DiyLightAnimation
Fun => The Porch => Topic started by: blearning on August 19, 2009,
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For a lot of folks here it is 99 days to lights on ...
Good luck to all and may it be bright
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UGH !!!!!
For a lot of folks here it is 99 days to lights on ...
Good luck to all and may it be bright
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Dang
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Oh geez, thanks Bill. I'm not sure I needed to know that, LOL!
Ron
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For a lot of folks here it is 99 days to lights on ...
Good luck to all and may it be bright
Greetings,,,
99 red led balloons...
I'm going to need all the luck...
Wish I was bright...
Keith
;D
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arrrrrrghhhh You could have waited a few weeks before saying that ........ deadlines approach all toooooo dang quick
Larry
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Nice... Nothing like a slap in the face from reality!
This is the time of year when I start wondering if i will ever be ready in time... especially since school starts up again next week!
-Brandon
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Yeah! well try being me!!!!!
RJ
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Ya, I still have to change all my sequences from Vixen to LSP... Not looking forward to that. Than I have to soldier 10 more express boards, to go with my 11 I already have. Than I have to make 14 more RX wireless boards, than I have to make the 2 6 foot and 1 8 foot mega trees that are going on my roof (PVC), than I have to build my pvc icicle light holders, than I have to wrap 8 mini trees with two colors of lights, than I have to speak to a divorce attorney because I just know my wife is going to leave me after a second year, than I have to have a baby on October 10th, than I have to.... I guess thats not too bad.
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... than I have to speak to a divorce attorney because I just know my wife is going to leave me after a second year, than I have to have a baby on October 10th, than I have to.... I guess thats not too bad.
So, if your wife gets the house, will she let you put up the display or will you be cramming it all on an apartment balcony? ;D ;D ;D
...And it sounds like your actual deadline is October 10th! Surely your neighbors can understand why you were out there putting up lights last February...
Greg
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And I thought it was August and I had all this time. Now it it only 99 days away. Wait...that was yesterday. Now there are only 98. :o ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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actually 97 and some hours ... not 98 ..
sugar canes .... I had better get busy .....
My wife kissed me today and said she would see me .... pausing .... at Thanksgiving ...
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Greetings,,,,
Perchance do I sense a countdown in effect?
::)
Keith
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sounds fun, try it with a 12 days of christmas twist to it though ;D
like the 99 red ballons comment.
other examples are like
a bakers dozen (13)
24 hours in a day
being all creatived today I guess.
Greetings,,,,
Perchance do I sense a countdown in effect?
::)
Keith
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OK so now 7 days have all but expired ..
I do hope everybody is getting the task list shortened ...
*LAUGHING*
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Man, I'm so far behind it's not funny. I still have to build my 50A remote subpanel, 3 more tri-color segmented arches, assemble more electronics, sequence my whole show, take a vacation...
Oh, and we found out we're having another baby. Now I have to finish off my upstairs.
Remember how I said there's plenty of time to sleep when we're dead? I'm livin' it now!
--Ron
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My suggestion is forget the subpanel, go ahead and use the money for leds... You will save so much money over time its not even funny... 1st your electric bill will be less, you dont have to worry about heat sinks ever again, you dont need as many extension cords because you can have 10 strands hooked together, you wont need as many channels because you can have more than 3 strands of lights on each channel, you wont have to replace lights every two years because they last longer, your show will be twice as bright, best of all, leds dont fade. I had blue incadescent lights last year and they were completely faded by week 3 of my show... Not going through that again. Anyways, just an opinion...
Congrats on the baby, my wife is due middle of October, so I am trying to build a setup that will allow me to put over 50,000 lights up in two days. The wireless is going to really help me out with this. I am going to have around 14 expresses, and 16 other devices all on wireless. I have built all my boards and 4 of my rx wireless devices. I have ordered the parts for 14 more and as soon as RJ releases the next batch of wireless boards I will be soldiering late into the morning. Not sure if you saw my video or not, but I would make as much as your show modular so that you can just set things out and be done with it... With wireless, its plug and play.
Sloan
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Yeah there's definitely some truth to all of that. I probably will reinvest in LEDs after this year. I have looked at several of your videos. Great ideas indeed. I am trying to do similar things myself. Most of my show this year will be 200-300' from the house out by the road but I'm still trying to pre-decorate and light my props so it's easy to set up.
One of my biggest dilemmas is whether to integrate video and use LSP or leave it out and just go with Vixen. I can't decide if I want to try to set up a screen and all especially since I can't project from a "safe" place.
Thanks for the congrats. Hope everything goes well for you guys in October as well. Keep your "other family" in the loop ;)
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My advice is to not set up video... Since your display is so far away from the house, you are just begging for trouble. If you really wanted to do video, I would have it only play on nights when you plan on being out by the display, otherwise you are going to have someone come onto your property and steel the video and possibly other items. It still amazes me that someone could be in such dyer straits that they would steel from someones Christmas display... I guess its hard to understand when you are a person that likes to give. Good luck to you and again, congrats on the baby.
