leaving computer and controller on 24/7

[RayNMesa]

Last year I kept the computer, transmitter and the controllers on 24/7 for the whole session, without any problems. I had the computer monitor off. The scheduled shows would run and stop, and all I had to do was check every so often for burned out bulbs etc. Is this OK to do?

[Guest wbottomley]

RayNMesa wrote:

Last year I kept the computer, transmitter and the controllers on 24/7 for the whole session, without any problems. I had the computer monitor off. The scheduled shows would run and stop, and all I had to do was check every so often for burned out bulbs etc. Is this OK to do?

Should be ok. We have computers at work that never get turned off. If they did, then you wouldn't have your favorite show on TV.:shock:

[basis21b]

Last year I had a script that would reboot the machine about 30 minutes before the show was scheduled to start. The machine runs Windows 98 SE and I felt that... Let's just say that back when I was using Windows 98 every day as a part of my job, I would have a more successful day if I rebooted the machine every day.

I also had a simple timer that would turn on and off the power for my radio transmitter when it was not broadcasting any music.

All the other equipment remained on 24/7. One interesting side effect was seeing only a partially chewed supply cord. I'm assuming the 'tree rat' (squirrel) moved on to this cord and got a lesson :shock: after having chewed off two other cords that were unpowered.

Tom B. (the other one)

[Dale W]

I have left mine powered up for 24 hours without any problems either. You do have to remember though, if you are broadcasting on a radio or a speaker that whatever noise is on your computer will be broadcast out to the general public.

I made a mistake, 2 years ago, of turning on some music about 4 in the morning and being able to hear it through the garage where my speakers were still on.

After that, I would unplug the radio and replug it when I was through.

It got a bit burdensome, because the computer I was using to control the LOR was a work computer too. So there were times when I would have to exit out of everything and shut down the LOR, until I was through.

With the advent of the MP3 player last year, I did not have to follow the same drill again as everything went through the player attachment.

[pixeldigger]

I left my show PC on all season.

When the "show" wasn't running, I just made blank sequences with an array of different christmas music insterspersed with some announcements of when the show would run.

This blank show ran all of the time when the regualr show wasn't running, so I always had Christmas music playing, which would give way to the real light show during show hours.

PC running 24/7 for most of the season with no problems.

[Shubb]

Dale W wrote:

I have left mine powered up for 24 hours without any problems either. You do have to remember though, if you are broadcasting on a radio or a speaker that whatever noise is on your computer will be broadcast out to the general public.

I left the LOR boards powered all the time and I had as stereo with small speakers outside for anybody that was walking by could hear the music. I programmed 1 channel on the LOR board to turn on the transmitter/stereo when the show started.
Although it is fun to be outside working on the lights when one of the kids is one the computer. You get to hear that unforgettable tone from an IM blasting over the from yard.

Scott

[Chuck Redding]

I generally run a 6 to 10 schedule during the week and 6 to 11 on the weekends. I do switch to a 24/7 routine for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

[lkcubsrule]

I left my computer on all the time...left my Belkin transmitter in all the time...it was perfectly fine. We leave our comptuers on ALL the time at our house.

[Richard III]

I set the computer to start up at 15 before the schedualed shows were gunna run. I then created a shutdown sequence that would run on the computer and shut the computer down 15 after the shows were schedualled to stop. I then had everty thing but the LOR bourds on a timer (Monitor,computer,Transmiter, and speakers.) The LOR boards would always be powered.

To creat the shutdown sequnce I whent in the CMD (Comand) of the computer and entered "shutdown" and it comes up with all the command codes for creating the seqence. Then I whent in to notepad and created the shutdown seqence and saved it as a .cmd file. then I whent into system tasks and added the task of shutting down at a certian time. and saved it.

To have the computer staup at a certin time I hit F2 while starting the machine up and when into BIOS and told the computer to start up at a certain time (You CANNOT have aPassword on you User account or it will not work and I think i rember that you can have only one account.

I was Running Windows XP (These Instructions were off the top of my head so i might have missed somthing or said it wrong)

PM me if you need better Instructions or for the shutdown file.



Ricky

[dbaxter21073]

I keep my system running 7/24. I have had some memory problems so I will reboot the machine Sat/Sun morning and it has resolved any of the issues for the remaining week. I keep the the monitor off.

Some suggestions if you do keep it up 7/24 and it is connected to the internet like mine - make sure that the windows auto-updating is either turned off or is set to download but do not install. I have had issues coming home and the machine has re-booted but the login prevented it from starting windows and the show.