PLUS2003 ClassSchedule Last Update 07-26-03 August 2-3, 2003

Who's teaching what?

lA Sparky - 101 Herb McCartney

lB Lights! Lights! Lights! Josh Barnett

lC Now You Tell Me! Chuck Smith

2A Sparky - 101 Herb McCartney

Darryl Brown, Greg Parcell, Dan2B Open Forum A Baldwin, Josh Barnett, Mark

Obermiller

2C Santa's bag of Tricks Walter Monkhouse

3A Santa's Workshop Dan Baldwin

3B Lights! Lights! Lights! Josh Barnett

3C Wire Frame Construction Mark Obermiller

4A Santa's Workshop Dan Baldwin

4B Now You Tell Me! Chuck Smith

4C Wire Frame Construction Mark Obermiller

SA Christmas Computer 101 Herb McCartney

Jackie & Walter Monkhouse, MarkSB Open Forum - B Obermiller, Terry Dykes,

Dan Hall, Hill Robertson

SC Rudolph, Do You Smell Smoke? Tim Fischer

6A Christmas Computer 101 Steve Pearson

6B To Etch or Not To Etch? Terry Dykes

6C Scotty, Emergency Impulse Power! Dan Hall

7A Is This the Year You Go Digital? Drew Hickman

7B Fox News Will Arrive At 6:30 Chuck Smith

7C Scotty, Emergency Impulse Power! Dan Hall

8A On Dasher! Drew Hickman

8B A Very MIDI Christmas Terry Dykes

.c:> 8e Rudolph, Do You Smell Smoke? Tim Fischer

9A On Dasher! Drew Hickman

PLUS2003 ClassSchedule more info: http://www.pianetchristmas.comIPLUS.htm

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule

9B

9C

Last Update 07-26-03 August 2-3, 2003

Open Forum - C Steve Pearson, Tim Fischer, DanBaldwin, Chuck Smith, Ron Lister

Christmas Web SiteDesign/Development Hill Robertson

ASl

AS2AS3AS4

Discussion of programming display control software * - Hosted by ChuckSmith

Demo-discussion of Light-O-Rama -Hosted by Dan Baldwin

Demo-discussion of a Parallel Port Control Box-Hosted by Hill Robertson

Demo-discussion of Blitzen -Hosted by Jeff Sands

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule more info: http://www.planetchristmas.comIPLUS.htm

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule Last Update 0726-03 August 2-3, 2003

A Very MIDIChristmas

8B Terry DykesMIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface -pronounced middy) is an electronic music standard forcontrolling devices such as synthesizers and soundcards. Terry has designed a controller that respondsto standard MIDI commands broadcast on a RS-48Sbus via CATS cable. This course is designed for allparticipates with both low and high level aspectsdiscussed. Course components are:

~ What is MIDI

~ How does MIDI work

~ System Component Description

~ What is Sequencing Software

• Cakewalk Home Studio Introduction

• Customizing for Christmas Lights

• Editing/Dim minq/.Audio Mixing

• Synchronizing Lights to Audio

• Automatic Time Scheduling

Blitzen AS4 Jeff Sands

ChristmasComputer 101

SA

6A

Blitzen! A demonstration and/or discussion of theBlitzen control program.

This course is designed for students with limited or nobackground in Personal Computers. If you have beenthinking about going computer controlled but thought:"it's too complicated", "I'm afraid I will burnsomething up", or "I'm frankly a little afraid of thosethings", this is definitely the course for you. Themain topics are:

~ Basic Terminology

~ Major Hardware Components and Their Function

~ Software Components and Their Function

~ Demonstration of a Computer Driven Display

Steve Pearson(Herb McCartney)

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule more info: http://www.pianetchristmas.comIPLUS.htm

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule Last Update 07-26-03 August 2-3, 2003

Christmas Web 9C This course is divided into halves. The first half is Hill Robertson

Site Design designed for people who are contemplating a web siteDevelopment and have little or no experience. This part covers:

~ What do I need:

1. Domain Name

2. Web Site Host

~ Design and development options:

1. DIY - Web development applications

2. By-the-numbers - On-line kits

3. Full service - Where do I send the check?

The second half is designed for people who currentlyhave a web site and would like to further develop it.This part covers:

~ Options for the non-programming webmaster

~ Options for the programming webmaster

Fox News Will 7B This course is designed for people who have a display Chuck Smith

Be Here that will probably attract or you would like to attract(Ron lister)

At 6:30 media attention. It concentrates on:~ How to get media exposure

~ Working with the reporters when they arrive

~ How to do an interview and finally

~ Handling the "Scrooges" in the communit.

Santa's Bag of 2C Santa's Bag of Tricks is designed for both the first Walter and Jackie

Tricks timer and the veteran. Learn some of the secretsMonkhouse

used by the master display builders Walter and JackieMonkhouse. Check his web site out and see some ofthe cool things they has designed and built over theyears. Learn the secrets the pros us to:

~ "Push any of the buttons" of their CD or VCRwithout actually being there

~ Turn on or off parts of their display by remotecontrol from in front of their house

~ Get their tall (up to 42 feet) display items upquickly

/""' See their display in action and make any necessarychanges before they install the first string of lights

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule more info: http://www.planetchristmas.comIPLUS.htm

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule Last Update 07-26-03 August 2-3, 2003

Is This TheYearYou

Go Digital?

7A This course is designed for people who are making themove to computer controlled lights but are uncertainas to what technology to use. People who arethinking of changing technology may also find thisvery informative

There are several methods of controlling your lightswith a computer. Much has been written about theadvantages of one over another. It has become quiteconfusing for many people. This class will attempt tobring clarity to the subject. The instructor will coverthe 4 types of technologies available, their pluses andminuses and what it requires to make them work.Those 4 technologies are:

~ Serial

~ Parallel

~ Digital I/O card

~ Xl0 (CMllA or CM17A computer interfaces)

Drew Hickman(Herb McCartney)

Light-O-Rama * AS2 Demo-discussion of Dan Baldwin's Light-O-Rama froma development standpoint

Dan Baldwin

Lights!Lights!Lights!

