Q: Why?
A: Great Question. After my wife and I bought our first house in 1996, I never had much time to do any of this since I was focused on my career and various other activities. So, our Christmas Display was limited to a few blow molds, a few outdoor lights, and of course a Tree and a few decorations inside. Of which, my wife did all the work in her limited time. Then a few years ago (2003), we had our first son (Derek) and it totally changed the way I looked at things. I was always too busy to stop and look at lights and etc. But, now that he enjoys looking at all the decorations and etc., I decided that I would start to do this myself, in hopes of starting a new tradition with him.
As time went on, we were still too busy, not only did I have work and soccer, but I had Derek too. So, I let it slide another year without doing much. Then in 2004, 2005 and still in 2006, tragedy and endless bad luck hit family member after family member in both of our families. One of the biggest events that affected me personally was when my father died. He was finally on his way to recovery from other medical issues in previous years and was in good health. Then, all of the sudden, I got that dreaded message from the police department that he was in an unexplainable auto accident that still remains unsolved today.
Needless to say, that changed my whole perspective on life and the time we have. So, I made a vow from that point on, that life is too short and I am going to quit putting projects off that I have been wanting to do for a long time and JUST DO IT! One of them being, decking out our house for Christmas! So, I told my wife, let me have the Outside and you take the Inside! I bet she regrets that decision now 
Q: What gave you the idea to computer control your Christmas Lights to music?
A: In 2004, I saw a video that spread across the internet of a guy’s house (Carson Williams in Ohio) who animated his lights to music (Link to original video). I thought it was the coolest thing I’d seen in a long time. Since I was good with computers and figured I could do that to, I started my research quest to find out how he did it. Because Carson became so famous, he directed all his emails to the owner of the control board company that powered his display (Light-O-Rama). A few questions and answers later, I discovered another website (Planet Christmas) which had a great deal of people across the country that already do that sort of thing along with static decorations. After seeing the great joy and dedication these people had, I was hooked. As one of the PC (PlanetChristmas) members put it, “Darn You, Carson Williams” for getting us hooked on this thing!
Q: What is your electricity bill?
A: Because the lights are computer controlled (and the fact that they are not always on and are at different intensities), we actually use less power than just leaving them on the whole time. The actual bill was about $350-$400 for December.
Q: How long did it take to complete the display?
A: Between design, setup, testing, computer control, research and etc., I have no idea and don’t really want to know. Because if I did, I probably couldn’t justify the time spent .
I started working on the design, computer sequences, and planning process about 6 months out. In October, I start working a few hours in the evening and several hours during each weekend on the project for a December 1 launch.
Q: How many people work on putting up the Display?
A: It was mainly myself doing all the design, layout, cabling, computer parts, and etc. Since I am not a fan for walking on my 2 story roof, I hire an outside company called (Christmas By Design) and they did all the lining of the roof and ridges. I also purchased almost all of my lights and major displays from them.
Q: Do you really follow the “No more than 3 Strings connected end to end” rule?
A: Yes! The math doesn’t lie. Each light string pulls between .3 and .4 amps. The fuses are 2 amp. At 4 strings, your factor of safety is nearly gone. Any extra load and….. ZZZZZap! Connect 5 strings and you’re toast. This also means don’t plug more than 30 strings to one 13 amp extension cord.
Rule of thumb: If the power cord begins to feel warm, back off a few strings and get some more power from another circuit. You can plug many strings together at the plug end, just not end to end. If all the plugs are stacked, the additional load is traveling through the power cord and not the individual light strings. If you’re really going crazy with lots of strings, you should buy a current clamp that will tell you exactly how many amps you are pulling through a given circuit. I got mine at ACE Hardware for about $50.
Q: Who did your sign in your yard?
A: The general idea and design came from a great deal of ideas on the PC Message Board. I can’t remember who posted the original graphic. But, I saw the graphic, it was simple, to the point, and professional looking. So, I borrowed the base design and made some minor modifications in Adobe Photoshop. I then took the revised drawing to our local sign shop in Ruskin called “Solar Designs”. A week later, my sign came to life.
With a light show of 20,000+ lights, a normal sign wouldn’t just do. So, I purchased a 150ct Chasing Light set and Zip tied it around the frame to help light it up. That didn’t do the trick exactly how I thought it would, so I bought a Par28 Flood light and mounted it just below the sign, to light up the sign so visitors could see at night.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Come on, do you really ask that question at Christmas time
I didn’t start this to worry about cost, plus if I actually knew, I most likely wouldn’t have done it. Counting all the time and supplies, I can say it’s not a cheap hobby. But, it is well WORTH IT with all the great mail and enjoyment that I see on the faces of others, especially the kids.
One night, I saw a family outside my house - the kids were on the roof of the car with the windows down and the dad inside playing the music on the radio. It’s moments like that which justify the cost along with all the other great comments I have received. I enjoy seeing the excitement that the show brings each Christmas season to all who visit our home.
But if you really need to know, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it. The computer control boards are a few hundred dollars a piece. The radio transmitter is a few hundred dollars but they make cheaper ones. The lights and displays can be whatever you own already. After the initial investment, it’s only the your time and any upgrades you do after the first year.
Q: Where did you get those mini 3D Christmas Trees, I don’t see those in the stores?
A: You are right, they are not in the store. I actually made those mini trees. I went to Ace Hardware and purchased 2 Tomato Stakes for each tree. I stack one on top of the other and spread them out, so they provide a nice tree like shape. Then, I zip tie the top together to hold it in place. I connect 900 mini lights (3 -100 count in Red/White/Green colors) string sets together and wrap it around the stakes, zip tie them to hold their shape, and voila, you have a 3D Tree. Cost is about $20 per tree and 10 minutes of time to make them.