2014 will be my first year with controllers

[blackramair]

So as the title says this coming year I want to add controllers.  A little background first I have always run a static gingerbread house type display with a few chasing lights and a skiing snowman.  So my question is I want to keep the house as a static gingerbread but add movement to the bushes(currently static) and add an arch over the driveway.  Some windows have twinkle lights so putting a twinkle on the windows is an option.  I also want to add music for the coming year. My question is with my plans what is a good starting point.  I am looking at 16 or 32 channels but the sequence part has me concerned since I would like to keep the house outline static. I have downloaded the demo and have been playing around with it some.  I attached a photo of my static display in case that may help. Any and all replies will be appreciated, Thank you in advance.

[Orville]

just my opinion, but I think I'd start with 32 channels{2 controllers}, since you want to keep the house outline static, I'd do it this way, house outline would still be connected to 1 channel and would operate that at around 50-60% intensity, this way it will be a wee bit dimmer than the lights being animated, which would be the main focus of attention.  As for the windows, I'd actually animate them independantly, looks like you have 7 windows, so 7 channels, 1 for each window and have them synched to specific parts of the music, so now uou're at 8 channels for the house only.

 

Yard lights would all be on separate channels, I can't tell exactly how many bushes you have from the photo, but looks like somewhere between 8-10? possibly.  You could always combine bushes that are close together, making 2-3 bushes a single channel entity.  The ground lights would be a different channel, as well as the lights on the tree trunk.    So I think 32 channels would get you up and going nicely.

 

But once you start "animating" those lights to music, you'll start thinking about animating the others that are on the house or in other areas that aren't pulsing to the beat, because now the static ones will possibly start looking out of place with those that are "dancing" to the music. LOL

 

But that's how I believe I'd start out and what I'd try to do.

 

BTW: The twinkle option in LOR is okay, but most of us find it too fast to use and sometimes one or two strands of lights flashes a whole lot slower than the others.  this has the effect of making a strand or 2 of lights not to be working properly, and others flash so quickly they look out of place and could give a person seizures.  Nor does it appear as random as many think it should be.   There is no way to really control the speed of the "twinkle" effect, and is why most of us either don't use it all, or we use it very sparingly for maybe 1 or 2 strands of lights that aren't a main focal point in the display.  

 

I try not to use it all in my Christmas displays, but I have tried using the twinkle effect with other off/on, shimmer and fade commands for my Halloween display a couple of times, but I usually always end up removing the twinkle effect because it just doesn't seem to work out very well, again, this is because there is no way to control the speed of the twinkle, if there were, it'd be a nice option to use.

 

Anyway, those would be my suggestions for you to consider.

 

Good Luck and Welcome to the world of animating Holiday lights to music!

[Bustluvr]

I started with 48 channels each bush tree & window had own channel. I like the way it danced with the music.

[jerry72]

This will be my first year with controllers as well. 6 channel Mr Christmas was fun to have, but people in this town have said they cant wait to see what i do next year so i have to step it up. I am going to get 2 of TR16's. 32 channels will be great for me here.

[jerry72]

This will be my first year with controllers as well. 6 channel Mr Christmas was fun to have, but people in this town have said they cant wait to see what i do next year so i have to step it up. I am going to get 2 of TR16's. 32 channels will be great for me here.

What i meant to say is i will be getting 2 of the TR16 controllers set up so i can have 32 channels. Check this article out as well, will be great for beginners like us.....http://www.planetchristmas.com/Magazine/November2012/index.html#/18/

[Shadow69]

Same here.....i just saw the gangnam style video and although my set up will not be anywhere near as elaborate...i am sure it will be exciting...can't wait to get started

[Premier]

If the budget allows, definately go for 32 channels, if the budget is tight, then start with one. I too think you should have the house on a dedicated channel as well, if for nothing more than to allow you to control your entire display as to when to turn on and more importanlty, when to turn off your lights.

 

Use a copy of your picture and start circling each item in your display you want to computerize, the santa, the sidewalk lights, individual tree/bush lights...and see how many channels you think you will need......then double it. As you get on with this hobby, either through your  programming, watching displays on your tube, etc.... you will undoubtedly before October comes around get a huge ammount of ideas on what you would like to do, and what you would like to add to your existing display

[blackramair]

I originally thinking 32 channels and in fact the wife still thinks that is what I'm getting.  I can spring for two controllers and hoping that some sales will come along to make it an easier purchase.  Thanks for the great ideas above.  I never thought to dim the house lights, hope my big box store lights hold up. I want to start purchasing lights from some of the vendors but with needing controllers also the budget doesn't allow for that.  I was able to pick up 3700 LED lights today from Lowes at to good of price to pass up. If they last one season so be it. 

