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2008 Setup Progress - Click Here |
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I started putting display items up the day after Halloween
(11/01/2008) - I didn't want anything to get vandalized or TP'd :) |
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FM Transmitter, RDS Board, Antenna, and "Tune To" Sign.
Progress |
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The FM Transmitter will broadcast the music played by Vixen through the Vertical
Dipole Antenna to cars passing by.
The RDS Board encodes and injects the song title, station name, music type, etc...
into the signal and FM radios with RDS decoders can display the information.
The "Tune To" sign lets people know that the lights are actually
flashing to music (Not just randomly flashing) and to tune their radios to 100.3 FM
This makes up HALF of the experience!
Without it, it would all
just look like randomly flashing lights :) |
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Renard Transformer (REN-T)
Parts List
Schematic
Assembly
Progress |
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The RenT is a zero cross reference and an RS-232 to RS-485
Converter.
It receives instructions from Vixen running on a PC
from
a serial port via RS-232, and then converts the RS-232 to RS-485 and
sends it on to the Renard 64 boards along with the zero cross signal.
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Renard 64 (REN-64)
Parts List
Schematic Progress |
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The Renard 64 is a 64 channel controller that receives instructions
via RS485 signals from the REN-T.
I am making 3 of these - 2 to make 128 addressable channels, and 1 as a
spare. |
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SSRoz (SSR)
Parts List
Schematic
Progress |
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The SSR boards are connected to the Renard 64's via CAT5 cable.
The Renard 64's send 5 Volts DC to the SSR's which in turn act as
Solid State Relays that switch the lights on and off.
I'm making
35 of
these - (They are 4 channels each.)
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DCSSR
Parts List
Schematic
Progress |
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These SSRs do the same thing as the SSRoz, but for DC loads, not AC.
I'm making 2 of these. There is a special setting for the PIC
Firmware for DC operation, and each PIC controls 8 Channels, so make
these in pairs of 2. |
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Renard 24 (REN-24)
Parts List
Schematic
Assembly
Progress
Tips and Tricks / FAQ
Heat Sink Group Buy |
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The Renard 24 is a 24 port board, but unlike the Renard 64, it is
self contained. (It has
all
of the SSR's on the board.)
I'm making 11 of these for the Mini Trees and Mega Tree -
264 Channels.
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Power Supplies
Pictures |
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3 For the Renard 64's
1 for the LEDTriks.
2 Spares. |
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LEDTriks
Parts List
Schematic
Assembly
Progress
Wiring Layout
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Parallel Port controlled LED Sign.
768 LED's per board.
2 boards / 1536 LED's total. |
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PIC
Programmers and Miscellaneous Parts
Pictures |
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1. USB to RS-232 Converter
2. RS-232 to RS-485 Converter
3. PIC Programmer |
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Homemade SSR / Channel Testers
Progress |
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I made these 2 testers to help troubleshoot the SSR's when it's time
to lay them all out.
The black one is to test the signals coming from the Ren 64's.
The silver one is to trigger the SSR's without a computer / Ren 64
attached.
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Mega Tree, Mini Trees,
and Leaping
Arches
Progress |
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There will be 1 Mega Tree, 24 Mini Trees, and 8 Leaping Arches. |
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Rope Light and PVC Window Frames
Progress |
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200 Amp to 400 Amp Electrical
Upgrade
Progress |
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My house had a 200 Amp Service, and the Christmas lights
alone will use 232 Amps!!!
(If they were all on at the same time,
which won't happen, but still!)
Needless to say, I had to get the
main feed and service upgraded to 400 Amp. |
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The Lights! |
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What do 80,000+ lights look like PRIOR to being opened up and hung?
I can only hope that after Christmas 2008 I can pack them up neatly :) |
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