|
 Frequently Asked Questions |
| 1) |
How many lights do
you have? |
Approximately 19,000 on the roof
alone.
Approximately 65,000 total. |
| 2) |
What type of
controllers are you using to operate the lights? |
The Ludy's Christmas Spectacular is
currently operating 152 channels on a computer board, with the
capacity to control up to 90,000 lights. |
| 3) |
How long did it
take to construct the Santa, Sleigh, & Reindeer? |
1,008 Hours |
| 4) |
How many amps of
power are you using? |
130 amps |
| 5) |
How much wire does
it take to power the lights? |
4.0 miles |
| 6) |
What did you use to
transmit a FM station? |
Jerry converted an I-Pod
transmitter antenna to a larger wave length. This allowed
him to extend the broadcast area to just under 175 feet. |
| 7) |
Where did you pull
all of the power from? |
Jerry added additional power panels
from the breaker box and then added receptacles under the eves
of the roof. Additionally, the neighbors provide one
electrical line each. |
| 8) |
When do you start
decorating the house? |
Jerry and Keith begin pulling the
lights out of storage in September. They begin the
decorating with the roof and work their way down. The roof
is finished by mid-October. Jerry and Keith both work very
hard putting the Christmas Spectacular together through the
grand lighting set for Thanksgiving each year. There is
also constant maintenance each evening of the Spectacular
replacing any blown bulbs or wires tangled from the weather. |
| 9) |
How long does it
take to remove and put all the lights away? |
The Ludy's usually start after New
Years Day. It takes approximately one month to remove the
main structure of lights. It then takes an additional one
month to pack all
the lights and decorations up and replace any worn or weathered
description labels. Jerry and Keith are typically completed by March. |
| 10) |
What other new
plans do you have for future Christmases? |
Each year, the current Christmas
Light Display is reviewed and analyzed. Ideas are then formed on
how to enhance the display for the next year. Jerry begins
working on the next year's Christmas display as early as
January. |
| 11) |
Do the neighbors
agree to all of the additional street traffic? |
Over the years the neighbors have
never voiced any negative comments about the traffic. The
neighbors enjoy the lights and look forward to seeing the house
decorated each year. |
| 12) |
How did you program
the lights with the music? |
Jerry utilizes special software
that enables him to tap out the beats to each portion of the
music. The music sequences convert to many styles of
motions allowing the lights to perform in step with the beats. |
| 13) |
Where did you get
the idea to computerize your lights? |
Jerry, Edith, and Keith are members of a special
group of Christmas Light "geeks", called
Planet Christmas. The
organization consists of many Christmas light enthusiasts that
enjoy creating a winter wonderland of lights which they and
others enjoy watching. The organization holds conventions every
two years to gather new ideas, view products, and to learn more
about various decorating ideas to enhance lighting displays. |