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Ahhh setup will be a BREEZE this year... No house to setup on.. No lights to soothe me to sleep.. Not being able to see the lights every night.. Wait.. Maybe there will be a problem this year.. Bill... I am bringing a tent over. It will be a permanent camping session from Thanksgiving to New Years.. I will miss out on the fun if not...
Surprises... Surprises....
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NO lights.... I am shaking right now.... How can you have no lights.... Put them on your car, wrap them around your waste,,, do something... you cant have no lights,,, that like having peanut butter and no jelly, ham no burger, come on, for crying out loud....
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I am going to have no lights.. Just not on my house because this year I will probably be homeless.. So to speak. My original house I will be renting so I have come up with an alternative.
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shhhhh.....
...all the georgia group stay quiet.... maybe chris won't notice while he looks for a place to live...
keith
;D
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Or maybe secretly there is a plan to take over the world....
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I feel like I am behind too! I still have a long way to go.
Mini's are still the way to go for me. Mini lights are cheap!! Especially if you hit the after Christmas sales.
When LED's get cheaper, I will switch over.
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Am I the only one that feels the urge to switch over to the new, greener LED's but admittedly prefer the mini's? I don't know what it is but they just seem like a warmer light to me. Nothing like it. When theyre gone I will definitely miss em. Kinda got the same feelin this year when I fired up some old C9's. I thought, ... Man those look good.
Trying not to think about how far behind I am. All the wife wants to do is tell me about the things she wants me to do on the weekends. All I want to say is,... "ARE YOU NOT PAYING ATTENTION WHEN I TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE WORK I HAVE YET TO DO?????" (She knows that when I'm working during the week, I can't do a blippin thing)
I've got to have a sit down with her. She clearly doesn't understand obsession! (Did I just say that?)
Shutting up.
Leon
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re: C9's
I recently purchased a bunch of C7 LED replacement bulbs from Paul at CDI. The intent was to go back to the "retro" look in outlining my roofline. I happened to have had a few incandescent C7 sets that I re-used. When I put the LED replacements in, they were MUCH brighter than the incandescents, and looked so much better than the originals.
So I'm sold on the LED's. In fact, the white version of the LED's are "sun white" which look very like much the incandescents.
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88 sleeps till lights on ...
Man now that sounds like we need to get cracking ... and I'm not talking smoke
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On this 88 day,
I put together some LEs, mounted heat sinks and then into boxes and attached cords ..
not bad as I got the laundry done as well ..
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On this 88 day,
I put together some LEs, mounted heat sinks and then into boxes and attached cords ..
not bad as I got the laundry done as well ..
Tell them how many LE's you have built so far. I'm not telling, but you make me tired when I talk to you, please slow down so the rest of us can feel better about what we are doing. LOL
Jim
another Georgia blinky flash newbie / enthusiast
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i have built 14 expresses, i will have wireless on them all, and i still have 8 more to build. i will have 18 stand alone wireless devices as well.
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On this 88 day,
I put together some LEs, mounted heat sinks and then into boxes and attached cords ..
not bad as I got the laundry done as well ..
Tell them how many LE's you have built so far. I'm not telling, but you make me tired when I talk to you, please slow down so the rest of us can feel better about what we are doing. LOL
Jim
another Georgia blinky flash newbie / enthusiast
OK OK, I can't hold back any longer ... I am going to let the cat out of the bag
<delete on>
</delete off>
I had it all typed out ...
and then something happened
no .... not yet ...... Laughing
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i have built 14 expresses, i will have wireless on them all, and i still have 8 more to build. i will have 18 stand alone wireless devices as well.
Impressive ....
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i have built 14 expresses, i will have wireless on them all, and i still have 8 more to build. i will have 18 stand alone wireless devices as well.
Brad,
You obviously have too much time (and money) on your hands to be able to build 14 LE's. :)
Hopefully, you have seen RJ's note and got the wireless PCB's that you need, since he's selling them now... I've already requested 5 more and some SSR4's to plan for next year.
I'm thrilled that my wireless TX and the one LE receiver that I've built so far works great!
Now, only 3 more LE's, 3 more EX/RX, and a standalone RX to go...not to mention the programming...
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OH ya, I am completely wireless now... I got a good bonus check this year so I figured I would donate some to charity by building a mega christmas show. Here is what I have built so far
Now up to 17 expresses (all of them have wireless on them)
7 SSR4's with Wireless
18 stand alone wireless boards
and 2 transmitters...
I am going to die from soldier lung cancer... and I am pretty sure I will have carpel tunnel from cutting all the chips on the stand alone receivers.
