you're the Christmas house guy - Nice lights". It's such a good feeling to know that so many others delight in your labors. And of course, there is the challenge factor. Can you do it ? Can you get it done on time ? Will the lights look the way you've imagined them through the animator ? Some people thrive under pressure. Can you handle it ? Only the lighting ceremony at the beginning of the season will tell. And of course there is the satisfaction of driving home from work each night, and as you turn the corner onto your street, you tune to your transmitter's frequency and as you get closer, your music comes on, and you see the lights of the coolest Christmas display you've ever seen...

All of that makes it worth it to me...

D.T.

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I draw the comparison to an incident about ten years ago. I was with a group of friends leaving the comfortable skiing boundaries at Breckenridge Colorado. There were perfectly good lifts to give you and entire day of maximal skiing time. However, in our usual fashion we set out with skis upon our backs for an hour hike to the remote peaks. It usually takes about 5 or 10 minutes to come down what took an hour to climb in the relatively O2 depleted 14,000 feet. A new member of the group who chose to stay with the lifts asked "Why?" and followed with many logical reasons as to why it made no sense.

There was a short pause as we all tried to put it into words when a more veteran member of our group replied "If you have to ask why, you just wouldn't understand." Maybe an easy way out but that pretty much summed it up for me.

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DStack701 wrote:

So my question is, how do you justify such high cost of LOR and everything else?


I haven't spent $1500 yet to date but I only bought 3 controllers my first year and I bought the kits which are super easy to put together as long as you can follow detailed directions and solder. As others do, I started planning way in advance, I purchased 95% of my lights the week after Christmas and then purchased my controllers. In all it took me about 14 months to get ready for Christmas. Was it worth it.....you bet!! My wife at first was skeptical about it all and didn't like me spending the money but I work hard and I even took on a couple side jobs (I am a web developer) to cover the costs. Once the lights were up and the kids in the neighborhood were going crazy and people were stopping by our house every night to tell how wonderful we are for doing this and we were getting Christmas cards from people we never met before she was quickly on board and said "this was worth every penny!"

I can only say this. The best was to justify it is to try it. Get a controller, set it up and then sit at your window every night and watch as the cars with kids stop to watch. Watch the little kids in the back seats as their eyes almost pop out of their heads. Watch them as they push their faces upto the windows and watch with total amazement. Watch how their eyes barely blink in fear of missing a single flash of a light. Once you see that you will be able to justify the costs.

Hope this helps.
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I don't know why you pegged LOR as the topic of "worth it or not" when other brands cost just as much if not more.

It sounds like you're trying to start bigger than your confidence can approve. Why not start at just one or two controllers and if it's not for you, then it will be easier to get rid of. It's an investment so nothing is really lost when buying during the sale.

Many members here have done impressive shows with just one or two controllers.

Is LOR worth it?

You betcha!!!:waycool::waycool::waycool:

Tom

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Like many have already said it IS a matter of personal choice, but as for justifying the cost - you just have to buy in moderation. I've got tons of lights from past year static displays, so that is not a concern. Extension cords are cheap if you buy a couple at a time all year long and when they are on sale.

The other way I justify the expense is the fact that the wife buys jewelery and purses when she finds a good deal so I should be allowed to indulge myself as well. Somehow she can never argue that having a christmas light addiction as a bad thing. Yes, $1500 would be a lot and put me in a finacial hole if I purchased everything at once, but I buy all year round so the expense feels less threatening.

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Wow.... I wish that my biggest worry was spending $1500.00 on controllers. I think I shelled out that much on after Christmas sales this year. :laughing:

As Tom said, other vendors are just as expensive if not more so, I think that your thread title is a bit unfair. In any event to answer your question, it depends upon how important putting on an impressive Christmas display is for you and what your finacial situation is. If the show really doesn't matter to you or if you don't have or can't justify putting out the cash, then don't do it. If on the other hand, you can afford it and Christmas displays are in your blood as they are for a lot of us, then anything less then a sequenced show is simply unacceptable. It's really something that only you can answer for yourself. We can justify it for you. Personally, I like LOR alot and have just added another 56 channels to my existing 184 as well as a couple easy light linkers.

