The first controller has arrived

Just over a week ago, I ordered one LOR controller w/ the software in order to get the $99.00 bundle-price on the software. The package arrived today. I will be ordering the remaining controllers during one of their sales (either February or in the Summer). Meanwhile, I'll be building this first controller from the kit and begin programming some light sequences to music. We'll see if I have some time Saturday to begin the build process. The soldering is something that I'm not exactly looking forward to, but I've been assured that it really isn't difficult; plus the kit instruction manual appears to be very user friendly.

Finding Great Deals

Supplying power to a display can be one of the greatest expenses in creating the display. My original plan was to basically duplicate what William did to supply power. This plan required a dedicated 50 amp circuit via an RV receptacle to a Spider box (a Temporary Power Distribution box with GFCI outlets that is typically used at construction sites). After doing several searches on the Internet, I was beginning to get a bit discouraged. The new retail price of one of these Spider boxes alone is typically around $600.00. I had pretty much resigned myself to building a home-grown contraption consisting of an electrical sub-panel, and several GFCI outlets. Building something myself could definitely be accomplished for considerably less than $600.00. Then I stumbled upon a couple of fantastic deals! I found a Spider box locally on Craigslist for only $150.00 having 6 GFCI 120V 5-20R duplex receptacles plus 1 240V L6-30 receptacle.

Typically, a 30' 50-amp supply cable for a Spider box will retail for $300.00 - $400.00. On eBay, I found a new 36' 50-amp cable with an RV plug on one end and the other end bare for $80.00. All I need is the CS6364 twist lock cable end to attach to the RV cable, and install a permanent RV receptacle at the side of the house. Quick browsing has shown that the typical retail price for the CS6364 connector is in the neighborhood of $70.00. We'll see if I might find one cheaper!

I have also ordered the first of five Light-O-Rama (LOR) controller kits with the show software. In July, Light-O-Rama will be changing their method of licensing, introducing multiple levels of capability ranging from very basic to advanced. By purchasing the software now, I am automatically entitled to a free Advanced license once registration begins. The controllers are offered in various forms: Show-Ready, Assembly-Required, and Build-It-Yourself-Kits. Of course, each of these various forms are offered at different prices. I have decided to save the most money by purchasing the Build-It-Yourself-Kit version. I've seen a preview of the instruction manual and overall, it looks to be fairly user-friendly. The whole idea of soldering everything initially had me a bit worried, but I've been assured that it isn't all that bad; besides, you really can't beat The Light-O-Rama Promise: "If you choose a DIY product that requires soldering, we will stand behind you 100%. Almost every problem can be fixed via email or a phone call. If you cannot get your controller to operate we will attempt to repair it absolutely free. If you damage a component we replace it free!. If we cannot determine the problem we will replace the kit for free! In the extremely rare case, that you physically damage the kit beyond repair, our standard warranty will cover 40% of the replacement cost!" In late February, and again in the Summer, Light-O-Rama will be having a special sale on controllers, at which time I'll purchase the remaining four that I will need.

Did I mention that I have increased my plan to 10,000 lights controlled by 80 channels? It is easy to get carried away - it is also very difficult to accomplish anything close to what I want with only 48 channels... I have pretty well finalized my plan. I will be placing my order for LED lights with LED Holiday Lighting in February during their 2009 Pre-Order Sales Event.

2009 LED Pre-Order Event

The 2009 LED Pre-Order Event has begun at LEDHolidayLighting.com
The sale runs through 2/28/09. Travis has some very good prices, and does not restrict to purchasing in case quantities. You can buy as many or few as you want.

Current plan: 5335+ lights
I've been calculating how many strings of which types/colors/count I'll need to purchase for what I have planned. Based on Travis' pricing, it looks like about $700.00 in lights yet to purchase (only slightly more than I was initially estimating); however I'm still hoping to lower my cost on the icicle lights. My current plan calls for:
12 strings of 50 C6 White
8 strings of 50 C6 Multi-color
8 strings of 70 M5 White Icicle
30 strings of 50 M5 Green
10 strings of 50 M5 White
2 strings of 50 M5 Multi-color
1 string of 70 M5 Multi-color
3 strings of 35 5mm Red
10 strings of 50 5mm Red
10 strings of 50 5mm Green
10 strings of 50 5mm Blue

Light-O-Rama controllers
I'm also seriously toying with the idea of building the LOR controllers from the full kit. This means soldering - certainly not my favorite thing to do, but it will save me a bit of money that adds up in the long run.