I will take some pictures later on...
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HAHAHAHAH Cat is still in the bag... Mouths are going to drop right?
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OH ya, I am completely wireless now... I got a good bonus check this year so I figured I would donate some to charity by building a mega christmas show. Here is what I have built so far
Now up to 17 expresses (all of them have wireless on them)
7 SSR4's with Wireless
18 stand alone wireless boards
and 2 transmitters...
I am going to die from soldier lung cancer... and I am pretty sure I will have carpel tunnel from cutting all the chips on the stand alone receivers.
I will take some pictures later on...
I can attest to the solder lunger cancer. It is even better when you get an assembly line going after your have the parts sorted and just get in a groove. I think between Blearning and I we could put together about 4 LE's an hour. V4 of course...
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78 Days ...
I was soldering away building more controllers. My buddy was here and we were talking as we were working. Then I slipped off the voltage regulator with a 700 degree iron with my right hand and jammed it into the top side of my thumb just at the base of the finger nail of my left hand.
Think of jamming a screw driver into your thumb just below the fingernail ... ( we have all done that) but add the exceptional quality of a Weller solder pencil running about 700 degrees ..
OUCH ... was one of the words I used and then dang it was another one ... there were some other words.
good thing it was that hot because it cauterized the wound as it went in and as I painfully pull it out ... very quickly I might add .. fast as I have ever moved I can assure you..
I am basically out of commission for as long as this thing isn't healed over. I mean cauterizing is supposedly a good method of reducing infection, but I can personally recommend likely just about any other method.
I am hoping that if I am really really careful for the next 4 to 6 days and not do anything (especially requiring heat) I should be back on the building race soon. I am more taken aside by the fact that I am going to loose 3 to 6 days of production then the actual fact that my thumb now has a nicely cauterized wound on it.
SO the Christmas house on Dunn street is actually closed until further notice .....
Somehow I also notice this morning that I have a slight burn mark on my forehead in the shape of the brand new pencil tip I put on the Weller, which is strange because I don't remember getting the weller that close to my forehead.
the good news is that I found some really cool second skin bandages at cvs which apparently speed up the recovery process as they are moist with a beneficial antiseptic.
*LAUGHING*
get back to work people and be careful...
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I can attest to the solder lunger cancer. It is even better when you get an assembly line going after your have the parts sorted and just get in a groove. I think between Blearning and I we could put together about 4 LE's an hour. V4 of course...
4 an hour, nice :o. I am not that fast.
Bill
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Well, my guess is, burned your fingered, iron flew up and burned the head,,,, pain from finger trumped pain from head. Look at it on the bright side, you didnt fall of a ladder or burn down your house... It can always be worse... Now is when you get sympathy from your neighbors and get even more work done. Hope you feel better.
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Feel better soon BL
Bill
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Greetings,,,
Shall we take a few home to assist? Bringing back in January? The heat is on, indeed!
Keith
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Greetings,,,
Shall we take a few home to assist? Bringing back in January? The heat is on, indeed!
Keith
Keith .. thanks for your kind offer ... but I think we are good ... but I could make the same offer ...
uou know test them, make sure they work and all before returning them for storage ... I mean for your use.
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BL... You are giving the term "magic smoke" a new meaning.. glad it did not have more severe consequences. P.S. hope you had a large aloa plant nearby to help with the pain of recovery.
larry
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The real question is "Did your thumb have the proper amount of flux applied before the iron hit it?" ;D
Bill
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Then I slipped off the voltage regulator with a 700 degree iron with my right hand and jammed it into the top side of my thumb just at the base of the finger nail of my left hand.
You know everytime I get an update to this thread I get a terrible feeling in my stomach. This just made it go nuclear. :o
Hope you're back in business quickly.
Leon
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76 days,
OK enough Already,
I was out enjoying the day and walking through the garden and brushed up against this little creature in the garden, MY right hand this time immediately felt like it was on fire and turned red ... lasted a couple of hours. Apparently this saddle-back caterpillar is poisonous with his little prickly body ...
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:o I can't take it !!!!! :o
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Greetings,,,
BL, I'm now glad I didn't stop by this weekend. By the way, can you tell me when those things freeze for the winter? I'll be over after that...
;D
Keith
(And to think, the GA-mini was there, and not a soul was bit....
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Greetings,,,
BL, I'm now glad I didn't stop by this weekend. By the way, can you tell me when those things freeze for the winter? I'll be over after that...
;D
Keith
(And to think, the GA-mini was there, and not a soul was bit....
He is still out there ... this time I didn't touch it ... isn't Georgia a cool place. I lived in Canada for 40 plus years, was a scout leader for years, traveled the back country on a regular basis and I don't remember anytime that I was bit or stung.
