MattRMayberry Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Hello all. I have been anxiously awaiting the controller to be available. I'm starting with a 16 channel and 5000 "old school" light (not all light will be dedicated to channels).I am really excited to get started.Q: Should I put up all the lights first and then figure out the channels or vise versa?Also, I plan on using TeamViewer (teamviewer.com) to remote into my pc to help with sequencing my show. They also have smart phone apps so I can stand outside and start/stop and control the software on my phone.I appreciate the feedback in advanced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL_MCSE Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Go take a picture of our house from the road. Using the visualizer of the S2 (or S3) software suite. Add your picutre. Draw the lights you currently own or will buy on your house. Assign the channels to light strings. Do it in a logical manner. Meaning. Channel 1, the roof line, etc. Think about extension cables as well as what you want the house to look like.You will not need to remote into your PC. You will have a picture of what the show looks like. That way you, your family and a friends will all see the show together!Congratz! Welcome to extreme decoratingEdit: BTW - download a sequence or two from www.ultrashows.com. Redraw the lights from that sequnce on the pic of your house... Then you will be able to play with the sequence, renaming channels to match your fixures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thevikester Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Matt,Welcome, and Ken has got you on the right path, plot your lights out, in THEORY before putting them up, then its a snap, okay, not necessarily a snap, but will be much easier! Welcome to the family, and much like family, we don't always get along, but we always seem to shake hands and help each other nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taybrynn Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 try to at least figure out the high level details of what goes where and how you will hook it all up with extension cords, etc. make sure you don't use over max power per channel, per 8ch bank and per controller.I like to go into the LOR and get the visualizer drawn up first and assign channels and draw them onto the picture.Load in a picture and get that drawing of the 16 channels done and then your ready to have a config you can export and use on sequences for 2011.You may note little things like which side of a string you want the extension cord to hand down on ... or to inter-connect with another cord at.I can't see sequencing from the front yard ... your going to discover a lot of what works, with didn't in this first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKSedg Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 And as we always tell Newbies: Buy lots of extension cords!Buy as many as you think you will need, then double it, and then you'll go back again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Boros Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Welcome to the insanity! Like mentioned above, extension cords. You can use the standard "indoor" household cords on certain things. You dont want them in puddles though. You can buy the cord bulk, believe its spt cord and the ends and make your own. Much cheaper that way. Someone may have a link you can use to order the cords. Also, you may want to put the controller close to where you have a high concentration of channels or where they come together. (Idea is less cord=less $. Good luck and have fun. Oh, led lights are a little pricey, but a very good investment, less electric and can hook more up per breaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattRMayberry Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 Thanks for all your feedback, its much appreciated. I excited to see what the "visualizer" will do in the new s3.BTW: My g3 controller is on its way!!!Im only getting a 16 channel to start with but would like to have two small lighted arches.My question is can I build arches with just two channels instead of 4?Has any done this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubado Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 I think three channels should be minimum, I believe the majority prefer odd # channels. Although 8 is pretty popular, two large arches per controller that way.The more channels you have, whether it be arches, megatrees, marty fans, poles, bursts etc... the smoother the movement. Not enough channels, it will look choppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchsgirl Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 so are they available again.. i been watching the site forever it seems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Saul Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Welcome Matt. With the arches, you can wire 2 of them together to cheat on channels. start #1 in the middle where the two arches meet up, then end with whatever number you use at the far end. I did that last year with 2 arches using a total of 8 channels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Lawyer Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 And for the really desperate folks who find themselves channel-less for an arch ...Last year was my first year doing anything more than a single static display -- I didn't have any LOR equipment but I did practice my skills by constructing a 7' arch with PVC, rebar and a long string of multi color incand. lights that came pre-programmed to do about 10 different chase modes ...I wrapped that around the PVC and had a very "light" version of the arches we all know and love around here. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Saul Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Christmas Lawyer wrote:And for the really desperate folks who find themselves channel-less for an arch ...Last year was my first year doing anything more than a single static display -- I didn't have any LOR equipment but I did practice my skills by constructing a 7' arch with PVC, rebar and a long string of multi color incand. lights that came pre-programmed to do about 10 different chase modes ...I wrapped that around the PVC and had a very "light" version of the arches we all know and love around here. LOLGreat idea!out of the box thinking, I love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Long Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Christmas Lawyer wrote: And for the really desperate folks who find themselves channel-less for an arch ...Last year was my first year doing anything more than a single static display -- I didn't have any LOR equipment but I did practice my skills by constructing a 7' arch with PVC, rebar and a long string of multi color incand. lights that came pre-programmed to do about 10 different chase modes ...I wrapped that around the PVC and had a very "light" version of the arches we all know and love around here. LOLCracking idea, this could help boost my display I had been thinking of ways to do arches keeping channel use to a minimum and i thought that if you wired an arch in 4 or even 8 segments but only used 2 channels (ch1,ch2,ch1,ch2etc) you could some patterns going granted not a flow but if you used 2 colors it could be effective Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattRMayberry Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 I will have to settle for 1 arch instead of two. I also want to do a 10 mega tree. For now I am not concern with having a super full tree. What the normal minimum amount of channel and lights for such a tree?Again I appreciate all the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeA Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 You could make a 20 section tree and have 2 strings (sections) per channel. This would make your tree look full but let you go with just 10 channels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattRMayberry Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 I am also in a weird position as far as sequencing my show.I want to wait to purchase the generic starter kit with s3. I have download s2 demo to explore.Should I even try to start sequencing with the demo version? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfing4Dough Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 MattRMayberry wrote: I am also in a weird position as far as sequencing my show.I want to wait to purchase the generic starter kit with s3. I have download s2 demo to explore.Should I even try to start sequencing with the demo version?Definitely. S3 is supposedly going to be backwards compatible. The only unknown is will it for sure be free if you buy S2 now. Word has been that it will be for those that bought S2 in the past year, but I understand the hesitation until you see it in writing. If it were me, I would start sequencing in the S2 demo and wait to buy S3 (though if still not released in 2 weeks, I would bite the bullet and buy S2 and trust it will be a free upgrade--LOR isn't into screwing over customers). If for some reason demo S2 files don't import into S3, then you can always install an old version (S2), resave the demo sequence files, and then import those full version S2 sequence files into S3. Seems pretty fail safe that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Saul Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 If you go to the software page it is in writing one year major upgrades unlimited minor upgrades.I agree with doubling the strands with the tree use 1 channel to control 2strands that are 180 degrees off, or only make a 1/2 tree.Depending on what you have to work with and what you want it to look like you could also plug in other things say bushes or deer on the other side of the yard to the same channels as the tree. Theory is id you have enough stuff spread out and blinking they will not notice it is going at the exact time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattRMayberry Posted October 13, 2011 Author Share Posted October 13, 2011 I email Dan, who has been way more than helpful, let me know I will receive s3 if I go ahead and purchase the generic starter kit. Thanks for all the advise. You guys have helped clear up a lot of questions.More to come I am sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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