Brand New!

[JoesChristmasDisplay]

Hello All, 

Let me get this out of the way first, i have nothing except for a few boxes of LED lights that i bought this year in preparation to start a display. I have two young kids (6 and 4) and have done a blow-up display the last couple of years, and am tired of it. 

So,  here is what i am looking at doing.

I am looking at a pixel tree and singing face to start, maybe a few small trees/candy canes to trim out the front of my lawn. 

Looking at the ShowTime starting set but not sure if that's where i need to go, and what i really will need to start up. 

Lets just say, I am super excited about this but Way overwhelmed, which i assume is part of the fun :-).

 

Thanks in Advance!

Joe

[Santas Helper]

Welcome to this crazy addiction Joe. Others will chime in shortly to assist in your desires.

[dansamy]

I'm new too! I've used a Disney Magic Holiday Musical Light Show controller that Gemmy made for Lowe's for the last two years. 2016, I had those cheapo spiral trees with string and they fall over every time you look at them sideways and $5 Wal-Mart window lighted decorations. Plus the roof icicles and column and pathway lights. I didn't really hit up after Christmas sales last year, so I paid more than I wanted to and got a lot of new pieces this year. I replaced almost everything except the icicles on the roof. I hit more of the sales this year and snagged a lot more light strands and several more outdoor decorations. Next year's display will be twice as large. Now, I just need to learn more about controlling it all. 

[JoesChristmasDisplay]

Also, I like the mega pixel tree from HC but i don't want to over complicate for myself lol. Does LOR have anything similar or is it easy to connect the two. 

 

Basically, I am a dumb pixel that wants to be smart LMAO

[JoesChristmasDisplay]

2 minutes ago, dansamy said:

I'm new too! I've used a Disney Magic Holiday Musical Light Show controller that Gemmy made for Lowe's for the last two years. 2016, I had those cheapo spiral trees with string and they fall over every time you look at them sideways and $5 Wal-Mart window lighted decorations. Plus the roof icicles and column and pathway lights. I didn't really hit up after Christmas sales last year, so I paid more than I wanted to and got a lot of new pieces this year. I replaced almost everything except the icicles on the roof. I hit more of the sales this year and snagged a lot more light strands and several more outdoor decorations. Next year's display will be twice as large. Now, I just need to learn more about controlling it all. 

Awesome! Lets learn together lol. I picked up almost everything from Lowes this year, I should have grabbed more lights but wasn't thinking at the time. I grabbed the LED green tree (i think 7ft?), the LED mickey and minnie and the inflatable Toy soldier Mickey and Snoopy plane. If I get the mega pixel tree, i will be putting the plane on the roof to save lawn space :0

[dansamy]

This is most of what I got this year.  Already planned my 4x4 layout (because I'm likely only doing one 16 channel controller with LED string lights) with roof line, columns, pathway, lampposts at end of path (or they might turn into arches), 4 windows, 4 light string trees, 4 decor elements (Bumble, NOEL box set, reindeer with sleigh, 7ft candy cane set).

I'm not sure exactly where everything is going in the yard yet. And I still have more pine trees on my property that I want gone, so who knows what the front lawn is even going to look like next year.

My local Lowe's is still just 50% but there's stuff I want, but I'm not paying their price yet. 

I know light count isn't important, but my display will more than double next year. 2k lights to 10k. 6 channels to 16. 3 decor elements to 8. So while it definitely isn't as big or as fancy as many of the enthusiasts here, it'll be mine and it's a big undertaking for me.

[JoesChristmasDisplay]

2 minutes ago, dansamy said:

This is most of what I got this year.  Already planned my 4x4 layout (because I'm likely only doing one 16 channel controller with LED string lights) with roof line, columns, pathway, lampposts at end of path (or they might turn into arches), 4 windows, 4 light string trees, 4 decor elements (Bumble, NOEL box set, reindeer with sleigh, 7ft candy cane set).

I'm not sure exactly where everything is going in the yard yet. And I still have more pine trees on my property that I want gone, so who knows what the front lawn is even going to look like next year.

My local Lowe's is still just 50% but there's stuff I want, but I'm not paying their price yet. 

I know light count isn't important, but my display will more than double next year. 2k lights to 10k. 6 channels to 16. 3 decor elements to 8. So while it definitely isn't as big or as fancy as many of the enthusiasts here, it'll be mine and it's a big undertaking for me.

Your Lowes is WAY better than mine lol. I didnt see any of this. Going to have to get my brother in GA a call and have him scope out his store lol. impressive though. Are you thinking of doing a megapixel tree?

[dansamy]

1 minute ago, JoesChristmasDisplay said:

Your Lowes is WAY better than mine lol. I didnt see any of this. Going to have to get my brother in GA a call and have him scope out his store lol. impressive though. Are you thinking of doing a megapixel tree?