Get to Georgia and moved in here. The first thing I go down to the basement and it is like a SCI FI movie with crickets, every inch of the basement, walls floors and ceiling is covered in crickets. In the dimly lit basement it scared the bageebees out of me ...
then I've been bite and stung several times by all kinds of insects over the last few years. My wife asks me why I don't wear short sleeves or shorts.
...... and I love the idea that every year when I take out the tubs of lights. I have to open them up and set them in the sun to get rid of say the brown recluse or the other spider with a black shiny body.
and it is the only paranoia I have ... bugs .. crawly things LAUGHING.
I do love the idea of not shoveling snow though.
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Thumb is healed over quite nicely .. cutting out almost a week of good production ...
I just put the last LE together for this year ... and looked at the Snowman on the wall .. he is saying 70 days ...
or 10 weeks ...
or 1680 hours ...
Consider a week of days is going to be on the "honey do" list or personal items, yard work, traveling to and from work and other things I need to take care of
5 weeks I need to do other work .. I need to earn money for this hobby ...
so that leaves me with 4 weeks .. I need to eat, sleep, and other personal stuff I need to do to stay alive let's cut out a week for that. Although I could get away with a few as 4 hours of sleep a day ... but it is not easy on this old body.
so we have about 3 weeks of real working time .... yah we can do it ...
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Pressure? What, me feel pressure?
I'm with you all the way BL
John
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today my wife informed me ... October 1 around these parts is the opening day of the big push to the get it all done.
Legally I can play Christmas out in the yard ...
Legally I can start dragging stuff out and make sure it is working.
Legally I can start to put up lights in not so obvious places ...
Legally I can stay up all night with the work lights on in the yard ..
AND legally I can put out the countdown clock ...
It is the Santa Claus is coming Law
So fellas and gals too "Start your engines" ...
eat well, sleep fast ...... and may the Claus be with you ...
we will see you at Thanksgiving ...
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I am behind schedule. I have accomplished a lot, but there is a lot to do.
Controllers are all built and tested
Power nearly complete - Wanted to be complete by today, but I still have to get the temp power pole inspected before the power is turned on.
I haven't sequenced any songs yet, probably only 4 songs this year.
- Amazing Grace - Yule
- Music Box Dancer - DJ Schwede
- Carol of the Bells - Monique Danielle
- ?? Wife wants Little Drummer Boy, I want wizards in winter.
I haven't even started building the mini trees and arches yet.
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42 days left and things are looking all right.
we moved our date up some to help Larry out so
Last weekend Chris and I pulled another all nighter which really put a dent in the building of the items or as we jokingly referred to as iage .... lightiage, treeiage, wreathiage, bowiage paintiage. OK it wasn't an all nighter, we just worked until we fell asleep ...
I am headed out of town with the my wife for some R&R before the big Halloweeniage and Christmasiage.
It seems both Chris and I have been drinking from the firehose lately and it is time to recharge. All y'll take some time for yourself and family as well.
My horoscope the other day said that this wasn't a sprint but to prepare for a marathon. "nothing like stating the obvious Sherlock"
We keep getting asked what we are doing ... so here is the official count today 790 channels of Lynx and LOR and just around 1/4 million lights on 5 separate houses.
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We keep getting asked what we are doing ... so here is the official count today 790 channels of Lynx and LOR and just around 1/4 million lights on 5 separate houses.
That's gonna be pretty impressive. I'm going to have to try and come up to your side of town this year and check out your display(s). My meager 30,000 lights pales in comparison but it sure has taken a whole lot more work than I ever expected. Great fun though! And makes for good bonding time with the kids.
--Ron
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We keep getting asked what we are doing ... so here is the official count today 790 channels of Lynx and LOR and just around 1/4 million lights on 5 separate houses.
Wow!!
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Well, not doing to bad but still behind. I have all of my SSR's with DMX built, tested, and programmed. 2 LE's and 1 LOR done. 1 LOR to go. All of my enclosures are ordered! I hope to get my 12 mini tree's re-strung and wired for 4 circuits each with DMX-SSR's also I hope to get 4 more 8 circuit 10ft arches done this weekend!
Oh i guess I need to start harvesting the leaves!
Way to much work......way to little time!
Good luck, remember some how we all get it done to enjoy Blinky!
KEN
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33 days to go ... let the fun begin ...
It is a nice day out and we are going to put up some lights today. Mostly stuff that wont get in the way of Halloween display or the final yard clean up after Halloween.
Be careful out there. Take it easy. Open your totes and set them in the sun ... let those spiders out first before you going digging around in there. Stay organized, stay safe, brush your teeth and clean under your nails.
Have fun ...
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Bill, you don't even wanna look under my nails! :)
John
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33 days ...
First Big day of placing lights was yesterday. No injuries ... SMILE
Light Up status.
