UPDATE:
Snowflake, Wreath, and REN24SS construction details post #37
Hello all fellow forum DIY'ers:
GOOD NEWS! I have my videos up for my display this year.
This is the narration / preliminary testing video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWX4sXv84nQ
These are the first four songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMGCYHi-U4g
These the last two songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5WKUpY3vOU
(I will also post some pictures and might add some more videos too as time permits).
For 2013 I revamped the entire system using a new show computer with a new Renard controller. The previous years were using a REN16Xmus 16 channel controller, this year I am using a REN24SS 24 channel controller. All 24 channels were used this year. The first 12 channels were a repeat of last year's show, where as the last 12 channels were set to 3 multi-channel items. This was my first year using multi-channel decorations. I used two 42" snowflakes which were already 3 channels but I modified it to be used on the controller. The last 6 channels were used in a 30" wreath that hangs in the middle of the window. The 6 channels were evenly divided around the wreath using 25 LED bulbs each for a total of 150 bulbs in the wreath. Everything is ran through Vixen 2.1 Christmas light program.
Even though I have a REN48LSD with two DIYC-Floods which I had completed since October, I didn't end up using for my Christmas show this year. Reprogramming for the new REN24SS controller with the new snowflakes and wreath turned out to be more than enough work for this year. I really had a choice and either it was to program the songs for the DIYC-Floods or add a new song for this year. Since I didn't have a new song on my roster since 2010, I felt it was HIGH time to add a new song. My new song selection for this year is Run Run Rudolph by Kelly Clarkson. Since this song was programmed from the ground up with the new display it actually makes the best use of the new lights. The ending on this song turned out pretty spectacular if I do say so myself.
Well...sit back and enjoy! (Then come back and read below)
For next year I don't intend on adding new lights, since I have the DIYC-Floods and I can add them to the programming. I WILL add a couple more new songs though, but I do intend to remove some of the older ones too. As it stands I feel that 6 songs is more than enough for the display. It is over 15 mins worth of music and I doubt people would want to sit longer than that watching a single display. I intend to replace Carol of the Bells Sarajevo with Wizards In Winter for my TSO song (Gotta always have a TSO song in the lineup). Sleigh Ride will be replaced with a different version of Carol Of The Bells.
If I am going to add something new for next year, it would be a new 'Tune To' sign. Mine was a PAINTED OVER yellow coroplast sign and the white paint is now peeling off. What I would like to do is have some kind of back lit sign. I would like to use LED lights for that so I don't need to put out that 55watt Par 38 bulb anymore.
Another thing in the construction block would be a new FM transmitter. While the Ramsey FM-10c has served me well since 2009, it DOES drift...I usually have to double check it every week to make sure it still is on my set station. I don't want to deal with that any more, I need to get a transmitter that locks on to the station. It also overloads easily with today's over compressed music. So I need a transmitter with a more robust input.
Finally, I would like to know how to pipe the audio on my computer to my camcorder so I have better sound when I post to YouTube. The sound just doesn't sound that good recording the show from inside my car.
So that is it and my agenda for next year.
Thanx to all that have helped me both in the past and present to make this project possible. Happy Holidays!!
Geo
Snowflake, Wreath, and REN24SS construction details post #37
Hello all fellow forum DIY'ers:
GOOD NEWS! I have my videos up for my display this year.
This is the narration / preliminary testing video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWX4sXv84nQ
These are the first four songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMGCYHi-U4g
These the last two songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5WKUpY3vOU
(I will also post some pictures and might add some more videos too as time permits).
For 2013 I revamped the entire system using a new show computer with a new Renard controller. The previous years were using a REN16Xmus 16 channel controller, this year I am using a REN24SS 24 channel controller. All 24 channels were used this year. The first 12 channels were a repeat of last year's show, where as the last 12 channels were set to 3 multi-channel items. This was my first year using multi-channel decorations. I used two 42" snowflakes which were already 3 channels but I modified it to be used on the controller. The last 6 channels were used in a 30" wreath that hangs in the middle of the window. The 6 channels were evenly divided around the wreath using 25 LED bulbs each for a total of 150 bulbs in the wreath. Everything is ran through Vixen 2.1 Christmas light program.
Even though I have a REN48LSD with two DIYC-Floods which I had completed since October, I didn't end up using for my Christmas show this year. Reprogramming for the new REN24SS controller with the new snowflakes and wreath turned out to be more than enough work for this year. I really had a choice and either it was to program the songs for the DIYC-Floods or add a new song for this year. Since I didn't have a new song on my roster since 2010, I felt it was HIGH time to add a new song. My new song selection for this year is Run Run Rudolph by Kelly Clarkson. Since this song was programmed from the ground up with the new display it actually makes the best use of the new lights. The ending on this song turned out pretty spectacular if I do say so myself.
Well...sit back and enjoy! (Then come back and read below)
For next year I don't intend on adding new lights, since I have the DIYC-Floods and I can add them to the programming. I WILL add a couple more new songs though, but I do intend to remove some of the older ones too. As it stands I feel that 6 songs is more than enough for the display. It is over 15 mins worth of music and I doubt people would want to sit longer than that watching a single display. I intend to replace Carol of the Bells Sarajevo with Wizards In Winter for my TSO song (Gotta always have a TSO song in the lineup). Sleigh Ride will be replaced with a different version of Carol Of The Bells.
If I am going to add something new for next year, it would be a new 'Tune To' sign. Mine was a PAINTED OVER yellow coroplast sign and the white paint is now peeling off. What I would like to do is have some kind of back lit sign. I would like to use LED lights for that so I don't need to put out that 55watt Par 38 bulb anymore.
Another thing in the construction block would be a new FM transmitter. While the Ramsey FM-10c has served me well since 2009, it DOES drift...I usually have to double check it every week to make sure it still is on my set station. I don't want to deal with that any more, I need to get a transmitter that locks on to the station. It also overloads easily with today's over compressed music. So I need a transmitter with a more robust input.
Finally, I would like to know how to pipe the audio on my computer to my camcorder so I have better sound when I post to YouTube. The sound just doesn't sound that good recording the show from inside my car.
So that is it and my agenda for next year.
Thanx to all that have helped me both in the past and present to make this project possible. Happy Holidays!!
Geo
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