2008 is officially over

After helping William take down his display yesterday, this afternoon was my day to take down my own decorations. It was a piece of cake - 6 strings of mini LEDs on the front of the house and 1 Christmas tree at the front window. Next year will be a completely different story!

Shopping has begun! Today I picked up 8 strings of White LEDs and 3 strings of white LED snowflake-icicle-thing-ies that Ace Hardware had on clearance sale. More than likely I'll be purchasing the majority of my lights online. Finding exactly what I want at a clearance sale various places has been challenging so far - already sold out (imagine that!). I'm still keeping my eyes open though! If anyone knows of any specific sales having LED stock in inventory, let me know (unless of course you are building a big display too and beat me to it).

My sister has told me she has an FM transmitter they got when they were selling their previous house that I may have. At the moment, she doesn't remember the details about it - no biggie; Free is FREE! As long as it works decently, I'm happy - one less thing for me to buy/build! I'm anxiously looking forward to checking it out.

A behind the scenes look

Today was a wonderful day!
I spent this morning from 9AM to 2PM helping William take down his Christmas lights display. It provided me with a great deal of insight to the details of planning involved in "doing it right".


All of the lights marking the perimeter of the yard are bundled up and the stakes pulled and stored in a bin.


Clips of various types are most definitely a decorator's friend! 1/4" rod clips for minis are perfect for attaching lights to various frames and keeping them in neat organized lines. Shingle roof clips are somewhat universal in that they can hold either the large C9s or the minis depending on the orientation of the clip itself. Then there's the fascia board clips that are perfect for hanging the icicle lights.


Gotta have power! LEDs certainly don't need much, but you still have to get the power to them. We're talking LOTS of extension cords! You can never have too many. Just watch for sales and pick them up throughout the year.

Planning and organization truly are key to successfully creating such a display. It provides for a painless take-down process and organized storage. Working together, we got it down in one day.

Thank you William for the opportunity to help you and have this behind the scenes look. I know you appreciated my help, but I came away with a lot of knowledge learned that just doesn't compare to reading about the process in a blog or a forum! Thank you so much!

Christmas lights

Happy New Year!

It is time to start a new adventure!
I have always enjoyed driving around to see various Christmas light displays. The more lights, the more excitement. For about the last three years, I've had a desire building within to erect my own big light display, but for various reasons have never turned that desire into an executed plan. It is time to change that! It isn't going to happen on its own - I must develop a plan of action and follow through with it.

Give credit where credit is due.
This season while cruising the various light displays around Phoenix, I came across one having 10,000 lights. That's a fair sized number of lights, but no where near the size of the Mega-Displays that I would typically frequent. Generally, I would plan a route based on locations of displays having at least 30,000 lights. Some of the home displays in Phoenix are upwards of 500,000 lights! This particular location had the fewest lights of all the stops on this season's route. So, why did I bother? The write-up stated, "Animation and 10,000 lights set to tunes from FM 96.1." I was curious about the lights set to music and the location happened to be near another stop I had planned on my route. Boy! Am I ever glad I put this one on my list! I met William Morris, the owner of the home, a very nice fellow, and I chatted with him for quite some length of time. His website is www.twodoglights.com.

This was my turning point. The "bug" has bit me! William has been a wealth of information. He has posted details of his adventure in 2008, which has spurred me to do the same throughout 2009. This coming Saturday - Jan 3rd, I will be assisting William as he begins taking down his display. I'm looking forward to having him as my Christmas lights mentor!

The plan for 2009:
#1 - Watch for sales throughout the year! Big Christmas light displays = big expense. Part of the planning means knowing the associated costs. Remember LED strings initially cost more than conventional strings, but the operating costs are only 10% of conventional.

#2 - Design the show. I've already nailed down the basics. My goal is roughly 5,000 lights (mostly LED if possible) controlled by 48 channels of Light-O-Rama set to several Christmas music selections.

#3 - Purchase and build light controllers, FM transmitter, and various items used in and for the show.

#4 - Program the light sequences to music.

#5 - Edit video elements for coordinated use in the show. (That's all I'm saying on this subject for now - wait and see!)

#6 - Acquire a temporary power distribution unit such as a CEP 6506-GU, power connection cable, and install a plug-in receptacle for it at my breaker box.

#7 - Set everything up in time to throw the switch after Thanksgiving.

#8 - Plan for 2010.