Halloween stuff is completed and waiting for tear down after Halloween. Once that is done we can clean up the yard for the last time this year and get started putting the light elements in the yard.
We have the first (my) house almost done, Roof, Eaves, some bushes. Second house is almost done as well. We need to complete the roof today. Basically everything that needs a ladder.
We will likely get started on the third, fourth and fifth house today if the weather holds up, now that we have a lot of the stuff out of hiding.
All our premade light elements are ready to go up which will be about the 2nd week of Nov.
When we are done we should have
Light count 150,000 to 200,000 Lights,
5 Houses Synched together
~750 Channels of Lynx and LOR
~64 songs synched to the lights Using Vixen for Synching
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Yeah yeah yeah yeah.. And the whole "Green" LED element of the display. IT is almost time and almost the weekend. Technically for me I have 4 hours until the weekend and a week of vacation to finish off sequencing and putting up lights and preparing for the Big "show". There is still a lot to accomplish and I think that the next few days are crucial to getting things going in the right direction to get everything done in time for the big switch to be thrown. I hope everyone else is pumped and ready!
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Another house almost done, but we added 2 ... my fingers are sore from twisting, tying stretching and pulling and just major putting up of the lights. Chris and I have been working some long hours, about 7 in the morning until 10 or 11 at night.
But we are progressing well with few ouies to proclaim.
There is some slow down of the cars and a few stops already starting, as we start to get things working. Not show stuff just making sure everything works before we get out the controllers.
Another couple of days of installations and we should be able to take this one for a test spin. We will likely get out to Larry's this weekend as well to set his Monster tree up, but that really depends on the rain
We will work on house number 5 and 6 tomorrow if the rain isn't too bad. There is some high winds headed our way as well.
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Rain Day ...
The Georgia Mafia is having a rain day.
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Greetings,,,
Oh, deer. Don't we spend reign days gathering more forces? The "F Troop" could give up one or two to help sync seven houses.
Keith
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in best Mafia Voice,
"I don seeth no F troop" (Cough Cough) "but they shows their beady eyes around these parts we make use of their fingers or cut them off" (evil laugh)
(Cough Cough) I make dem an offer they can't refuse .... (another evil laugh)
(Cough Cough) this is the Georgia Santa Lynx Light Mafia and we rule these here parts (evil Chuckle) and we ain't talking diet Light
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I feel like Man Verses LIGHTS ...
I keep putting them up but there is still more to do ...
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I can't imagine Bill...
are they all in straight lines? :D
John
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Hmm
Some are, why do you ask?
A quick survey this morning and I am guessing we have likely 75,000 more to put up. But it is "starting to look a lot like Christmas" around here.
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The little army of controllers, Early Sunday Morning, getting ready for their last update to move out and deploy to DISPLAY, SMYRNA, GA
I am proud of these guys, each one pain-stakingly developed under direct supervision. It will be a grueling deployment and logistically overwhelming. From parts from mouser, and other places. Arriving in boxes via UPS and USPS from around the country, but now they are ready to storm the area with all they have.
They are excited yet leery of going out into DISPLAY to make blinky flashy. Some were with tangled cords requiring a little pep talk to come out into the daylight. They do their best work at night.
Let's roll
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Greetings,,,
That looks great for the first sequence. What about the others...?
;D
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::) Thats a lot of expresses!!!!
RJ
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WOW. That's an ambitious project :o
Can't wait to see the video.
Brad
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::) Thats a lot of expresses!!!!
RJ
There are 8 LORs in there, and a bunch of SSRs so they aren't all expresses, but there are 28 Expresses, and soldering them .... Yes I can attest yah that is a lot of controllers!!!
Ambitious YES Indeed.. verging on foolish ... But it was Chris's Idea ... LOL I am blaming him.
Chris helped and Yes we both can't wait for thanksgiving evening to take it for a blinky test.
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:o :o :o :o That is a lot of LE's. :o :o :o :o
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Six of the Georgia Mafia got together at Larry's flood house to put up a tree in the yard. The flood waters came to around the top of the second level of the tree. Here are a couple of pictures. It is just short of 30 ft to the top of the star.
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Wow! We're talking MEGA tree here!
John
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Wow, that sure looks like nice weather! I was putting my mega-tree (not nearly as nice as that one btw!) today and was putting it up in a snowstorm! wow what fun.....lol
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Yes I was a tree Hugger ...
Jim you didn't say that after about 6 pieces of topiary on we found we had 2 of the frame pieces in wrong. Where Chris is standing, That piece to the left of him is supposed to be on the opposite side.
After much discussion and a few wedges place in the right place we took it out, removed the piece that was supposed to go there and swapped them around. Larry walked away as we were about going to do it saying "I don't want to see this"
Did you get a picture of that?
