What did you learn in 2012?

[De Trommelslager]

This year I experimented with some more complex chases and multi colour tree rotations - They never looked as good as the simple effects.

Yep! Same here. In many ways less was more.

[Ed Slonka Jr]

I learned this year just exactly how much fun it really is to give something back for everyone to enjoy. I have in the past years received the thank you's

and cards and people thanking me at work for the display but this year Santa came on Dec. 23 to give out candy canes to the kids and I was his elf.

We gave out over 400 candy canes and that was to just the kids. It was the biggest night I have ever had traffic wise in the 5 years of doing this.

People were texting others and posting on Facebook that Santa was here. The fun that people were having just standing and listening and watching the

show and interacting with Santa just simply blew me away. The turnout was simply wonderful! Heck Santa even got interviewed by the local TV station.

I just can't wait to do it all again next year!

[Crazydave]

When you hear and see the unmistakable beat of Gangnam Style shaking your windows and vibrating your entire house (when you have no outdoor speaker and only an FM transmitter... complemented with the occasional "woooohooooo"... it's probably not the neighborhood hooligans with 1000 watt amps and 15" subwoofers in their tricked out hooptie.

It's the 40-something-year-old women out for a night on the town after their Christmas party/happy hour... and they will stay for the entire show.... and they will hit on you....even when your wife/girlfriend is standing 10-feet away.

Edited January 3, 2013 by Crazydave

[Crazydave]

No matter how much attention and double checking you do when you are sequencing a song...

you will always find a mistake in your sequencing.... when you are watching it with some friends.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Crazydave

[Redbirdruss]

This is my 4th year and I learned some important lessons as well: 1) Leave notes for yourself about how you could have improved your set-up and leave them with your equipment. 2) Rabbits and squirrels love CAT5 cable 3) Putting a black garbage bag over your controllers keeps them dry and camouflaged 4) Spend time perfecting your sequences before adding new elements 5) LED's do fail 6) People can be incredibly kind and take the time to thank you for your hard work

[Derek Venlet]

Year one in the books. Lessons learned:

1) My wife likes to hang the lights on the roof.

2) The reason I do this is for all the little kids (and young at heart) that come by and love it.

3) My time spent in college as a music major has the added bonus of being able to program quickly.

4) An 8-minute show that is great is better than the 15-minute show that is good.

5) Less traffic for the 8-minute show keeps the neighbors happier. :-)

6) For all you newbies IMO a radio transmitter is a must.

7) LED's turn on faster and fade up/down faster than incans.

8) Plan ahead, stick with the plan, buy what you think you need and then do it.

9) Everyone on this forum says buy more extension cord than you think you need. It's true.

10) A singing snowman choir that shimmers on long notes gets more oohs and aahs than some of the effects that took hours to execute. :-) KISS

11) Hearing peoples reactions to the show are priceless…my favorite, "Holy S***!!! The tree turned red!" That from a 60+ year old.

12) LOR friends in my area are great and very open.

13) If you have an interest, read about it here first and then read about it some more. I started thinking about this in December 2011 and read stuff all year.

14) Have fun. If you aren't having fun, PM me and I'll take all your lights and LOR equipment off your hands. :-)

[pstigerfan]

Things I learned in 2012:

1) Started experimenting more with DMX. Did not get it fully implemented for the 2012 show, but learned more than I knew about DMX before 2012.

2) Start Early! Don't take two months off in January and February or else you will be behind.

3) You never have enough SPT cable for extension cords. The number of trips I had to make to Home Depot or Lowes for SPT cable because I needed it.

4) When the manager at Home Depot says "I see you a lot around here these days" makes you learn you need to ask them for a discount next time you are there.

5) Buying stuff during the Pre-Sales makes it easier and saves you money.

6) RGB -- Started learning the basics

7) Before setup, create a plan beforehand. I can't believe the amount of time I spent out in the yard asking myself "What do I do now?"

8) Before you start setup, have all extension cords sorted and labeled. It will make setup easier.

9) You can never have enough zip ties, electrical tape, and other "installation" materials.

10) Make sure you have your FM frequency figured out before asking the Demented Elf to do your voiceovers. I had him do my voiceovers in April and by November, my FM frequency had to be changed.

11) Contact an outside source (e.g. The Demented Elf) to do your voiceovers. It pays off in the end!

12) Cut down on the time delay between sequences

13) Start doing your homework now on what you want for next year, what materials you need, your budget, etc.

14) Don't share the "true" cost of your display with anyone. Heck, don't even total it up. I totaled my bills for 2012 and realized I spent WAY MORE than I had budgeted. I almost passed out when I saw that true figure.

To Learn in 2013:

1) How can I make my show better for 2013?

2) How can I help others?

