Newb with lots of questions

[GraysonLights09]

2 hours ago, dblack said:

Probably going to build some mini trees and put 3 on the left side of the house and 1 on the other.

If I end up with a second controller I think I’ll build a 16 channel mega tree.

I think that will be cool. Hope to see pictures or videos.

[dblack]

Appreciate everyone's help. I have ordered a good bit to get started.

• LOR 16-channel residential starter package
• 1000' green SPT1 wire
• 125 green SPT1 C9 sockets
• 300 green SPT1 C7 sockets - I also ordered the bulb seals for them (not sure if they are needed, but figured it wouldn't hurt), C9s were out of stock
• 25 green SPT1 male vampire plugs
• 25 green SPT1 female vampire plugs
• 125 OptiCore C9 faceted warm white LEDs
• 150 OptiCore C7 faceted warm white LEDs
• 150 Opticore C7 faceted red LEDs

The C9s will go on the roof, 12" apart. The red/white C7s will go around the windows and garage doors, 6" apart. I didn't order too many plugs because my plan is to cut the wires to reach the controller and just put the lights where I need them, so I'm essentially building the extension cord into my strand.

That'll take care of 12 channels. My next step is to figure out some LED mini trees. Right now I'm leaning towards 4 trees with 5mm green lights. If anyone has good tips/suggestions for the best way to build trees I'm all ears. My plan right now is wrapping tomato cages, but certainly open to ideas.

If I can get all of this figured out early enough in the year I'd like to add another controller and a larger tree I think.

 

[tlogan]

17 hours ago, dblack said:

My plan right now is wrapping tomato cages, but certainly open to ideas.

I started with tomato cages, but realized they can be really hard to store if you're tight on space. You can't stack them without removing all the lights. Then I built these. At least they fold up so save some space and I don't have to take off the lights. And I used two strands of 50 so that if one goes out, I only need to replace half. And I needed to replace three this year.

 

[dblack]

Appreciate everyone's advice so far. I've made some progress. I know it's early in the year but I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to figure out what I wanted to do.

• I've made a light strand for my C7 bulbs and tested it out. I also made a PVC frame for the window I made the strand for and zip tied the strand to it so I could see how it'd look. Last night I created the first roof strand of C9 bulbs, too.
• I wrapped one of my tomato cages with the green rope light and got the spacing figured out. Still need to try and figure out topper ideas.
• I successfully created my first sequence to the Minions Universal Fanfare.

I'll keep working on light strands and sequencing. 

Next question - I feel pretty confident with my AC setup and what I'm doing and am considering adding something pixel-related. I was leaning toward's LOR's 6.5' pixel tree or the 8 mini arches. I was thinking the arches may be better as they'd take up more space and I already have the LED rope light trees, but open to suggestions as well.

 

[Mr. P]

Please add you Software version and license level to your profile. This allows us to see what you are working with as many answers to questions are based on those two things.

[Jimehc]

Not even a month - already got AC figured out and now thinking Pixels... It gets addicting..

[dblack]

4 hours ago, Mr. P said:

Please add you Software version and license level to your profile. This allows us to see what you are working with as many answers to questions are based on those two things.

I don't see my software version as an option in the dropdown. It says S5 v5.6.10 and the highest I see in the dropdown is 5.6.8. I did upgrade my license to Pro today from Basic Plus.

[k6ccc]

53 minutes ago, dblack said:

I don't see my software version as an option in the dropdown. It says S5 v5.6.10 and the highest I see in the dropdown is 5.6.8. I did upgrade my license to Pro today from Basic Plus.

Select 5.6.8 for now.  Happens every time there is a new version - takes a while before the new version to become an option on the forum.  5.6.10 has been out since October, so a little surprising that the option is not available.

However with that said, this would be a good time to move to S6.  The sequencing side is essentially the same, and the show control has a lot of improvements.

 

[dblack]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

Select 5.6.8 for now.  Happens every time there is a new version - takes a while before the new version to become an option on the forum.  5.6.10 has been out since October, so a little surprising that the option is not available.

