HolidayCoro

Fun fact: with an FM transmitter, your show's music plays through viewers' car radios.

There's no speaker playing all night for the neighbors to hear, and when it's cold out, nobody has to roll a window down.

Bonus fun fact: in the US, FM frequencies start at 88.1 and use odd numbers after the decimal. Pick the lowest one you can, since lower frequencies typically transmit further.

Good to know:
✅ Mount the transmitter up high and outside, not on the ground or inside the controller box.
✅ Place it close to the street, near whichever controller is closest to viewers.
✅ Put up a "Tune to" sign with your frequency. People won't know you're transmitting unless you tell them.
✅ FM transmitter rules vary by country, so check what's allowed where you live.

Good audio in the car, and happy neighbors.

🔗 Radio transmitters and tune-to signs are linked in the comments.

Fun fact: the direction your outline pixels face decides whether you get a clean outline or a glow on your house.

Pixels mounted facing down, like tucked under a gutter, cast some glow onto a light-colored house. That's called wall wash. Angle them outward toward viewers, and you get a clean outline with no glow on the siding.

Bonus fun fact: a ridge line can look great from one spot and disappear completely from another. Ridge lines also come with roof safety concerns and roof piercing, so they're generally not recommended.

Good to know:
✅ Wall wash isn't wrong. You can design for it if that's the look you want.
✅ Floodlights add even more wash to a house.
✅ Spacers can bring mounts down and out so the pixels face viewers.

Pick your look, then pick your mount.

⏰ Fun fact: your light controller usually doesn't need to be plugged into an external timer.

In our experience, timers cause more problems than they solve, and pixel controllers use very little power when the show isn't running. In many installations it makes more sense to leave the controller powered and let the controller or your show software handle the schedule.

🕰️ Bonus fun fact: a HinksPix Pro can play your show straight from an SD card and start it on schedule using its built-in clock. Think of it like setting an old VCR to record. Once the schedule is programmed, the controller just needs to stay powered so it can start the show at the right time.

Good to know:
✅ The controller's built-in clock is what replaces a plug-in timer. Staying powered is what lets it start on time.
✅ Stand-alone SD card playback is built into the HinksPix Pro. It isn't something you buy separately.
✅ Pixels stay powered at the chip level even when they look dark, but the power that takes is low.
✅ For many all-LED displays, one outlet at the front of the house is enough. Your breaker will tell you if it isn't.

Plug it in, set the schedule, and let the controller do the rest.

🔗 HolidayCoro controllers with stand-alone SD card playback are linked in the comments.

Pixels that are going to fail early often show problems within the first few days of use.

That’s why we recommend giving new pixels about a 72-hour burn-in before they go up.

It's not a guarantee, but it's a practical test period for catching bad pixels while everything is still on the ground, where fixes are easier and safer than up on a ladder.

Put your pixels in your controller’s test mode, cycle through red, green, blue, and white, and let them run continuously for about three days.

If you’re using a HolidayCoro SMART Long Range Receiver, you can also test pixels locally right from the receiver. REGULAR Long Range Receivers use the controller’s test mode.

If your pixels make it through the test without problems, that’s a good sign before installation.

Bonus "fun" fact: a lot of people stress over one bad pixel on a prop that nobody watching from the street will ever notice.

Good to know:
✅ HolidayCoro pixel controllers have built-in test functions.
✅ SMART Long Range Receivers can test pixels locally from the receiver.
✅ REGULAR Long Range Receivers use the controller’s test mode.
✅ Testing on the ground makes problems easier and safer to fix.
✅ Pixels can fail over time. When one does, it can usually be cut out and replaced with a new pixel.

Three days of testing now is a lot easier than troubleshooting pixels on a ladder later.

The HolidayCoro community support is moving to Discord!

The goal is simple: make it easier for fellow holiday lighting enthusiasts to help each other, troubleshoot problems, share ideas, and talk through projects.

Discord gives the community a few tools that are especially useful when you’re working on a display:

✅ Start your own support topic and keep all the replies together
✅ Talk live with other members when typing it all out just isn’t cutting it
✅ Share your screen when you need help with xLights, controller settings, or troubleshooting
✅ Keep technical questions, project ideas, and general conversations organized in their own areas

Voice chat and screen sharing are simply there for those moments when it’s a whole lot easier to show someone what you’re seeing than try to explain it in a dozen messages.

We know moving to a new platform takes a little getting used to, and we appreciate everyone who has helped make the HolidayCoro community such a useful resource over the years.

Come talk lights with us.

👇 **The HolidayCoro Discord invite link is in the comments.**

Fun fact: the electrical box on the outside of your house isn't sealed.

It's raised off the ground and built so water sheds off it. Most light controllers aren't meant to be sealed either, which is why a properly mounted controller sits upright and up off the ground.

🌀 Bonus fun fact: a controller fan can cause more problems than it solves. It can pull snow, moisture, bugs, and salt air right inside, so skip it unless you really need one.

Good to know:
✅ Never lay a controller on the ground. Water doesn't have to rise much to reach it.
✅ Cable connections belong at the bottom of the box, not on the top, sides, or front.
✅ Pull extension cables out of the water by zip tying them up onto poles.

Upright, off the ground, connections down.

Considering a custom made prop? Be sure to get that order in prior to our season cut off of Sept 20th. You can learn more about the pricing and requirements here:

Custom Made Pixel Props - Costs and Instructions HolidayCoro has a full production team ready to make your custom props. The following article covers: How to determine the cost of your custom prop Design considerations to consider when designing your prop Common questions we receive about custom ...