A side note. When I left that evening, we had it lit ... takes just around 50 amps to light it up.
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Yeah that build was awesome.. I had to overcome my fears of height QUICKLY walking around on that tree infrastructure all day was a blast though!!
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Lights are on here, so Monday it is back to some rest and relaxation at work.
Had a few minor cliches that were solved but all in all the meter is spining and the laights are flashing to music ... Can't beat that.
already handed out about 300 candy canes. I hand out candy canes to get a guest count and I visit with the folks.
Tonight is a little slow but Georgia is playing Georgia tonight with a late game start.
Hats off to RJ and crew .... without wireless we couldn't get across the street which is a total awe for the folks that visit.
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So Out of the 60 DIY components we added this year.
I had 6 LEs that needed TLC, One bad transformer, one with the 485s in backwards and the rest with the 3.3 volt issue resolved with the Jumper wire mod.
We also have 3 180 ohm resistors fried with no load on them on different controllers. I was lucky to see 2 of them go .... they released their magic smoke right in front of my eyes. It was a sight to see. I need to replace them once everything is completed. you can tell they are gone by the morphing to a all black color.
I had a faulty transmitter I haven't got to the bench yet.
An antenna issue where when a car drove up the wireless signal was interrupted, I fixed that by raising the antenna up above the SUV height.
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Although people are loving it, I am seeing where we need a little tweaking, everyday it looks better and better and occasionally people mention, hey you changed it all ... I say NAH I just fixed it the way it is suppose to be.
I am crying uncle on this project. I am going to call it too many ... Although I would never have thought it was possible.
.. 7 Houses, 1/4 million lights, now going into 800 channels, 60 odd circuits, now above 60 Controllers between wireless, SSRs Lynx and LOR. Is just too friggin big ... BUT very Impressive when you look down the street and all you can see is Lights blinking and flashing.
RJ you would be proud ... Laughing ...
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Although people are loving it, I am seeing where we need a little tweaking, everyday it looks better and better and occasionally people mention, hey you changed it all ... I say NAH I just fixed it the way it is suppose to be.
I am crying uncle on this project. I am going to call it too many ... Although I would never have thought it was possible.
.. 7 Houses, 1/4 million lights, now going into 800 channels, 60 odd circuits, now above 60 Controllers between wireless, SSRs Lynx and LOR. Is just too friggin big ... BUT very Impressive when you look down the street and all you can see is Lights blinking and flashing.
RJ you would be proud ... Laughing ...
I'm am sure I would be! I would love to see it and talk is underway to do so but it is a 24 hour drive round trip so it is hard. I know how hard it is to keep our show going the last two years with failed lights and thing coming lose, ect. I wondered what it would be like with a show that big.
RJ
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BTW!!!!
VIDEO IS NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RJ
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So Out of the 60 DIY components we added this year.
I had 6 LEs that needed TLC, One bad transformer, one with the 485s in backwards and the rest with the 3.3 volt issue resolved with the Jumper wire mod.
We also have 3 180 ohm resistors fried with no load on them on different controllers. I was lucky to see 2 of them go .... they released their magic smoke right in front of my eyes. It was a sight to see. I need to replace them once everything is completed. you can tell they are gone by the morphing to a all black color.
I had a faulty transmitter I haven't got to the bench yet.
An antenna issue where when a car drove up the wireless signal was interrupted, I fixed that by raising the antenna up above the SUV height.
Bill on the ones that the 180 ohm resistors fried I can tell you what causes this. The only thing that will put enough load on them to do this is if the solder joint on the triac has some resistence and then it will put a large load on the resistors and make this happen. So when you replace them hit the joints on the triac and high voltage side of the optos again. That will fix it.
RJ
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Would looooove to see some video, I bet it is awesome.
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I spent my money on LEs ... LAUGHING.
I have a few new Vid cams here to try out, and I have the one I used at the mini, but I am not sure how well it works. I might pick up a hand held this week. I need to pick up some connectors for the security cams I have on the shelf.
We will get some video some how.
Still working through the last few controller issues.
here is some tease pictures
The penquins are in the middle of decorating this house you can almost make them out on the ladder ...
The other is Candyland. Each Yard has its own theme
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Very Cool!
RJ
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Very Nice,
How big are those arches?
Thanks
Rick R.
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Very Nice
Bill
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Very Nice,
How big are those arches?
Thanks
Rick R.
Arch Info,
Arch height in center is 6 feet,
2 Full lengths of 1 Inch PVC 1 = 20 feet,
legs are spaced 11 foot 6 inch wide
total length of the 2 arches is 23 feet
1 arch is 8 channels,
1 100 count for each channel
the 2 wreaths at the end of each arch is 5 feet high.
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Looking good Bill!
John
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O U Ch! Nice Job. Arches are neat and pinwheels are cool.