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Santas Helper wrote:

I don't know why you pegged LOR as the topic of "worth it or not" when other brands cost just as much if not more.

It sounds like you're trying to start bigger than your confidence can approve. Why not start at just one or two controllers and if it's not for you, then it will be easier to get rid of. It's an investment so nothing is really lost when buying during the sale.

Many members here have done impressive shows with just one or two controllers.

Is LOR worth it?

You betcha!!!:waycool::waycool::waycool:

Tom


I agree.
There is nothing better than bringing smiles to families, children and friends. It brings communities together and gives them all something to talk about. It's a great time and everyone just loves the effort you put into it.

IS it worth it? 110% worth it. We love doing it and my wife is getting into the Halloween bit now as well....

Sure it costs a lot but, I don't spend my money on anything else. It's a hobby, some guys buy cars, boats, golf, travel.... not me I do Christmas and my Wife plans Halloween...

Enjoy it. It's a fantastic time of the year!!!!

-Evan
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DStack701 wrote:

I have been planning to buy 6 LOR controllers since last christmas but now I am having second thought. I was waiting for the sale and the prices have certainly gotten better but I just can't justify spending $1500 on a display that is only up for a month and a half. I wanted to buy 6 PC pre-assembled boards, FM transmitter and all the extension cords and extra lights. The lights and cords really aren't my concern is the other stuff. ..........So my question is, how do you justify such high cost of LOR and everything else?

I know it will be cool and exciting but spending so much, i don't know. I know I really won't be using LOR for anything else but christmas. Oh and not to mention the time needed to sequence.

I would say if you are not happy with spending 1500 bucks then this is not the hobby for you cause its an addiction that gets much more expensive. I never liked the cold weather before and all the hussle and bussel of christmas but now i cant wait for all that to happen again. If you dont have the money to spare then dont but if you do i guarantee you the nothing will make you feel better then watching people marvel at your house!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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If you are not comfortable spending that much, then don't. Spend what you are comfortable with. Start at maybe half and work your way up. Sometimes going slower is more fun. :]

Michael B

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DStack701

How do you justify spending $1500 dollars well you have to look at it this way.

For me this is a hobby, most people have a hobby and spend more than that on their hobby. Take for instance people that have a boat. These people will spend many times the $1500 dollars on the boat and all the equipment that is associated with the boating experience. Which by the way most people that have a boat will not use the boat more than 10 times a season (just my opinion here). There are some people that have a boat that will take it out way more than this. Look at what they spend on their hobby.

A boat only brings joy to a few people, a Christmas display will bring joy to many people.

Not to get into how much money I spend on my Christmas hobby, I spent that much before i got into computer controll displays. I can justify my expenses because this is my hobby and I enjoy talking about this and telling others about this. I also allot money each year for items or changed to my display.

So to say how I justify my expenses I look at it this way.

1. Think about the joy and happiness you give to others when they look at your display.

2. When your family is involved with you in the process you spend QUALITY time with your family.

3. When someone brings you a gift during the Christmas season because the LOVE how you house was decorated.

4. When a person or entire families walk up to your door just to thank you for doing you yard like this.

5. When you take a lawn chair and sit in the neighbors yard and watch the people that come by and take pictures of your yard, have their family members pose in front of your display and take more pictures, listen to all the comments that they say about your yard.

6. When people come by and ask whats going to be new this year.

7. When a storm comes through during Christmas and your display is destroyed and your yard decorations are blown 7-8 blocks away and people bring your decorations back because they know where they came from.

This is how I justify my expenses for my hobby/display.

Just remember you don't have to spend a lot of money to do this. You don't need to get hundreds of channels all at once. Take your time and build as you go. When you build slowly you have the time to plan and expand at a pace you can grow with.

Also remember to have fun doing your hobby this is all about you enjoying this and others enjoying what you do.