1B3B

This course is open to anyone who would like to knowmore about the many different kinds of lights that arecurrently on the market. Traditional lights, as well assome new and exotic specialty lights, will be covered.The instructor will focus on the pros, cons, and uniquefeatures of:

~ The "c" Family

~ White and colored minis

~ Rope Lights

~ Strobes

~ LEOS

~ Neon Lights

~ Lighting Lightless Displays

* Specialty Lights: Lasers, Cold Cathode Lights,LEOs, and other exotic items

Josh Barnett(Darryl Brown)

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule more info: http://www.pianetchristmas.comlPLUS.htm

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule Last Update 07-26-03 August 2-3, 2003

Now you tellme!

1C4B

This course is designed for any student who wants tobe more efficient with non-setup time. It focuses on:

~ Various phases of the planning process

~ Suggested time-lines for specific mile-stones

~ Estimating development time

~ When to redesign

~ Tips for a faster setup

~ Breakdown strategies

~ Storage and labeling suggestions

Chuck Smith(Ron Lister)

On Dasher! 8A

9A

This course is open to anyone who would like to knowmore about Dasher. Dasher is a software programthat will free you from the technical programming sideof computer-controlled indoor or outdoor lightingdisplays.

Drew Hickman, the creator of Dasher, will take youthrough the process of designing a simple programand then demonstrate its operation. There will beinformation about recent developments as well aswhat's on the horizon for Dasher. This will be a highlyinteractive presentation.

Drew Hickman(Greg Parcell)

Opendiscussion ofprogramming

display controlsoftware*

OPEN FORUMA

OPEN FORUMB

OPEN FORUMC

1../

,9B Panel will host a question and answer session on

relevant issues related to Christmas lighting

AS1

1B

5B

This discussion will cover various issues, problems,and techniques related to writing your own softwarefor the control of Christmas lights. Come join themfor a non-structured talk about the good, the bad andthe ugly!

Panel will host a question and answer session onrelevant issues related to Christmas lighting

Panel will host a question and answer session onrelevant issues related to Christmas lighting

Chuck Smith

Darryl BrownGreg ParcellDan BaldwinJosh BarnettMark Obermiller

Mark ObermillerTerry DykesDaniel HallHill RobertsonJackie MonkhouseWalter Monkhouse

Steve PearsonTim FischerDan BaldwinChuck SmithRon Lister

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule more info: http://www.pianetchristmas.comiPLUS.htm

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule Last Update 07-26-03 August 2-3, 2003

r\ Parallel Port AS3 Open discussion and demo of Hill Robertson's Parallel Hill Robertson

Control Box* Port Control Box.

Rudolph, 5C This course is designed for all participants regardless Tim Fischer

Do You Smell of their experience constructing a Christmas Display. (Dan Hall)

Smoke? 8C It will focus on:

~ Common problems and solutions

~ Prevention as a trouble shooting technique

~ Common safety procedures and why

Santa's 3A This course is designed for those interested in building Dan Baldwin

Workshop physical structures for their display. Highlights of the(Darryl Brown)

4A course include:

~ Common materials used for building displays(coro, plywood, netting for rope lights, wireframe,etc.)

~ Construction Techniques

~ What should be in your toolbox

Scotty, 6C This course is designed for any student who wants to Daniel Hall

Emergency guarantee the display will have adequate power(Herb McCartney)

:(mpulse Power! 7C through proper and safe procedures. Main points of'"

the class consist of:-

~ Calculating the power needs of your display

~ Determining how those needs may be met

~ Providing power safely

~ Anticipating future needs

Sparky - 101 lA This course is designed to provide students with a Herb McCartney

limited understanding of electricity as it applies to(Dan Hall)

2A Christmas lights. Course components are:~ Basic Terminology

~ Essentials of an AC & DC Circuit

~ Series & Parallel Circuits

~ Understanding Resistance- Voltage-Curren i-Po wer

~ Application of Ohm's Law

~ Meters and Measurements

\

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule more info: http://www.planetchristmas.com/PLUS.htm

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule Last Update 07-26-03 August 2-3, 2003

To Etch or 6B This course is designed to show students how to make Terry Dykes

Not To Etch? a single-sided printed circuit board. Though the mostpopular methods are to be discussed, a sampleproject will illustrate the process step-by-step. Thefollowing topics are to be covered:

~ Bread boarding

~ Creating a PCBLayout

~ Transferring your layout to the circuit board

~ Etching

~ Drilling, Plating, Tinning, and Soldering

~ Protecting your circuits from the weather

Wire Frame 3C This course is designed to show students how to build Mark Obermiller

Construction 4C wire-framed displays from scratch as well asmodifying existing displays. There will be a briefdiscussion of both 20 and 3D displays. It is assumedthat the student does know how to weld, use a cuttingtorch, or use other steel fabricating tools. Thefollowing topics comprise this course:

~ Designing a display

~ Automating the display

~ Selecting the proper tools

~ Selecting and locating materials

~ Bending steel

~ Cutting steel

~ Fabricating letters

~ Selecting appropriate lights

~ Learning proper techniques for attaching lights

Names appearing in parentheses will deliver the classif the primary presenter is unable to present

* These sessions are open to all but discussions will involveknowledge beyond most new or intermediate enthusiast

** Brown Bag Class

PLUS 2003 Class Schedule more info: http://www.planetchristmas.com/PLUS.htm