FAQ
A: We currently have approximately 70,000 lights on display. These lights are divided up between Red, Green, Blue and Clear lights.
A: Yes and No. You would be surprised to know that our electric bill will only increase by ~$200 for this time period. This is because light shows like ours fade lights in and out at all times. Rarely are more than 30% of the lights on at any given time. If everything were on at the same time, we would draw almost 250 amps of electricity! During most songs in the show, the lights will draw 180 amps briefly, then return to a normal current draw of roughly 20 - 35 amps. Yes, this does cause the lights to flicker inside the house. In 2011, several of our lights have transitioned to LED based lighting, so the power consumption will decline quite a bit.
A: For a show this size, you can expect to spend almost 15 hours per minute of programming the lights. Outside of the programming, you have the design, creation, and construction of elements in the show itself. With new technology comes new challenges. For 2011, there are roughly 300 hours of labor put into the show.
A: New for 2011 we do! We have a special kind of lights called an RGB Node. These Nodes allow us to both select the exact color we wish to display as well as tell specific bulbs what to do. We can get very granular with each element. Think of your TV which is made up of RGB light elements. One strand of our lights are sort of like a single line of pixels on your television.
A: We utilize a very small FM transmitter to send the audio to your car radio. The transmission power is extremely low so it does not interfere with other stations in the area.
A: It's not as crazy as it seems - the lights are mounted to pegboard facing the windows. Because of this, most of the light reflected back into the room comes from the shower curtain hanging in the windows. There is a bit of a glow in the house from this, but it's definitely not nearly as bright or as bothersome as you might think. Additionally, we generally "live" in the back of the house. The kitchen, family room, and bedrooms are all on the back side of the home.
A: For 2011 we have approximately 1.2 miles of electrical cord in the yard. Power must be run to each control unit and from each control unit to each set of lights we wish to control. In addition to the standard electrical cord, we have a quarter mile of network cable to send data and power to the new RGB nodes.
Due to the excessive electrical cord in the yard, we do ask that you get no closer than the sidewalk to our display.
Q: What songs are used in your 2011 display?
A: The songs used in the show this year are below. You may also click the iTunes link to locate the song from the iTunes library online. The songs are in the format: Song - Artist - Album
1. Do You Hear What I Hear - Anthem Lights - The Essential Christmas Collection
2. Fifty Kilowatt Tree - The Bobs - Too Many Santas
3. Go Tell It On The Mountain - Seabird - Over the Hills and Everywhere - A Christmas EP
4. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - August Burns Red - O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Single
5. All Creation Sing (Joy to the World) - Seth Condrey - North Point Christmas (Deluxe Edition)
6. The Earth Stood Still - Future of Forestry - Advent Christmas EP, Vol. 2
7. Rods and Cones - Blue Man Group - Live at the Venetian, Las Vegas
8. Silent Night - Seabird - Over the Hills and Everywhere - A Christmas EP
The After-hours show includes the following two songs:
1. Away In A Manger - Jessie Kol - Little Emmanuel
2. Stille Nacht (Silent Night) - Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas
Q: What songs are used in your 2009 display?
A: The songs used in the show this year are below. You may also click the iTunes link to locate the song from the iTunes library online. The songs are in the format: Song - Artist - Album
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Billy Paul Williams & Nicole Henry - The Reindeer Room Vol. 2
Wizards in Winter - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve
Luke 2:7-14 As Told By Shaoey - All I Really Want for Christmas - Steven Curtis Chapman
Illuminations 2000: Reflections of Earth - Disney Original Music
Carol of the Bells - Monique Danielle - Christmas With Monique Danielle
What Child is This? - Future of Forestry - Advent Christmas - EP
Fly Away (feat Mac Powell) - Grits - Reiterate
O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Enya - And Winter Came
Amazing Grace (2006 Party Version) - Yule - Dance Party, Vol. 1
Space Walk - Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons