Here is another newbie

[cmbowe]

This is a great web site. I am new to this LOR thing ,just kinda stumbled on to it. I have been putting Christmas lights on my house for years, and every year I would add a few more lights and a few more exten cords and my kids and grand kids would always say "wow PaPa looks good!!" Well this year I got one of those "lights and Sounds of Christmas" things and got the "you really out did yourself this year PaPa" I thought, well this is pretty good ,but the lights kinda danced to the music and I had to go outside every night a 9:00 and turn the music down. After we got about a foot and half of snow that got old real quick. See, I did not know about FM transmitters and such until I got to thinking one night I can't be the only person with this problem. So I got on the web and found out about transmitters and how to hook them to the little box I got and THEN I Stumbled on to the LOR site!!!

Well ,I started looking at some of the videos of some of the set ups and I felt like a little kid again! I decided right then and there that next year I was really going to out do myself. I had my wife look at some of the shows and she said can we do that?( I gotta get her on board.) So we both looked at the LOR systems and kinda decided on what might work best for us.

I am going to get the LOR 1602 MP3 for next year. We will start small with the 16 channels. From what I have read that system is pretty close to plug and play. I have also read on here that they will have a pre-programed show later this year. I am not real computer savy and we don't have an extra computer to run the show and to be honest I would have to get my 17 year old grandaughter over here to run everything.

I am rambling on here. I just wanted to post to let folks know that another newbie is here. I have sent an e-mail to the sales folks at LOR with a few questions about the 1602MP3 hope to hear from them soon. If anybody has any suggestions let me know.

[Dale W]

The LOR website has WIW for download. In addition, there is LORSequences.com where you can look at other songs people have programmed. Modify them for your display.

LOR is not quite Plug and Play, even with the MP-3 director. It takes time to set up.

PS: Glad to have you aboard!

[Jack Stevens]

Monte -

I've been using the same thing you have - the "Lights and Sounds of Christmas" - and it convinced me (and my wife) that I (we) want to do more. I'm waiting for the annual bonus from my employer (I really hope we get one this year!) to "stimulate the economy" at LOR. I've been playing around with the demo software, seeing how tedious it could be, but still looking forward to the bonus, which will probably just about coincide with the LOR annual sale.

For what it's worth (not much) my 2007 display is at http://jackstevens.net/Chrismast2007. I was learning video conversions with that, so please excuse the watermarks on the first few files.

I had to have some electrical work done on my house, so I asked the electrician to add a couple of circuits for Christmas lights. He said "a couple of outlets, sure, no problem." "No, I want a couple of circuits." He tried to talk me down until I showed him my web page above. He then asked if two circuits would be enough. I mistakenly said yes. I've since caught some after-Christmas sales and ended up with another 15,000 lights......mostly incadescent. At a limit of 40 strings per 20 amp circuit (.4 amps per string) 2 circuits won't be enough.

There are articles out there about putting an FM transmitter onto the "Lights and Sounds Of Christmas" - I haven't done it, and at this point, even though I bought the transmitter, it'll go towards my LOR efforts.

Go download the demo software and play with it. Watch the instructional videos. Download sequences and modify them. You'll probably want to buy another computer (hint - watch the thrift store! It doesn't ahve to be super-powerful) to run the display.

Enjoy!

[iresq]

I have three pieces of advise:

1) read, read, read. Both here and at planetchristmas.com

2) Keep an eye out for extensions cord sales. You will need more than you can imagine. I make my own out of 6' that can be had for $1 and lamp cord.

3) If you are serious, you may want to buy your software now (by the basic starter kit), as there is a rumored price increase coming. At a minimum, download the trial version. It's the older software. The new software (free upgrade when you purchase) has a few tools to make sequencing easier but the basics remain the same.

[Tim Dorr]

Monte Bowe wrote:

I am going to get the LOR 1602 MP3 for next year. We will start small with the 16 channels. From what I have read that system is pretty close to plug and play. I have also read on here that they will have a pre-programed show later this year. I am not real computer savy and we don't have an extra computer to run the show and to be honest I would have to get my 17 year old grandaughter over here to run everything.

Welcome to the animated Christmas lights world Monte. It is a great one.

Just for clarification, you don't need an extra computer to run the show using the LOR1602MP3 Show Director. The process for using the LOR1602MP3 is to construct your sequences on a Window based computer and then transfer them to an SD card. Once your sequences and start/stop times are on that SD card, the SD card is then inserted into the LOR1602MP3 controller and you're good to go. Take a look at the data sheet for more information found at http://www.lightorama.com/Documents/LOR1602MP3.pdf.

I've just finished the third year using that controller and it works like a charm. I didn't want to have a controller tethered to a computer, and the LOR1602MP3 allows for the stand-alone operation I was looking for.

As far as pre-programmed shows, you can buy 16 or 32 channel versions now at http://store.lightorama.com/sequences.html, or find free down loadable sequences at http://www.lightoramasequences.com/

Another source of great information, if you haven't found it yet, is PlanetChristmas. Register there and then come to PLUS2009 for even more information and to talk with other enthusiasts.

Enjoy the hobby.

[sjmiller]

Welcome Monte,

I'm also a newbie, 2008 I did the GE Mr. Christmas light & music system. 2009 will be my first LOR display (32 channel).

This is a great forum, and as one of the previous posts recommended - download the demo software. Read the tutorials, and get "your feet wet". This isn't plug and play - if you buy or download songs you will have to adapt them to your display. Now is the time to start - if you wait until December, it will be to late.

SJ