My Christmas 2016 Display

[scodavis]

Hi all,

 

Just thought I'd take a moment and share my lighting plan for the 2016 Christmas season.  I'm really excited to be using LOR and animating my Christmas lights for the very first time.  It's been a long time coming, and I finally decided that 2016 was going to be the year to do it!

 

Everything except for the pink tree is done with Warm White, Red, Green, and Blue strings zip-tied together.  The roofline, two windows, and garage will be outlined with C6 LED lights; everything else is M6 LED lights.  All LED lights were purchased from Holiday-Light-Express during their pre-sale.  The roofline will also have 40 C-7 Xenon strobe lights.  In case you're wondering, the pink tree is for my four-year-old daughter, who is obsessed with the color pink and insisted that my display must have something pink in it.  Once my son (currently 5 months old) has his favorite color, he will get a fixture as well.

 

This year I'll be using a total of 31 channels:

• Roofline WRGB
• Garage WRGB
• Bushes WRGB (Next to Garage)
• Left Window WRGB
• Right Window WRGB
• Maple Tree WRGB
• Flower Bed Outline WRGB
• Pink Tree
• Strobes
• "Tune In" Sign (Yellow)

I have already sequenced my complete show of 10 songs, and I will also be using commercials from The Demented Elf to ask people to park correctly and stay off of private property.  I'm also in the process of building the website for my show.  I know it's a ways off, but I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year!

 

I would have done the upper roofline but it would put me over budget.  Next year I'll be removing the flower bed outline, adding the upper roofline, and then adding either 8 or 12 mini trees in front of the flower bed.  Fun fun fun!

[k6ccc]

Wow, you are SO FAR AHEAD of most newbies, who are often not as far along as you are somewhere in October.

 

Welcome to the insanity...

[DisneyMatt10]

Wow! Looks great! Sounds like you have a great plan! Keep up the good work! Can't wait to see how everything comes together!

[scodavis]

Wow, you are SO FAR AHEAD of most newbies, who are often not as far along as you are somewhere in October.

 

Welcome to the insanity...

 

Well, it helps that my wife discovered Santa Claus Lane, put on by Deb and Terry here in Clovis.  They had their house plus 15 of their neighbors all synchronized to music.  It's like Disneyland that you don't have to take out a loan to visit.  They have helped a LOT with information, where to buy things, and how to plan things out.  Right now I'm just waiting for the Mad Grab to get some controllers - I need two minimum but want to get three so that I have some extra channels just in case.

[lightingnewb]

Wow.

 

Now that you're ahead of the game, try to remember that you're ahead. As a third year newbie, I tell you from experience that no matter how far ahead of the curve you think you are, you'll always be three steps behind. There will be a new challenge or issue you haven't learned about and something we can't prepare you for that will come up in the last few months/weeks/days/hours/minutes.

 

If you can continue to put yourself ahead of the game and prepare for anything, you'll save yourself extra stress down the road.

 

Also, I see a potential rooftop keyboard of lights (like a piano keyboard) as an option to expand your horizons.

 

Thanks for joining our utter madness, glad to have you in the community.

 

LN.

 

Last thing - please, please, PLEASE, PLEASE don't hesitate to bother me, or ask us all questions about where to find things, how to approach a project, etc. We're here to support each other in this addiction.