3) Learn RGB and more about DMX to improve the show and add that next "element" of surprise

[Karenwatt]

@ A majority of the folks watching my display would drive off when we stepped outside. I spent all year working on the display for me to lure you into stopping in front of my house so that I could come out and scare you off.

I get this too! What is up with that?

Things I learned in 2012:

1. You really should start before November

2. Buy 3 times as many zip ties as you think you will need at Harbor Freight where they are cheap

3. The dog will tear the covering off of the door

4. If people that you are married to try to tell you that you will not need guy wires do not listen to them

5. Put even more guy wires than you think you will need

6. Watch where you are walking after you put the guy wires

7. 3 day priority mail from the USPS is not guaranteed

8. It wouldn't hurt to put a couple of radio station signs because people still are not understanding there is music

9. 2 married people should not attempt to video the show together in the same vehicle

and finally

10. Hire someone to video tape the display because your camera stinks and neither you or your husband can sit still and hold a camera straight.

[scubado]

@ A majority of the folks watching my display would drive off when we stepped outside. I spent all year working on the display for me to lure you into stopping in front of my house so that I could come out and scare you off.

I get this too! What is up with that?

Things I learned in 2012:

1. You really should start before November

2. Buy 3 times as many zip ties as you think you will need at Harbor Freight where they are cheap

3. The dog will tear the covering off of the door

4. If people that you are married to try to tell you that you will not need guy wires do not listen to them

5. Put even more guy wires than you think you will need

6. Watch where you are walking after you put the guy wires

7. 3 day priority mail from the USPS is not guaranteed

8. It wouldn't hurt to put a couple of radio station signs because people still are not understanding there is music

9. 2 married people should not attempt to video the show together in the same vehicle

and finally

10. Hire someone to video tape the display because your camera stinks and neither you or your husband can sit still and hold a camera straight.

I love #6. Using dark rope doesn't help either.

[columbus27]

Test all the previous years home made SPT cords before putting them on a controller and burning up triacs.

Drew

This is going to be my first year using SPT could you explain to me what happened and how a person can test for this?

[columbus27]

10. Hire someone to video tape the display because your camera stinks and neither you or your husband can sit still and hold a camera straight.

I've been videoing mine since 2010 and the video still look broke down. My son is in HS and I am going to see if he can get one of his AV friends to video next year.

[FarrOut]

This is going to be my first year using SPT could you explain to me what happened and how a person can test for this?

Get a multi meter. Many available at reasonable costs.

Before you plug anything into anything, put the meter in the OHM's mode and put one probe on each of the blades of the male connector.

The meter should not indicate anything, or, it should be the same as when the probes are not touching anything.

If it does read some value, there is probably a short, or partial short in the setup.

Find it before you continue.

[rainyoregonchristmas]

What I learned in 2012:

1. Don't run drip tubes and strobes at the same time if they are close together. They cancel out each other and look like a flashy blob.

2. Yes, in fact, you can never have enough extension cords. I literally used my last cord the last element I set up.

3. Keep a Mr. Christmas in your arsenal. Loan it to neighbors who want to get into the hobby. If they still are committed afterwards take them to a mini (mine decided against it).

4. In this hobby and forum are some of the most generous and kind people around.

5. Even with a lit "Tune To" sign, and speakers in the yard, some people still don't realize the lights are set to music.

6. As you are tearing your seasonal display, someone will invariably ask when you will start putting up next years lights. (I hear a volunteer.)

[Greg]

Keep busy all year, Don't wait till the last 2 months before setup to start sequencing/building.

[crackchecker]

Don't cheep out on your CAT5 cable and connectors.

Had a tonne of issues with channels sticking (ON) till I replaced every cable to each LOR controller.

This years display ran AWSOME after that.

[jlarson]

There is always more taining that is needed.

The display you did not put back up this year is the one everyone came to see again.

[shakeonit]

Zip ties should be renamed time savers... use them people, use them everywhere for everything, they are HOLY!

[Klayfish]

2012 was my first crack at it. I learned how to make my lights go blinky blink and watch my kids stare in amazement.

2013 goal - learn what in the heck I'm actually doing, and make the blinky blink turn into choreographed movements.

[jerrymac]

NEVER NEVER again introduce lots of new items into the display late in the season ( November), no matter how nice it would make things. I added a 16 string pixel tree and revamped my DMX lines at the last minute without a complete test. Blew most of my display as a number of connectors had failed resulting in NO dmx and blown fuses in E1.31 controller limited my pixel tree,

In the future no new stuff late in the year. wait until NEXT year!!! and test each individule and connected items as a section before setting out in the display. Trouble shooting once set up really SUCKS.

[friskybri]

I learned that the all pixel displays suck ass for christmas. They get real boring after 3 songs.