Technologies

Our History!

Show producer, Joseph Ayo, has been fascinated with computers and multimedia technologies all his life. The earliest experiments in this technology started in 1979 using an Atari computer and relays for a Halloween haunted yard display.

After purchasing his first home at Rawls Road, Joe introduced his one of a kind computerized Christmas display  in 1994.  Joe had to write his own software to drive the original Commodore Amiga based display,  he later discovered in 1998 thru a web page called www.planetchristmas.com that others had done similar tasks with their computers and lights.  Planetchristmas webmaster, Chuck Smith had a super 512 channel display in Franklin, Tennessee. 

When Joe's computer, was orphaned by the bankruptcy of Commodore Computers, Joe decided upgrade to a new IBM based system developed by a Kansas City programmer, Drew Hickman,  who was developing a new relay control software. In 1998, Drew's software went well beyond Joe's silent animation software and promised to synchronize Christmas lights with MP3 music and the software was called Dasher.

 While using Dasher for the next 3 years, the opened ended expandability of Dasher, allowed the display to build up an impressive play list of songs and increasing number of channels. Joe adapted his techniques of using silent "chasing light patterns" to be synchronous with music. In 1999, Joe uploaded a video of his display playing Beethoven's 5th Disco and Jingle Bell Rock onto www.planetchristmas.com and Beethoven was a particular hit.  The Dasher script file that plays the sequence was also uploaded to planet Christmas and ended up by 2000, being played on hundreds of displays. While Beethoven did not hit the media as hard as Carson William's Wizards in Winter,  Rawls Road got renewed notoriety when Carson stated on his NBC interview, that his inspiration to do his display was Joe's Beethoven's 5th as it played on good friend  Ron Lister's display in Kissimmee, Florida.

Today, Drew Hickman's little garage project of Dasher software has grown into in impressive company known as Animated Lighting.  We have since upgraded our display technology further and have installed over 256 circuits of plug and play equipment from Animated Lighting Company, but we also use competitor's Light O Rama and our old Dasher equipment in some small non-synced to the music parts of the display, adding up to well over 300 individual circuits.

History in Pictures

1999 Rendition of the display. Yard was strung only in white lights at the time and was only 16 circuits.

 An air operated Animatronic that was obviously Professor Bunson Honeydew from the muppets. This animatronic was later painted white and turned into a snowman and was used in the 2002 season.  The conversion from Dasher to Animated Lighting Equipment left me incompatible with operating this robot and while we still have it, it has not been back in the display.  Hopefully we will adjust our Animated Lighting controllers to operate the air relays and bring him back.

 Here is the first rendition of the "dancing guy" rope figure as he first appeared in 2002. At the time he had 4 frames of motion and somewhat looked more like a "jogging man" then a dancer.  In 2006 this figure was overhauled with better moves and increased frames to 6.  In 2007 more moves will be added making the figure capable of doing the "Macarena Christmas."

Here is a visitor's uploaded video our hydraulic operated Christmas Cadillac in action.

A visitor's video of some of the features in the 2006 walk thru at 5122 Rawls Road.

You never know who will show up!

Santa's motorcycle gang as seen in 2004. The motorcycles are dolled up in lights and decorations and arrives like a parade. 

The Illuminated Motorcycle Parade is expected every the Saturday before Christmas. 

We also expect each season a Illuminated Jeep Parade, date to be announced.

Other surprise guests have included:  famous ball players such as Buccaneers, Devil Ray or Lightning team players; famous local television personalities,  Mayors of nearby cities, theme park Imagineers and many more.