NanoWit
12-02-2007, 04:28 PM
Last year about this time someone sent me an email with a link to a video of a Christmas light display set to music. I received a reply from someone else who received it and they said the video looked like it was doctored up on someones editing system, it looked fake.
This week I received my December issue of Nuts & Volts and there is an article by Jon Williams titled "Vixen lights the way." I read the article with interest but it didn't go into any detail about controllers or SSRs or any of the stuff in the field, just a get started guide for Vixen. One of the resources was the Vixen site which eventually led me here. Wow, it wasn't a fake video and you don't have to have just won the lotto to do this.... I think I'm getting hooked.
So, here is my situation:
I have plenty of room for a display, my front yard is big. The fence is 150' from the house and I have one 20 amp circuit at the gate.
I have been in electronics for quite a while and have designed and etched circuit boards although I am over that thrill and would prefer to buy an etched and drilled board if not too expensive. From what I have read so far I would probably start with a Renard 64 or something like that and a couple of SSRs to start out.
Here are my questions:
I am assuming that everything can be connected together via CAT-5 cable. What are the length limitations between the PC and the controller and between the controller and the SSRs?
Is there a block diagram somewhere that shows a typical set up of this type?
Is there a source for etched and drilled boards?
What kind of speakers are commonly used for the outdoor sound?
I have never seen a computer controlled Christmas display except in the Youtube type videos online. Does anyone know of any in or near Palm Beach County, Florida?
Hope that's not too many questions a once.
Ron
This week I received my December issue of Nuts & Volts and there is an article by Jon Williams titled "Vixen lights the way." I read the article with interest but it didn't go into any detail about controllers or SSRs or any of the stuff in the field, just a get started guide for Vixen. One of the resources was the Vixen site which eventually led me here. Wow, it wasn't a fake video and you don't have to have just won the lotto to do this.... I think I'm getting hooked.
So, here is my situation:
I have plenty of room for a display, my front yard is big. The fence is 150' from the house and I have one 20 amp circuit at the gate.
I have been in electronics for quite a while and have designed and etched circuit boards although I am over that thrill and would prefer to buy an etched and drilled board if not too expensive. From what I have read so far I would probably start with a Renard 64 or something like that and a couple of SSRs to start out.
Here are my questions:
I am assuming that everything can be connected together via CAT-5 cable. What are the length limitations between the PC and the controller and between the controller and the SSRs?
Is there a block diagram somewhere that shows a typical set up of this type?
Is there a source for etched and drilled boards?
What kind of speakers are commonly used for the outdoor sound?
I have never seen a computer controlled Christmas display except in the Youtube type videos online. Does anyone know of any in or near Palm Beach County, Florida?
Hope that's not too many questions a once.
Ron