Hi from NZ

[ShimmerNZ]

Hi all,

I'm new to the Xmas lighting scene having only picked up the bug Xmas just been. I've been spending a lot of my spare time in the home automation scene to date but after some gentle encouragement from the Mrs to put up some Xmas lights I appear to have found a new hobby to get a bit obsessive over.

So in the month and a bit I've started the following progress has been made.

6 x 1.3m pixel arches (ws2811 led strip 60/m aluminum frame, clear plastic hose surround) - complete, tested working...yay

180 degree 14 foot Mega tree. 16 strand 50 light per strand (using 100 pixel light 12v strips)
all pvc work complete
Controllers/PSU mounted in CG1500 enclosures
400 of 800 lights zip tied to cord for spacing (slow painful process)
Controller configured and test patterns working to confirm strands setup at 50 pixel double over.

Pixel Star - 85 light home made pixel star (led strips/aluminum frame) - complete/tested

Controllers
2 x e682 (1 built tested and working, 1 to go)
Falcon Pi

Driveway arch. 20m Pixel LED strip arch which will be inlayed into the driveway. Slow process in grinding by hand the strip around the outer edge of the driveway. The LED strips will be stuck with silicone to allow for a small amount of movement. I'll leave these in year round. Another weekend worth of work to complete this.

FM transmitter - sorting out the licenses with ARPA/RIANZ for LPFM for content

Sequencing software - Vixen 3

I'm also keen to make some candy canes just not entirely sure whether to go down the corflute path or stick with similar style to my arches - clear plastic hose, pixel LED strips mounted on aluminum strip

Oh yeah, location wise I'm from Auckland.

cheers,

Mike

 

[AussieDoug]

Re: Hi

Welcome to ACL Shimmer, it's great to see that you have dove in deep & getting stuck right into making a display. If you keep going at this pace you will be blowing the big guns out of the water straight up.

 

[firebug]

Welcome to ACL Mike... 8)

 

[logandc99]

Welcome to ACL Mike. Good to see another NZ'er getting into the hobby. Which part of Auck are you in?

 

[ShellNZ]

Welcome to ACL

You dont need a license, spoke to all of them a couple of years ago and its not needed for low-freq

 

[fasteddy]

Welcome to ACL, sound like you have caught the CLAP .... Christmas Lighting Addiction Problem
Glad to have another lighting junkie around

 

[djgra79]

Welcome to ACL Mike. Looks like you've got a great head start to your 2016 display!

 

[kel]

 

[ShimmerNZ]

Welcome to ACL

You dont need a license, spoke to all of them a couple of years ago and its not needed for low-freq

so far I've heard back to cover myself with music content I need a LPFM licence from recorded music(RIANZ) $120 and they gave me a contact at APRA advising I would need the corresponding license from them also. I shared the details of the purpose xmas display/limited range/domestic/non commercial, no sponsorship.

If there is any other info to the contrary you could share I would be keen to know if I can avoid it.

 

[ShellNZ]

I spoke to RIANZ and APRA. I described to them exactly what the show was like and that we get 9K+ visitors to our area and play music, christmas and otherwise. They reassured me that I did not need a license as it was on private property, not public property etc.

Up to you if you want to do it or not but in the 4yrs Ive been doing my show (and neighbour as well) we havent had one

 

[ShimmerNZ]

Are you playing music through speakers on your property or FM transmitting (or both for that matter)?

I was planning to use FM transmitting so people could hear from their cars if they wanted to without disturbing the neighbours. That said if I came anywhere close to having 9k people come past I suspect I would be doing just that.

 

[Red]

depends alot on ur neighbours l spose,

 

[ShellNZ]

I have both speakers and FM transmitter. The FM transmitter is really just for the neighbours to be able to tune in to help me with broadcasting on their speakers as I am limited to 40dB on Resource Consent (long story).

 

[fasteddy]

Are you playing music through speakers on your property or FM transmitting (or both for that matter)?

I was planning to use FM transmitting so people could hear from their cars if they wanted to without disturbing the neighbours. That said if I came anywhere close to having 9k people come past I suspect I would be doing just that.

Most don't bother with a licence because if you follow some basic rules then their is nothing to really worry about and if you do get a knock on the door then at worst you will be asked to comply.

1: Use a clear channel, make sure you check this in different locations by doing a drive around your neighbourhood to ensure it is clear
2: Don't advertise or promote things or use offensive language
3: Only transmit during the show and not 24 hours a day and only for the purpose of synchronised music for the show, you can mention that you are collecting for a charity, but do not use for your own personal financial gain
4: Make sure you only transmit far enough for your needs and not for miles around
5: Make sure that visitors don't have their music blasting so loud that it causes a major nascence to your neighbours
6: Use a good transmitter that doesn't create to much wash over from its designated frequency. EDM transmitters are great to use, some of the cheap Chinese ones are over powered and have a lot of wash over into other frequencies

Follow those rules and I would be very surprised you would get a visit

 

[logandc99]

I just use speakers. No FM transmitter but in my case, people come onto the property to see the display as we have a brick front fence so viewing from the car isn't an option. I found giving a bottle of something alcoholic to the closet neighbour just prior to your display going live does wonders to keep them happy (although, so far, my neighbours are all good with it and are often over watching the display anyway).