Animated Lighting Christmas in a box User manual

Christmas
I N A B O X
Assembly and
Operating Instructions
Animated Lighting, Inc.
13848 Wyandotte
Kansas City, MO 64145
[phone]
www.animatedlighting.com
All-In-One Series

Overview
Unpacking Christmas in a Box
Christmas
I N A B O X
The Christmas In a Box is a plug-and-play package from Animated
Lighting that enables you to build an exciting music and light show on
bushes, trees, windows and any other illuminated items in your display.
The Christmas In A Box includes an instructional video, installation
examples, multiple “shows” to choose from, a FM transmitter so visitors
can listen to your music via their FM radio, etc.
This is the front of the Christmas in
a Box. This includes a 16-Channel
Light Controller and one power cord
dangle (15A).
For Christmas in a Box
To complete a Christmas In A Box installation, you will need to supply
extension cords that can connect your lights from their hanging area to
the Christmas In A Box Light Controller Box. If you want to also broadcast
music over speakers, you will need a pair of speakers and perhaps an
amplier. You will need to supply your own light strands, whether they
be C9, C7, mini-lights or LED light strings (Consult Appendix A for more
information if using your own light strands). Finally, you might need cable
ties to secure lights to trees or other items plus duct tape for securing
wires that cross walking paths.
Christmas
IN A B O X
Amplied Outdoor Speaker
(An Optional Item Sold Separately)
This amplied outdoor speaker can
be added if you want to broadcast
music via a speaker to visitors to
your display.
Here are the insides of the Christmas
in a Box. On the left is the Monster
Brain (that plays your lighting
shows), an Installation Video, and
the FM Transmitter (the gold unit on
the bottom). On the right is the 16
channel light controller and a diagram
showing a typical installation. You
plug your extension cords for your
lighting channels directly into the right
side of this unit.
Expansion Controller
(An Optional Item Sold Separately)
The Christmas In A Box
Expansion Controller (includes
a 16-channel light controller
and one to four power cord
dangles depending on
amperage requirements)
1
2
Christmas
IN A B O X
Other Parts You Might Need to Supply
This is available in 15A, 30A, or 60A conguration.
Animated Lighting, Inc PAGE 1

Christmas
I N A B O X
What is Inside the Christmas in a Box?
The Christmas in a Box is made up of several components.
Let’s review what is inside your unit:
TEN MINUTE INSTALLATION VIDEO GUIDE
— PLEASE WATCH ME FIRST!!
We have listed what to do (and what NOT
to do) in setting up your display using
Christmas In A Box. We promise this will
not be a waste of your time!!
Christmas
I N A B O X
10 Minute
Installation
Video Guide
Monster Brain
This is the unit that controls the pre-programmed lighting
shows and the corresponding music. You will see that the
shows and songs are stored on Secure Digital (SD) cards.
Please note the instructions that show you how to change
your show.
1. Unplug power to entire system
2. Gently push in card where arrow is pointing and release
3. Remove existing show card and put in safe place
4. Insert new show card, label facing up
5. Push in show card until it clicks
6. Plug in power and wait 30 seconds.
Like any electrical device, disconnect power
before making or modifying elecgrical
connections. Failure to do so could result in
serious personal injury or death.
!
How to Run:
DANGER - HIGH VOLTAGE
Animated Lighting, Inc PAGE 2

