Christmas Projects
Stay tuned for pics of the 2011 projects - there have been a LOT of changes made to the show this year.
When creating light shows, it is often necessary to create unique elements that cannot be found on store shelves. Some of those custom projects can be found on these pages.
One of the coolest effects come from our leaping arches. In 2008 our display featured red and gold leaping arches, but maintenance was quite a challenge. For 2009 we've created clear arches. Perhaps we'll try tri-colored arches for 2010 if we can migrate the arches to sealed LEDs.
Our "Tune To" sign has changed a bit this year as well. In 2008 we had a laminated sign on a yard stake. For 2009 we have upgraded to a back-lit sign with translucent vinyl lettering. This has improved visibility at night by reducing the glare off the sign and enlarging the lettering.
The Bethlehem Star is another addition for 2009. The new star is approximately 6' tell and uses 175 C-9 lights. The lights are on 3 different circuits allowing us to make the star shimmer and twinkle.
For the 2009 show, more electric service was needed to support the massive current draw of 80,000 lights. To facilitate this need, 2 sub panels were installed with 50-amp range plugs. This will allow us to re-provision the panels if needed in the future.
As you can probably tell from the videos, our home has many windows. For 2009 I decided I could drastically reduce setup time as well as improve the look of the lights in the windows with the use of pegboard.