Knowledge

Grand Haven Musical Fountain

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others aimed at an angle from each end - the show produces a simple Dancing Waters style display. Colored lights are arrayed along the front of the fountain in individually controllable groups in red, blue, amber and white, and the back curtain and Peacock sprays have their own lights - green and yellow for the back curtain, and two sets each red, blue and amber for the Peacock. In addition, nozzles called "sweeps" provide the moving effects, swaying side-to-side. A patented drive mechanism allows each pair of sweeps to follow or oppose each other in direction of movement, to move along long or short paths, and to move at any of three speeds, allowing the moving water to follow nearly any kind of music. The original show used punched paper cards, though computers control the new system. The nozzles and pumps have never been changed, only cleaned and cared-for; and shows must still be programmed by hand.
54:; in 2011 a special introduction and closing song were introduced honoring the men and women of the United States Coast Guard. The special introduction and closing featured music performed by the USCG Band. Fountain viewing, not including July 4 or the festival, is estimated at around 10,000 annually. 108:
to program shows. Programmers were required to type special commands into a text editor, compile the show script, and then record it out through a 300 baud modem to a four track real-to-real tape unit. The maximum number of commands that could be sent to the fountain was 12 per a second. This process
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In September 2006, a new PC based programming and playback system was introduced. The Grand Haven Musical Fountain Animated Choreographer was released to the public to encourage the development of new shows and allowed programmers to visually choreograph the fountain. In addition, the new playback
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The display comprises a small number of water formations grouped in odd and even segments, with the same formations on each. Augmented by curtains of water at the back and front, a large fanlike array called the Peacock, and three fire hose nozzles - one placed vertically in the center, and the
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Many themes are used in the fountain's performances. The fountain's narration takes on personas ranging from a 12-year-old girl to a grown man. A Patriotic themed program runs each July 4 along with fireworks and, in August, a program saluting the
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system allowed for more complex water and lighting effects by eliminating the need for tape playback by directly controlling the Allen-Bradley PLC. New shows now typically feature over 5000 water and lighting commands in a 20 minute performance.
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Designed by a local engineer, William Morris Booth II (who is also the patent holder), and built in 1962 by volunteers at an estimated cost of $ 250,000, it was the largest musical fountain in the world at that time.
322: 327: 42:. Shows run nightly from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Weekend shows run during the months of May and September. Shows begin at dark and run 25 to 30 minutes. 278: 62:
The fountain was the brainchild of Dr. William “Bill” Creason, a longtime resident, dentist, and former mayor of Grand Haven. The fountain was modeled after a
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In 2017 the software was updated to take advantage on the new lighting and water effects, and is freely downloadable.
47: 101:, allowing for better control over the valves and lighting. The new control system also introduced using a 39: 31: 27: 51: 237: 71: 63: 22: 210:
Audio and GPI control supplied by an ENCO DAD professional broadcast audio playout system
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took on average over 200 hours to produce a single 20 minute performance.
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Nozzles: 1,300 ranging from 3/16" to 1" in diameter, located in the basin
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Maximum power consumption of 2,400 watts (averages under 1000 watts)
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Pipe: 8,000 feet long ranging in size from ¼ inch to 16 inches
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Response time for legacy lighting is 1/2 second for full brightness