However with that said, this would be a good time to move to S6.  The sequencing side is essentially the same, and the show control has a lot of improvements.

 

I'd love to move to S6 but the computer I'm using is running Windows 8 and if I remember correctly it's not compatible with S6.

Edit: What do you know, 5.6.10 appeared when I went to add 5.6.8 😀

Edited January 15, 2023 by dblack

[k6ccc]

49 minutes ago, dblack said:

I'd love to move to S6 but the computer I'm using is running Windows 8 and if I remember correctly it's not compatible with S6.

Correct.  S6 requires Windows 10 or 11.  BTW, it also works fine on Windows 2019 Server Essentials.  I ended up upgrading my show computer from Win 7 to Win 10 this summer in order to run S6, and then had to downgrade to S5.6.10 for my Christmas show because I use MIIP which so far won't run on S6.  However the day after I shut the Christmas show down, the show computer was updated to 6.1.10 to run my year round landscaping show.   A week later, I moved the show back over to my file server and powered down the show computer till October.

52 minutes ago, dblack said:

What do you know, 5.6.10 appeared when I went to add 5.6.8 😀

Likely someone who has control of the forum saw the post about it not being available...

 

[Orville]

On 12/29/2022 at 10:49 PM, k6ccc said:

C7 / C9 strings can be cut without issue because each bulb is getting the full 120 volts.  Mini-light strings are series circuits with for example 25 bulbs in series along with a current limiting resistor.  Each bulb is only seeing about 4 volts.  If you change the number of bulbs, you have to re-calculate the proper resistor size.  Really what that means is that you can only cut them at certain spots.

 

Jim, I have cut down many incandescent mini light strings, the issue is if a strand uses 3.5V bulbs for example a 35 count string, and I need a 20 count string, all I have to do is take the number of socket and divide that by 120V to find the correct bulb voltage, 120v/20 sockets({bulbs} = 6V bulbs.   I have always figured out when, or if, I need to change the bulbs by what voltage bulb I needed when cutting down mini light strings.  Usually if I cut a 70 bulb strand down, the voltage for the bulbs on each strand is usually the same, and no bulb changes needed, since the 70-count string is actually 2 separate 35 count strings.  I have found most long LED strings, where the wires go down to 2 wires, usually a little blob the two wires go into, but three come out the other side, are also, in most cases, can be cut at the two wire point and just add a male plug before the blob, and a female receptacle at the 2 wire cut on the other strand.   I've cut down many 70, 100 and 150 LED strands, but if they don't have those extra blobs along the string, 70 count usually has 2, one at the beginning and one near the middle, however sometimes it can be at the end of the strand before the female receptacle, I've cut those types too with no problems.   The only time I ever let the magic smoke out is when I cut a strand that did not have the extra little blobs that are more than likely a full or half-wave diode circuit and a resistor to cut the voltage, no blob, and you put a male plug on it and plug it in, usually ends up letting out the magic smoke and even a few little pops as you cook the LED in the process.   And I've cooked quite a few too.  And when they pop, they sure emit a horrible smell! LOL   On longer strands, you have to painfully remove the LEDs to find the capacitor or resistor that lowers their voltage, then you can cut the strand just before that socket and add the male plug in most cases.   Ones I tried and quit cutting down with LEDs were strings that had resistors or capacitors located in ever other, every 3rd or every 5th socket, and I've encountered quite a few of these type strings too, usually the very long ones, like the 200 count found on spools in many retail stores.  Just didn't feel like trying to figure those out, too much trouble.

This formula has always worked for me when cutting down mini lights, but ONLY AC incandescent strings, if an LED string's, that's another matter, then you have to figure out the resistor value needed to drop the voltage, and that can be a bit tricky at times too for LED strings.

[dblack]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this forum for the help the past year. My show has been up and running since 11/26. I have two intros and 8 songs, 3 I purchased from LOR and 5 that I did. Here are a few videos.

Straight No Chaser - Christmas Like

Penatonix - Mr. Grinch

Ashba - A Christmas Storm

[dgrant]

You did GOOD! Congrats