MAD Grab Sale announced

[Orville]

2 hours ago, Kapkirk said:

I am guessing now you know, but I think this confirms LOR is headed to the pixel/rgb way of lightning in a big way, this is the first mad grab sale that I recall the ctb16 residential controllers didn't sell out, usually within minutes. They still had them available at sales end.

 

Keith

Seems they are getting less and less popular with all the RGB stuff popping up all over the place now.  I actually believe that eventually we won't see any more incandescent or basic LED light strands in the near future either. 

Last year, several of my neighbors had gone from the standard single color LED strands to the newer cell phone or remote controlled RGB Christmas LED strands that the big box stores were selling.   Of course they still are nowhere near what you can do with the LOR RGB Controllers, but they are darn close though! 

At least the ones my neighbors were using could do just about every effect you can do with an LOR RGB Controller, they could shimmer, twinkle, fade up/down and chase, but that's great for a NON-Music Animation only effect, but they still can't do what we can with the RGB Controllers and RGB Pixels, Bullets or Bulbs we use.

The neighbors were so close I actually thought they may have went the same route many of us have here, moved to a computer-software controlled system.   So the commercial RGB Christmas Light systems have definitely improved a lot from their initial systems.  I had to ask them if they were using anything like I was in my display, nope, purchased at a local retail outlet.  I was very surprised and shocked at how good they've gotten with their RGB Christmas Light lines.

As for the CTB16PC's, LOR may to almost start giving those away for free to off-load them if they ever become so unpopular no one wants them.  Like buy 2 of these RGB items and get a free CTB16PC or something to that affect.  I think the CTB16PC hey days are just about done and the RGB stuff is going to be what more and more people are going to want and start with now.

I never thought I'd go the RGB route either and would be a CTB16PC user forever, until a friend sent me an RGB LOR Controller and RGB Bullet nodes {Thanks JR, you got me hooked into this! LOL} to play around with.   And when I saw how easy it really was, not at all as different or difficult as I had initially thought, I ended up buying some used LOR RGB Controllers {CCB100D 5V} types, which added an additional 4 to my display for a total of 5 last year, and this year I added a G4 Director and 2 Singing LOR Christmas Trees {Ralphie and Zuzu} to my display.  The Singing Trees did pose a challenge at first, but, once again, thanks to JR and his expertise with this stuff, I got them up and running.  Still working on the mouth movements to get them right, but not doing as badly as I thought I would.

So now I only look at adding RGB lights to my Display and got rid of my standard LED strands, gave them away to my church.  But I still use 2 CTB16PC V2 Controllers in my display for my Blow Molds and a couple of older incandescent items I'm still using in my display.   I used to use 5 CTB16PC's, but gave a couple away.  One I gave away to another user here with all my Halloween Decor since I don't do Halloween displays any longer.   Just wasn't worth the time and effort, just don't get enough children here like I did the first few years I lived here, matter of fact the last 2 years I did a Halloween Display, total number of children I had show up was 0.

So due to my age and medical issues, I stopped Halloween and only focus on my Christmas Display.  

But RGB is definitely the wave of today, and the future I foresee for this crazy hobby of ours.

[prevue12]

I still like my CTB16PCs and LEDs, I like to have Christmas lights, not be a "jumbo tron" at a sports arena.  I do use some RGB, but not as the main attraction.  I don't even know how many CTB16PCs I have at the moment, picked up a bunch this year at a good discount, I probably have enough for the next couple of years of additions. 

 

I've had people comment that they like I'm still mainly using LEDs.  To each their own, if you like your display that is all that matters. 

 

 

[PhilMassey]

I bought my first AC box in 2010, and my third and last in 2011. Still use them for my mini trees and sign lights. Started with dumb RGB in 2012. That lasted one season before going to E1.31 smart pixels in 2013. Most of the DC boards are still in use running 25 LOR 10W floodlights

Everything else is pixels.

 

 

[radioguy1007]

19 hours ago, prevue12 said:

I still like my CTB16PCs and LEDs, I like to have Christmas lights, not be a "jumbo tron" at a sports arena.  I do use some RGB, but not as the main attraction.  I don't even know how many CTB16PCs I have at the moment, picked up a bunch this year at a good discount, I probably have enough for the next couple of years of additions. 

