Today is the 25th November which means Christmas is fast approaching (really must do some shopping). This years display is coming on well, with new additions and even more lights! I’ve built extra controller circuits to add more light channels, I expect the new total channels to be a scary number when I’m done.

I’ve now got a Facebook page (linked to Twitter), so fully embracing social media with regualr(ish) updates posted on Facebook. This years switch on is scheduled for 4:30PM on Thursday the 1st of December, and if the technology works the switch on will be broadcast live to Facebook!

You can see videos of previous years on my YouTube channel.

More soon!

Dean

This weekend I have fitted the reed switches to the track and glued a small magnet to the underside of the train so I can plot the position of the train on the track. This is so I can switch lights accordingly throughout the lighting sequence (and because its cool! 🙂 ).

Here is a close up of the reed switch in place:

All the cables from the sensors feed back to a single point, with a 12 core cable carrying everything to the USB IO board:

This is the IO board that connects to the PC:

Now I’m back at work, I’ve been doing bits here and there as I get time (will be aiming for another big push this weekend). I have started to wire things up, and the snowmen are now attached:

Next job is to fit the sensors to the track, so the control system knows the location of the train on the track. I do love Christmas 🙂

Most of the construction work is now complete, I have attached snow and fronts to the tunnel today:

Here is a picture of the full tunnel section:

The signal is now in place ready to be wired up:

I’ve also built the housing for the RGB DMX Spotlight that will light the large snowman:

Now to wire everything together 🙂

Construction continues! All parts of the CS display have now been covered in snow apart from the tunnel, as I’m still waiting on a few bits from Ebay. Following pictures shows current progress.

Here is a close up of the lights in place along the track:

We even have a signal:

Here is a picture of the Christmas Train running:

Today sees the construction of the wooden frame for this years Computer Science display:

Now ready for a liberal sprinkling of snow 🙂

Welcome back! Can you believe we are here again? Today has been a day of stock taking, ordering new bits and assembling some of the kits I will need to put this years display together. I started by assembling the DC Solid State Relay boards I bought last year (but I didn’t order them in time last year so had to improvise!). A before and after shot:

A few piccies of items being used this year:

This is Stuart the tank engine, he might be making an appearance in a Christmas Display near you!

and

A pair of lovely wooden Christmas tree, pre lit but I have already removed the inards ready for “tweaking”

Not as much progress today as expected due to one thing and another which meant I didn’t get finished in time to get to College, but I have at least got myself a new glue gun!

With the new glue gun, ive managed to complete all the figures for the display @ Selby College. The final ones being to Santa’s, here they are ready and waiting.

To control some RGB LED strips I’m using 4 x 5V relay cards that can be driven directly from the Olsen 595. Here they are all soldered up with RJ45 plugs ready for connection.

Install day @ College tomorrow!

Just about ready to start putting the display together onsite at Selby College!

• Snowflakes

• Snowmen

• Star

Just need a new glue gun to stick the Santa figures together (currently looking a bit bare)

Hopefully I will be at college tomorrow afternoon!

Today sees the snowmen get their new insides!

Firstly, removing the old inards. I’ve kept the LED’s, no idea what I will do with them but I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. Once the original circuitry was removed, I could install the new LED boards made yesterday.

A single CAT5 cable connects two snowmen back to the controller board.

Here they are  all glued back together and numbered ready for action!

I’ve also been modifying the snowflakes used in last years display.

Red and Green LED’s are now controllable independently on separate channels.

Santa figures tomorrow!