I'm new with some questions...

[timj]

Thank you in advance to anybody will is about to help me out!

I am inspired by some great dancing light shows I have seen and I would like to take the plunge and do it myself next year. I am very creative and this is right up my alley! I simply CANNOT WAIT!

Anyway...

How much do some of you spend on your shows? Let's say I want the BARE MINIMUM. Are we looking at $500, $1000, $20,000? I'm a college kid (that says it all) who plans on saving up some money over the next year to devote to this.

Where do you purchase your equipment from? Mostly Light-O-Rama? Do you know of any places with great deals and discounts equipment?

What is the minimum equipment I need to start? From what I understand, I need: the start kit from Light-O-Rama, the software (Do I need the Basic or Extended version?), the light controller, some lights, and an FM transmitter.

How many channels of lights do most of you have? Off the top of my head, I'm guessing I would want around 10-15 channels. That sound reasonable?

I've got ideas going through my head already about what things I want lighting up and what parts of the house would be on seperate channels, etc.

[Brian Mitchell]

Anyway...

How much do some of you spend on your shows? Let's say I want the BARE MINIMUM. Are we looking at $500, $1000, $20,000? I'm a college kid (that says it all) who plans on saving up some money over the next year to devote to this.

You should plan at least $500 to get started. 8 Channels of LOR with the Software will be about $250 plus extension cords and more extension cords

Where do you purchase your equipment from? Mostly Light-O-Rama? Do you know of any places with great deals and discounts equipment?

For me all LOR but a lot also use Animated Lighting. LOR will be having a sale in April.

What is the minimum equipment I need to start? From what I understand, I need: the start kit from Light-O-Rama, the software (Do I need the Basic or Extended version?), the light controller, some lights, and an FM transmitter.

Get the extended with the starter kit which includes the adapter and a CAT5 cable.

How many channels of lights do most of you have? Off the top of my head, I'm guessing I would want around 10-15 channels. That sound reasonable?

I started with 16 and am going to 32 for sure next year...maybe 48. You can do a lot with 16 actually with good planning. I couple people did a really nice show with just 8 channels this year.

I'd say start out by downloading the LOR demo program and start playing. It's free.

[timj]

I meant to ask also: What kind of string Christmas lights do you guys use?

[Marty Slack]

A very large part of my display is built with basic mini lights. These are the same ones you buy at Target, Walmart, Kmart, Lowe's, etc. Right now is the absolute best time to grab all the lights you can. The after Christmas sales are great as long as there are a few strands left. Some have preferences on brands but I have found that you can't be too picky, especially if you need a large quantity. As you go along you'll find out what brand and wattage works best for you.

There are other types of lights that I and most others on here use. Rope light is great for outlining your house and other objects. Icicle and swag lights are also very popular. The larger C7 and C9 bulb sets also look great in certain places such as outlining landscaping or roof lines.

Hit the stores and see what is available now. In a couple of days everything will be gone. After that it is a long dry spell before you can buy lights for a decent price.

In the off season I would watch for deals from some of our vendors that sell wireframes or other displays. I would figure out what you want and save up enough to buy before next year.

[Rick Hughes]

timj, welcome. You've come to the right place for both inspiration and assistance.

As Marty said, now (like today and perhaps the next couple of days) are the time to stock up on lights at the major chains (Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Target). Wal-Mart did not discount prior to Christmas so they may have more than some of the other stores. But there doesn't seem to be any particular rhyme or reason to inventory levels.

And if you're going to go with LOR (which is my personal recommendation) ... as was suggested you can download the demo and play with that. If you're comfortable that LOR will be your choice, I'd suggest you go ahead and buy your software now. There is a new release coming which will have a lot of new features and enhancements - it will be more expensive than the current software, but it will be a FREE upgrade to anyone who has purchased the existing software. Oh, did I happen to mention it will be a FREE UPGRADE!

As was also mentioned, LOR will have a sale in April on their controllers -- which will be the best prices possible in 2006. 16 channels is plenty to get started with. However, they are a bit like potato chips ... you'll constantly be back for more.

Again ... welcome.

[Becky_Racioppo]

Welcome to the light side! I don't know about everyone else, but we started small and try to add more every year. I'd suggest starting with a small static display and add as you can till you get what you want.

How much do some of you spend on your shows? This was probably our most expencive year for new purchases. We bought the starter package and an 8 channel controller from LOR, went to PLUS (the knowledge we learned there and the experience was priceless), extension cords - lots and lots of cords, 2 new inflatables, 11 blowmolds, extension cords, and metal for 6 wireframes and mini trees. Did I mention extension cords? Not counting PLUS, about $600 spread out through the year, but that's probably a low estimate.

Where do you purchase your equipment from? 8 channel Controller from LOR, extension cords from Lowes/Home Depot/Walmart/Target/Dollar Tree, mini lights from Walmart/Target/Hobby Lobby.

What is the minimum equipment I need to start? If you're going with Light O Rama, get the extended starter package now before prices go up with LOR IIand 8 channel controller with heat sink (hobbist if you're handy), lights at the after Christmas sales, extension cords of all sizes (you cannot immagine how many you'll need), Belkin makes a good FM transmitter from what I've heard.

How many channels of lights do most of you have? We just have 8 channels, but plann on adding at least 16 more for next year and will probable add more in the coming years. I was blown away with what I did with just 8 channels.

What kind of string Christmas lights do you guys use? We use primarily mini lights, but would like to add more LEDs as time goes by.