Pimp Your Christmas Lights with xLights, Is Rivian a Tesla Killer and a New Monitor – HGG381

 

We have an email from Anthony who provided us with two awesome Christmas lights videos and some equipment to back it all up! Mike talks about Rivian and will they be a Tesla killer?  Some game purchasing tips, Jim has a quick review of this new Dell P3418HW 34” Curved Monitor at work and he thinks Microsoft Rewards might be on to him! All this and more! Join Jim Collison / @jcollison  and Mike Wieger / @WiegerTech for show #381 of Home Gadget Geeks brought to you by the Average Guy Network

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Full show notes and video at http://theAverageGuy.tv/hgg381

Tags: Podcast, Home Gadget Geeks, Christmas Lights, Xlights Community, Tesla, Rivian, Plugshare, Nebraska, Games, Tips, Dell Monitor


Save $40 on your first Box of HelloFresh with my code JCOLLISO

 

Conversation

Jim, I have been enjoying your show over the last year but have never contributed to the conversation. Time for that to change after listening to the last few episodes.

I generally  listen to them in the car when I do a trip out of town by myself. Very rarely manage to catch you live as it occurs during the middle of the Friday working day in Australia.

Anyway, to the reason for my email. I heard your discussion on Christmas lights and 3d printing in the past few episodes and thought I would share what I have done at my house. This project started last Christmas after my wife suggested she would love me to do this on our house. (bonus – Wife acceptance factor before I even started). Digital controlled LED synchronized to music for Christmas.

It has also involved 3d printing brackets and mounts for the display. 280 brackets in total. The printer got a workout. I just couldn’t find anything that would work for me so I designed and printed what I wanted. I use an open source software platform called Xlights to program and sequence the lights.

It has been a huge learning experience, from building display items, learning how to sequence the LED’s/Songs, Learning DMX and E1.31 universes/channels etc. I have the show automated as much as possible. I use a Z-wave switch to power up the display just before 8pm and then the scheduling software runs the show till 10:30pm. The z-wave switch then turns everything off and waits till the following night. The shows will run every night till the 30th Dec.

I have a web page remote on the phone to be able to adjust things on the fly if I want to. A web cam is setup to see what is going on remotely (from the lounge).

Here is a link to a couple of videos of the display. I am still working on video for the other sequences (about 12 all up).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHKpk7Xxh14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ83G-YRL1c

The Greatest showman sequence is an interesting one. The sequence was done by some clever guys within the Xlights community and then made available to everyone to MAP to their own house. Everyone’s show will be similar, but different, because everyone’s house setup is different. The idea is that they will collect video from people all over the world running this sequence and will then edit it for YouTube as” Xlights Around The World 2018”.

I hope you enjoy the video’s. Keep up the great work you do on the show and say G’day to Mike.

 

Anthony

Sydney Australia.

 

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News

Are there legitimate “Tesla Killers” out there – this new pickup truck may be one. – https://products.rivian.com/

https://www.plugshare.com/

Nebraska, It’s not for everyone

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/20/659122593/nebraska-it-s-not-for-everyone

Quick Tip for Buying Games for Kids this Christmas Season- Don’t buy the physical disc!

 

Reviews

Jim has a new monitor at work.  Dell P3418HW 34″ Curved Monitor – P Series https://amzn.to/2UdWaoe

Product Updates

I think Microsoft has caught up to me and my Microsoft Points

 



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