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So Out of the 60 DIY components we added this year.
I had 6 LEs that needed TLC, One bad transformer, one with the 485s in backwards and the rest with the 3.3 volt issue resolved with the Jumper wire mod.
We also have 3 180 ohm resistors fried with no load on them on different controllers. I was lucky to see 2 of them go .... they released their magic smoke right in front of my eyes. It was a sight to see. I need to replace them once everything is completed. you can tell they are gone by the morphing to a all black color.
I had a faulty transmitter I haven't got to the bench yet.
An antenna issue where when a car drove up the wireless signal was interrupted, I fixed that by raising the antenna up above the SUV height.
Bill on the ones that the 180 ohm resistors fried I can tell you what causes this. The only thing that will put enough load on them to do this is if the solder joint on the triac has some resistence and then it will put a large load on the resistors and make this happen. So when you replace them hit the joints on the triac and high voltage side of the optos again. That will fix it.
RJ
Finally got this one on the bench ... yup you are correct ... as you stated and now fixed.
you're da man *SMILE*
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I thought I would write up a little list of the common troubles and how to fix them.
Bill's trouble shooting Guide,
Channel staying on, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over
Channel staying off, Check Solder Joints, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
DMX not working, Check Solder Joints, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
LEDs not lighting, Check Solder Joints, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
Self test not working, Check Solder Joints, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
Sporatic Light ons, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over
Wireless not working, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
Dongle Not working, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
Transmitter Not working, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
Receiver Not working, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
It was working but not now, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
It wasn't working but if I power cycle it it works for a while, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
It works sometimes, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
When it is wet it doesn't work, Let it dry out, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
The dog bit the cord, not it doesn't work, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat , replace cord.
The breaker tripped and now it doesn't work, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat Reset breaker.
Wife is Mad about the light show running too long, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat
I'm hungry, Check Solder joints, remove Solder spill over, make sure you use enough solder and have good heat, go eat.
*SMILE*
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OH MAN!!!
THIS IS JUST WRONG!!!!!!!
ROFLMAO
RJ
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Missed one that came up tonight ....
Lightning strikes all over the area ... Disconnect .... Don't worry about the solder joints... DISCONNECT DISCONNECT...
A lightning Storm in Atlanta in DECEMBER .... SHEEEEEESH ... I have more then 2 dozen poles in the yard with a good grid of wire and cable to the HOUSE.... Ben would be proud of me.
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Have the first batch of Videos up now ...
http://www.youtube.com/user/blearning#p/u
I couldn't fit all in one shot so I decided to do a couple overviews (walkabouts) and then do each yard ....
I have some more to put up after conversion ...
enjoy
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Awesome Job BL!
RJ
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Fantastic Show.
JJ
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Greetings,,,
Hey, BL. That 2006 show looks almost like the 2009 show does in real life... ;D
Just need a small title change on Yahoo's site there. But still was great to see in person. And to get candy canes. ;D
Keith
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I LOVED the pinwheels.
AWESOME!!!!!
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Bill, we knew from your earlier descriptions that something great was being put together... your videos confirm this.
Absolutely wonderful!!!!
Larry
ps.. the only problem.... what are you going to do next year????? hard to step up from Great. ;D
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Wow!
Thanks for sharing....
John
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you all are too kind....
Don't forget, Chris was also involved in this display, he will be taking his part of the display with him to his new place next year. (Chris, Vicki's yard is going to be dug up on the 4th)
Me ..... well to tell you the truth we only got about 70% done maybe a little less. I was joking with the neighbors and told them if they would store it they could have it ... but THAT AINT GONNA HAPPEN Laughing. We had 2 houses that were or going to be under construction so we didn't get them 100% complete
So there is about half as much again to put up, Of course I'm already deciding what I would change and complete for next year. I will need a few more controllers
So in reality I will relax for a few months and then get with it again..
I am going to try to get this (2009) years plan completed for next year *SMILE* ... so the plan is already made.
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Another 15 Videos are up ... we will see which ones gets flagged ...
http://www.youtube.com/user/blearning
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Awesome show! That looks like a lot of work!
Kyle
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Your not going to believe this ....
last night a few of the light buddies come over, we chat, look around, sit by the fire ... and then each of them goes to another place to look at lights. A simple evening with little to do, go to bed early and chill out.
Sounds innocent enough .... just a bunch of light guys doing what light guys do.
James, a light guy from Gainsville. He came over and we meet as well as Al from Roswell we kind of talk the BS and plans and all for about an hour maybe 2. Everybody goes there own way.
11:30 James calls..... He is over at AL's place up in Roswell almost Norcross. Al has a pretty nice setup I was over there the other night. He has a hill for a front yard and lays out a pretty impressive light display. He says when he got over to Al's place he could hear this cat meow ... opens the hood and sure enough a cat is sitting on the engine. He lets it out, but the cat hangs around the truck and then eventually gets stuck up in the spare wheel.
