The Electronics
Christams in Hawthorn
This is how it works
The heart of the display is a stand alone computer that drives the lights and the sound.  The computer also drives our Christmas in Hawthorn Radio (97.7FM) which plays 24 hours a day when the show is not running.

The computer uses a custom program named Vixen.  It is written and maintained free of charge by an excellent programmer K. C. Oaks, in Spokane, Washington.  The Logo of the program is below:

Vixen sends signals to turn on and off a channel or light string in tune with the music.  It also broadcasts the music to the audio out of the computer.  The audio out is plugged into a small FM transmitter.  The transmitter was made by Valestec.  A homemade antenae broadcasts the song to the outdoors.  The range of the transmitter is small, about 200 yards, in order to not violate any federal laws.  The 89.1 channel was selected as it is not used by any commercial stattion in our area.
The light signals that Vixen sends are transmitted from the computer serial ports.  Three ports are used for the show.  The signals go to the show controller boards.  These are homemade boards based on designs of all the wonderful people at Do-It-Yourself Christmas.  This is a group of people from around the world that share in this hobby.  And it is a HOBBY as we work on the electronics and display items all year long.

The controller boards used in this display are a three Renard 64xc, two Renard 24 and two Renard 16ss.  These controllers combined can control 272 different strings of lights.  There are a number of other boards that have been used in prior displays.  The beauty of these boards is that they are all compatible and can be used together.  The controller boards interpret the low voltage (5 DC volts) that is transmitted from the computer and switch a high voltage (120 AC volts) to turn on and off the lights.  The switch is called an SSR (solid state relay).  These are also homemade.  Some are based on DIY designs and some are our designs.

Each show element is fed 120 volts to operate.  One SSR is needed for each channel.  The SSR uses a standard computer CAT5 cable for its signals.   Each SSR can be switched on and off up to 60 times per second.

The 2009 show had 232 channels in use.  There were 47 power extensions cords, 1,200 feet of CAT5 cable and over 47,000 lights.  There are 12 mini trees (6 had a star on top of them).  There are seven dancing arches and a 16 foot tall Mega tree.  The mega tree is operated using 16 strings of red, white and green lights each for a total of 48 strings of lights.  It uses two (Renard24) controllers just for this tree.  There were 11 candy canes.  There were two shooters going up each side of the garage (using 3,200 lights and 32 channels) culminating at a firework burst at the top of the garage.  Below the firework burst was a Bethlehem star (a star with four different configurations).  All of the bushes in the yard are decorated with at least three different color lights which are all individually controlled.

For 2010, the fireworks burst has been retired and a new pin wheel has been added.  The pin wheel requires 1,600 lights (800 red and 800 white).  It is driven by 16 channels.  The pole it sits on has 8 channels and 1,200 lights.  We also added lighted presents around the mega-tree in 2010.  In order to notify our visitors when the show is operating, we made a larger sign with a countdown timer clock to Christmas.  A picture of the new sign is included in the hardware items section.

For 2011, we added the candy cane lane entry sign.  It is driven by 48 channels and has 4,800 lights.  There also were 16 new little candy canes lining candy cane way.  The presents around the Mega tree were updated with better bows and more lights.  Most of the new changes were in electronics.  New controllers were placed in the yard which allowed for more channels with a reduction in the number of wires required.  There was 300 feet less wire used in this display.

For 2012, no new display items were added.  There were 12 new yard controllers added.  These were all hand constructed over the summer.  This again improved wiring with a savings of another 300 feet of wire.  The wire and the connections are the weak points in the system.  The new controllers should minimize show down time due to rain.  We also added an additional power outlet to the outside of the house to accommodate additions lights.  Power requirements to drive the show are almost 60 amps. The dreaded rain has shut down the show every year for at least five days.  Rain and electronics will not play nice with each other.

For 2013, we added a spiral effect to the Mega tree.  There spirals are 16 strings of white lights driven by a Renard 16ss controller.  The added another 1,600 lights to the tree.  The candy cane lane sign was changed to add a marquee set of running lights.  Total light count has now exceeded 100,000.  New songs were also added to the show.

For 2014, no new items where added.  We did build a number of duplicate items so that they can be swapped out when an item fails.  This is common and the miniature light strings will stop working if one bulb burns out or is damaged.  We are currently working on a new item from 2015.

For 2015 a lighted snowman that can wave using both hands and tip his hat.  There are 16 different channels using a Renard 16ss controller.  Additionally, both eyes his nose and four buttons are also controlled separately.

For 2017 we added two more leaping arches bringing the total to seven.  This also required adding four more candy canes that are between and under the arches bringing the total to fifteen.

For 2018 there was no show as a medical issue would not allow it.

For 2019 two large ornaments with four colors each were added to the show.  This was the first entrant of multi-colored LEDs were used in the show.  These ornaments had three channels each.

For 2020 there were two stars with four colors each were added to the show.  Additionally, we added four large white snowflakes.  The snowflakes were attached to a tree in the front yard.  Also added light bar above the third bay garage door.

In 2021 two additional pin wheels to the show.  Each are slightly shorter than the original. 

In 2022, new songs were added to the show.  It now runs over 90 minutes before a song is repeated, in a different order.

In 2023 colors were changed on bushes in the yard to be more compatible to other show items.  And more LED lights were used on the bushes versu the older incandescent lights.