There are two Christmas In a Box (CIAB) Show Cards: Classic Christmas
Show and “Techno” Christmas Show. This allows you to plug in either “show”
depending on your tastes in holiday music. The instructions to change the Light
Show are right below the Monster Brain (nd the blue arrow). If you follow
these instructions (REMEMBER: Remove Power First before you start pulling
anything out) you will be able to change the show with no problem!!
Christmas in a Box Show Cards
Christmas
I N A B O X
Later in this manual you will see different examples of how people lay out
their “lighting channels” for their display. We have listed one really simple way
to lay out lighting channels on a typical residential display. Please note the
colors and the numbers on the diagram correspond to the various plugs on the
Light Controller. Plugging in your light strings to the light controller should be a
breeze!
To change the light show:
1. Unplug power to entire system
2. Gently push in card where arrow is pointing and release
3. Remove existing show card and put in safe place
4. Insert new show card, label facing up
5. Push in show card until it clicks
6. Plug in power and wait 30 seconds
To change the light show:
1. Unplug power to entire system
2. Gently push in card where arrow is pointing and release
3. Remove existing show card and put in safe place
4. Insert new show card, label facing up
5. Push in show card until it clicks
6. Plug in power and wait 30 seconds
Typical Simple Installation
Typical Simple Installation
9
9
16
16
12
12
11
11
10
10
1 2 34
1 2 34
5 6 78
5 6 78
13
13
14
14
15
15
Typical Simple Installation Diagram
Christmas
I N A BO X
Christmas Kit
v1.0 1-21-2008
Monster Brain
©2008AnimatedLighting
Animated Lighting, Inc PAGE 3

Christmas
I N A B O X
FM Transmitter
You want to select a channel that no station or a very weak station. It is
best to do this in your car or with a radio that has a digital readout. You
can also visit http://www.radio-locator.com to see the stations being used in
your area.
You can set the transmitter to an open channel using the channel selection
switches on the side of the gold transmitter. If you look at the diagram next
to the gold transmitter we have shown you examples of how to position the
selection switches to different frequencies.
Visitors to your display can listen to the
Christmas In A Box’s holiday music by turning the
FM radio in their car to the appropriate frequency.
The FM transmitter is the Gold unit on the left
side of this box. Please note that there is an
antenna (the black wire) that is attached to the
gold transmitter. It is IMPORTANT that you
unwind and fully extend the antenna out of
the Christmas In a Box and connect to a wall,
window or any other solid surface. Place the
antenna as high as possible. The higher you can
place the antenna the farther you will broadcast.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT HANG OR LIFT THE
TRANSMITTER BY THE ANTENNA
MAKE SURE THE GOLD BOX POWER LIGHT IS ON
Changing the FM Transmitter to a
Different Channel:
Animated Lighting, Inc PAGE 4

Christmas
I N A B O X
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Christmas Trees
Don’t overload the channels! See
Appendix A for how many lights
each controller can support!
!
ZONE 1
ZONE 4
ZONE 3
ZONE 2
Plug into channel 1
Plug into channel 5
Plug into channel 9
Plug into channel 12
Plug into channel 8
Plug into channel 4
Plug into channel 11
Plug into channel 7
Plug into channel 3
Plug into channel 6
Plug into channel 10
Plug into channel 2
Plug into channel 13
Another Suggested Light Arrangement
Now that you have selected a show to install, another example is
the diagram below for hanging your lights. In the rst section is a
suggested light arrangement for a 16 channel show based on one
Christmas in a Box light controller.
Animated Lighting, Inc PAGE 5