 

I've had people comment that they like I'm still mainly using LEDs.  To each their own, if you like your display that is all that matters. 

 

 

I am also with you.  Can't afford to have 250K pixel setup.  A newcomer home nearby last season did the whole house setup in pixels and like you said, a jumbotron.  After the 3rd song with bars going back and forth, up and down and pinwheels spinning CW and CCW changing colors I got bored and left.  That is not me either.  Adding another house this year to our neighborhood show with 60K lights.  That will literally keep turning heads!

[Orville]

On 5/25/2020 at 6:32 PM, prevue12 said:

I still like my CTB16PCs and LEDs, I like to have Christmas lights, not be a "jumbo tron" at a sports arena.  I do use some RGB, but not as the main attraction.  I don't even know how many CTB16PCs I have at the moment, picked up a bunch this year at a good discount, I probably have enough for the next couple of years of additions. 

 

I've had people comment that they like I'm still mainly using LEDs.  To each their own, if you like your display that is all that matters.

 

11 hours ago, radioguy1007 said:

I am also with you.  Can't afford to have 250K pixel setup.  A newcomer home nearby last season did the whole house setup in pixels and like you said, a jumbotron.  After the 3rd song with bars going back and forth, up and down and pinwheels spinning CW and CCW changing colors I got bored and left.  That is not me either.  Adding another house this year to our neighborhood show with 60K lights.  That will literally keep turning heads!

I'm not a jumbotron either, and don't plan to be.  The only specialized RGB lighting I have are the two LOR Singing Trees I added to my display this year, but I do have RGB lights that will adorn my roof-line, handicap ramp and some in planter areas of the yard mounted to ground stakes.  

And then I still use regular household C7 and Standard Lamp Bulbs in my Blow Molds that are run off the 2 CTB16PC controllers.   I've tried LED's in the Blow Molds, but to me, they just don't cut it with them, the incans work and look far better in my opinion.  And I do have a couple of other things that are also old style incans or LED bulbs that also run off the 2 CTB16PC Controllers.

Otherwise I'd find my display being nothing but all RGB quite boring too.   Need some different items in there to break up the monotony.   I try to use the RGB lights as they eye catcher{mainly the LOR Singing Trees starting this year}, but still incorporate older things into my display as well.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Orville

[GRG]

In order to get my wife to agree to a LOR controlled display I had to agree to no pixels.  She hates them!  No Jumbotron for her.

 

[dibblejr]

48 minutes ago, GRG said:

In order to get my wife to agree to a LOR controlled display I had to agree to no pixels.  She hates them!  No Jumbotron for her.

 

We all love traditional lights. My wife was the same way as well as I when I first signed up here but as I exposed her to the RGB works she has become a fan.

The hardest prop to retire was my 15,500 light mega tree but this last Christmas she saw what I could do with the 12’ 360 RGB mega tree and Wu 24’ mt will become a 24’ 360 RGB tree this season.

100% RGB from my Covid show forward. I sent a great friend about 12000 mini led lights just to ensure I do not have any in reserve.

JR

[Orville]

31 minutes ago, dibblejr said:

We all love traditional lights. My wife was the same way as well as I when I first signed up here but as I exposed her to the RGB works she has become a fan.

The hardest prop to retire was my 15,500 light mega tree but this last Christmas she saw what I could do with the 12’ 360 RGB mega tree and Wu 24’ mt will become a 24’ 360 RGB tree this season.

100% RGB from my Covid show forward. I sent a great friend about 12000 mini led lights just to ensure I do not have any in reserve.

JR

JR, my wife felt just like the other guys wife, and I did exactly what you did, and is exactly how I got my wife to agree to RGB Lighting.  

When she saw what could be done with them, then she started asking me: Where can we get those?   

