Information on the Decorations
Over the course of the years, people have asked us where we've purchased our decorations from, how much energy do we take down in a winter, how long does it take to set up, and more. So, with those interests in mind, this is the section where we've compiled a general set of information regarding the decorations, setup, and more.
Running out the Lights:
We use about 450 extension cords in the entire display. They range in length from 10-100ft. At the end of the season, they must be individually wrapped up and put away in storage for the next year.
Setting up the Music:
There are 11 CD players, each with its script or music. The players are connected to selected areas and/or display boxes and add to the enjoyment. However, the CD players cannot be turned on if they are connected to a timer. Therefore, we have the CD players running 24x7 and the speaker wires go an electronic gate that opens and closes in response to a timer. When the gate is opened, the music flows down the speaker wire. There is probably over 1000 feet of speaker wire in total.
Lighting the Decorations:
We used to use only halogen floodlights that were housed in small wooden boxes that we built. The front of the boxes was covered by clear plexi-glass. We have started to replace these halogen bulbs with low watt fluorescent bulbs. Obviously, the light is less intense, but it seems to work just as well and helps save energy. There are about 25 such boxes currently. Starting in Nov. 2007, we started to put these bulbs in used juice cans and would cover the opening with a small piece of clear plexi-glass. These new light systems are much more compact, and will take less space to store.
How many lights are in use:
We really don't know how many Christmas lights we have, as we just string them up where they suit the design. What we do measure are the amps that go through our electrical panel. By accident, several years ago my wife turned on the kitchen stove and clothes dryer (at the same time that the Christmas lights were on). At that moment, the two main breakers in the panel popped, and everything fell into darkness. The electrician told us the next day that we must have been around 380 amps (since the panel is rated for 400 amps). After that minor glitch, we have converted to LEDs and fluorescent floodlights, and in Nov. 2007, we checked out at 208 amps (the stove and dryer weren't on).
Timing the Lights:
We use about 20 digital timers to turn on the various parts of the display. Unfortunately, some the parts of the display consume about 12 amps, and this appears to have shortened the life span of some of the timers. We have therefore introduced some industrial strength 'gates' that take the power surge. The job of the timer is then only to open and close the gate.
How long does it take to set up:
It takes about 1000 man hours to put up the display each year. These hours cover building new displays,
repairing old displays, moving the portable displays into place, putting out extension cords, and speaker
cords. Putting away the portable display and taking up all the cords only takes about 200 man hours.
Charities:
We have donation box for people who wish to make a donation to the children at the local women's shelter.
We do not collect any money for any aspect of the display. It is our gift to the community.
