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Beginner Lights


aja1216

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Hello,

What kind of lights do you recommend?  I have zero equipment, thinking of going with one of the ShowTime Central Starter Package.  Planning to go out light shopping after holidays to find some sales.

Thanks,

AJ

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I recommend LED lights, you won't have to think about power, a lot of the stores put their lights on sale 50 percent off, Lowes sent me an email this morning all theirs are 50% off. I use a lot of Lowes, Walmart and Kmart lights that I got on sale. With the amount of lights I have the 50% really helps.

 

For my Mega tree I use Holiday Light Express commercial light strings purchased on their sale, which is going on now until February and we have been very happy with them, this is the third year of use and no failures. Also use their lights for all our holiday coro singing xmas trees and same, no issues.

 

As far as Light O Rama equipment the LOR sale will be in the spring first that has the best prices, and then the summer sale is almost as good which has unlimited quantities. sign up for their sale notification to get the notification or hang out here and when the sales are on the members will let you know.

 

As far as LOR equipment I recommend the residential starter package http://store.lightorama.com/rese16chstpa.html has all you need to run a show, I run mine from my laptop, some run them from a LOR director instead of a computer. I like the PC over the director but I have no experience with the director so take that for what its worth.

 

Only thing left is sequences, you can make them yourself or purchase, and some here share sequences, which ever way you go don't wait too long and work on them now so you are ready for next Xmas. Any problems or help just come here and plenty of good members will help you out.

 

Keith

 

 

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25 minutes ago, aja1216 said:

Hello,

What kind of lights do you recommend?  I have zero equipment, thinking of going with one of the ShowTime Central Starter Package.  Planning to go out light shopping after holidays to find some sales.

Thanks,

AJ

Working ones 😜 Seriously, Lights are like cars (Race,Sorts,SUV or econo-box) . What are you going to use them on and where. OSFN (one size fits none)

DUMB AC (the kind with a standard plug) and the CTB16PC (or the commercial version) is easy-peasy to setup, connect the lights. IMHO a good way to get your feet wet

DUMB RGB  (CMB24D, floods and strings) are close, you have more hand wiring, program details now include Color

SMART RGB (aka pixels). the wiring is similar to the dumb, but now you detail EVERY NODE in you program

Sales? Those are happening yesterday. I was at Home Depot yesterday. Almost nothing left except Trees and pricey inflatables.

Be sure to sign up for LOR and Holiday Coros sale notices. You can save a bunch on the early season sale

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Won’t confuse you more, just want to say.

This is the absolute best time to start planning for next year!

Will say, if you go with a starter pack if you can afford to add an additional controller. 16 channels won’t last long. They can but they won’t. (I’m talking about you finding or making more props to light up) - no problems with the controllers.

Also purchase and extra RED High Speed adapter for a spare.So when you do expand you will have one.

The team has already started sequencing for Halloween 2019.

Happy Lighting.

JR

Edited by dibblejr
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12 minutes ago, aja1216 said:

One more question should I get dimmable lights?

Dimable usually applies to CFL's and LED's with electronic Ballasts. IIRC Full wave (not common in big stores) dim better than the cheap ones. Low voltage LED's (the type you hook to CMB24 or Pixies) are almost always dimable

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On 12/22/2018 at 4:47 PM, aja1216 said:

One more question should I get dimmable lights?

 

 

On 12/21/2018 at 10:18 AM, dibblejr said:

Won’t confuse you more, just want to say.

This is the absolute best time to start planning for next year!

Will say, if you go with a starter pack if you can afford to add an additional controller. 16 channels won’t last long. They can but they won’t. (I’m talking about you finding or making more props to light up) - no problems with the controllers.

Also purchase and extra RED High Speed adapter for a spare.So when you do expand you will have one.

The team has already started sequencing for Halloween 2019.

Happy Lighting.

JR

It’s my first year with LOR and it was suggested by I think dibblejr that Walmart’s Holiday time lights work real good with LOR. I took the suggestion seriously and wow they work nicely. 

Dimmable may cost you more. 

 

 

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