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www.DazzlingLights.com :
We've setup a new domain name DazzlingLights.com. The web site www.dazzlinglights.com points directly to Katie, Juliette and Dave's Christmas House pages, rather than trying to navigate through Dave's other web pages. It is also a simpler domain name for visitors to remember.
Dave and Katie's Web Log (Blog):
We've created a Blog so that you can easily keep track of our development during the year. If you're not familiar with Blog's, they are like an online diary that can be used to record activities. There is also an opportunity for readers to leave comments or ask questions if they so desire. You can find our blog at http://vk3ur.blogspot.com.
The Multi Rope Light Christmas Tree Transforms Into Our Mega Tree:
Each year, we have made changes and improvements to this tree, and this year is no exception. We have always been quite pleased with our multi rope Christmas tree, but with the inclusion of computer control this year, the rope lights are to be replaced with controllable fairy lights and lots of them... For 2006 there are 10 strands of fairy lights, which start at the base of the tree on 1 side, go up to the apex and then back down to the base on the other side, effectively resulting in 20 strands of fairy lights. Each of the 10 strands comprises a string of white fairy lights and a string of green fairy lights. 5 of the 10 strands (every 2nd strand) will also have a string of red fairy lights as well, making a total of 25 strings of fairy lights. Each of the 25 strings of fairy lights can be individually controlled so that different lighting patterns can be displayed.
It has been difficult to obtain single colour fairy lights in Australia. There are plenty of white or multi-coloured lights, just not lights of a single colour. To get around this problem it looked like we were going to have to buy standard white fairy lights and then paint them with glass paint, designed for stained glass windows. Fortunately the Christmas Kingdom have been able to source high intensity single colour LED fairy light strings from China, at a good price, so these will be used for our Mega Tree this year. There are a total of 6,500 LED lights within the 2006 Mega Tree, which we will be able to expand on in future years.
In previous years the rope lights were pegged directly to the ground. This was a nuisance and made mowing the grass within the tree a problem. This year we have constructed a proper base using 25mm (1") PVC pipe that has been bent into the shape of a 2.5m (7' 6") circle. It is mounted on a series of standoff pipes, pegged to the ground, so that the effective base of the tree is approx 250mm (10") off the ground. All components are cable tied together so that it can be easily pulled apart for storage.
We have also purchased 20 all weather white curtain strobes (from www.ChristmasLightShow.com), designed to flash 3 - 4 times per second, and will install these using a single LOR channel within the body of the tree. The strobe lights are 120VAC from the US, so a step down transformer is being used to convert the voltage to the Australian standard.
You can view a sample video of our Mega Tree here. It is approximately 4MB and runs for 1 minute.
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The Forest of Lights comprises 25 x 80 Watt spotlights that have been configured in a 5 x 5 matrix. Each of the globes has been replaced with a yellow coloured light to fit in with the rest of the lighting. Each light is uniquely addressed so that different shapes, letters and numbers can be displayed. Unique addressing allows us to spell out words, or in the case of the Twelve Days of Christmas we can count down the numbers from 12 to 1. When all of the spotlights are on there is the potential for a total of 2,000 Watts of illumination. To try to protect the spotlight filaments from the rapid switching of power the LOR controllers have been programmed to limit the power output to the spotlights at 85%. As spotlights can easily shatter a special mounting frame has been constructed with sturdy waterproof and fireproof material that encases the spotlights to prevent any glass from becoming projectiles.
Santa Claus Rope Light Motifs:
With many thanks to Arthur, at the Christmas Kingdom, we have 5 new Santa Claus Rope Light Motifs that have been attached in front of the house windows. Each of the Rope Light Santas are on unique LOR channels allowing us to turn each of them on and off in time with the music. Different Santas light up as background singers in various songs, which looks very appropriate in tracks such as "There's Another Santa Claus".
The motifs comprise Santa in different positions, being:
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The 2 Fairy Trees are located on either side of the Forest of Lights. They were easily constructed and consist of a set of clear fairy lights wrapped around a $6 tomato planter. These will probably be replaced next year with a couple of different colour LED strings so that different effects can be achieved.
Seasons Greetings Sign:
A large Season's Greetings sign, measuring 3m x 1.5m was purchased during the Boxing Day sales in Melbourne. This proved a challenge to transport back to Ballarat, but it was worth it... The sign is made on a metal frame, covered in red, green and yellow rope lights, and sits on the roof during the Christmas period and is very visible...
Christmas Bush:
The large bush in the front yard has 3 x 80 Watt spotlights with green, red and yellow lamps. The spotlights are located at the base and face up to illuminate the bush. Each spotlight can be controlled individually, or they can be mixed to provide different colours, effects and fades.
Single Rope Light Christmas Trees:
These were new for 2005 and proved very popular, with many enquiries being received from visitors to our display. For 2005 we had 4 green and 2 red Single Rope Christmas Trees. This year we have a row of 9, comprising 3 green, 3 red and 3 yellow that have been aligned to act as the front border to our display. Each of the 9 trees are independently controlled, which enables special effects such as chase sequences to be programmed. The image on the left is part of our 2005 display.
Icycle Lights:
We've always had white icycle lights on the guttering, but the change this year they are being replaced with LED icycle lights from the Christmas Kingdom. There is a traditional set of white icycle lights and we have added a layer of green icycle lights. We can switch on/off either the white or the green lights depending on the effect we are trying to achieve.
Roof Fairy Lights:
The red extendable rope light has been extended across the apex of the roof. We have also added 2 sets of fairy lights in multiple rows across the roof tiles that they can be individually switched on or off. This assists in covering the roof in the fine tradition of the Grizwalds.