And the rest is history.🤣

@JR: BTW: I've almost got "Oh What A Glorious Night by Sidewalk Prophets" sequenced with the new LOR Singing Trees I bought.   Got a couple more areas to work on, but it's close to being done.   When I get it done, will see if I can shoot a video and send it to you, and you can tell me how well{or bad} I did with the trees mouth movements.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Orville

[tlogan]

1 hour ago, GRG said:

In order to get my wife to agree to a LOR controlled display I had to agree to no pixels.  She hates them!  No Jumbotron for her.

 

You don't have  to have a jumbo tron to got to smart pixels. I started with traditional lights and now run 3 16 AC controllers and two Pixies IIs. I use one for arches and one to line the top of my garage and around the front door. I think once your wife sees them used as accents with traditional lights,  she will like them. 

Good luck with your display. This IS an addicting hobby.

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, Orville said:

JR, my wife felt just like the other guys wife, and I did exactly what you did, and is exactly how I got my wife to agree to RGB Lighting.  

When she saw what could be done with them, then she started asking me: Where can we get those?   

And the rest is history.🤣

@JR: BTW: I've almost got "Oh What A Glorious Night by Sidewalk Prophets" sequenced with the new LOR Singing Trees I bought.   Got a couple more areas to work on, but it's close to being done.   When I get it done, will see if I can shoot a video and send it to you, and you can tell me how well{or bad} I did with the trees mouth movements.

That's an awfully difficult song for a singing face novice to tackle especially on the RGB side. I am not very good at being critical to others  work unless it is just horrific but sure send it my way and I will have a gander. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that counts is that you feel good about it. Anyone else thinking it is good is just a bonus, imo.

JR

[k6ccc]

2 hours ago, GRG said:

In order to get my wife to agree to a LOR controlled display I had to agree to no pixels.  She hates them!  No Jumbotron for her.

Like tlogan said, going to RGB pixels DOES NOT equal Jumbotron!  Other than my two singing faces (22 channels), I have exactly seven channels (each a single bulb) that are not RGB.  I do have a little over 66,000 channels of RGB, but I don't think any of you would consider my house to be a jumbotron.  I have a pixel tree, RGB bulbs on my eves and roofline, six RGB arches, RGB lights in front of my 17 roses, RGB lights in each of three tree rings, a perimeter string, and RGB strips under my porch steps.  The closest that I come to a jumbotron is my P10 matrix that is used as my tune to sign.  Other than being able to change the text with each song, it is not really any different than the Holiday Coro "poke mini-light strings through the coro" signs.

Personally I am not a fan of the "cover the entire house with pixels" and do nothing but whole house effects either.  I know this photo has been posted a bunch of times, but this is the front of the house and part of the yard.  The big black thing under the bay window is the two Holiday Coro singing face trees.  You can only see about 1 1/2 of the arches, and not really the roses (along the white wall on the right).

 

[Orville]

1 hour ago, dibblejr said:

That's an awfully difficult song for a singing face novice to tackle especially on the RGB side. I am not very good at being critical to others  work unless it is just horrific but sure send it my way and I will have a gander. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that counts is that you feel good about it. Anyone else thinking it is good is just a bonus, imo.

JR

Actually, I'm not finding it as difficult as I thought I would.   Once I started working on it, seems the easier it got {at least to me}.   Just when I get it completed, would just like your input on how well I actually got it right and what I may have missed and needs "fixing", if anything.   Yes, it's long song and complex, but I've actually been really enjoying working on it.   And that's just how I roll, tackle the harder one first, then the others should be so much easier and fall into place.    Most will start with the easy songs, me, I love the challenge of difficult things at times, so I have to do it backwards from everyone else.🤪🤣🤣🤣

[prevue12]

Didn't mean to stir the pot with my "jumbo tron" comparison, it was just my impression of some displays I see that go really pixel happy, and over rely on programmed effects.  (In my best imitation of Chevy Chase in European vacation when they are stuck in the traffic circle) "Look kids there is a butterfly effect, there is a spiral...."  I've seen entire shows just switch between effects, it got old. 

 

Like I said before, at end of day, if YOU like your show, that all that matters. 

