Just a quick post on this. For our Mega-Tree, I bought 1.5" and 1.25" galvanized conduit for the pole. We also have a hole in the ground for it already. I'll post more details about that build once we set the tree up this year. It quickly became obvious that these poles would be WAY..
“Permanent” FPP Master Controller and FM Transmitter
While revising almost everything for our show this year, I decided to more-permanently install our master FPP controller (Raspberry Pi 3B+) and FM transmitter. The controller lives on my desk most of the rest of the year because I use it to test new FPP versions, and I wanted to move it out of the..
Colorlight Controller Box Builds
Last week I posted about my P10 Column Build. One big problem I had was the Pi-P10 controllers I tried to use just didn't work. They had a terrible amount of flicker, and I was unable to find any actual support for them. So- my next most expensive option was to switch to Colorlight cards...
Raspberry Pi 5v Power Regulation
We have a lot of Raspberry Pis that run various elements of our shows, and powering them from "wall warts" in enclosures isn't always practical, especially since we are already running 5v power everywhere. The problem is- if you power them using the GPIO header, there is absolutely no internal voltage regulation. So- a voltage..
xConnect: I was wrong, and I admit it…
Last year, I wrote a post about how there is no reason to use “proprietary” connectors like xConnect over the JST connectors that most bulk pixels already come with. I still believe JST connectors with a dab of dielectric grease are perfectly fine for joining strings of pixels together in props, or mid-strip on a..
Re-Using 12v PSUs for 5v Pixels and LED Panels
Last year there was a lot of debate among Pixel junkies about 12v pixels, in part due to a bad production run from a popular Chinese supplier that resulted in fires. I did my own (controversial) analysis and decided that I would eliminate the 12v pixels we already had in our show (on our roof!)..
Column Matrix Builds
Last year, we lit up two of our three front porch columns with PVC pixel "poles". These worked really well: Pixel Columns This year we are making several changes. First, we got rid of the flat-tree in the middle of the front of the porch, so I needed to light up the middle column. Second,..
Add an OLED to a Raspberry Pi
It's kind of silly since they spend most of their time closed up in a weathertight box, but I really like the little OLED screens on the Kulp controllers. They give me a quick indication if the controller is working, so I can at least rule it out (for the most part) if there is..
2021 July Update
It's been a busy Summer, and we are probably getting off to a late start this year, but we have finally started getting ready for December! Well, we will actually start setting up after Halloween, so we can start our show again right after Thanksgiving. Here is what we plan to do this year, which..
Info Matrix (2021)
Last year we did a "Tune In" Matrix under our carport roof. It was my first DIY matrix, which actually turned out and worked pretty well after going through three revisions. It was functional, but just didn't fit in well with the rest of our display and I wanted something with more resolution. 2020 Tune..
2021 Mega Tree
I'm going to step through this process as we work on it, so this is a build-in-progress, which probably won't be done until Fall. So far, it's just in the planning stages, and we have the first part of it: 1/4" Laser (?) Cut Steel Tree Topper, from Jboards. We also have Boscoyo strips and..
G.E. Hattitude Quartet
Meet the biggest single prop we've bought to date: The Gilbert Engineering Hattitude Quartet! This thing is almost 4' in diameter, and consists of a wreath/spinner and close to a dozen singing face options (with or without Santa hat). We wanted a new "centerpiece" above the porch, to take the place of the star on..
FrankenPower Mk. III
FrankenPower Mark I-II used mechanical relays that were connected to conventional outlets. They were bulky, probably not very safe, and had to be placed in a tote to try to keep them protected from the weather. One of the original mechanical relays failed almost immediately upon use. Mark III uses an 8-channel SSR board and..