Hi all from sunny Vic

[Ben]

Hi everyone. I have just spent a few days going through every thread on this forum. Excellent site and very informative, I must say. I have never set up a Xmas light display and would like to jump in the deep end and have an animated show using LED lights and a FM transmitter. I am a hands on handy man and PC savvy, but don’t want a DIY Solution.

I am interested in a commercial system, like “Light O Rama” 16 Channel starter pack. Will this run to music and produce an animated show once I have programmed it? Would it be better to go to a 32 Channel starter pack?

Can I purchase this unit in Australia? Or a similar unit? I am in Melbourne Vic and after talking with “Santa’s Led Lights”, was told that there is a good supplier in Melbourne. Can anyone give me the details please?

I am after a whole package, Software, Converter, Controller (show time pros), Lights. Can this be bought as one unit? Or do I have to buy some items separately?

You all seem to buy LEDs from KMART & BIGW. Are they better priced & quality that China and other stores across Australia?

I am also concerned about the power needs. Do LOR and the controllers run straight off our 240vt power in Australia or does it have to be converted?

Look forward to chatting to you all, cheers Ben

 

[Superman]

Hi Ben, Welcome to ACL.

If all you want to do is plug something in and have it going straight away without picking up a screw driver, then your choice would be some what limited to Light-o-Rama 240v controllers. A couple of things you need to realize with this system is it is designed to turn on and off 240v lights and doesn’t work so well with store brought lights that have there own controllers attached to them. There are places you can get 240v lights from if it’s in your budget like my-t-brite’s. These work well and I have used them. Members who buy lights from big W are generally cutting those controllers off and using DC boards to control them.

Shopping list from Light-o-Rama would need to be:

Basic software and starter kit

16ch Controller

A length of cat5 data cable to go from your computer to your controller is also required.
Where it starts to get expensive is buying extension leads to go from your controller to the lights.

It also can be considered dangerous if your going to spread 240v lead all throughout your yard and rain can also certainly be a problem.
That would get you flashing, then the only other thing would be sourcing a FM transmitter or speaker system in the yard for your tunes.

 

[fasteddy]

Welcome to ACL Ben, as you said lots of great info here and lots of great guys here to also help with your questions and the chat room can also be a great source of information by just asking the guys questions
Now 32 channels is a good number to get started with and the best place to get the LOR controllers is directly from the LOR site as they ship to Australia and the controllers will work on 240v.
The 32 channel starter pack can be found at http://store.lightorama.com/32chpa.html Its a bit pricey but its the cheapest you will find as its direct from LOR themselves.
LOR do have cheaper controller options but from what i have read you want a ready to use system that is of commercial quality and the above link is what you would go for.
But before you purchase you may want to jump into chat tonight and have a chat with a few of our LOR users that may be able to give you some extra advice.
As far as the strings are concerned i dont personally have much experience with them as i use all low voltage DC RGB lighting, but there are definetly others that will be able to help.
Anyway all the best with it

 

[Bevo]

Hi Ben welcome to ACL and the Christmas lights madness.
I only started around this time last year with a 16 channel 240V starter pack from LOR. I just used 240V rope lights, Big W Leds and a few other sets of low voltage light sets and I just plugged them in and hoped for the best. They all seemed to work fine. But some people have said they have had some transformers pop. You can download the Software from LOR straight away and start sequencing while you wait for the controllers to arrive.
Be sure to ask any questions here as there are heaps of people who are willing to help.

 

[Ben]

Thanks for the response guys. Good info in your posts. "Superman" you quoted "A LOR system is designed to turn on and off 240v lights". So those LOR1602W controlers, have the 16 plug ends coming out of them will not plug into 24-30vt led lights? Are they 240vt plugs? I agree that it would be a pain and a bit more explensive running 240vt leads everywhere.

 

[Superman]

Thanks for the response guys. Good info in your posts. "Superman" you quoted "A LOR system is designed to turn on and off 240v lights". So those LOR1602W controllers, have the 16 plug ends coming out of them will not plug into 24-30vt led lights? Are they 240vt plugs? I agree that it would be a pain and a bit more expensive running 240v leads everywhere.

