HVACR Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Hello, I am new to Light-o-rama systems. I have just purchased 2 used controllers. I have also bought up on lights after christmas. I have a good electrical background. Well here is my question. My first show will be christmas of 2015. I own 3 houses side by side. I live in one of them and the other 2 are rentals. I want to put lights on all 3 houses and connect to one show. I plan to have one controller per house this year and adding one controller per house in the future. Should I treat this as one show 3 houses wide or clone all 3 controller as controller 1 and mirror the show on each house? Which do you think would be more impressive? Please explain your response.ThanksHVACR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 It looks like nobody replied here so I will. If these were my properties I would program them individually but make them interact with each other. You could do some small chases with each of the houses and do have the houses alternate with each other. I think having all three properties do the same thing at the same time would look boring. Small chases on each house such as bushes on H1, then bushes on H2, then bushes on H3, then eaves on H1, then eaves on H2, then eaves on H3, then windows on H1, then windows on H2, then windows on H3 and so on. Depending on how far apart the houses are it might look pretty cool. My 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstorms Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Do them all together, that would look awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericm Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 With only 2 controllers I don't know how much you can interact all 3, on 3 seperate shows.... Gonna have to do one show unless you get a third controller I would think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmienLightFan Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Both. Do most individually, then copy and paste and do some bits all together. All together looks really amazing at first, but gets boring, especially with only 16 channels, when you could be using all 48, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Need a common element with same beat to tie the yards together. Simple, but the same. Like candy canes all blinking together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sanch Mafia Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 id go 1 controller per house. diff do some chases from left to right and vice versa. but also having them doing something different to the same song would look cool, ppl wouldn't understand how thats all working. i think it would turn out nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightingnewb Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Both. Do most individually, then copy and paste and do some bits all together. All together looks really amazing at first, but gets boring, especially with only 16 channels, when you could be using all 48, IMO. I agree. Think of your houses being like ... 1 long house. How do you plan to use your 48 to the best of your ability? What would look cool? Best thing you could do is go to Google Maps and look the the street view of your properties. Think about what you think would be incredibly awesome to see with your houses. Those are my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 There are different answers from everyone you ask... Its all your choice ... think about all the different ideas you get here and then think of what you think you would like.... maybe all three connecting each house as one huge show or maybe as example.... have a 16 channel megs tree ion the middle connected to arches in the side houses so as the mega tree is active the arches are active with it but over on the houses on each side.... and maybe arches on in the center house with something else going on on the same channels on the side houses.... Main thing to remember...Its all your show and do something you like and keep in mind amp usage to lights, and that the more you have going on the more extension cords you will need to have.. also over long distances ext cords will drop power so all your controllers would need to be centralized for better power use.. also keep in mind the security of your lights etc. and safety of people who will try to be walking around in your yards to get closer looks at things. I have a lot of 48 channel that I sahre with whoever wants it... fell free to take and use whatever you want... Mine are set up to run 1 megs tree 16 channel and (2) 8 channel archs... others on it are misc items and 8 mini trees all one channel each. share.northjerseylights.com/for_chuck/ these was for Christmas 2014 and that was my first year using LOR also and I had a lot of help with things and I share because of the Many who shared and helped me.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HVACR Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 I have 4 controllers now. I am getting the idea that 16 channels per house is not much at all. Power is not a problem. Bringing out 3 30 Amp 240 volt circuits. One on each house. Thanks for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpageler Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Have you shared this idea with your renters to see how they feel about holiday decorations. I don't know what "right" they have but comom courtesy would be see what they thing about decorting "their home". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HVACR Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 Have you shared this idea with your renters to see how they feel about holiday decorations. I don't know what "right" they have but comom courtesy would be see what they thing about decorting "their home". Well the way the Oklahoma statue states they are renting the inside of the house not the outside. I would guess if they don't like it the could move. They are mine to decorate. My employee is living in one of the houses. He plans to cover his front windows with foil. However his kids love the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 (edited) Well the way the Oklahoma statue states they are renting the inside of the house not the outside. I would guess if they don't like it the could move. They are mine to decorate. My employee is living in one of the houses. He plans to cover his front windows with foil. However his kids love the idea.So they are not expected to mow or any other upkeep outside? Do they pay their own electricity?Really need to consider keeping the other renters in the loop. If it wasn't disclosed in the lease, I see it possibly getting ugly for you if they're not on board with it. Catch more flies with honey.... Edited April 24, 2015 by Mega Arch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HVACR Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 So they are not expected to mow or any other upkeep outside? Do they pay their own electricity?Really need to consider keeping the other renters in the loop. If it wasn't disclosed in the lease, I see it possibly getting ugly for you if they're not on board with it.Catch more flies with honey....I will credit them for any electric that the display uses. I have been a landlord for 15 years. The bees are dead and the honey ran out long ago..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince4xmas Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 HVACR.......love the comment "The bees are dead and the honey ran out long ago...."Rock on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan24438 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 You may have the right, but your actions may not be right. Courtesy goes along way. I would talk to all of your tenants about running a show on a house they are renting. How are you planning to keep track of power usage? Are you just going to compare it to the previous months bills? What stops your renters from simply turning everything on and jacking the power usage way up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HVACR Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 You may have the right, but your actions may not be right. Courtesy goes along way. I would talk to all of your tenants about running a show on a house they are renting. How are you planning to keep track of power usage? Are you just going to compare it to the previous months bills? What stops your renters from simply turning everything on and jacking the power usage way up?Track of power usage: example: 1000 watts of light X 8 hours per day X 35 days = 280Kwh X .07 per Kwh = credit of $19.60I pay the bill for my employees house and my house not planning on pulling power from the middle house till the show needs more wattage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmienLightFan Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Track of power usage: example: 1000 watts of light X 8 hours per day X 35 days = 280Kwh X .07 per Kwh = credit of $19.60I pay the bill for my employees house and my house not planning on pulling power from the middle house till the show needs more wattage. Well, in an animated display, the lights are dimmed/off for a large proportion of the time, so that would be wrong... But that is a bit OCD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 I am soooo happy my owner.... (my wife ) doesn't force things like Christmas lights on me.... I would really be a un happy camper if she ( my land lord) did that unless I liked the lights and wanted them. It would be different if the houses decorated were empty but even though I am not in Oklahoma... I did grow up there and unless you have it in your lease with them you really have no right at all to connect and use the electricty that is in their name unless you have their prior permission to do so. Even as a owner and land lord you do not have that right unless it is given to you. I would ask them about it first and get it in writing saying they are giving you permission to do it just like you would want them to do if they wanted to run a extension cord to your house and run things off of it. You said the house in the center isnt going to be running power... if it is empty and you pay the bill why cant you run ext cords from it to the one next door if you want to decorate it? wouldn't it be better to be on the safe and more legal about it then to possibly have complaints saying you were stealing power from them, trespassing on their rented property unless you give written notice to the legal renter for being there etc. Just saying... in today's times you have to make sure you are covering yourself from all legal aspects.Just because you own the place unless your lease states otherwise it does not give you the legal right to do what ever you want to on that property without the renters approving it sense you want to use their electricity and have them paying the bill in case you decide you dont want to. I am very untrusting of most people... I have learned it is always better to not trust most people from what they say because most will take advantage of you now days if they think it will save them a buck or make them a buck. It would be awesome to have a big display carrying over threw three houses and yards though... Especially if maybe you can get your neighbor/ renters to help setting it up and taking it back down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HVACR Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 I don't plan to use any electricity that I am not paying for. I agree that would want to get the tenant's permission to use their electricity even If I plan to pay for the useage. As for trusting people? I would like to say I trust people but I have been burned so many times I gave up on counting. I do plan to let them know before I do put up any lights. I do plan to add the christmas lights to the next generation of the lease agreement. The tenants are behind on their rent these tenants may be gone before that date arrives. by the way I do keep a lawyer on retainer. I bought the houses next to me to control the looks of the houses and the types of people that live next to me. (no more druggies)(barking dogs)(trash in yards). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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