Just received my 8 channel controller dont know what to do next

[blond newbie]

can I just plug in controllers and it will work,   do I need software what kind and which one ,  how many lights can I put on a channel don't know amps only know strings

[Brian Mitchell]

I'm sorry. Did you not know what you were buying?

The LOR software is required. This is not a plug and play system.

You will need to read up a lot more and watch the tutorials on the LOR website.

[Orville]

A Mr. Christmas this IS NOT!   It requires software{and a license level}, hardware{Controllers, an RS485 dongle, Cat5 cables, etc.}, a Windows based computer to run the LOR Software Suite, a lot of time and patience to get it all together, not to mention extension cords and all the other items that are required to get a display up and operational..   You're going to need to do a lot of learning over the next year to understand how this all works.   There is extreme doubt that you have the time to get a display up and running using the LOR system at this time, far too late in the season.

 

It takes many of us quite some time to get our displays sequenced to music and up, we are constantly working on our sequences all year long, I'm already working on my 2016 sequences for my Halloween display and 2016 Christmas Display, not to mention still working on sequences to hopefully add to the current 2015 Christmas display, we sequence right up to and even during show time, especially if we have to make a change because something is NOT working the way we expected.

 

So if you want a plug and play, go to where they sell a Mr. Christmas Light Show box, then all you have to do is plug in your lights and let the canned music and box do all the work for you, LOR hardware just doesn't work that way.

 

And do not by an means plug a cat5 cable from an Ethernet jack into a controller, damage may occur to both the controller and Ethernet device and any other devices attached to it.   The LOR Controllers ARE NOT Ethernet controlled!

Edited December 1, 2015 by Orville

[dgrant]

As stated, this is not a plug and play hobby. It takes time and effort plus the various things to make it run. The reward is that you create what you wish to see, so you become the artist in lights/music. Now before anything else, exactly which controller did you buy? If its an AC controller, please, please, do not mistake the RJ45 connectors on it for ethernet/TCPIP communication...IT IS NOT and its NOT compatible with internet connections. It is however, RS485 which in the case of LOR products, uses Cat5 type cables, typically used for ethernet/internet/TCPIP communications. You'll require a serial-usb to RS485 adapter from LOR along with the license from them to allow the software to control the controller.

 

Suggest you get LED's therefore you mostly won't have to worry about current limits. Most of the time in this hobby is spent on "sequencing" which is the software and telling each string/circuit to turn on/off, fade, twinkle, shimmer and so on, to music if that's what you are wishing to achieve. You can do an animation only, therefore no music too, again if that's what you wish. Sequencing takes time, plain and simple.

 

If you put into your location something more definitive, there's quite a few people there who can show you how to do this or help you get started. Once you get the hang of it, its easy.