His wife says she is pretty sure she had saw the same cat over here at my place to begin with and are calling me to see what to do. His wife is pretty positive the cat belongs in the Dunn street neighborhood not over in Roswell.
Well 2 things come to mind, one they can't get the cat out and are concerned that forcing it out might traumatize it more, and 2 they are pretty sure it belongs over at Dunn not in Roswell.
So I go over there with tara, a good 30 minute drive, remember the clock ... now it is Midnight, I get a look at the cat ... to me all black cats look alike .. in fact most cats look the same, four feet and failry sharp teeth and claws... but the cat is friendly and by now has calmed down considerably. Now we have to get the Cat out from the truck, these folks want to get back home to Gainsville and it is apparently a cat from our neighborhood.
We call AL, he went to bed as where we should all be. it is his house we are at. I ask if he has some cat food or some food to entice this cat out. He is a dog person not a cat person, so the best we can come up with is a can of tuna,
Got the food, Cat calm, and we set the can of tuna on the ground by the truck, the plan being cat comes out to get the food .. we snatch it up and put it in a carrier and we all can go home ... SO we wait .... and we wait ..... and we wait .... and we wait ....
I am saying to myself this cat is not coming out, he is in a safe place and it aint that bad inside the wheel of this truck. BTW did I forget to mention.. We have a light show going on, and when they got there the music was blasting out in the front and the lights are blinking. Not the most subdued lighting effect one could have to allure a cute little kitty out from underneath a truck.
time to think like a cat ... I get up in a truck looking around in my neighborhood with the lights flashing and music playing and I am hiding out in a nice warm place. .... Life is good ... Next we are traveling along the freeway, and wind is blowing through my hair ... life is not so good. we stop and look at the lights again OK life isn't that bad .... this isn't my neighborhood ... take me back ... but I am not getting out again ...
So we lower the tire, Bill snatches the cat .. and puts it in the carrier... we say our good byes, thank Al for getting out of bed and we get back home ... remember that clock .. it is now just a little before 3 ...
Cats is in the basement where it is warm and out of the weather ... now we have to make sure the cute little flea bag with sharp claws and teeth is supposed to be here ...
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OK so if you have been following along ... Midnight the Cat has travelled to several light displays ...
YAH really Unknowingly by the driver and likely Unwillingly by Midnight ...
let me catch you up ..
First the cat isn't from Smyrna, nope not one of ours or any of the neighbors ... So the next likely place it may have been was over at Al Hoppers another light crazy in Roswell...
But Nope not there either ... it is from Gainesville, GA ... yah almost a 2 hour drive from Smyrna ... and if you take in the light shows along the way ... likely a good 5 hour tour.
Remember this cat got out at each of the shows, and back into the truck ... not the CAB ... and traveled around GA for almost 5 hours ....
So I am dubbing him "Midnight the Light crazy cat"
BTW he is still in my basement chilling out and relaxing thinking of next years light displays .... I might take him out to see the light show tonight LOL
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Midnight is back home safe and sound with his humans ... all ends well....
OK so if you have been following along ... Midnight the Cat has travelled to several light displays ...
YAH really Unknowingly by the driver and likely Unwillingly by Midnight ...
let me catch you up ..
First the cat isn't from Smyrna, nope not one of ours or any of the neighbors ... So the next likely place it may have been was over at Al Hoppers another light crazy in Roswell...
But Nope not there either ... it is from Gainesville, GA ... yah almost a 2 hour drive from Smyrna ... and if you take in the light shows along the way ... likely a good 5 hour tour.
Remember this cat got out at each of the shows, and back into the truck ... not the CAB ... and traveled around GA for almost 5 hours ....
So I am dubbing him "Midnight the Light crazy cat"
BTW he is still in my basement chilling out and relaxing thinking of next years light displays .... I might take him out to see the light show tonight LOL
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Although it is a relief, perhaps some explaination as to how you finally managed to find his humans? :D
Leon
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Although it is a relief, perhaps some explaination as to how you finally managed to find his humans? :D
Leon
Leon, we posted all over the place, I took a couple of pictures and sent to the guys displays he was at and asked for them to post them around their area. Took him to the vet No chip
I also posted the pictures on FB and the story in my wall. Someone had seen it and it spread pretty good from there.
I get a call from James, not 2 hours after I posted FB, and he says the owner (neighbor of James) had seen her cat on FB of all places ... I was thinking of the commercial where the kid looses he dog and they "mobile" spread the word ..
Social networking does work ... I don't even FB that much ...
There is Daily updates of the Adventurous cat and what he is doing ... too funny ...
not sure if this is going to work or not
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1597513837&ref=nf