Frequently asked questions
1. Why do you do this?
I suppose there are several reasons. I have always enjoyed the technical aspect of stage shows and this gave me a venue to apply that desire. I enjoy the creativity involved in designing and producing different display items and in sequencing or "choreographing" the music. But most importantly, I love Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is our gift to you.
2. How do you get the music on the radio?
We use a low power FM transmitter connected to the computer which plays our music selections. The transmitter uses an antenna which is placed in the attic to broadcast on the frequency we have chosen to broadcast to your radio.
3. How long does it take?
Honestly, I really don't know! I work on bits and pieces of it throughout the year. Sequencing the music takes varying amounts of time depending on the complexity of the song. Generally speaking, it takes from 2 to 5 hours per minute of music for the sequencing process. Working evenings and weekends, I spend about 2 weeks getting everything put out into the yard.
4. How does this effect your electricity bill?
Not as much as you might think! Since the lights are blinking on and off to the music, very rarely are all of the lights on and even then it is just for a short time. So the power usage is much less than it would be if we had a static display with all of those lights staying on all the time. It is hard to tell how much the lights themselves increase the bill, but I would say it is probably less than $50 for the entire lighting season.
5. How much does all this cost?
I don't know!!! I have not kept a running total of the cost. I don't want to know!!! BUT, most of the lights have been purchased when the stores start marking them down at the end of the season. I have purchased the controllers when Light-O-Rama has their annual spring sale. All of the items used in the display are built by myself and sometimes out of extra or scrap material I can find. We started in 2008 with about 8,000 lights and 48 channels of control. We will add a little each year to spread the expense out over a period of years.
There is still a cost involved and should be considered if you decide you want to jump into the animated display world, but frankly, whatever the cost is...the smiles I see on faces as they watch the show makes it all worth it!
I suppose there are several reasons. I have always enjoyed the technical aspect of stage shows and this gave me a venue to apply that desire. I enjoy the creativity involved in designing and producing different display items and in sequencing or "choreographing" the music. But most importantly, I love Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is our gift to you.
2. How do you get the music on the radio?
We use a low power FM transmitter connected to the computer which plays our music selections. The transmitter uses an antenna which is placed in the attic to broadcast on the frequency we have chosen to broadcast to your radio.
3. How long does it take?
Honestly, I really don't know! I work on bits and pieces of it throughout the year. Sequencing the music takes varying amounts of time depending on the complexity of the song. Generally speaking, it takes from 2 to 5 hours per minute of music for the sequencing process. Working evenings and weekends, I spend about 2 weeks getting everything put out into the yard.
4. How does this effect your electricity bill?
Not as much as you might think! Since the lights are blinking on and off to the music, very rarely are all of the lights on and even then it is just for a short time. So the power usage is much less than it would be if we had a static display with all of those lights staying on all the time. It is hard to tell how much the lights themselves increase the bill, but I would say it is probably less than $50 for the entire lighting season.
5. How much does all this cost?
I don't know!!! I have not kept a running total of the cost. I don't want to know!!! BUT, most of the lights have been purchased when the stores start marking them down at the end of the season. I have purchased the controllers when Light-O-Rama has their annual spring sale. All of the items used in the display are built by myself and sometimes out of extra or scrap material I can find. We started in 2008 with about 8,000 lights and 48 channels of control. We will add a little each year to spread the expense out over a period of years.
There is still a cost involved and should be considered if you decide you want to jump into the animated display world, but frankly, whatever the cost is...the smiles I see on faces as they watch the show makes it all worth it!