mega tree design

[ghethco]

> Just my opinion, but I thing 16 strands on a 360 megatree will not be enough, especially if you want to use nutcracker effects.

Hi Jim,

OK, now I have an excuse to buy MORE LIGHTS!!!

[Gollum voice]  Yes, must have more of the precious :-)

Seriously, though, I've seen the 360 trees and I really like the 3D effect.  I don't think that will be the same with a 180 tree.

Gary

[chrisatpsu]

i actually had a 360 mega tree the past two years.   Just going for something different this year with doing a half tree.

I'm actually killing off my incan mega tree that i also had. so it ill be a bit different this year.

[arw01]

My arches are made of the drain field pipe. Wraping the lights around it is kind of a pain in the a$$ but they were cheap to make.

There is a youtube video where I guy made up a little holder so that he could use a cordless drill to rotate the pipe and feed the lights onto it as it spins..

[jnealand]

I have a 17ft 360 mega tree with 64 strands of LEDs and a 7ft 180 pixel tree with 16 strands of flex (1/2 of a full flexstrip).  I like the look of the 360 mega and the ability to have two colors in use as full strings at the same time so that is not going to change.  If I was to build a 14ft 180 pixel tree with 16 strands, the bottom ends of the strands would be to far apart, in my opinion, to look good with nutcracker fancy effects (not talking about color washes or bars here).   Having experience with both a 64 strand full 360 and 16 strand 180 has let me see the difference first hand.  It is the gap at bottom of the tree between strands that makes the difference.  YMMV and this is just my experience and perspective.  My first mega tree had 16 strings of incans, then 32 strings of LEDs and now 64 strings of LED.  More strands do make a major difference, but sometimes you have to start small like I did and grow the tree over a couple of seasons.  The channels also started small on my mega until I could reach the point of now having one channel per strand.

[dudehenry3]

I built my mega from 1 1/4 sch 40 PVC from a sprinkler supply store you can get it in 20 foot sticks Woo hoo . Than put a cap on top with a pulley on it right in the center of the cap than found a fitting that was 2 inch to 4 inch . Than put a 2 inch coupling in the center of that a little snug but it fits . The 4 inch goes to the bottom drilled holes in it put s hooks in there run string from pulley behind the 2 by 4 inch fitting it lets you pull the lights right to the top no more ladder spent right around 50.00 . Used 1/2 thin wall for the base it came out good. Well i like it and that is all that matters lol. 24 sets of mini light on it . Red ,white,green. If anyone wants I'll send pic. It is 15 foot tall.

[arw01]

Pix please...

[Gary]

i dont bother with a base to my tree.

the cord that holds each string, gets anchored straight to the ground via an aluminum tent stake.

I'm mulling the idea of making a mega tree. I thought of doing what you did, but would be concerned they would pull out when there is a lot of tension on them--even if they are on an angle (30 degrees relative to the ground).

[Gary]

I have a 17ft 360 mega tree with 64 strands of LEDs

So by that, do you have 4 smart string controllers (4x16=64), or 2 controllers, with each string going 1/2 up and 1/2 down? What wattage power supplies are you using?

[jnealand]

I have a 17ft 360 mega tree with 64 strands of LEDs

So by that, do you have 4 smart string controllers (4x16=64), or 2 controllers, with each string going 1/2 up and 1/2 down? What wattage power supplies are you using?

LEDs not RGB smart nodes.  This tree is not an RGB tree, only my pixel tree which is 7ft.  The 17ft meg tree has 4 LEs running the lights, i.e., 64 channels, one per string.

[chrisatpsu]

i dont bother with a base to my tree.

the cord that holds each string, gets anchored straight to the ground via an aluminum tent stake.

I'm mulling the idea of making a mega tree. I thought of doing what you did, but would be concerned they would pull out when there is a lot of tension on them--even if they are on an angle (30 degrees relative to the ground).

I haven't had any issues 2 years now...

16 strings make up my smart string mega tree.
each string is attached to a nylon rope.

I have 4 nylon ropes to support the mast (2in pvc pipe)
so basically, my mast has 20 guy ropes (4 support, plus 16 in the strings themselves)

stood still in high winds.

[mitch09]

Chris,
How are your nodes attached to the nylon cord?

[Gary]

I haven't had any issues 2 years now...

16 strings make up my smart string mega tree.
each string is attached to a nylon rope.

I have 4 nylon ropes to support the mast (2in pvc pipe)
so basically, my mast has 20 guy ropes (4 support, plus 16 in the strings themselves)

stood still in high winds.

To get more of an idea of your tree:
- How long are your stakes in the ground?
- How tall is your tree, and how wide is the base's diameter?
- Are your nylon cords taught, or are they saggy? I hate saggy mega trees. 

[chrisatpsu]

Chris,
How are your nodes attached to the nylon cord?

using zip ties, and pointing the nodes straight up to create a uniform look.
(even though they are pointing up, they are still very bright!)
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[chrisatpsu]

I haven't had any issues 2 years now...

16 strings make up my smart string mega tree.
each string is attached to a nylon rope.

I have 4 nylon ropes to support the mast (2in pvc pipe)
so basically, my mast has 20 guy ropes (4 support, plus 16 in the strings themselves)

stood still in high winds.

To get more of an idea of your tree:
- How long are your stakes in the ground?
- How tall is your tree, and how wide is the base's diameter?
- Are your nylon cords taught, or are they saggy? I hate saggy mega trees. 

the aluminum stakes are almost all the way in the ground (about an inch away from the curved part)
the tree is around 12-14 ft tall.  base, i'm not sure of (the nodes don't go all the way to the ground) (standard smart strings, each string is 40 nodes long)
taut, they are THE guy wires of the tree. there is nothing else holding the mast up.

[ghethco]

Hey Chris, thanks for posting.  The cord and zip ties are brilliant!  What a great idea.  I wish people would post more pictures in general.

Gary