2008 Display Details

[marquisite]

December(26th onward)

• Attend the post-Christmas sales [DONE]

January

• Tear down the 2007 display [DONE]
• Select a couple of songs (usually two) so sequencing can begin. [DONE]
• Hopefully hear back from a band that might create a special version of 'Wizards In Winter' just for my lights. [YES - IN SEPTEMBER!]

February

• Restore the inside of the house to normal [DONE]
• Trial various ideas and 'new additions' (without lights) [DONE]

March/April

• Get the necessary made to order LED lights submitted to the manufacturer via Starlight Christmas Superstore [DONE]

June/July

• Purchase four new computer controllers (Light-O-Rama - $180AUD per controller - looking at $800AUDish depending on shipping) [DONE]

September

• Pay for the custom ordered lights (looking at $1300ish) [DONE]
• Install the computer controllers
• Get a dedicated breaker installed on the electricity meter, and also get four double outdoor waterproof 15Amp power points connected to the new dedicated breaker
  

October

• Start putting the lights up (e.g. garden cabling, roof, side yard)
• Find an inexpensive four channel security surveillance DVR (Digital Video Recorder) that can hold at least five days of footage, with recording schedule. Needs to have at least one audio input. Price cannot exceed $150 at the most. [HAVE NOT FOUND ONE YET - PM ME IF YOU CAN HELP]

[Fi_]

For those of you that are new to the forum this is how obsessed Marqui is with his light, I mean he hasn't even finished running this years yet KIK

You did a great job, as usual, this year hon.

[marquisite]

Haha... OBSESSED?!??! Never

Yeah well anyway... its going to be a bit of a trial and error year as far as the computerisation is concerned... I mean the way I will need to go about sequencing is very different with the newer controllers (and I haven't even got them to test yet)

[BigEye]

Ok Ryan now I have a question when you sequence lights do you do it virtually with a software application showing what your lights will look like or do you have to do it with the whole display set up. I have viewed the lindseylights display on Justintv and am blown away just wondered how the lights are done.

[marquisite]

I sequence virtually to an extent (about 85%), but then fine tune in real time with my lap top outside wirelessly in the last week leading up to December.

[BigEye]

What Software do you use Ryan?

[marquisite]

For 2005 - 2006 I used Comet 0.9.0 (software no longer available) (with DIY Olsen595)

For 2007 I used Vixen from vixenlights.com (with DIY Olsen595)

For 2008 I plan to use Light-O-Rama software from lightorama.com (with LOR hardware that fades lights)

[marquisite]

This box of LEGO bricks looks interesting for the window display:


I've never seen LIME bricks before! They'd go well with my planned Lego City, with two tone green I think. The White and grey could go well together too, to make that older house look. Mind you, I might need to do that next year in 2009, otherwise I'll have to get a house loan to pay for all this stuff I need this year . But it would be nice if LEGO had a photo of the side of the box which listed the quanitity of parts!

[marquisite]

EEEEP... guess how much money 2008 will cost for what I need to get? $2600!!!!

These new computer controllers cost a bundle, especially with six of them. It is unfortunate that the newer controllers and method for operating them are not compatible with the older existing controllers I have.

Then quite a bit for the new LED lights I want to get. It would have cost a lot more, but I've cut back on what I'll get (reduced the new lights by about 2500 globes down to 4000ish).

And on top of that will be any labour charges for an electrician...

[marquisite]

Ok I think I worked out that I'll need to drop two of the six controllers, and 'double up' some of the lights on the same computer control channel. Even by doing this it still tips over $2,000 a little. A lottery win (of at least a few thousand) would be great any time soon now! (My Grandma buys a ticket each week).

This would mean my computer channels would only marginally increase from 56 (in 2007 - non dimmable low voltage only) to 64 (dimmable* low/high voltage). If I could, I'd try to scrape by with only three controllers however it would actually make the display less interesting than 2007 so I can't let that happen...

*Not everything will be dimmable, but the controller supports it. I still need to find out if the low voltage lights can be dimmed (ie given half the power) without ruining the transformer. Ropelight can be dimmed though.