This years Christmas display consisted of 48 Light-O-Rama channels, Ramsey FM100B transmitter, 5000 mini lights, 3200 foot of extension cords, 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits. The power consumption when all on is right at 30 amps. The lights are on with animation for a total of 5 hours and night for about 30 days this is a total combined time of 150 hours or 525 kilowatt hours of electricity if they are all on and they are not. A central air conditioner uses about 3500 watts, using the AC actually uses more power at around 1260 kilowatt hours for the same 30 days.
Music for the radio is wav files ripped from the CDs that we own. Each song is loaded into the LOR software and the lights are programmed to change with the mood/tempo of the music. The sequenced is saved and placed within a LOR schedule to be played nightly from 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM. The music is played using the Windows Media Player API and is connected with SPDIF to a 32 channel equalizer, a 3 band Aphex 720 Dominator II and a BBE 482i Sonic Maximizer then to the final clipper and into the FM100B for transmission on FM 105.1. In retrospect, the Ramsey FM100B is not the best choice for an FM transmitter, more on this another time. I started putting everything together the week before Thanksgiving, without an issue, the display was ready to run by Thanksgiving week when we began a week long roofing project.
Videos are on the following page.
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