That's right Ben. In there photo they show 110v American plugs. When you buy them they have an option box for 240v and they will set the board up for that and include the 240v cable set attached. Having those cables Included dramatically increases the freight charges to Australia, Again its all up to your budget.

 

[Superman]

JusT a bit of info for you on the LOR1602W you quoted. That controller does have stand alone operation capabilities Meaning you can load the sequence from your computer into the controller and it will then run without your computer attached. The only thing you wont get is sound. That's when you need a product like there MP3 board which will store the sequence and music without the need of a show computer.

I f this is a feature you dont think you'll need this feature look at the basic controller from LOR. Much cheaper.
CTB16PC

 

[Ben]

Thanks again SUPERMAN.

The CTB16PC is a cheaper option if you leave the "show computer" on?

Alternativly, the complete LOR1602W with MP3 show director would do the same thing with the "show computer" turned off (Stand alone)

In both cases, I will still have to purchase their software package basic plus?
Will both still run a FM transmitter?

Have I got this right?

 

[Superman]

The CTB16PC is a cheaper option if you leave the "show computer" on?

Yes, If you plan to run your show from a computer, then the CTB16PC plus a starter package is all you'll need.Then you still need the addition of FM transmission or speakers to run sound from your computer.

Alternativly, the complete LOR1602W with MP3 show director would do the same thing with the "show computer" turned off (Stand alone)

Sort of correct. Your getting there. The MP3 show director can take the place of the show computer. It will control any of the LOR controllers including the CTB16pc and output the audio file as well to your AMP or FM transmitter.
so the bulky and very expensive frieght cost associated with the LOR1602W package aren't really required unless you have a use for the stand alone function built into it.

Hope this Helps

If you didn't want to use a show computer then you could make your own starter package of MP3 show director, CTB16PC and Starter Package

 

[Ben]

Thanks again SUPERMAN, I think I am nearly there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I dont want to use a show computer, (I still have to programe it with the Starter Package, transfer it onto a SD card writer) then input this to a MP3 show director, attach this to a CTB16PC and attache my 16 240vt strings.

So basicly if I dont want startup the comuter each night, and leave it on to run the show, I do the above!
When its night time, I just go outside and turn on the MP3 show director and the CTB16PC and walar

Am I close HA HA

 

[Beacy]

Where abouts in Vic are you?

 

[Superman]

I just go outside and turn on the MP3 show director and the CTB16PC and walar

Am I close HA HA

Very Close. Except you don't have to go outside every nite to turn on the MP3 show director as it has its own scheduler to start and stop the show for you. Set and forget, then pull it all down after Christmas.

 

[Ben]

Beacy I have recently moved to Wyndham Vale, from the NT, enjoying he colder weather. People seen to go all out it Darwin, but I havent seen an animated show there yet. I went to the displays in Beaconsfield (I think) in Melbourne and was a bit dissapointed compared to Darwin. The kids have been pestering me all year so I want to go all out and do a animated show to music.

SUPERMAN has been great in getting my head around it, epecially in relation to not buying items I dont need. I think this weekend I will go to various stores and look at whats on offer. As I said before, after talking with "Santas Led Lights", I was told there is a good supplier in Melbourne. Any ideas?

SUPERMAN, excellent thanks for all the help. If I wanted to use low voltage LEDs 24 - 30vt strings, can I adapt it to this system that we have been talking about? (Starter Package, MP3 show director, CTB16PC)

 

[Superman]

SUPERMAN, excellent thanks for all the help. If I wanted to use low voltage LEDs 24 - 30vt strings, can I adapt it to this system that we have been talking about? (Starter Package, MP3 show director, CTB16PC)

I'm not the one to answer this bit, but im sure someone will jump on it. I believe that someone in here actually uses 8 of the channel as straight DC as only half the board need to be 240v to run it.

As I said. I'm not sure. But by then we'll have asking for your fist soldering Iron under the Christmas Tree by Then.

 

[David_AVD]

I'm not the one to answer this bit, but im sure someone will jump on it. I believe that someone in here actually uses 8 of the channel as straight DC as only half the board need to be 240v to run it.

The CTB16PC is AC only, so you can't run it with DC at all. You could however run it with extra low voltage AC (24V for example) on one side I believe. Not sure what mods are required if any.