~DOC~ Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Is anyone else overly paranoid the show won’t start or stops and monitor it closely? Or am I just paranoid? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75redman Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I did my first couple of years. Now, 6 years later, not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Only sort of. For my year round landscape lighting show, I get an E-Mail when the following items happen: the computer boots up, the evening show starts, the overnight show starts, the overnight show ends. The year round show runs on my server. I use a commercial monitoring service that notifies me if any one of at least a half dozen ports or web services fails to respond. The server itself will notify me if a power supply fails, a hard drive fails, high temperature, backup battery (RAID or motherboard) fails, a RAM module fails, the top cover is opened, a fan fails, or a few minor error conditions. In the event of a commercial power failure, an environmental monitor will notify me and monitor the voltage of the battery system for each of the two UPSes. For the Christmas show, each show start and end, and because I use MIIP, I can always tell what song is playing. The show computer will also notify me when it boots up. At 0745, the show computer sends me a daily log file for MIIP, so I can see every song that played. I can also remotely access the show computer or the server at any time and see what they are doing. i also have security cameras so I can watch what is going on from several different angles. When I am sitting at my computer during the evening, I usually have the show audio on quietly in the background. With all the technology and monitoring capabilities, I don’t have to worry about it... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orville Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Actually I'm so paranoid about my show not working I'm one of the lunatics that took over the asylum!🤪 Hey, you need a light show even in the looney bin.....don't you? 🤣🤣🤣 Seriously, nope, never really worried about it at all, not even in my first year. First few years I used an DC-MP3 Director, then started using a computer and as long as I know I have everything DISCONNECTED, no auto-updates of anything, no screen savers, no background Windows sound effects, then I'm good to go and have been. But if the power glitches, then I have to have someone at the house log into my computer that can allow the show to restart when the computer restarts, since it won't start when the password log on screen comes up after a reboot {if it's on and a show is running, it will run and do eveything scheduled, only have to log in to restart the show if the power goes out completely}. And I have to keep my computer locked since we have roommates in the house for the time being. So I only worry if we have any severe thunderstorms with lightning, since that's when the power may go out around my area from time to time. But those are usually rare this time of year, although we' had some today Thursday 12/20 and are supposed to have them again tomorrow, so since that's going on and I have to be off elsewhere for other things, I hope nothing happens to stop the show before we can get home as NO ONE will be here to restart {log in} the show. Other than that, show usually runs just fine daily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 1st few years at the house, yeah, was a bit worried. Now it's just the first few days of commercial clients. After that, I don't worry much about them. (Besides, they'll call if something goes wrong.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~DOC~ Posted December 21, 2018 Author Share Posted December 21, 2018 8 minutes ago, k6ccc said: Only sort of. For my year round landscape lighting show, I get an E-Mail when the following items happen: the computer boots up, the evening show starts, the overnight show starts, the overnight show ends. The year round show runs on my server. I use a commercial monitoring service that notifies me if any one of at least a half dozen ports or web services fails to respond. The server itself will notify me if a power supply fails, a hard drive fails, high temperature, backup battery (RAID or motherboard) fails, a RAM module fails, the top cover is opened, a fan fails, or a few minor error conditions. In the event of a commercial power failure, an environmental monitor will notify me and monitor the voltage of the battery system for each of the two UPSes. For the Christmas show, each show start and end, and because I use MIIP, I can always tell what song is playing. The show computer will also notify me when it boots up. At 0745, the show computer sends me a daily log file for MIIP, so I can see every song that played. I can also remotely access the show computer or the server at any time and see what they are doing. i also have security cameras so I can watch what is going on from several different angles. When I am sitting at my computer during the evening, I usually have the show audio on quietly in the background. With all the technology and monitoring capabilities, I don’t have to worry about it... Ah Ah WOW speechless. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~DOC~ Posted December 21, 2018 Author Share Posted December 21, 2018 11 minutes ago, Orville said: Actually I'm so paranoid about my show not working I'm one of the lunatics that took over the asylum!🤪 Hey, you need a light show even in the looney bin.....don't you? 