Holiday display

[PaulD]

Looking for simple techniques and ideas to drive holiday light displays using my HA system (Omni Pro II). I know what can be done with big money but I am looking for inexpensive ideas for creative use of my HA system to drive a simple holiday lightning display. Not looking for a monster light show but I would like some creative ideas on what others have done withour breaking the bank. I live in an area of side-by-side townhomes who would not see the humor in me trying to compete with Chevy Chase in his Christmas holiday movie. My current thoughts include:
- Use of motion detector to trigger the display. My street is not heavily traveled so I am thinking I would only activate the lights when traffic or walkers go by.
- Use some lamp modules to turn lights on/off or vary the light levels.
- Speakers with music linked to the display
- Adapt some of the pre-packaged light display kits to the arrangement

If anyone has already tried any of this, I would like to hear your story.

 

[electron]

Great topic, looking forward to the responses myself!

 

[tmcgowan]

Great topic, looking forward to the responses myself!

You might want to check out the Light-O-Rama website. http://www.lightorama.com/

I found that the speed of X-10 and Insteon didn't work fast enough to do the effects I wanted to, so I puchased their 16 processor controlled output version that you can sync up with MP3s. They have some excellent examples of what others have done on their website as well!!

Just my 2 cents.

Todd

 

[PaulD]

You might want to check out the Light-O-Rama website. http://www.lightorama.com/

Thanks. I checked out some of the videos and they typically had a lot more space to work with than I do. Also, I wanted to stay as close as I can to the capabilities of my HA system without extra controllers involved. Part of this is really all about creative things I can do with my system

 

[trumpetr]

You might want to check out the Light-O-Rama website. http://www.lightorama.com/

Thanks. I checked out some of the videos and they typically had a lot more space to work with than I do. Also, I wanted to stay as close as I can to the capabilities of my HA system without extra controllers involved. Part of this is really all about creative things I can do with my system

I would also encourage Light-o-rama (it's what I use)... really you can get one of their PC lines of controllers and software for a couple hundered bucks... If you really want to get some other ideas start wading through Planet Christmascheck out thier DIY controller solutions for maybe something more what you're looking for. No need to make everty thing blinky blink to music, but you could build different scenes within the software and have things nicly fade/change over time. If you are wanting to combine music with the animation I think that you are in for a lot more work trying to do it with the Omni vs one of the dedicated xmas light control systems.

If all you want to do is turn the lights on with motion or other detectors, it would be as simple as writing the right rules in the controller to monitor the motion/photobeam, and have the controller send the approprate commnads to turn on the lighting solution (wheather it be UPB, Lutoron, X10 etc). Set a timer that after a certain time to shut it all off again.

Otherwise you could have an output trigger one of the other chirstmas light controllers (lightorama has the ability to act upon a contact closure relay trigger for button, relay or Omni control).


Matt

 

[stew]

I've been using D-Light Designs AC16 solution for a couple of years now. They have a standalone app for controlling sequences and music so I have not tied it into my automation system. I am thinking about switching to all LED lights this year, the utility company called last January offering a discount for being a high volume user in December.

Mark