The Lights On Townley

Show Me Details!

So you're interested in the "gory" details, huh? OK... Here you'll find information about the number of lights in the display, the radio transmitter, the controllers and the video interface. To see a detailed history of the creation of The Lights On Townley, you'll have to visit my blog:
http://zymonz.blogspot.com/

LINK to the details about the 2009 show

Details about the 2010 Christmas light show

The Lights:

Roof Outline	Multi-color C6	560
Bethlehem Star on the roof	White C6	210
Tree Topper Star	White C6	210
Bethlehem Star Rays	White M5	250
Yard Outline	White M5	350
Window Outlines	Multi-color M5	210
Icicles	White M5	600
Bushes	Red, Green, Blue and White 5mm	880
Mini Trees	Multi-color 5mm	1750
Arches	Red, Green and Blue M5	2400
Bells	Green and White M5, Red 5mm	235
Poles/Cross	Red, Green, Blue and White 5mm	1600
Mega Tree	Green M5	2880
Roof Stripes	Green C6	700
Merry Christmas	Red 5mm, Green 5mm	330
Wreath	Multi-color 5mm	35
Mini Curtain	Multi-color 5mm	1120
Nativity	White Mini w/Color Caps	500
Kneeling Santa	White Mini, White M5, Red 5mm	380
Candy Canes plus Rope	Rope style sticks	390 (12 canes)
Sign	White 5mm	200
Channel Load for Video Start/Stop Signal	Red Party Light	1
Video Projectors	MR-16 Halogen	2
TOTAL:		15,793

Power Consumption:
A LOT LESS THAN YOU MIGHT THINK!
If all the Christmas lights were on, the music playing on 96.1 FM and 1120 AM, and both videos also running at the same time, the display would be pulling 14.92 Amps (calculated from summing individual elements) and consuming 1,675 watts. (This is comparable to a Hair Dryer)
WHY so little?! The answer is that over 96% of the lights used in the display are LEDs! Generally, they consume about one tenth of the power of traditional incandescent mini lights.

The Light Controllers:
I built nine Light-O-Rama CTB16PC controllers from kits. Each controller handles 16 channels (electrical circuits), turning them on, off, or dimming them to any level. These controllers are networked together providing up to 144 separate channels of light control.

The Software:
Software from Light-O-Rama allows you to program the lights in time with your own MP3 music files. It also allows you to diagram the layout of the light display over a picture to provide a visual representation of what the show will look like.

The Director:
This show information is then transferred to an SD memory card and inserted into the Light-O-Rama DC-MP3 Director unit which plays the songs at the appropriate show times while simultaneously directing the light controllers to "do their stuff" with the lights. The audio output from the DC-MP3 Director is fed into the FM radio transmitter.

The Radio Transmitters:
The FM Transmitter is an EDM-TX-LCD kit from EDM Design. It was simple to assemble and set up with minimal soldering skills. I chose 96.1 FM because it is a vacant frequency for the Phoenix area. Tucson does have a 96.1 FM station which reaches areas of Phoenix during the daytime, but they reduce their power at night so you'd have to have a big antenna and good equipment to pull in their station. I use extremely low power so you have to pretty much be in front of the house to pick up my transmission.

The AM Transmitter is a Radio Technologies TH 5.0 primarily found in "Talking House" installations for real estate sales. The output of an FM receiver tuned to 96.1 feeds the AM transmitter transmitting on 1120 AM. It is also a very low power transmitter and as such you need to pretty much be in front of the house to pick up the transmission.

The Video:
One Light-O-Rama channel is used to signal the start and stop of video segments. A relay on the channel is used to trigger a NewTek Video Toaster VT[3] to play back two videos simultaneously synchronized to the music and lights. The videos are fed to two projectors, one displaying in each of two front room windows. Wax paper attached to the windows is used to create the screens. Since the Light-O-Rama controllers use Triacs, a "load" must be present on the circuit for it to successfully trip the relay, so a 25 watt party light is also on that channel. Periodically you will see a red glow as it comes on and goes off in the room of the right-hand window.

A Bit Of Trivia:
One song, "Reason For The Season" has the Bethlehem Star on the roof blinking Morse Code.
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14"
The Mega-Tree is constructed from the pole of a portable basketball hoop. The backboard and hoop have been removed. This year we've extended the height of the Mega-Tree by coupling a 5'10" length of 3" exhaust pipe to the top of the pole and created second teir. The base of the top teir is created by a 30 foot circumference ring made of 3/4" PVC pipe. The overall height of the Mega-Tree is more than 16 feet.
The Mini-Trees are constructed from tomato cages. The "bottom" rungs have been cut off; and the "tops" welded together.
The extension cords, if placed end to end, would reach over 3/4 of a mile.
The Christmas tree seen in the living room window (NOT listed above) is decorated with 520 LEDs.

Last update: December 5, 2010