Crazy Tech

Regarding extension cords, keep the costs down and go straight to zip cord aka spt1 or spt2 for higher loads. Much easier to use. as to lor, I started from scratch 8 years ago now. You can learn it enough to start using in a short time, as suggested, start small, I had a single 16 channel controller and managed to have 3,000 lights my first year. this is a good place to find help as you learn about it. good luck.

My first year I had only 3,000 lights, single controller. The next year I went to 17,000 lights, of which 1,600 were in the mega tree- aside from that I added one controller for the tree, but programmed the first single controller for all the rest. If you want to see what you can do with single controller check out my site www.crazytechchristmas.com - see video and pictures in 2010 and 2011. It is a lot of work, but is fun!

I will check, I believe I have the original image - I had them printed at a local sign place, now the fun part is they don't have the wire frame part that you insert in the smaller size. The fix is easy, you take a full size one and cut it in half with wire snips, that gives you two frames, so make sure you ask them for the full size wire so you have it to put the signs up. I will email you about the sign itself shortly.

just got one for this year's display - glad to read your advice on not taking down in the cold - I will remember that!

I have been using the LED version of lawn lights for 4 years now and have had great luck with them. I expanded last year and have 7 sets in use, you can see them in my videos at www.crazytechchristmas.com under 2012 videos for best vieiwing. The snoopy vs. red baron makes a lot of use of them. While they say you should not dim them, I have in fact done it without issue, I just use dimming with them as little as possible and look for times when on / off is best. Even in high snow you can still see them via the glow under the snow if the 7 inch stake gets covered. NOW - for the mail / delivery man - I post signs around my lawn perimater saying CAUTION Tripping Hazard and HIgh Voltage at ALL times - has little pictures of man tripping and getting zapped - I have not had a single issue with mail or delivery man crossing the lawn once those signs go up - most of them are careful when warned - if anything they have trippe me up a few times, but no damage so far. 2 years ago I was late in getting them out and I have multiple people come up to me to ask where they were - they are a fan favorite here. I say go for it, they are really cool looking. My only complaint is they do not have multicolor. I had to purchase colored caps to get the look I wanted.

I built what I call mini-mega-leapers - there is an article on how to do it in November 2012 issue of planetchristmasmagazine - I use a 3 inch wide pvc pipe - I cut it down to 5 feet and use 16 channels - I wrap green, white, red and blue so I need the 16 channels to handle each one 4 channels per color. You can see them in action at www.crazytechchristmas.com - under the 2012 videos.

Wait while I take a scream break - aaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I have the lights out, but only have 1/3 wired, I have large lawn, so for example I added a new 30 foot arch over my driveway - 8 channels - 8 wire runs - just under 800 feet of spt2. And it has been either warm and raining or now we have a blast of arctic wind so only 38 degrees and brrr cold in the wind. good grief looks like I am going to the wire again to get setup - this light addition is really getting painful this year. Hope others are having a better time of it in the cold areas. Back to the show this is it!

Aggghh! Been working on it since middle of October, but could not put out any lawn stuff or run cords until after Halloween - I am freaking out this year, had surgery on right shoulder so I lost some build time and now I can't seem to get outside to get anything started! God, I hate this part, why do we do it why - oh yeah, we are light addicted crazy people!

Yeah, that elf is fun, glad you liked it enough to want a copy.

Have you seen the new RGB floods from LOR? If you are going the DIY direction, you can hook into LOR with correct dongle, etc.. and use DMX type controllers they support that, LOR is flexible in not locking you to their system only - I have not gone that way yet, but have been researching it. Good luck

LOL - great answer - just proves you have to be a real light geek to do this in the North East - if you don't have to de-ice your display it's too warm where you are!

I think I know these guys!

I know of a few people who do that as well, I hand out a few on the nights and times I go outside, however I don't want to stand for hours each night in the cold. If I move to a warmer climate that would more than likely change.

Not quite that, but yes, if I am going to keep investing and growing, I would like to know if more people are coming by. I would not quit, but I would not expand as much if at all either. It's called results - while I do this for myself, I also want to know that people enjoy it and if you can't measure it in some way you don't know what is right or not. I dont' get too much feedback from my website, however I do get it by going out when there are more than a few cars watching and talking to the visitors, and I also get it by seeing if I have more visitors. I know I am not alone on this, many sites track visitors - I know of one in CA that because the vistiors come by on foot he uses a hand counter, as I said to each their own, it does not hold interest for you, however in my case it provides a form of feedback I would like to track.

To each their own - I like to do it. I can't collect for charity - too many legal issues here in Taxachussetts - and I like to know how many cars come down to show growth to help me decide to increase the size of the show or make other changes. I don't have full street most of the time and that is ok, however seeing the growth year to year is nice to know. So, for those who don't care - cool - I am sure you have your areas you are focused on - for those of us who do like to know - these ideas are useful and I appreicate the feedback. The countdown to starting the shows have started for some of us - and too all a good year!