Here is a list of questions that I am often asked:
- How many Lights are there in the show? Approximately 85,000 lights are used.
- How much power is required to run the lights? If everything were on at the same time the total power would be about 53,000 watts.
- How do you synchronize the lights to the music? I use software and hardware from Light-O-Rama. Most of my controllers were bought in kit form and needed to be assembled before use.
- How long does it take to program a song? Basically it depends on the complexity and what I want the song to "look" like in lights. Usually I spend 5 to 6 hours per minute of song. Some of the songs are programmed to the hundreth of a second which takes longer to get everything just right.
- How do you have your own radio station? I use a low power FM transmitter that is connected to my computer. The computer controls the lights and plays the music. My transmitter was purchased from Ramsey Electronics.
- How long does it take to plan and set up the display? I start planning next year's display after I have the current year's display up. This allows me to purchase the lights at discount after Christmas, the only draw back is that I have to store them a year before using them. Setting up the display starts in the end of October.