 This isn't Lowe's. Bumble and candy canes are from Home Depot. Sleigh and string trees and gift boxes are from a store called At Home. And light strands are good ole Wal-Mart! 

[JoesChristmasDisplay]

Just now, dansamy said:

 This isn't Lowe's. Bumble and candy canes are from Home Depot. Sleigh and string trees and gift boxes are from a store called At Home. And light strands are good ole Wal-Mart! 

well that makes sense then lol. 

[dansamy]

I accidentally got 75% off the 100 count LED strands because I thought they were ringing up incorrectly. The manager gave me the override. I only spent $1.50/strand.

[dansamy]

I think she just wanted to go ahead and get them sold. They're going 75% off this week anyway, so ultimately I just got that price early. 

[dansamy]

Oh, megapixel tree. Likely not. I'm doing good to manage what I'm planning right now and learning that. They're really cool and the local drive through light show has 2 I think. At least I think that's what they're called. They were playing what appeared to be 16 bit graphics on it.

[james morris]

I use holiday cora 16 string pixel  tree with 1 alpha pixel controller the string are 50 pixel per string had to add a second power supply the tree took me a week to build used JR setup I did halloween and christmas with it no problems at all you should get pro version I use Super Star with 40 ccr lic love have garphic in my sequences

Edited December 31, 2017 by james morris

[Kdecaigny]

I am new here to this year. My husband for Christmas got me two LOR 16 Channel controllers along with a Mega Tree (Non Pixel)

Went to Canadian Tire (We are located in Canada) on the 26th (Boxing Day - Which is like USA Black Friday) got 16 Boxes of 100 Lights for $13.99 (Good Quality ones)

This is my current light display - Quite Static, Need to get a ladder that can reach the top roof - Will be doing this in the summer...

[bryan.hurley5]

Welcome to the addiction!

If you want to do a singing face I would look into making your own out of coroplast. They have the trees that you can buy but IMO they look like crap. Their mouth movements just are trash. Look at fanamaze.com to get an idea. I can help you too if you want.

Bryan

[mpageler]

Can't realy recommend, newies starting rightg off wity smart pixels. 

Budget and DIY skills  will dictate how how fast you can go in building a display. My first year was 4 singing faces, 2 AC controllers and the LOR software, over $1000 Year 2,3 and 4 additions have also been over $1000.

 

I'm guessing 1/3 of cost for lights, 1/3 for controlers and 1/3 for "other" stuff. 

 

[dibblejr]

2 hours ago, bryan.hurley5 said:

Welcome to the addiction!

If you want to do a singing face I would look into making your own out of coroplast. They have the trees that you can buy but IMO they look like crap. Their mouth movements just are trash. Look at fanamaze.com to get an idea. I can help you too if you want.

Bryan

Its not the "mouth movements", its the "sequencer". You get what you buy unless you produce the sequences yourself like me. Due to "sellers" stealing my work and reselling for their own profit "theft by deception", I am probably not going to be sharing my stuff any longer, looking at other options. The good is, its easy to figure out mine from the rest and when I buy one that is actually based on mine , I let the appropriate people know, ebay, paypal and LOR included.

JR

[JoesChristmasDisplay]

50 minutes ago, mpageler said:

Can't realy recommend, newies starting rightg off wity smart pixels. 

Budget and DIY skills  will dictate how how fast you can go in building a display. My first year was 4 singing faces, 2 AC controllers and the LOR software, over $1000 Year 2,3 and 4 additions have also been over $1000.

 

I'm guessing 1/3 of cost for lights, 1/3 for controlers and 1/3 for "other" stuff. 

 

Budget not really an issue. I have lots of computer experience and a lot of ton available. I will be working overnights and am required to stay awake so I will get to play on the software for hours. 

[JoesChristmasDisplay]

2 hours ago, bryan.hurley5 said:

Welcome to the addiction!

If you want to do a singing face I would look into making your own out of coroplast. They have the trees that you can buy but IMO they look like crap. Their mouth movements just are trash. Look at fanamaze.com to get an idea. I can help you too if you want.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan,

any ideas would be great. I checked out the fanamaze guy, pretty cool but don’t want to “copy” him. I found an excel document with a bunch of faces and the animation but since I don’t the software yet, it was a bit confusing 

[bryan.hurley5]

15 minutes ago, JoesChristmasDisplay said:

Thanks Bryan,

any ideas would be great. I checked out the fanamaze guy, pretty cool but don’t want to “copy” him. I found an excel document with a bunch of faces and the animation but since I don’t the software yet, it was a bit confusing 

You don't have to really "copy" him. I took his ideas and made a ginger bread woman instead. The website can just give you an insight on how yo do a diy singing face.