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Uses 32 RGB fixtures projecting light from the front and underneath
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Total system output (at the shoreline) in excess of 130 dB
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446 lights with a combined power consumption of 116,200 watts
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LED lighting uses 98% less power and is twice as bright
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Six colors of lights are used and blended for patterns
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In 1983 the fountain switched from punch tape to an
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Buildings and structures in Ottawa County, Michigan
195:(12) High-frequency JBL horns (30"x 30"x 6' deep) 165:LED lights can change color at 1/1000 of a second 26:is a synchronized display of water and lights in 16:American synchronized display of water and lights 30:located on Dewey Hill on the north shore of the 328:Tourist attractions in Ottawa County, Michigan 152:New RGB LED Lighting (Introduced 2013 Season) 8: 140:Water consumption: 4,000 gallons per minute 198:(14) Power amplifiers (35,000 watts total) 253:Scale Model Grand Haven Musical Fountain 168:LED lights can produce 16 million colors 7: 238:Musical Fountain Schedule & Info 128:Water basin capacity: 40,000 gallons 34:, not far from the Grand's mouth at 201:(4) Independent zones of control: 70:while providing dentistry for the 14: 265:Cascade Falls (Jackson, Michigan) 192:(32) 18", 600 watt JBL subwoofers 143:Maximum height of spray: 125 feet 248:Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival 221:About a mile and a half of cable 338:1962 establishments in Michigan 243:Animated Choreographer Ver 2.0 207:Electronic signal distribution 137:Capacity: 40,000 gallon basin 1: 187:Sound System Specifications 354: 227:Watts per channel: 12,000 48:United States Coast Guard 216:Power level attenuation 50:runs yearly during the 40:Grand Haven State Park 333:Grand Haven, Michigan 318:Fountains in Michigan 294:43.06603°N 86.23782°W 28:Grand Haven, Michigan 52:Coast Guard Festival 299:43.06603; -86.23782 290: /  213:Frequency dividing 66:show Bill saw in 345: 305: 304: 302: 301: 300: 295: 291: 288: 287: 286: 283: 172:Legacy Lighting 64:musical fountain 23:Musical Fountain 353: 352: 348: 347: 346: 344: 343: 342: 308: 307: 298: 296: 292: 289: 284: 281: 279: 277: 276: 275: 273: 261: 234: 189: 150: 125:Width: 240 feet 122: 88: 60: 17: 12: 11: 5: 351: 349: 341: 340: 335: 330: 325: 320: 310: 309: 272: 269: 268: 267: 260: 257: 256: 255: 250: 245: 240: 233: 232:External links 230: 229: 228: 225: 222: 219: 218: 217: 214: 211: 208: 205: 199: 196: 193: 188: 185: 184: 183: 180: 177: 170: 169: 166: 163: 160: 157: 149: 146: 145: 144: 141: 138: 135: 132: 129: 126: 121: 118: 106:TRS-80 Model 4 87: 84: 59: 56: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 350: 339: 336: 334: 331: 329: 326: 324: 321: 319: 316: 315: 313: 306: 303: 270: 266: 263: 262: 258: 254: 251: 249: 246: 244: 241: 239: 236: 235: 231: 226: 223: 220: 215: 212: 209: 206: 203: 202: 200: 197: 194: 191: 190: 186: 181: 178: 175: 174: 173: 167: 164: 161: 158: 155: 154: 153: 147: 142: 139: 136: 133: 130: 127: 124: 123: 119: 117: 114: 110: 107: 104: 100: 97: 96:Allen-Bradley 92: 85: 83: 79: 77: 73: 69: 65: 57: 55: 53: 49: 43: 41: 37: 36:Lake Michigan 33: 29: 25: 24: 274: 204:Equalization 171: 151: 115: 111: 93: 89: 80: 76:World War II 61: 58:Construction 44: 21:Grand Haven 20: 18: 297: / 32:Grand River 312:Categories 285:86°14′16″W 282:43°03′58″N 271:References 103:RadioShack 259:See also 148:Lighting 120:Plumbing 86:Function 72:US Navy 68:Germany 74:after 38:and 19:The 99:PLC 314:: 78:.

Index

Musical Fountain
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand River
Lake Michigan
Grand Haven State Park
United States Coast Guard
Coast Guard Festival
musical fountain
Germany
US Navy
World War II
Allen-Bradley
PLC
RadioShack
TRS-80 Model 4
Musical Fountain Schedule & Info
Animated Choreographer Ver 2.0
Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival
Scale Model Grand Haven Musical Fountain
Cascade Falls (Jackson, Michigan)
43°03′58″N 86°14′16″W / 43.06603°N 86.23782°W / 43.06603; -86.23782
Categories
Fountains in Michigan
Buildings and structures in Ottawa County, Michigan
Tourist attractions in Ottawa County, Michigan
Grand Haven, Michigan
1962 establishments in Michigan

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