use extra channel for radio sign-best way

[rmturner54]

I wasn't sure where to post this. Long time reader, but I dont post very often. I am more into the research before asking qustions.
This is my first year to use music with the animation. I have extra channels on my DC controller and was planning on using a DC floodlight for the tune to sign. Next year I will look into back lighting it. My question is this: What is the best way to use the tune to channel in the show to illuminate the sign from start to finish, without any interruptions?
Thanks in advance for all suggestions
Richard

[-klb-]

Mine is rope light. I tend to give it a bit of interaction with the beat to call attention to it. You might want to make yours at least blank out with any all dark portions of your display, and sequence it for impact with any high impact sections.

[rmturner54]

I like that idea. But what is the best approach to apply the light thru the entire show.
I know that I need to have the channel active in each sequence, but what is the best approach to keep it lit during the between sequences

[Westport Lights]

If I remember right. You want to have that channel turned on using a background animation that plays during the shows.

[-klb-]

Unfortunately, you have a few choices.

You can allow the tune to sign to go blank the fraction of a second between sequences, and animate the tune to sing in the sequence.

You can have the tune to sign on steady with a background sequence

You can sequence the Tune To sign, and in the show builder, uncheck the box to turn all lights off at the end of the sequences. Then you become responsible for ensuring that all channels you want off between sequences are off at the end of each sequence, but leaving the Tune To channel on. You will probably want an all off sequence for the shutdown sequence, to ensure everything turns off at then end.

[rmturner54]

Thanks for the input and suggestions. I was kinda leaning towards the background sequence. Have never used it before, but it can't be that hard to figure out.
This is what is so good about this place. You can pick the brains of experience.
Richard

[rmturner54]

I like to "keep it simple stupid".

[-klb-]

The background sequence is an easy solution.

Figure out which channels you want on for the whole time the show is running. Create a short (1 to 3 minutes) animation sequence with just those channels. Set those channels all on for the length of that sequence. Ensure those channels are not defined in any of your other sequences. When putting your show together, put that sequence in the background tab.

If one of your controllers gets power cycled during the show, remember that those lights in the background sequence won't get told to turn on until the next time the background sequence loops around.

I use a background sequence in all of my shows, just not for the frequency sign. At home, for both Halloween and Christmas, it turns on two channels, that shine LED C9 bulbs at the photo cells for the front porch light, and the landscape lighting, turning them off. At the city park show, it shines C9 lights at the photo cells to turn off some pole mounted lighting for the park. At the house, I really could do both lights on one channel, but figured the second channel was easier than splitting the cord. For the city show, the two photo cells are on opposite sides of an alley way, and probably nearly 300 feet apart, so they are on different controllers as well.

[rmturner54]

Thanks for the input.....I read thru the help files and your explanation....pretty darn simple.

[brownjm74]

For mine I am using a good-old timer that runs from dusk to midnight. That way I don't have to "waste" a channel on my controller.

Jeremy

[Steven]

-klb- wrote:

that shine LED C9 bulbs at the photo cells for the front porch light, and the landscape lighting, turning them off.

brownjm74 wrote:

For mine I am using a good-old timer that runs from dusk to midnight. That way I don't have to "waste" a channel on my controller.

I use X10. The landscape lighting was already using an X10 controller. Now the porch light has an X10 switch as well. I also use X10 to turn on (in a background sequence), the speaker amplifier, the transmitter, and the fog machine.

I had to do something fancy to get the porch light to turn back on when my show ended, but now that we have the "turn unused channels off" option, I can just turn it back on in the shutdown sequence.

[-klb-]

I probably would have X10 here, but in the past I had a conflict between an unpleasant phone wire to run, the cordless phone jack, and the X10 filters to prevent numerous switching power supplies from absorbing all the signal.

Now, I just don't have the patience for troubleshooting X10. Even our camera battery chargers eat the X10 signal, and I don't want to have to install one of those filters at each and every outlet in the house that we might randomly add something to.

[Steven]

Yeah, those cordless phone jacks are always big trouble. I made sure to wire a phone jack behind our TV when I ran the TV cable.