🤣🤣🤣 Seriously, nope, never really worried about it at all, not even in my first year. First few years I used an DC-MP3 Director, then started using a computer and as long as I know I have everything DISCONNECTED, no auto-updates of anything, no screen savers, no background Windows sound effects, then I'm good to go and have been. But if the power glitches, then I have to have someone at the house log into my computer that can allow the show to restart when the computer restarts, since it won't start when the password log on screen comes up after a reboot {if it's on and a show is running, it will run and do eveything scheduled, only have to log in to restart the show if the power goes out completely}. And I have to keep my computer locked since we have roommates in the house for the time being. So I only worry if we have any severe thunderstorms with lightning, since that's when the power may go out around my area from time to time. But those are usually rare this time of year, although we' had some today Thursday 12/20 and are supposed to have them again tomorrow, so since that's going on and I have to be off elsewhere for other things, I hope nothing happens to stop the show before we can get home as NO ONE will be here to restart {log in} the show. Other than that, show usually runs just fine daily Thanks I have no monitoring system like some but you gave me some things to look at. This year I plan to make a dedicated station and PC that’s not hooked to the internet to run the show. Right now it’s like “ don’t touch the PC” LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 3 of my security cams see ground parts of the show (and 4 of the 6 controllers. Sinc #6 is on the Chimney, I am not to worried) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Blatt Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I'm slightly paranoid this year since the show computer crashed during last year's Christmas show and also this year's show. But now that it's been running successfully for two weeks with no glitches (I did end up buying a new computer! lol) I'm slightly more relaxed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martsycart Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 It might just be my untrusting nature, but I’ve been paranoid about sharing my address with other LOR users for fear of having my controller stolen. I would hope anyone on these forums would never do such a thing, but there always seems to be one out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 6 hours ago, martsycart said: It might just be my untrusting nature, but I’ve been paranoid about sharing my address with other LOR users for fear of having my controller stolen. I would hope anyone on these forums would never do such a thing, but there always seems to be one out there. Just so you know, as far as I know in my 7+ years on the forum, no one has ever reported having a controller stolen... It's not all that hard to secure them at least reasonably well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 37 minutes ago, k6ccc said: Just so you know, as far as I know in my 7+ years on the forum, no one has ever reported having a controller stolen... It's not all that hard to secure them at least reasonably well. I could have said the same thing a few days ago but someone local and a member of this forum had controllers stolen the day after Christmas. Not sure how well it was secured but he reported that it happened to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Santas Helper said: I could have said the same thing a few days ago but someone local and a member of this forum had controllers stolen the day after Christmas. Not sure how well it was secured but he reported that it happened to him. That sucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 8 minutes ago, Santas Helper said: I could have said the same thing a few days ago but someone local and a member of this forum had controllers stolen the day after Christmas. Not sure how well it was secured but he reported that it happened to him. Yep. Sucks. I buy 10” screw-in ground anchors and cable padlocks. I screw all controllers and 50watt floods to the ground. It keeps punks from stealing - but a pro thief could get them. I always assume a pro wouldn’t care to take anyway - because they have zero idea what they are and are worth. Someone did try to grab my floods during 4th of July show. His/her puny cutters wouldn’t cut through my cable locks. I know this because the scumbag lowlife dropped the cheap cutters right next to the floods. I just had to straighten my mounts a little. Didn’t even brake the cat5 cables. #fail 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsmith37064 Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Mega Arch said: Yep. Sucks. I buy 10” screw-in ground anchors and cable padlocks. I screw all controllers and 50watt floods to the ground. It keeps punks from stealing - but a pro thief could get them. I always assume a pro wouldn’t care to take anyway - because they have zero idea what they are and are worth. Someone did try to grab my floods during 4th of July show. His/her puny cutters wouldn’t cut through my cable locks. I know this because the scumbag lowlife dropped the cheap cutters right next to the floods. I just had to straighten my mounts a little. Didn’t even brake the cat5 cables. #fail I will be back with bigger cutters. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 18 minutes ago, Santas Helper said: I could have said the same thing a few days ago but someone local and a member of this forum had controllers stolen the day after Christmas. Not sure how well it was secured but he reported that it happened to him. Don’t think they could get yours either. I’ve seen the logging-chain padlocking your controllers to the 24” diameter tree trunk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 Just now, gsmith37064 said: I will be back with bigger cutters. Hahaha jokes on you. I moved in August! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Mega Arch said: Don’t think they could get yours either. I’ve seen the logging-chain padlocking your controllers to the 24” diameter tree trunk. Yep, it's something I've done since 2005 when I first started this hobby. Maybe I'm over paranoid but I sleep better at night. And nothing has walked off (knock on wood). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsmith37064 Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Mega Arch said: Hahaha jokes on you. I moved in August! That does pose a problem. Wonder who's floods I was after then? BTW - the cutters came from your neighbors. So technically I did not bring my own. Really though, this bites. But I wonder if it's someone who drives by or even watches the show thinking it would look better running at their house. If they only new what went on under the hood to make it all happen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 I like K6ccc's CAT5 alarm pair idea. And there will be an Audible OUTSIDE as well as a trigger to the appropriate cams (just in case the Motion detect missed the action. In reality, I am more concerned about senseless vandalism 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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