Sequencing an entire block?

[RockinScott]

I live on a short street - 9 houses on each side.  I was thinking that for one night, I could have each house run all their lights to a cord running to the street and then hook up each house to one channel on a 32 channel sequence, taking 18 channels.  Our street is boulevard style so we have a 30' wide median with bushes and a few trees and could integrate those as well.

 

Then invite everyone out for a simple 1 or 2 song show.  Since I am basically talking about two lines of 9 elements in a row with a few elements in the middle area, do you think it will look alright?  Any ideas on sequences?

 

Thanks.

[WhitePlainsNY]

I kept it simple, 5 channels for each house to match the 5 major areas of mine (roof, 2nd floor windows, etc.). There are 3 houses joined to mine now via one controller and ELL for each of the three houses. If additional homeowners want to join in, they can have 5 channels for themselves so I could conceivable have a total of 15 houses join my house. The sixteenth channel would be used for a lighted FM radio sign.

 

Dueling Jingle Bells looks great and any other song that uses a chorus (neighbors) to accompany the main singer (your house). I have two videos on my website that show the four homes. I hope to get more this year. People were stumped how it was done and would often look at the cable TV service wire that comes from a pole across my street and think that's how it was done.

[Mega Arch]

Entire blocks? You guys are awesome. I'm still hoping more neighbors will at lease put up a static display.

[Aaeolien]

Entire blocks? You guys are awesome. I'm still hoping more neighbors will at lease put up a static display.

Yeah I am with you. My street is nothing nothing nothing nothing till you round the corner then bam there is us. Then nothing nothing nothing nothing. Lol.

[Eric walls]

Most of our neighbors but up static lights but a few now want to do a musical show. I do have an extra controller. How do you do that? Just run and extension cord across the street?

[Tim Benson]

I do a six house show.  Each house has a controller (or more).  I use a ELL to jump the street.

I have 4 vertical zones with 1 color and white .  (Gutter line, upper windows, lower windows, bushes)

and the white on the 4 bushes is seprate channels.   That gives me the ability to create vertical movement, and horizontal

movement on each house.   Each house has a different theme and color.  So that uses up 12 channels per house, then add a wreath, and a few other props. and all 16 channels are used.

 

I will tell you, sequencing becomes more work because you want to do more than just copy and paste the effects from

one house to another. But, the movement you can get down the street by creating a chase across the houses is excellent.

I also do the parkway trees that line the street and every one is a different channel, it is one of the most dramatic parts

of the show, especially with chases and twinkles.

 

Getting the neighbors involved is alot of fun, but don't underestimate the amount of work it will add.

 

Tim

[Mega Arch]

Yeah I am with you. My street is nothing nothing nothing nothing till you round the corner then bam there is us. Then nothing nothing nothing nothing. Lol.

Well, things can always change.

Sometimes even for the good.

All direct neighbors of ours, except one, have now at least put up static lights on their homes. Most have some bushes or posts lit as well. Two have consulted with me about using LED's. One borrowed my huge ladder to reach their highest peaks so they "could go bigger". But then it happened.....

The family across the street is asking how their house can jump and dance with mine. AWESOME!

They said their friends come over to watch my light show and ask them why they only have "Charlie Brown lights" on their house. The wife said, "WE'RE GOING BIG NEXT YEAR AND YOU NEED TO HELP."

Guess I need some ELL's and more controllers in the next LOR sale.

Good stuff!

[Daryl Hurd]

I do 6 homes myself.. on my side of the street we do almost all pixels and the other side of the street we do almost all white led lights. Each home is allocated at least 1 LOR controller with a ELL.

Once I get my E1.31 wireless working... Then the gloves are off and pixels will happen on both side of the streets..

Remember if you want to go cheap, you only need 1 set of Wireless ELL's. Then each home can have their own controller and the connect to the next yard controller.

Also since we have them on a ELL setup, they get their own LOR output from the show computer.. So if they fail, only 1/2 of the show is disabled at most.

This year our biggest problem is people turning off their porchlight where we draw power for their lights and controller from..

For you, even one channel to each home can be enough.. It is a matter of sequencing and realizing how much is connected to that channel when you decide to blinky flash it.. if the note you are turning the light on for is a quiet note, turning on so much may make your sequence look wrong..

[Santas Helper]

I live on a short street - 9 houses on each side.  I was thinking that for one night, I could have each house run all their lights to a cord running to the street and then hook up each house to one channel on a 32 channel sequence, taking 18 channels.  Our street is boulevard style so we have a 30' wide median with bushes and a few trees and could integrate those as well.

 

Then invite everyone out for a simple 1 or 2 song show.  Since I am basically talking about two lines of 9 elements in a row with a few elements in the middle area, do you think it will look alright?  Any ideas on sequences?

 

Thanks.

 

I honestly don't think one channel per house will work unless each house only has a couple strands of lights if they are icans. Then it wouldn't hardly be worth the effort nor get the effect you hope to get. If they are all LED, then it might not be so bad.

If those other homes have lots of ican lights, then the one channel may not be able to handle the power draw.

You might want to figure out what type of lights and how many lights from each house.

You gotta think power demand for each channel.

Then there's voltage drop from running long cords.

Then the risk of burning someone's house down since their lights would be controlled by you.

Controllers being at each house is a total different story.

 

just my thoughts.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Santas Helper

[Eric walls]

Well since I have 1 extra controller maybe I'll look at getting that wireless to run the signal from my house to theirs. It's kinda expensive though for those units. Maybe I can get them to pay for half of it.

Then they can use their lights.

[PaulXmas]

Running an extension cord across the street is not a good idea.

So many possible law suits.

[Santas Helper]

Well since I have 1 extra controller maybe I'll look at getting that wireless to run the signal from my house to theirs. It's kinda expensive though for those units. Maybe I can get them to pay for half of it.

Then they can use their lights.

 

You start halving the cost of equipment and that's just starting more problems. Who gets to keep it? Who replaces it if it breaks or gets stolen?

I would keep it sole ownership to one side or the other. Not both.

Just my thoughts.

[Eric walls]

Good idea, I can see that there is a lot to think about.

[debtoews]

we are doing 8-9 houses on our street this year.  We are very excited but realize the time and money.  We had out first neighborhood meeting the other night to discuss the issues good and bad of doing this.  The neighbors will provide their own lights and we will provide the controllers unless we get a sponsor to help with that.  The rule is- if you personally pay for it- its yours.  If we get a sponsor for hardware- that hardware will stay with the house.  So if someone moves, the new owners will have hardware.  I think the biggest thing is being organized and communicating with the neighbors.  I do all the programming, so song choice is pretty much up to me, altho I do like input.  I just created my grid for when all the neighbors join in and its over 500 rows long.....a bit daunting but I will survive!

[LarryDrumAZ]

My Dad did it for several years.  Everyone bought their own controllers, lights and sequenced their own houses.  It was all run from a central PC (in my Dad's garage) and connected using ELL's.

Edited September 6, 2015 by LarryDrumAZ

[debtoews]

My previous 8-9 is now 16!  Each house has at least 1 controller and an ELL.  We formed a nonprofit and it will won the equipment...LOVE the above video BTW!  (PS- video will be posted hopefully by Dec. 1)