[jerry72]

I was going with 32, tell the wife saw the singing Christmas trees, now i will have 64 channels.

[blackramair]

So I have another question can you bury the spt cords. I want to have the yard look very clean and want to bury the cords just below the surface of the grass. I have searched all over and not found an answer to this question.

[jerry72]

So I have another question can you bury the spt cords. I want to have the yard look very clean and want to bury the cords just below the surface of the grass. I have searched all over and not found an answer to this question.

If you are gonna bury anything i would suggest you put it in electrical conduit. Even when i was doing electrical work there were some cables that could be buried with out conduit but we did not. Most of the electrical cords just do not have a thick enough shell on them. Look around, there are places that sell 500 foot reels of Green cord, will blend in with your grass.

https://www.google.com/search?q=500+foot+green+cord&rlz=1C1RNVM_enUS556US556&oq=500+foot+green+cord&aqs=chrome..69i57.4282j0j7&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#es_sm=122&espv=210&q=500+foot+green+cord&tbm=shop&spd=17237882763767519827

[blackramair]

Thanks Jerry. I am getting green anyways just wanted to make the yard look very clean during the day if it was possible.  Wasn't sure if the wire would be alright for a few weeks like that. I have spent most of the day making my sequence and I have not gotten very far.

[jerry72]

Thanks Jerry. I am getting green anyways just wanted to make the yard look very clean during the day if it was possible.  Wasn't sure if the wire would be alright for a few weeks like that. I have spent most of the day making my sequence and I have not gotten very far.

The reason i don't here even for a few weeks is because of the moles and and the amount or rain we get. SC may be different. If ya don't get a lot of rain and don't have an issue with ground pests then you might be ok. I bury coax but it had a thick shielding on it.

[blackramair]

No yard pests, we do have rain but what would be the difference of above ground or below ground with rain?  All connections would be above ground just want to take a shovel stick it in the ground a couple of inches and place the wire run. 

Spent about 4 hours off and on today making a sequence and still don't have a full 30 seconds complete.

[jerry72]

No yard pests, we do have rain but what would be the difference of above ground or below ground with rain?  All connections would be above ground just want to take a shovel stick it in the ground a couple of inches and place the wire run. 

Spent about 4 hours off and on today making a sequence and still don't have a full 30 seconds complete.

If you dont have any yard pests you should be OK. Especially if its only for a few weeks. 

I will be buying the Super Star Sequencer software, does the sequencing for ya, may not be as great as some of the guys here can program by hand, but for guys like me, it will be just fine. read this article on it....http://www.planetchristmas.com/Magazine/November2012/index.html#/18/

[Orville]

I bury my cords and have never used any conduit.   I just make sure they aren't going to be buried for no more than 6 weeks, been doing it for years and no breakdowns of my cords.  I sue however, make sure the type cords I use are only single connections.  I dont bury any type of extension cord that has more than  one connection UNLESS all connections on that cord are used.  That is I have 3 items connected so all female outlets are in use.    But that's rare, so I use outdoor cords, green and orange single female end and have never had any issues burying them without using conduit of any kind.

 

I had one orange outdoor cord buried for over 3 years in the ground without conduit supplying power an triple outlet box that went to control small ponds three water pumps, the only issue with it was the orange got discolored {faded out from dark orange to a very pale orange}, but still perfectly intact and no damage to the cord or the green cord buried from the triple outlet.  No discoloration of the green cord at all.

Where sue is, shouldn't even be there at all.  Should have been "I, however, make sure the type cords I use are only single connections."

[jerry72]

I bury my cords and have never used any conduit.   I just make sure they aren't going to be buried for no more than 6 weeks, been doing it for years and no breakdowns of my cords.  I sue however, make sure the type cords I use are only single connections.  I dont bury any type of extension cord that has more than  one connection UNLESS all connections on that cord are used.  That is I have 3 items connected so all female outlets are in use.    But that's rare, so I use outdoor cords, green and orange single female end and have never had any issues burying them without using conduit of any kind.

 

I had one orange outdoor cord buried for over 3 years in the ground without conduit supplying power an triple outlet box that went to control small ponds three water pumps, the only issue with it was the orange got discolored {faded out from dark orange to a very pale orange}, but still perfectly intact and no damage to the cord or the green cord buried from the triple outlet.  No discoloration of the green cord at all.

Where sue is, shouldn't even be there at all.  Should have been "I, however, make sure the type cords I use are only single connections."

Yeah the larger Orange cords have a thicker shielding on them, But again, depends on where ya live, but as you said, don't leave the green cords buried to long. I had one buried for less then 2 weeks, mole chewed right through it.