Status Check?

[arw01]

Flashed the pixelnet dongle over to DMX to use the starting channel utilities.  Was not so bad to get it out of the socket on the dongle and into the ISCP28 I got with my pickit.  Had to update the firmware to program that family of pics and it was a little wonky until I rebooted.  I've decided any time the pickit changes firmware, I'm rebooting first before programming the pic.

The two Aethers now have their starting channels set, and I've changed my LSP setup to have a white channel and the normal rgb channel as well. 

I also got the second Lynx set for it's start channel, I love those LED displays in there.  I could have a full read out ticker type device made out of those!

Was going to set the start address on the ssr4 I built, but found the pic was not programmed from the co-op and I need a ISCP18A that I don't have to program it. Ordered one from ebay, but it will not arrive until at least Saturday.

Starting to cut the male ends off the extension cords from the dollar tree for the ssr and the lynx units.  Not the kind of cords I wanted, but I never ordered the vamp plugs and the zip cord.  I would like to find a source for true 2 wire extension cords for a reasonable price.  Maybe I will ping Ray about finding a source in China.

Off for the next two days to try and get the goods out into the yard and finish some sequencing.

Alan

[bartels]

I spent most of the day working on creating a mega tree structure for flexible strings.  This is my first year and I got a late start.  I am happy with the progress so far.  The instructions on this forum for the hub, usb dongle, and SSC are great.  I didn't have any issues with getting this to work on the first try.  It was definitely rewarding the first time I got the lights to blink.

Jeremy

[twooly]

Almost complete, I'd say I'm at 99%

Everything is out connected, tested, and working.  Ran through all my sequences and I just have a few minor tweaks.  Yippee!

[Steve Gase]

have all of my controllers built and tested.
have had my star burst and smart string shooting stars built and tested.  the same with my aethers.
trying to finish the covers on the last 7 coroflakes, and the assembly of 24 smart string arches...
still need to assemble 3 green house matrix panels -- and figure out any kind of animation sequences.
haven't started to attach 5000 pixels to my megatree.  that will be the final element this year, but it likely won't make the thanksgiving roll-out.

24 arches complete, ready for the yard
got a bunch of battery boxes and moved PS and controllers, ready for the yard
built power injection system for (2) 16-dumb-string trees, ready for the yard
completed one of three green house matrices, started some animated sequencing
changed the plan for the mega pixel tree, no longer using poly mesh -- now using EMT conduit and joining pieces to create 20' rigid lines...  making some early progress on this
only 1.5 of the 7 coroflake covers are complete

finish panels, finish coroflakes -- put it ALL in the yard, do my nutcracker sequencing, finish tree.

still optimistic...

my estimates tend to be overly-optimistic.

I have my 3 light panels working -- they look great!!  (thanks again for the idea, combustionmark!)
all 10? 12? power enclosures are ready to go... worked on waterproof extensions last night.
my son is finishing up the 15x 5-color mini trees.
I still have some coroflake covers to finish.

today looks to be sunny (but cold) all day -- it is a great opportunity to get stuff out in the yard.
I should probably mow first...

[arw01]

Yesterday I got 16 pigtails onto the first Lynx (i takes longer to tin 16 gauge wires than I thought it would), but I figured out if you heat from the END it works a whole lot faster than the side.

To hold it above ground I used a 30" piece of rebar I sharped on the bench grinder and then pounded into the ground.  For the LE part I used a spare Pex tube and ran a screw through the case into the pex at the two bosses for it and that worked fab.

Now when the wife came home and said what the "he two toothpicks" is that in the yard?  That being a LE on stake with an squid worth of cables out of it.  SOOO  might be buying some extra extension cords to hide that a bit further away.   

Also got some of the static stuff that needs to go into the ground put out, made up the DSC string for the garage output and put that in.  Moved some cat 5 around for the second active hub I picked up to make my life easier for cabling, put the last of the SSC controllers out and zip tied them in place.

Today I need to figure out how many more extension cords I need and what lengths, pick up some 25 count LED lights from the wallymart, get a few more rebar  pieces, althought I am not remember why as of the moment.

