The Colorado Connection - welcome!

[lakewood]

Hi all

I started noticing more and more Colorado people on the DIYC site, especially new folks and thought it might be nice for the Coloradan's to have a place to connect, share ideas, get help and maybe meet up.

This sub-forum is not meant to take away from the main DIYC forums, rather just a meeting place for those in or around Colorado. Please make sure you still post your general questions and the like to the main forums.

Through this forum I was hoping that we could perhaps make connections and meet others in the area, provide help on projects to those close in the neighborhood, or just show-off our talents. Everyone knows people from Colorado have awesome abilities! ;) So lets show the rest of them what we're made of!

Please feel free to introduce yourself, ask around the area for help, share ideas and lets see if we can't get a real atmosphere of sharing and help going in Colorado. Take the Spirit of Christmas all the way!

My name is Robert Dagg, and 2009 is/was my first year of blink-flashy. I am now fully committed (or should be committed) to making future displays bigger, better and always fun. I'm more than happy to help anyone and would welcome requests.

Merry Christmas!
-Robert.

[Sharkey]

Very cool, Robert!
I hope you guys get this together,
I'm over here in NJ, no meeting spot over here ;)

[gizmo]

Hi all my name is scott and im in the thornton area.

Pm if i can help in any way... i can weld have a small metal lathe/mill and woodworking was my #1 hobby before the blinke bug got me.

I have yet to do a full blown display (using MR CHRISTMAS 6 channel) but i have 96 channels of LOR ready to go.... i just could not get it all together for 2009 but look out 2010.

scott

[kiowamike]

Sorry I am not eligible to join this gorup any more. I used to be stationed at Ft. Carson and loved every second of it.

[jcizek]

Hi Everyone, Name is James, I live in Wellington, CO

This was my first year of an animated display. Actually started building a little bit of hardware 2 years ago, but didn't really get into the big builds until about early August this year.
I have (2) 128 channel FireGod dimmers out with 176 channels running, I built all of it including my own design SSR's from scratch, photo and acid etching all the boards. Got 2 LEDTRIKS panels this year, pegboard variety about 2 x 4 feet. 20ft Megatree with 30 channels (and as i have learned, not nearly enough lights on it to be really cool!!) 10 minitrees, 4 leaping arches, 10 strobes and (2) tune-to signs (I do my own vinyl cutting) and in all about 17,000 lights (and a rediculous 1700 feet of Cat5e in the yard,... another lesson to plan better controller placement next year!!!)
I managed to get 5 songs sequenced for this year and I am tired now, so it will stay at 5 for this season 8)

If I can be of help to anyone let me know! I have a full metal shop with lathes, mill, plasma, welders etc... and I can do cut vinyl to 36" width. I develop with EagleCAD for circuit boards and have the full package, can do pretty much any single or double sided circuit board. Be glad to help out if anyone needs anything locally!

Thanks for posting this sub-forum lakewood!
-James

[Larry Hazeltine]

I'm Larry and live in Colorado Springs.

I started animating my lights around 01 or 02, IIRC. The first year was just a simple 555 timer and a relay. Every few seconds (adjustable with a potentiometer) the timer would switch the relay to have all the white lights on or all the multicolor lights on. The next year I built an 8-channel parallel port controller and moved up from there.

I started using LOR around 04. To keep expansion costs down, I added 2 Renards this year. In order to mix the systems I'm running them on DMX with Vixen.

This year show has 112 channels.

[WWNF911]

Sorry I am not eligible to join this group any more. I used to be stationed at Ft. Carson and loved every second of it.

I live in Reno now myself but was born in the Springs and grew up in Widefield. Right by Ft. Carson. Small world.


Leon

[Holiday Hooligans]

Hi, my name is Mario. I just joined DIYC and im loving it. I currently only have a static display w about 3500 lights. I live in Greeley. Ive been thinking about going big now for about two years. Its starting to become a passion of mine. The only problem i have is the money part. So im looking into all DIY. As i read thru, I see i have alot of learning to do. :D

[dirknerkle]

Hi, my name is Mario. I just joined DIYC and im loving it. I currently only have a static display w about 3500 lights. I live in Greeley. Ive been thinking about going big now for about two years. Its starting to become a passion of mine. The only problem i have is the money part. So im looking into all DIY. As i read thru, I see i have alot of learning to do. :D

Welcome to DIYC, HH! You've found the right place -- and you can suffer with the rest of us about the money part!!!

I'll bet your static display with 3500 lights looks great -- and you'll have all kinds of fun thinking about the possibilities of animating it... and... of course... you'll start reciting the DIY mantra...

"I need more lights.... I need more lights... I need more lights..."

Go ahead, get it over with... start reciting it now...

Welcome to the fun that never ends!

[BeeJaay]

Hey there, my name is B.J. and I live in Littleton. Just finished up with my first year with the whole BlinkyFlashy and had a blast doing it! (Thanks Steve for getting me into this! ). Good to see all the Coloradoans joining in on the fun! You can check out my facebook page in my sig to see my videos. If you have any questions or anything, fee free to ask!

B.J.