Hiding LOR Controllers within display

[NJJohn]

After five years of ever enlarging LOR displays, I finally have enough controllers that I can now permanently dedicate controllers to specific display features and not have to redo my circuit layout each year. Thank God I don’t need to keep doing that every year. Now that I have controllers dedicated to specific display features, I would like to locate them closer to their assigned feature (ie. Trees, gardens, etc) but don’t want them sitting out to be seen primarily because I want avoid enticing would be thief’s or curious kids but also because I just think they look ugly. I hate having four boxes hanging on the pole to my Mega Tree. I am looking for creative ways to hide them. I have searched the boards but have been unable to find what I am looking for and that may be because I just don’t know how to describe it in the search box. I’m sure someone out there in LOR land has come up with a creative way of disguising them, if so and you don’t mind sharing, I would be forever grateful if you would share with me your solutions and or pictures. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or ideas you may have.

[1983ss454]

I just mount mine with exhaust clamps to metals poles, hammer the metal pole in behind the mini trees, mega tree, arches ext., then cover the box in a black trash bag. Not the neatest but I've had fellow LOR users come and look at my display and they can't see them, so does the job

[jstorms]

Last year I buried all my controllers. Now I don't remember where they are. *jk*

[gmac]

I've seen others who have built boxes, painted them, then put  bows and ribbon on them and they looked like Christmas Presents thru out the yard

and it looked quite nice.

[taybrynn]

I don't overtly hide mine, I just put them generally behind things, turned sideways to the street, towards the back ... Sometimes inside structures, often attached to structures or base frames or rebar in the ground. Some put them in storage containers and then wrap them as presents. I just find that's too much hassle for me. If someone wanted to steal bad enough they can. But most would have no use for these controllers, IMHO.

[Jim Hans]

I too just mount mine to a snow fence stake that I pound into the ground.  I try to put them as much as I can behind the element so they are not seen but don't worry about it too much.  I put three of them inside my mega tree for example.  During the day our displays look pretty messy anyway so having them out doesn't really make things worse... at night you can't see them at all. 

[George Simmons]

My advice is to place the controllers where they're convenient for YOU, and don't worry much about disguising them.  IMO that's one of the things that people spend way too much time overthinking.  You've got more important things to do. If security is an issue, you need to take whatever measures you deem appropriate.  But as far as visibility goes, if your sequencing and your display setup are even half good, no one is ever going to look at or even notice the controllers.  They're there to hear the lights.

Besides, 999 out of a thousand people wouldn't know what they were looking at even if they did notice a controller somewhere.

[NJJohn]

1983ss454, jstorms, gmac, taybrynn, Jim Hans, and George Simmons, thank you all for the responses and thoughts. As I suspected, I am probably overthinking this and creating more work than is necessary.  You are all right, at night you really don’t see them.  Thank you all again for the advice.

 

John

[Paul R]

I just picked up one of these on sale at Sears this week. I plan to place it in the yard near my pixel tree and place all of my controllers in it, mounted to the inside wall of the unit. Now trying to decide how I want to decorate it...

 

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-resin-horizontal-utility-shed-34-cu-ft/p-07165024000P?prdNo=9&blockNo=9&blockType=G9

 

-Paul

[crackchecker]

I'm with George, (well, not literally) I've got bigger fish to fry that worry about what my controllers look like...

 

I just hammer a concrete form post into the ground, bolt the controller to it, and throw a black trash bag over it(them).

[PaulXmas]

I had 4 of my controllers attached to the pole of my mega tree and others attached to the poles I used for my mini trees.

Even in the day they are hard to see.

[grump010]

Up in the great white north, hiding them happens naturally. Bag em with a white trash bag and the snow does the rest!

 

Cheers

Daryl B.

[lightzilla]

Up in the great white north, hiding them happens naturally. Bag em with a white trash bag and the snow does the rest!

 

Cheers

Daryl B.

How True! Last year we had so much snow that I couldn't even find the mini trees. Not only that -36C (-33 F) is enough to keep anyone from even viewing the show.

[dgrant]

Where I live, snow and ice are the only issues. Snow only lasts a couple of days at a time, if that. Ice can last about the same but ice was a problem. Last year, I bagged them with black trash bags, tied the bags to them so they were covered but vented on the bottom and so that the wind wouldn't take the bags off. As others said, during the day, doesn't look so great but at night, you don't see or notice them. I do try to hide them behind things and so on if possible.

 

If I was to try to put them outside permanently, then I'd attach them to a wall and build a flip up cover over them that's waterproof and use an appropriate paint or camo to disguise them.

[taybrynn]

Snow usually hides mine ... For me locating conveniently next to display items to the extent possible reduces extension cord use incredibly. My goal is for every AC channel to be within 10' or less of its controller. That's the case 90+% overall. I also put controllers on the roof to service roof channels and made them DMX wireless ... Have not regretted that.

[NJJohn]

PaulR, CrackChecker, paulxmas, grump010, lightzolla, dgrant and taybrynn, my apologies for not responding quicker, I have been away from a computer for several days. Thank you all for your suggestions and advice. I have concluded that I am just not going to worry about it. There are numerous other things I can be working on. Thank you all again. This really is a great community to be a part of. John

[Jeff Messer]

Drive a stake and put one screw in it and ziptie the controller to the stake. Buy some black 5 gallon bucks and tie a red ribbon around it. I drill two holes one on each side of the bucket and drive a metal rod in each at an angle. This hold the bucket in place and makes someone work a little to take it. My connections are laying on the ground so I use a small piece of 2x4 painted black and lift the plugs off the ground. Box is now waterproof , looks good and works like a champ.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Jeff Messer

[a31ford]

Gota Say I like gmac's present idea, except I got WAY to much space to play with..... (600 ft of frontage......)

 

 

Greg

[Orville]

Just had a 66' long Handicap ramp installed, all 3 of my controllers are now permanently affixed to the ramp.  2 are between the small space between the house and the ramp attached to ramp, #3 is at the back of the ramp on the garden side.   I have a 4th that has a bad channel but still useable providing I can find a mountable weatherproof box to put it in.   My security is nothing more than putting a lock on the box to keep someone from opening and getting access to the screws to remove any controllers.   And it's be pretty dang hard to just "pull" them off of their ramp mounted areas.   When I was ina  regular house, they were also directly mounted to the walls with concrete or wood screws depending on the exterior finish they were being secured too.  And they stay up year round as they also activate any garden lighting as well as the handicap lighting to illuminate the ramp after dark.

[NJJohn]

Drive a stake and put one screw in it and ziptie the controller to the stake. Buy some black 5 gallon bucks and tie a red ribbon around it. I drill two holes one on each side of the bucket and drive a metal rod in each at an angle. This hold the bucket in place and makes someone work a little to take it. My connections are laying on the ground so I use a small piece of 2x4 painted black and lift the plugs off the ground. Box is now waterproof , looks good and works like a champ.

Interesting idea.