What I learned my first year

[dgrant]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

dgrant wrote:

No intent to steal the OP's thread. I'm probably going to start with a 64 channel setup based upon what I'm envisioning doing initially. Cords of course come into play. Yes, I could manufacture my own easily although I'll probably go with 12 or 14 gauge wire therefore they are good for anything else I need. If I establish the CPU inside, then I need to run the Cat5 through a wall or locate in a garage. Wireless is a possibility as well of course, just more money. One thing is for sure, this won't be a cheap hobby but should be fun.

I hope you are rich because you are going to spend a load of money on 12/14g extension cords.  Many/most here measure their use of extension cords in miles.  And why 12/14g anyway?  Each channel can only carry 8 amps, with a max of 15amps on at a time in each bank (ch 1-8 or 9-16). 

A very valid point on the load capability to the circuit therefore larger cords would really be a waste. I'll keep that in mind for sure and Thank You.

My original intent was to write my own software where I was planning on sampling the MP3 audio, internally in the computer itself, then assigning the frequencies of the music, in groups, broken down into the 88 keys of a keyboard, then toggle the lights based upon that. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that I would have ended up with a display of moving lights, but overall nothing but lights, as opposed to definitive lights to exact sounds....therefore the normal LOR software. Writing code is easier than you might think to do this but the results wouldn't be as nice as what most of you have already accomplished from the videos that I've seen.

[paulanator]

Very well put, and a great show.

One other tip, buy 1 extra controller, and do not use it, keep it as a back up. Resist the urge to add those 16 channels.

I lost a triac my first year, and did not have a spare controller, so a major channel was out, and no empty channels.

Lost a triac this year, and I had a replacement controller sitting on my desk, and it took 15 minutes, and the show was back up and running.

Got the traic later that week from LOR support, and now have the backup ready to go again.

[ItsMeBobO]

dgrant wrote:

My original intent was to write my own software where I was planning on sampling the MP3 audio, internally in the computer itself, then assigning the frequencies of the music, in groups, broken down into the 88 keys of a keyboard, then toggle the lights based upon that. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that I would have ended up with a display of moving lights, but overall nothing but lights, as opposed to definitive lights to exact sounds....therefore the normal LOR software. Writing code is easier than you might think to do this but the results wouldn't be as nice as what most of you have already accomplished from the videos that I've seen.

This thought is worthy of its own thread. Would like to hear more of what you can do as a new topic.

[wigginbalz]

The mini trees have a string of 50 LED multi color and a string of 50 LED cool white. I made the tree frames from 24" rebar welded to a large nut. Then painted them forest green to help prevent rusting. This year I had each of the multi-colors on their own channel and the cool whites were grouped 2 to a channel. Total of 15 channels for the mini trees.

[wigginbalz]

The arches I made from 1/2" schedule 40 PVC. I wrapped 8 strings of the same cool white LEDs I used on the mini trees around each piece of pipe. I found the middle of the pipe and started wrapping out from there. I extended the cords using some of the SPT cord I had bought. I ended up using just 4 channels for both arches...by grouping strings together. Next year I will have a controller just for the 2 arches. I drove 36" 1/2" painted rebar stakes into the ground to keep the arches upright and anchored.

[wigginbalz]

james campbell wrote:

one biggie I learned is to back up all your files ie music sequences etc. I had a virus on my main computer and did not know if I could get it fixed,but I had mu stuff saved on a cd rom and my laptop as well as a flash drive so I knew I would be good to go

Being I'm an IT guy, I had an old 2.4Ghz desktop lying around. I reloaded it with Windows Server 2003 (no antivirus...just LOR software) I picked up a $35 APC battery backup on Black Friday. I put it in the garage and ran the CAT5 cable out the garage door to my controllers. I worried about losing my sequences and music files so I installed a second hard drive and setup a backup job to run every night. This PC is just for my lights...no internet connectivity.

[dgrant]

wigginbalz wrote:

james campbell wrote:

one biggie I learned is to back up all your files ie music sequences etc. I had a virus on my main computer and did not know if I could get it fixed,but I had mu stuff saved on a cd rom and my laptop as well as a flash drive so I knew I would be good to go

Being I'm an IT guy, I had an old 2.4Ghz desktop lying around.  I reloaded it with Windows Server 2003 (no antivirus...just LOR software)  I picked up a $35 APC battery backup on Black Friday.  I put it in the garage and ran the CAT5 cable out the garage door to my controllers.  I worried about losing my sequences and music files so I installed a second hard drive and setup a backup job to run every night.  This PC is just for my lights...no internet connectivity.

That's my intent as well...clean computer running the bare needed only and no connections to the outside world.