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, prevue12 said:

Didn't mean to stir the pot with my "jumbo tron" comparison, it was just my impression of some displays I see that go really pixel happy, and over rely on programmed effects.  (In my best imitation of Chevy Chase in European vacation when they are stuck in the traffic circle) "Look kids there is a butterfly effect, there is a spiral...."  I've seen entire shows just switch between effects, it got old. 

 

Like I said before, at end of day, if YOU like your show, that all that matters. 

Now you have one thing right. Some of the shows are all the same. Manually sequencing takes some time however you cannot beat them for accuracy. I don't even know how to use instant, auto, beat wizard etc. Mine are all created either by myself with headphones or through our little group where we all have our part(s) to sequence. That's what its all about. If you can find people that have like tastes it and can group together you can really get a lot of sequencing done.

There are 4 of us. One of us is very sick and bed ridden for about 2 years now but he is still a friend and hopefully he will one day get better. We all got together 2016/2017. I have personally met all of them ad we don't live close at all. Well one of them is 3.5 hours away but we communicate through email, cell and text and harrass each other every day.

There are plenty of very good and generous people here that help a lot of people and some people don't even realize it. We are all in this together lighting up the world. No matter how large or small the display or what props we have.

I will be 100% RGB this year and will surely miss the incans and leds but its a decision that I made. 

JR

Edited May 28, 2020 by dibblejr

[Protege94]

I don't really like pixels. I respect the technology behind them and the time it takes to make the sequences, but I just think they are more Vegas and less Christmas. I plan on running my AC controllers until they die or I am unable to physically do a display. If at any point LOR makes the decision to offload all AC controllers because they wont make them anymore I will buy several to have on my shelf as backups.

I understand that its the new hot thing but I guess I am more of a traditionalist with my string lights, blow molds and wire frames. All that just happen to be hooked to AC controllers.

[tlogan]

I'm pretty much the same way, except I use the pixels to accent my LEDs and wireframes. I might do more, but a couple of trees hide most of the front of the house, so you wouldn't see them. My neighbor has a pretty nice blow mold collection that I would LOVE to have, and he doesn't even put it all out every year. Wish I had more storage or I'd be picking some up!

And like you, if they ever clear out the g3 AC controllers, I'd be picking up at LEAST a couple more! And if they ever clear out the ELLs, I'd be on a couple of those too (I know, I know, I missed out on them during the recent sale!).

[EARLE W. TALLEY]

I am old school and like the light strings for Christmas weather it is LED or INCANS, every time I see a house done in pixels I look for one thing thinking it should be there some where, the "BUDWISER" sign.

[gsmith37064]

12 minutes ago, EARLE W. TALLEY said:

I am old school and like the light strings for Christmas weather it is LED or INCANS, every time I see a house done in pixels I look for one thing thinking it should be there some where, the "BUDWISER" sign.

This bud's for you!

[Orville]

10 hours ago, EARLE W. TALLEY said:

I am old school and like the light strings for Christmas weather it is LED or INCANS, every time I see a house done in pixels I look for one thing thinking it should be there some where, the "BUDWISER" sign.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣   Or perhaps some slot machines, roulette wheels and card tables?🤣 🤣🤣

My house is a lot of RGB, but I still have some old style clear incans on my ramp that stay lit during my show for safety reasons, but I also still have old school Blow Molds that still have incandescent bulbs in them, along with a couple of older wall mounted type decor that use them as well in my display.  

I also still have some strands of Purple LED's I'm thinking of adding in to this years display.  Just got to figure out where to use them for best effect.  Thinking maybe some of my windows.  Don't have enough to do all of the windows, so not sure how good that will look with some windows having lights and others nothing.

If my Blow Molds were pixelized, I'd think they'd look downright terrible and not have the charm and appeal they do with incandescent lighting in them.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Orville

[nded]

Well, I was lucky enough to get all 4 singing trees during the sale.  They arrived, and SWMBO does not like the way they look.  I would like to selll them to a welcoming home at the $299.95 Mad Grab price I paid.  They are not cheap to ship.  Each box is 42x39x3 and weighs 15 lbs.  They are located in Largo, FL 33774.  Where is the best place to post this sort of thing?