So here it is, my 1st ever blog! What to write? Hmm, well not much tonight, as I'm literally only starting up this website, but stay tuned because (hopefully) I'll be updating this blog with further news & developments I have mainly surrounding our 2012 Christmas lighting display.
Here's a brief background catchup:
* I've had static displays for the past few years. (Static display means the lights only work "out of the box" from the likes of Kmart or Big W using their built in flashy controllers. They are not "animated" or computer controlled to turn on/off when I want them to.)
* After Googling & YouTubing light displays in Dec '11 I finally found a link to LOR - Light-O-Rama. This is a hardware & software system used to control lights. From here I found a link to ACL, and I haven't looked back since!
* This year I originally planned to keep my display in AC. This means overriding the multifunction controllers (MFC) on the sets of lights I own so that they just stay on when plugged in. Then I can use a LOR controller & computer software to turn them on & off at will. However, after attending this year's ACL Melbourne Mini, I have decided to leave most of my existing sets as static, but add in some DC lights. This means I cut off the powerpacks & MFCs, and wires the lights directly to a dedicated controller. This method gives you a little more flexibility with making your own creations (such as multiple mini trees) and also, being DC it is much safer than having hundreds of extension leads running all over the lawn!
Anyways, more about my blinky flashy adventures in my next entries!
Here's a brief background catchup:
* I've had static displays for the past few years. (Static display means the lights only work "out of the box" from the likes of Kmart or Big W using their built in flashy controllers. They are not "animated" or computer controlled to turn on/off when I want them to.)
* After Googling & YouTubing light displays in Dec '11 I finally found a link to LOR - Light-O-Rama. This is a hardware & software system used to control lights. From here I found a link to ACL, and I haven't looked back since!
* This year I originally planned to keep my display in AC. This means overriding the multifunction controllers (MFC) on the sets of lights I own so that they just stay on when plugged in. Then I can use a LOR controller & computer software to turn them on & off at will. However, after attending this year's ACL Melbourne Mini, I have decided to leave most of my existing sets as static, but add in some DC lights. This means I cut off the powerpacks & MFCs, and wires the lights directly to a dedicated controller. This method gives you a little more flexibility with making your own creations (such as multiple mini trees) and also, being DC it is much safer than having hundreds of extension leads running all over the lawn!
Anyways, more about my blinky flashy adventures in my next entries!