Make your house stand out during the holiday season by creating a flashing Christmas light display that is controlled by your computer.
Christmas is a time when many people put up decorations, such as stockings, ornaments and Christmas lights, in celebration of the season. Some designs are simple, while others are more technical. PC-controlled Christmas lights can be simple, elaborate or much more. With the right equipment, connecting the lights to a PC controls the flashing patterns and allows you the option of coordinating the display with music.
Materials
- Christmas lights
- Extension cords
- Lighting controller
- USB adapter
- Cat5 cable
- USB cable
- Computer
- Computer software
- FM transmitter
Instructions
- Place the Christmas lights on the exterior of the house in any display you like. Do a quick test to make sure all bulbs are working.
- Connect extension cords to the Christmas lights and the light controller. The type of light controller you have will determine how much power support it will give the display. For instance, a 16-channel light controller is sufficient to accommodate a 9,000-light display. Plug the light controller into an AC power outlet.
- Connect the light controller to the USB adapter using the cat5 cable and attaching it to the USB port in the adapter. Make sure there is sufficient footage in the cat5 to stretch from the light controller outside to your PC. Using the USB cable, connect the other end of the USB adapter to the PC.
- Install the proper software, such as Light-O-Rama (see Resources), onto your PC. Light-O-Rama can be purchased as a package to include all the equipment you will need to develop a light display as well as the software program. You can purchase this online. This software enables you to create a light display and to select music to accompany the display. Follow the step-by-step process on the software to set up the flashing display. You have the option of uploading the music you wish to you (the program will walk you through this step) or selecting a Simple Show Builder option from the Light-O-Rama program. This will give you an option of the most common show and schedule set ups if you don't have music readily available on your PC.
- Set up the display once the software has been installed. When you have the music you want to synchronize to, using the software (again, step-by-step instructions will be available on the software once it has been installed) begin programming on the time grid so the light flashes occur where and when you want them to. This process will vary depending on which software program you use.
- Perform a test run to make sure the display is working. It is recommended you try this at night so you can view the results better.
- Connect an FM transmitter to your PC. To do this, simply plug the USB cable from the FM transmitter to the USB port on your PC. This enables the music to play in accordance with the flashing display on the FM radio station. This step is optional depending on whether you are including music. Using FM transmitters rather than speakers will prevent music from repeating itself and keep the peace with the neighbors. Choose an FM transmitter that will work for the distance you want to reach.
Tips
- Keep in mind that purchasing the equipment is quite pricey and can cost upward of $500. Take this into consideration when planning your Christmas lighting budget.
- Begin this project a few months in advance as setting up the display is very time consuming.
Copyright Stephanie Lee. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Stephanie Lee - Life is short... EAT UP!!!
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