Anthony

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This will be my first year and as for how long the display is up thats just the bonus because my wife and I have had months of fun planning and working on the display and sequencing. I also like the feeling of keeping Christmas with me thru the year this is a new thing for me. I come to PC website almost daily the people here are so friendly and helpful they make this hobby real fun. As for the cost it has to be what you can afford before this hobby I was a golf junkie $4200 golf cart $600 trailer $900 clubs $2000 yearly green fees $? golf balls I did what I wanted to do in golf and decided to quit golf so I sold that hobby and it is paying for this one. I think everyone needs something they enjoy doing but in the end no one here can tell you what only you yourself can judge we can only tell you what it means to us. My .02

RJ

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I see you are from my neck of the woods .. I am in Smyrna just south of you.

I too had questions when I decided to do this. I used to be in Project Management so I went into great details about how much it would cost and how it would be done and the time it needed. After I had it all planned out and on paper I said excactly the same thing, I asked other folks the same question, I got much the same response "if you have to ask it may not be your thing quite yet"

One night I woke up at 3:00 AM, after a long discussion with my wife bless her heart, she ask me the same questions why, are you sure, how much is it going to cost we could and we should and we ..... on and on. That went on for weeks before the awakening if you will.

I woke and said "I want to do it becasue I want to" it was very selfish "I wanted it for me." that was all there was to it. I told the wife ... yes at 3:00 AM.

I think people try to make excuses for things, sometimes you just want to, which is just fine as well.

SO that night, at about 4:00 AM I bought 10 controllers, they were not on sale, remember the project plan, I couldn't wait for the sale if I wanted it to be done by thanksgiving, I had to start now. I knew how long it would take, and how much work it was, as well as how much I needed to spend.

Over the next few months, I bought a 400 amp Subpanel,

6 miles of extension cords, I would pick up cases of them everytme I went out,
I already had 50,000 lights, from after christmas sales

I bought 160 outlets, and controller boxes, and a grinder and tye wraps, and buckets and pails and tubs, and more cords, and wire and cable and tape and more extension cords, and paint and glue, and staples and sheets of coro, I bought Circuit breakers, and Cat5 cable and speakers and severl Belkins, and
did I mention the extension cords.

Yah it will cost you a lot don't fool yourself, be honest with yourself. Your fingers will hurt as you mount thousands of lights on things, and they will hurt with the thousands of tie wraps you will tighten, you will likely go through a couple or three pairs of gloves, and maybe even loose a few tools that will show up next year.

You will need to prep for the season like an athelete prepareing for an endurance race, you will need to eat extra good quality foods, maybe even take some supplements. You will need to drink lots of liquids and some days it will rain and you wont be able to do anything and you will pace around the house knowing that every minute that is not used working is gone forever.

It likely will be like holding down 2 full time jobs besides the one you have now nearing the light up date, and you will need a web site and some signs.

Some nights you will just want to sit for a while, but you will know you have still more music to sequence or mini trees to build or whatever needs to be done.

You will need to talk to your neighbors and maybe even the City.

So nope it isn't going be easy at all. It is a lot of work and physically demanding. And I didn't dwell on the sequencing any too much. Consider anywheres from 3 to 10 hours per minute of music.

Then the light up date will come and you will flip it on and the neighbors will come out of their houses and people will start to come by. Then you will get comments like thank you for making our Christmas Season, or Thank you for making a memory. You might even get a whole family together for the first time in years just to see your lights. You may even collect toys for tots or some other worthy cause, and you may even get the news media to come and you will dumbfounded and when you see it on the TV you will say "I am such a pinhead that didn't make any sense at all".

and then some small thing will happen, something so tiny that it will dwarf all the others, like maybe a little 4 year old all bundled up in Winter clothing so much so that she can barely move and she will get out on the sidewalk and she will rock back and forth as only 4 year polds can from side to side as the music plays and her eyes will twinkle in the lights and she will laugh and giggle. You may go out and talk to her mother that is standing beside her.

Maybe the mother will say we don't have enough money to buy a Christmas tree and I recently divorced and it has been a tough time for me and her, but every night we come by and look at the lights for a while before we go to bed, it makes us happy.

Again you will be dumbfounded and not know what to say, except "it was my pleasure" a very selfish act indeed.

it is a big decision, but only you can make it.

