Jump to content
Light-O-Rama Forums

Help with setup please


Partyof9

Recommended Posts

My Controllers are on the way. Please someone give me a clue or validate my thinking on this.

Each Channel runs back to the controller via an extension cord right?

Then the cat5 plugs into the controller (one or both controllers?) to my pc?

Where does the controller get it's power? Another extension cord plugged into my live electrical outlet?

My seq are almost done, then do I put them in the show part of LOR? Anything I should do before that? When I schedule a show time start stop, if my PC is powered up does it just run or does the LOR program have to be up?

I ordered the Whole House transmitter in the essense of time here. How and where does that plug in? Do I need any special wires or usb cables? I wanted to get a sign made up and pulled the list of available channels is it smart to go ahead and pick a channel to use before I have a chance to hook everything up and test the channel?

For those using the WHT and speaker set up can you tell me how that works what is needed and/or do you recommend it? I don't have close neighbors so that's not an issue. We have an old stereo with speakers can that be made to work? I just can't wrap my head around broadcasting our channel.

Can someone please help me grasp what to do next? Our yard is all set we are just dark until the controllers come besides running a few nights to make sure everything works properly without being hooked to the controllers. We are only using 29 of the 32 channels available this year. Sorry for the rambling just really nervious I have wasted money and can't figure out how to complete the set up once I get the hardware. Not to mention no one is gonna know if I don't get a few flyers out. Thought of handing out flyers to my kids elementrary school and down at the 2 little jiffy stores in my town. That gets back to foolishly picking a fm station that won't work. If it's static on my truck radio that would be a good one? Lordy Lordy please help me out LOR friends.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Start here, it outlines the basic configuration: http://www.lightorama.com/TypicalSetups.html#Simple_Controller_Configuration

As far as the transmitter goes, if you sit in your truck and get fuzz on a station, that is probably a good station to use. You will need to plug the transmitter into your audio out jack on the PC. If you want to broadcast and have speakers attached you will need a splitter to direct the audio signal from your PC to your transmitter and stereo amplifier. Or you could just tune the stereo to the channel you are transmitting on - I do it this way as a check to make sure I am broadcasting.

Good Luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Partyof9 wrote:

My Controllers are on the way. Please someone give me a clue or validate my thinking on this.

Each Channel runs back to the controller via an extension cord right?
Yes

Then the cat5 plugs into the controller (one or both controllers?) to my pc?
Yes

Where does the controller get it's power? Another extension cord plugged into my live electrical outlet?
Depending on the type of controller most have 2 that you need to plug into an outlet. Depending on the power draw you might be able to plug the controller into on outlet using both plugs.

My seq are almost done, then do I put them in the show part of LOR? Anything I should do before that? When I schedule a show time start stop, if my PC is powered up does it just run or does the LOR program have to be up?
You can have the program start as soon as windows starts. You create a show adding the squences and then schedule the show to run at certain times.

I ordered the Whole House transmitter in the essense of time here. How and where does that plug in? Do I need any special wires or usb cables? I wanted to get a sign made up and pulled the list of available channels is it smart to go ahead and pick a channel to use before I have a chance to hook everything up and test the channel?
One end goes in the speaker jack and the other back to the WHT. You can test this now by first making sure the channel you plan to use is not used and then playing some music over your computer and listening to it in your car.
For those using the WHT and speaker set up can you tell me how that works what is needed and/or do you recommend it? I don't have close neighbors so that's not an issue. We have an old stereo with speakers can that be made to work? I just can't wrap my head around broadcasting our channel.
I use a small boom box outside tuned into the station I use so the people walking by can hear it.
Can someone please help me grasp what to do next? Our yard is all set we are just dark until the controllers come besides running a few nights to make sure everything works properly without being hooked to the controllers. We are only using 29 of the 32 channels available this year.
Get a kill a watt metter and find out how much power you need for the lights.
Sorry for the rambling just really nervious I have wasted money and can't figure out how to complete the set up once I get the hardware. Not to mention no one is gonna know if I don't get a few flyers out. Thought of handing out flyers to my kids elementrary school and down at the 2 little jiffy stores in my town. That gets back to foolishly picking a fm station that won't work. If it's static on my truck radio that would be a good one? Lordy Lordy please help me out LOR friends.
Have fun! :)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a website you can enter your zip code in and it will tell you which channels are vacant for your area.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/vacant?select=city&city=22407


MAKE SURE YOU PUT IN YOUR ZIP CODE and don't use mine :)

Please be sure to go and verify the frequency is empty. This is just a starting point/guide. As others have pointed out, you'd like to find one that is empty on both sides of the frequency also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you both for the quick responses. I really appreciate it. One the controllers are ya'll saying they have two plug that just plug into the electric outlets? I can see in pictures all the dangly plugs ins but those are to be ran to each channel they operate right?

I feel so much calmer about the station ID now I think I will have my sign made up and flyers. I should recieve my hardware tuesday so I am hoping for a live show by saturday or sunday night. I will proabley open sunday just to give us two days of daylight to work on this since my husband is always home after dark. LOL

On the show scheduler is there anyway to preview the entire show put together on the computer?

Thanks so much guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't trust the empty channel list.

Go out in your car and tune around on your car radio to look for a nice quiet spot on the dial.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will do just that I had pulled the list Howard linked me too and have some idea of what to look for.

Thank you all so much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Partyof9 wrote:

One the controllers are ya'll saying they have two plug that just plug into the electric outlets? I can see in pictures all the dangly plugs ins but those are to be ran to each channel they operate right?


There are two male plugs and 16 female cords (channels) on each controller. The two male plugs simply plug into an out let to power the controller and lights. The lights plug into the 16 female cords and will be associated with the 16 channels assigned in your sequence. If you are not running too many lights, you can plug the two male plugs into the same outlet.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan you have been a blessing! I am still trying to get all my seq's done hopefully by tomorrow I can put a show together. Controllers should be in Tuesday if all is well at LOR. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brian Mitchell wrote:

Don't trust the empty channel list.

Go out in your car and tune around on your car radio to look for a nice quiet spot on the dial.


I would also check during the hours you intend to operate. I found a couple of "Indie" type stations that come on the air during the evening and late evening hours.

Just some words of encouragement, don't get discouraged if this year turns out less than you dreamed. It is a good start for next year, and you can work out the bugs when smaller.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

First this is your first year, and you started way late. I would not advertise your show this year. That is unless you are willing to take a big chance on embarrassment. Way to many things that can go wrong.

Second you have bought a transmitter that requires a lot of work to make it work. If it will work at all. I fully agree with going out and listen to a radio in the car and to do it from the street and to do it during the hours of the show. Night time allows distant radio stations that you normally do not hear during the day to come in during the night. The Whole House transmitter is a very weak but legal transmitter. I might have trouble overcoming these far off transmitters.

I really dont have much more I can add to the others comments about the controller. Other than get that kill a watt meter. It is a really good guide to how much power your lights are going to need and this will help with loading up the controller. Remember you will be limited to how many amps you can pull per channel and then how many amps you can pull per bank (1-8 0r 9-16).

Good luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...