hardware for yourchristmas show

[chrisatpsu]

since it's almost October, howmany of us are still trying to put our hardware together?

I'm still assembling my dumb drings, and i have a few custom design smart string nodes to build.

what about the rest of you guys?

[kgustafson]

Too much work to even consider putting a show on this year.  Got too tied up with software development (oh and running a COOP).

I might (heavy on the 'might') get my smart strings up this year.

Kurt

[jnealand]

Waiting on the dumb string controllers.  Pixel tree is assembled but not programmed, Going to replace my incan mini trees with LED mini trees.  Replacing 3 LED strings on each porch column with one smart string per column and trying to figure out a best way to mount them that works for me.  Still have to modify my sequences from last year for the new configuration.

[DanHouston]

I'm focussed on Halloween at the moment.....still have faces to finish and sparkleballs to finish (gettint critical).

[Steve Gase]

Moved into a new house recently, and I'm still prepping the old house for sale.
While I have all of the parts, I have had no time to assemble any of the new stuff -- nor figure out placement, songs, or sequencing.
In all likelihood, I'll use 8 aethers to shine at the house, a 4 coroflakes, and a row of large coro trees.  Stretch goal is to get a megapixel tree up with nutcracker.

jeeze... just looking at my "short" list I wonder where the time will come from.

i'm toast. 

[urthegman]

Arches to add on 21 sequences and then it's hardware test time. George

[gatorengineer]

I still don't even have a dongle, so no decent show this year.  I'm considering getting a few smart strings together and getting a few small things as a test run just for fun if I get the dongle and so on soon enough.

Next year I will have a robot that no one else has .  I've been keeping it under raps until I'm the first to do it.  Once that is done, I'll share all my plans and others can do it.  It's going to be pretty cool.  Besides, I couldn't do it until the conductor came out because it will be completely wireless and I don't have all the bugs worked out.  More to come.  It will likely be the end of next year before I release anything.

I have my facebook and other websites ready though.

[UncleBuck]

This is my first year!! 128 channels, 9-miniature trees, 4-arches, 14-cascading snowflakes, 1-star and all the house lites.  I still have 3-arches to build, the star and 3-expresses. The intimidating thing is the set up and getting it all to work! 

[smeighan]

This is my first year (last 10 years was a 6 channel Mr Christmas).

I have 6 LE's, 2 wireless modules, 2 ether dongles, 2 conductors, mr16, 3 Aether=II's, 2 active hubs, 1 passive hub.

Now i just need to solder them, program nics.

I also have not received any strings from Ray yet.

Need to decide what sequencer i will use with Nutcracker.

fix bugs, finish vertical and horizontal matrix, single strand effects. Luckily i have Kurt Gustafson working the code for Nutcracker projects.

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no problem ....

[tbone321]

Build?!?!?!?!  What do you mean build?  I thought that these were collector kits.  Who would detroy them by building them.  Really!!!!

[Mike Hill]

Tons to build, sequencing will never be exact, lights coming out that wazoo....

Oh, an Halloween is right around the corner.  Not sure where to start, what to do first.  Still deciding if a software change us the best thing....stuck on LOR S3.

[peteandvanessa]

I'm pretty much done for my Halloween set up.

I have 24 ssc built and tested and connected to 24 smart strings
2 active Hubs built and tested
1 Ether dongle built and tested
2 16 channel AC controllers built and tested
2 USB dongles built and tested (back up plan)
1 Conductor coming (but won't be using for Halloween)
1 DMX Laser sequenced and tested
2 Fogger machines ready to go
1 Laser + Fogger stand built
7 Sequences finished and tested
I have the clips already fixed to my gutters to push my flexstrip into

But I did start the major building in January of this year 

[duane.mosley]

this is my first year as well. Mr Christmas just won't cut it any more. lol. I'll be working with 272 channels of Le and 900 nodes of smart string. still to do:

build pvc frames for windows and doors
build 16 snowflakes
build 2 arches, 3 colors, 48 channels( might go 4 arches haven't decided yet)
build mega tree, 5 colors, 48 channels
build 4 more express kits
build ether dongle upon arrival from coop
build 8 mini trees( thinking real hard about buying real trees to work as privacy for the back yard and just use them)
attach 3 more colors to my existing net lights
i have 3 songs sequenced would like to have at least 10 for this years show
still have to determine exact smart string order so that i can place it with ray before it's too late.
build 4 more ssc's and make 16 ssc enclosures
order rectifiers for existing half wave led's
configure mounting apparatus for express controllers


it's amazing though how fast the next 2 months are going to fly!! i plan on starting my install and set up the day after halloween, maybe the week before, my plans are to have the 272 channels, 900+ pixel nodes, and 20,000+ led's. I CAN'T WAIT!!! lol

Duane

[travailen]

Keeping most of last years stuff which was 27 LEv5 DMX (4 yards). Keeping last years songs and sequences. Converting from Vixen to LSP. and then modify sequences as required for the RGB nodes.

Changes are:

Replacing 140 linear feet of C9 DMX eve lights (about 1200 lights) with flexible strips. Finalzing the design next weekend. Hope to have them all up by end of October. If the final built units work as good as I hope I will post some pics.

Replacing 6 led DMX (10ft) arches with 6 flex strip arches. same design as the eve sections.

Adding 648 feet of luminaries to line both sides of the road for 4 yard (1 Acre Lots each). Two yards are corner lots. Using square, metal backed smart strings with 3 foot node spacings. Using discarded round frosting buckets from Sam's Club as the luminary shell.

Adding a nutcracker driven mega tree. Been wanting a mega tree for 4 years. it will be a flexible strip tree. The design is about 70% complete. Plan to build a prototype tree last weekend in October. Then work out the bugs and have it finalized and up by before thanksgiving.

Programming is my biggest worry. I am a hardware guy not an artist. all my spare time between now and Thanksgiving will be struggling with sequencing.

Thank all of you on DIY. This is a great group. I could not have gotten anywhere near this far with out your help and RJ's neat stuff.

Thanks,

Rick S

[cody33rd]

I'm is this last coop for le's so I'll have 3 more le's to build and 48 lamp cords to tin.  These 3 le's will double my show from last year.  Going to try and buld a hybrid spiral mega tree.  That has me a little worried.  Sequencing is 50% done.