Halloween

[outbackrob]

Cool! I volunteer at our local VFD. We run about 750 calls a year. This was the first year that I can recall in the last 14 that we had no calls on Halloween.

So as to not go completely off the HA topic, in addition to our radio calls, we get texts. I have HS change the color on our front garage light to red whenever there is an active call.... If the family comes home and I am not here, that is one way they know where I am....

[JLehnert]

Pretty much the same here. Since there's nothing going on around my house, I usually head into town and volunteer for duty at the rescue squad on Halloween. The hour or two before sunset, all that are on the streets are the younger kids & parents. After dark the older kids start making the rounds. Not a super turnout this year, but then Halloween was on a school night this year. Then around 1 AM the oldest "kids" come out and start playing tag with the trees and each other. Not fun.

[outbackrob]

I haven't reached the stage of automating anything yet, but I do put lights up.

The problem I have, and it was worse this year, is that the majority of trick or treaters turn up before dark, meaning the lights have minimal effect.

Sun sets between 6/630 PM here this time of year. Large majority of kids came between 5 and 6 PM. By 7PM it was show over and we went inside.

Is this a problem for other people in other parts of the world?

Was a lot quieter this year than previously. This is only my 3rd Halloween decorating though.

The sun sets about the same time here in Texas on Halloween and we do get a good bunch of kids at like 5:30, but they are usually really young or too young to walk on their own. Still get a good crowd after dark. We went through about 800 pieces of candy so I suspect we had probably 150-175 kids and the majority were after dark.

In our area, decorations go up the first week in October. October 1 for dorks like me.

[Fellhahn]

I haven't reached the stage of automating anything yet, but I do put lights up.

The problem I have, and it was worse this year, is that the majority of trick or treaters turn up before dark, meaning the lights have minimal effect.

Sun sets between 6/630 PM here this time of year. Large majority of kids came between 5 and 6 PM. By 7PM it was show over and we went inside.

Is this a problem for other people in other parts of the world?

Was a lot quieter this year than previously. This is only my 3rd Halloween decorating though.

[TeleFragger]

our neighborhood is great for trick or treating.. we sit on facebook and watch "township talk" and so many people asking for where is the best places to get candy... what development... and ours comes up so many times...
everyone says it.. you enter and just park... kids go in outer loop, then hit inner loop and return at car. then you drive around neighborhood and exit the only other spot and there are 2 more developments behind us like this where you can hit so much....

so many people commented on my cematary but more so most commented on my windows... AtmosFearFX vertical on 2 windows and horizontal on the dining room double windows... and wasn't their projectors which are garbage, but ones I borrowed and picked up from friends... I need to replace the borrowed one and buy another yet... to do the AtmosFearFx talking pumpkins...

plenty of kids, plenty of fun.... wind started picking up and our town curfew is 8pm... so 7:45pm I started picking everything up due to the expected high winds and helped me get a jump on things as I always pick it all up the next day. 95% picked up that night...

[outbackrob]

...This time of year, only 1/3 of the houses on the road are occupied. Sigh.

Living in the 5th largest metropolitan area in the country, that sounds really nice......

[JLehnert]

Nice! I like the small kid/big kid choice.

I used to love decorating for Halloween, but I'm too rural now. Waste of time doing something elaborate if no one is going to see it. Last night was the first night in over 10 years that I actually had someone show up trick-or-treating. I did put a small automated display down at the road, but again, very few people will see it. This time of year, only 1/3 of the houses on the road are occupied. Sigh.

[JLehnert]

coffee and jello shots to the adults,

Damn, I'm living in the wrong neighborhood.

[outbackrob]

Nothing like that last-minute rush of adrenaline

My problem was that I listened to the weather forecast. It said there was an 80% chance of thunderstorms Halloween night. It (and the world series) kinda put a kibosh on plans. It turned out to be a beautiful cloud-free day so I got to it early in the morning to wire up everything.

So now I am embarrassed. I THOUGHT that sign was the one from last year. It was from 2011! We've been doing this same schpeel for 8 years at two different houses. It's a little different every year but.... I think next year will be different.

[RoChess]

It took until the first kiddo arrived to get it working.... WHEW.

Nothing like that last-minute rush of adrenaline

Awesome job though, and I'm sure you and your wife had fun making them scream. Looks like you're also putting your neighbors to shame who probably stopped their own efforts as they could never match yours

[outbackrob]

It took until the first kiddo arrived to get it working.... WHEW. The sign is a retread from last year after the sprinklers went off and ruined the new one.... It was ugly, but people understood what to do.... So you press the top button and you get brighter lights and Peanuts music. The lights in the house go on to help light it up even more. My Minion popup died so it wasn't as kid friendly as usual. Press another button and the inside lights go out, all the house lights come on, strobs come on, spotlights come on, music changes, the ghoul at the sign says something, ghouls on the way to the door start doing their thing, loud electrical box starts arcing, fog comes out, wolf howls, dogs bark, ghoul on the door starts talking, and then a little more fog. It took a little event mastery to get the sequence just right (for an adult, me, to go through it) but it didn't matter too much because the kids would run up the walkway. My wife was in an "Us" jumpsuit handing out candy to the kids, coffee and jello shots to the adults, and scaring the crab out of a few folks when she suddenly moved. I hid in the bushes and jumped out to scare some of the teens and adults and I reset things when 10 kids pressed the button 50 times in 10 seconds. Will fix that for next year. AND ADD COMPRESSED AIR!

Hopefully this is viewable to all.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dkoG0RQhdc

[TeleFragger]

Okay, you've teased us enough. Let's see some pictures!

I know right!!! today is the day!!!!!!

[JLehnert]

Its alive!

Okay, you've teased us enough. Let's see some pictures!

[TeleFragger]

Its alive! Got the sprinkler controller wired up to 9 relays and then two sprinkler valves. The first two relays are for smoke machines. The next 7 are for "Press Me" switches on 7 animated decorations around the yard. …..and the sprinkler valves will be for AIR. A parting shot as the kids turn and leave.. Now to rewrite all the events to use it!

this is what I love about this stuff... I gotta do something like this but first my goal is to get stuff moving. right now, everything is stand still... but also my goal is lighting...
bought the rgb lights to get something going... and will buy more after Halloween, as it seems the prices went up and also out of stock on some...
so ill buy more later for xmas... and get more... so next year.. plenty of lights then can work on smoke, etc...

[outbackrob]

Its alive! Got the sprinkler controller wired up to 9 relays and then two sprinkler valves. The first two relays are for smoke machines. The next 7 are for "Press Me" switches on 7 animated decorations around the yard. …..and the sprinkler valves will be for AIR. A parting shot as the kids turn and leave.. Now to rewrite all the events to use it!