OH don't forget the candy canes Thousands of them .... LAUGHING

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Just to add my thoughts. I am a 64 year old kid, who gets a thrill out of Christmas and all the decoration. It is such a thrill to get all the comments about our display.
I often go to garage sales in my area, looking for Christmas "supplies", and the subject comes up as to my being the person (Clark Griswald of the neighborhood) with all the Christmas lights. I get such great encouraging comments, and usually the question is asked. Well what are you doing this year. I try to come up with something different each year. I know I drive my wife crazy with all the year round preparations, and the hours and hours of actual set up. Climbing around on a 2 story roof scares the dickens out of my wife. I'm too stupid to be scared. Even fell off the lower roof once, (didn't hurt, didn't hurt), but still continue to decorate.
I try to take advantage of sales where they may be, and continually add to my menagere.
Of course, one should not spend any more than can be afforded or to put one's self in a financial bind. I just look at it this way. Well, the kids will just be getting less inheritance!!!
I am a cancer survivor, and I decorate also to give back to those who had prayers and thoughts for me during my illness. The only time my lights will not be on will be when I pass, and I hope that is a long time away.
Is it worth it to put out all that expense, my reply, "You bet, it's worth it". My wife was once asked by a neighbor, how much I had invested. She replied. I don't even want to know".

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When I play golf, it is a $50 green fee, $30 cart fee, Food, drinks, golf balls, bag, clubs, etc....



If you play 2 x a month, you have spent what you are talking about for a display.



Why do people do it? Because they can. Is it worth it? Depends on your priorities.

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Well at least the heading to the topic got changed (thank you).

But I still feel pegging LOR on the new topic is wrong.

The topic should have been labeled, "Is putting together an animated light show worth it?" This way no brand is labeled for doubt based on a person's belief of spending money (and the love for sharing Christmas) on an animated light show versus the budget they may (or may not) have in front of them.

Also using the "LOR vendor" forum to do so... when Synchronizing Light Shows would have been a neutral zone.

I'm sorry but I just had to get it off my chest. LOR is in the middle of their sale and I couldn't resist.

Why? because I'm very proud of the LOR company, their products and most importantly their service.

I can understand if you're leaning towards a product like LOR and not sure if your budget can handle such a huge (beginner) demand. But if you won't read topics from these forums of other peoples experience first, you'll get into something you might wish you didn't.

Baby steps. We all start with baby steps before we can run.

I hope you take the time to read past posts about any item you're interested in (if you haven't by now) and REALLY read what folks say about their experience. We're all here to help each other. But YOU are the one that will have to make the choice.

Best of luck,

and just my thoughts,

P.S. Oh, and to answer your question. "Is a LOR type display is worth it?"
You betcha!!!:waycool::waycool::waycool:


Tom


Edit: spell checked

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Well, when you ask that question on a place like this you are just looking for positive answers. See, I think that deep down inside of you you really want thisbad. Why else would you ask biased people's opinion on "is an animated light display worth it."

Now, i will add my .02 of why I think it is worth it. I knew for several years I wanted to try iy. Much like blearning I wanted to do it for me. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. But, I have always had a Christmas decorating addiction. Finally last year after much delinberation Bill (blearning) pushed me off the edge. I started out with 32 channels, which to me was plenty my first year. Besides I could not afford to do more. Now to me it was the best thing I ever done not only for me but the community. When you see lines of cars coming to look at your house. When people thank you for making their Christmas more special. It's worth it. For me I knew when a mother droped us an email and thanked me for our display. It wasn't because they thought it was cool, or made their Christmas special. It was because it was the first time in years that she had seen her teenage daughter laugh like a child again and allowed them to bond. That was special, to touch people in such a way. And there is no better time to do that then at Christmas. People are just different at that time of year.

My wife was sceptical and thought I was nuts. But she bought me my second controller. When I spent a few hundred on upgrading our power and drop cords she really was wanting to kill me. But when we first had the display running she couldn't believe it. My wife, who thought my obsession was nuts and picked on me for it totally did a 180. She enjoyed Christmas more than she had in years. Loved all the people coming to see the house (which she said she wouldn't like). And now she helps me plan, gives me ideas, and is excited. Plus we decided last minute to use our display to raise money for charity, and that makes it even more worthwhile.

So GO FOR IT!!!!!!! Just start out a little smaller.

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