Using the Christmas in a Box Expansion Conroller
Christmas
I N A B O X
If your display requires more power than one Christmas in
a Box light controller can hold, you can easily add multiple
light controllers to your display with the Christmas in a Box
Expansion Light Controller, which is sold separately. You add an
expansion controller into your display by “daisy chaining” it to
your initical Christmas in a Box controller with a CAT 5 network
cable as shown below.
Christmas
IN A B O X
Christmas
IN A B O X
INITIAL
CONTROLLER
EXPANSION
CONTROLLER
1) CONNECTION: Locate the RJ45 jacks inside each of your light
controllers. Connect one end of a CAT5 network cable into the open RJ45
jack of your initial controller. Run the other end of the cable out of the hole
in the bottom of the box and into a hole on the bottom of the expansion
controller. Plug that end into one of the available RJ45 jacks on your
expansion controller.
2) ADDRESSING: Locate the two dials on the same board as the RJ45 jacks
that say “A1” and “A0” on them. Be sure “A1” is always set to “0.” The other
dial (“A0”) should be set sequentially. For example, the rst controller should
be “0,” the second controller “1,” the third controller “2,” etc.
1
2
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Christmas
I N A B O X
How to Connect Your Light Zones to the Controller
Use the following diagram and table to connect a
three color, four zone show to your light controller.
CHANNEL SUGGESTED ITEM TO PLUG IN
1 (ZONE 1) Red Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
2 (ZONE 2) Red Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
3 (ZONE 3) Red Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
4 (ZONE 4) Red Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
5 (ZONE 1) Green Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
6 (ZONE 2) Green Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
7 (ZONE 3) Green Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
8 (ZONE 4) Green Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
9 (ZONE 1) White Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
10 (ZONE 2) White Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
11 (ZONE 3) White Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
12 (ZONE 4) White Light Strands (C9, C7, LED or Minis)
13 Miscellaneous (Tree Top Star, Reindeer, Candy Cane, etc,)
14 Miscellaneous (Tree Top Star, Reindeer, Candy Cane, etc,)
15 Miscellaneous (Tree Top Star, Reindeer, Candy Cane, etc,)
16 Miscellaneous (Tree Top Star, Reindeer, Candy Cane, etc,)
NOTE: You can connect other devices to the available outputs
(13-16), just be sure the total load at any point in time does not
exceed the light controller’s amperage limit.
1
2 8
7
64
53 9
10 16
15
14
12
13
11
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Christmas
I N A B O X
Support Issues or for More Details
CALL: 816.941.0400 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, M-F excluding holidays)
EMAIL: [e-mail]
Warranty and Disclaimer
Please consult www.animatedlighting.com for product warranty and
disclaimer information.
Use for Year-Round
The Christmas in a Box can be used for several events to dazzle
your friends and family:
Halloween
Use your Haunted House in a
Box “personality cards” to play
Halloween lighting shows and
songs. Plug in strobe lights,
ood lights, black lights, etc. for
a fun and spooky display.
Parties Use our Party in a Box
“personality cards.” We have
the shows and songs to help
you and your friends dance
the night away!
Use out Patriotic “personality
cards.” We have lighting shows
and songs that help capture
the spirit of these holidays!
Patriotic Holidays
Animated Lighting, Inc PAGE 8

Christmas
I N A B O X
Type of Lights Used
in Your Display
Maximum quantity of Selected Lights the
Christmas in a Box Controller Can Support
Maximum Number of
Items That Can Be
Connected in a Channel
Using only mini lights Use up to 72 sets, 100 mini lights on each set 29 100-light sets
Using only LED lights Use up to 400 sets, 70 LEDs on each set 250 70-light sets
Using only C7 bulbs Use up to 576 total C7 bulbs 9 25-light sets
Using only C9 bulbs Use up to 411 total C9 bulbs 6 25-light sets
Light Load Limits for a Christmas in a Box Controller
150 mini lights (.17a bulbs) 0.51
100 mini lights (.17a bulbs) 0.34
50 mini lights (.17a bulbs) 0.17
20 mini lights (.17a bulbs) 0.11
25-light C7 set 1.04
25-light C9 set 1.46
18-foot rope light 0.45
35-light LED set 0.02
70-light LED set 0.04
18-foot morphing rope light 0.90
40-watt Edison bulb 0.33
60-watt Edison Bulb 0.50
100-watt Edison Bulb 0.83
150-watt ood light 1.25
Each channel is limited to 10 AMPs, but the entire controller is limited to 15 AMPs total. If you are mixing
light bulb types, use the worksheet below to determine your AMPs per channel and total AMPS for your light
controller. NOTE: A 30 AMP or 60 AMP controller is available for higher amperage requirements.
Item Description
(Type of Lighting Used)
Approximate Number
of Amps per Item
1x =
2x =
3x =
4x =
5x =
6x =
7x =
8x =
9x =
10 x =
11 x =
12 x =
13 x =
14 x =
15 x =
16 x =
Channel Item Description
(from above) Amps Per Item
(from above)
No. of Items
Connected in
this Channel
Total Amps
(not to exeed 10
AMPS per channel)
THIS NUMBER CANNOT EXCEED 15, 30, or 60 A (DEPENDING ON
THE CONTOLLER)
TOTAL
Animated Lighting, Inc PAGE 9
Appendix A