Also drove myself nuts last night in LSP with timing marks and blue blue blue christmas by Mr. Elvic Presley, but I know what i want to do with that song so maybe it would be up.  Be nice to toss some nutcracker effects into the LSP string for all the rgb lights to butterfly in different blues during long parts of the song,but I am not going to complicate my life with conversions and such for the moment!

Alan

[jnealand]

Too speed up tinning the power cord wires for an LE I put the iron in a vise and then have two hands free to hold the wire and the solder.  Makes it go much faster.

[meman]

Rains the past couple of days have really put me behind. But, it brought some cold air here in FL...and that feels good compared to sweating and slapping mosquitoes the other night while wrapping trees. Took a "personal day" today and spent a solid 14 hours in the yard. Setup is 80% complete and I'm pretty sure I can meet my goal of Dec1 for showtime. Then it's the endless tweaking of sequences and addition of new ideas. I tend to do my prototyping while everything is setup to run, but in the wee hours when no one is looking.

Mike E.   

[duane.mosley]

Too speed up tinning the power cord wires for an LE I put the iron in a vise and then have two hands free to hold the wire and the solder.  Makes it go much faster.

nice, will use that method from now on, about to tin 96 connections for my zues boards

[sabie]

installed 14 le's
5 sets of candy canes
decorated an 15 x80 roof 4 colors
2 eves' 80ft each 4 color icicles
28 ft mega tree
45100 lights hung so far
all le networked and powered 260 channels
road lights installed 1/8 mile
still have to put up cutouts and static lights
and performed dry run on whole setup
go live sunday

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[tomwb301]

Show is up and running without any problems. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[arw01]

WELL...  I may have blew up an SSR today..  I used a three conductor power cord and cut the ground wire off with no hanging out wires.  BUT when I had completely finished the SSR had it the case and closed the case, the ground wire slide down with the lid and hit the side of the fuse close to the large resistors.  BIG flash, singed the case side, the board, darked two resistors.  SO I figure I fried a chip or two.  Look the board over, put the multimeter on a few things and swaped the chip closest to those resistors and powered up and nothing.  DARN...

Futzed around swapped all the chips and still nothing.

SO I completely build another SSR, and I am sure my wire REALLY appreciated all my help with the trees (we put up3), 2 down 1 to go, while I did it.  I completely finish the second SSR and nothing, nada, zip.  Scratching my head when I decide to check the 120 on the connector.  NOTHING.  So I go plug the drill press into the same outlet, flip it on, and nothing.  Hmm, well that would explain it.  Go check the breakers nothing, try to reset the GFCI after I remember about it, nothing.  Go look at another GFCI so I can remember what button does what as the one I was working from was under the table saw extension table and hard to see.  Well if I pressed far enough the circuit reset.

Back to my just built ssc, and it CYCLES, SWEET.

SO that was about it for today!

[ghethco]

Quite a few of my neighbors already have nice (static) displays up.  I'm still soldering my Aether IIs :-)

My goal is to at least have the basic display up and one song sequenced by Sunday night.  We'll see.

I'll definitely be tweaking and adding more between now and Christmas.  I don't know how people get it all done ahead of time, just put it up and don't touch it.

Gary

[drlucas]

Sorted out my bad strings on the roof finally with 200 of the lights I got from Ray this week. Hope no more bad nodes now. It was icy up there. Anyways back down safe and today I get my home made coro candy canes finished. Got one done last night. Two more to go today.

I'm also now sorted on the flickering lights. My psu was fine. I had a bad crimp on my end. That should be sorted out.

I have 600 lights remaining to put up. Not sure if I'll outline the bay window , do the remaining two eaves, wrap part of a pine tree or just decorate the dog house.

Have to move the aethers and the other floods around too now that my bay window is replaced.

I'll be up tomorrow

[caretaker]

Show went live Thursday night, one Express was not working and 2 of my three blow mold did not light.  Fixed Express and blow molds yesterday and noticed 2 of my three RGB columns not working... Working on them today along with painting and installing my charity donation box. Still have to sequence a couple new songs but I have a plenty of old stuff I can update to fill in.

[Steve Gase]

Fixed a bunch of issues today...

Floods are almost online, coroflakes are partially out... only the megapixel tree to get out yet.  everything is working and throwing out lots of beautiful, colorful light! 

still using xlights test mode to drive the stuff -- it looks good, and my sequences are still "in progress"