My First Year's Story

[bryan.hurley5]

Hey everyone!

So my display is finally up and running. I have been deployed for the past 5 months and just got back the other day. This first year has been a huge learning curve and I hope I can provide some info to anyone that is just starting out. First of all, START EARLY for programming, prop making, and buy Christmas lights during the post christmas sale. I only have 32 channels of which 6 are dedicated to a home made singing gingerbread woman. However, 32 channels take FOREVER to program. So anyone reading this, please start early!

So now for the ugly. My heart dropped the other day when I was hooking up my lights. I bought some SPT-1 cord with vampire plugs to hook up most of my lights. However I built on of the cords incorrectly and shorted out my LOR box and blew a fuse...First night, no lights and a broken box luckily I searched the forums and came across the fuses at home depot. Here is the link...

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cooper-Bussmann-ABC-Series-15-Amp-Microwave-Oven-Fuses-2-Pack-BP-ABC-15/100180250

Once the display was back up I hit the play button and watched from my car on the street. The little one (2.5 years) loved them!!! Seeing her reaction was all I needed to continue this hobby. I spent the next 3 hours creeping from my window as spectators stopped and watched One of the greatest feelings!!! 

Bryan 

[dibblejr]

The one thing to know about making your own cords. When you look at the cord and split the end apart about 1/4" or so, the ribbed side will always go in the right side of the opening and down into the slot/ hole.

You'll get better at it.

And yes, deployments suck for Christmas show people, been there, done that. Retirement is grand.

Thank you for your service.

JR

Edited December 11, 2017 by dibblejr

[TheDucks]

JR advice is good (they really should include a slip sheet with assembly advice)

You tuck the raw ends into the pocket at the far end AND PUSH. There is a wedge at the bottom of the hole that pushes the ends apart.

The RIB always goes to the WIDE blade/slot/silver screw on any device  .

I look at the Wide slot and then the reverse for that pointed tooth's position. WIDE goes there. (there is no 'right' if you use mid cable, tap outlets)

[dibblejr]

21 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

JR advice is good (they really should include a slip sheet with assembly advice)

You tuck the raw ends into the pocket at the far end AND PUSH. There is a wedge at the bottom of the hole that pushes the ends apart.

The RIB always goes to the WIDE blade/slot/silver screw on any device  .

I look at the Wide slot and then the reverse for that pointed tooth's position. WIDE goes there. (there is no 'right' if you use mid cable, tap outlets)

However, if you use the female ends to make your mid splices, there is still a right. You just break of the tab on female end and it would go where right used to be. Novices would just need to mark it before breaking the tab off.

i find that ridge that is us d to break the ends apart almost useless that’s why I just separate the ends myself. Being almost no feeling in my hands and fingers it’s much easier to just nip the ends and drive on

JR

[TheDucks]

57 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

i find that ridge that is us d to break the ends apart almost useless that’s why I just separate the ends myself. Being almost no feeling in my hands and fingers it’s much easier to just nip the ends and drive on

JR

No, you SHOULD split as you have. The ridge KEEPS them apart.

[bryan.hurley5]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm an aircraft avionics technition so I eal with wiring quite often. I'm not going to lie, I've been shocked more times putting up my lights and messing with my LOR boxes lol.