Setup Status - 2011 - Chance's Computerized Christmas Lights

This page will be updated frequently during the setup phase of the display. (Oct. / Nov.)

See "Setup Photos" page for pictures from the setup phase.

Programmed and installed LED sign board in yard
Placed and connected yard speakers
Installed lights along edge of neighbor's yard to prevent parking in his yard while viewing the display
Repaired unlit sections of lights throught display
Re-worked power feeds to controllers as some channels were moved around
Installed 2x150W flood lights on each rear oak tree
Made 4 custom extension cords with old light set ends for original arch and twist-tied wiring for said arch in place
With the exception of the big pine tree, all seems to be ready for tomorrow night! Looking to start with 4 sequences and add the 5th in later next week

Extended lead cords on other 10 candy canes
Made replacement stakes for 5 candy canes with bent, broken, or missing stakes
Installed candy canes up both sides of driveway
Wind blew lights off house roof edge and partway off garage roof edge, had to repair
Transformer on power pole for my house and a neighbor blew around 4:30, halting efforts to finish the big pine tree (details on our little power emergency are here.

Modified "Christmas Techno Extravaganza" sequence from July for this year's show, bringing us to 3 sequences finished
Dad built and painted weatherproof enclosure for LED sign board - LED board to be installed tomorrow in yard

Extended lead cords by 10' on first 10 of 20 candy canes - what a tedious process

Did not work outside today, but did do little bits of programming and fixing up channel configs in my sequences
Planning to install candy canes tomorrow and wrap large pine tree Wednesday

Successfully wrapped spiral tree, with much help from ladders and zip ties and my dad
Connected spiral tree to controller
Wrapped second arch with help of dad, installed arch in yard
Made custom extension cords for new arch and connected to controller
Began testing candy canes

Installed 9 mini trees with 300 lights each in front of spiral tree
Zip tied all lights for house gutter together - 5 sections of clear icicle, 1 section of blue icicle, and red/green/blue/clear minis
Dad installed gutter lights from roof

Attempted to put lights on spiral tree but failed miserably, rethinking design of spiral tree for next weekend
Made 7-channel 30' wiring harness for left jumping pole to connect to controller under right jumping pole
Connected both poles to LOR controller and tested
Connected front yard border and side yard border to LOR controllers
Repaired com problem in D-Light network, keystone jacks not attached securely
Set up poles for front mini-mega (or is it mega mini?) trees
Put lights on mega-mini trees and connected to controllers
Temporarily connected first arch for testing purposes
Connected large front yard trees to controllers

***Supposed to be Day 2 of the three-day stint, but midway through the day it became obvious that was not the case
Had help from dad, sister, and friends Mat Levine and Bryan Griffin
Put lights on side yard bushes
Put lights on front yard trees
Placed 10' jumping poles and guy-wired in place
Placed and connected all controllers
Redid com wiring to detached garage from house - ran through conduit under pathway and installed keystone jacks and electrical boxes on ends
Attached lights to spiral tree pole
Connected bushes to LOR controller
Noticed com problem to D-Light units in garage and side yard, will rectify tomorrow

***Day 1 of a three-day setup stint in which I hope to get (almost) everything put up outside
Had help from my dad, sister, and friends Derek Walker and Kyle Fleagle
Set up left and right yard borders
Installed lights on bushes and handrail
Built and set up 16' pole for spiral tree
Set up new show computer and updated sound system
Ran all power feeds (9 extension cords carrying 100 amps of power!) from Panel to front yard
Built and wrapped one of two 20' 1400-light leaping arches

Installed assembled LOR boards into enclosures and installed input/output cords
Adressed newly built LOR boards with LOR utility
Finished assembling one of two new 16-channel Light-O-Rama controller boards (Derek assembled my second new one)

Plan for 2011 is almost finalized
Some new display elements built
Purchased new 3.5' long LED information sign for web address / FM station (see below photo)