How are the nodes holding up?

[galgon]

This is the second season of running smart strings for many of you.  I was just wondering how the nodes have been holding up?  Has there been any issues with node failures this year?  What about flex strips or rigids? 

Any thoughts on what an average life expectancy would be?

[caretaker]

Well this is the first year I actually got to use my pixel strings. I was one of the early orders from RAY and my strings were not sealed very well so last year when i put them out I had quite s few failures after a rain storm (even after drying a day). So this year I sprayed the back of the pixel with Rust-O-leum flex seal (started with the black which was a pain but then found out they have a clear) and so far I have had to unplug 2 strings due to node failure (part of the strings stays on).  I'll fix those when I take the strings down after New Years.

[chrisatpsu]

i was one of the very first orders for the smart strings. those have been getting worse and worse.

the nodes i picked up this year have been wonderful.

[Jeffl]

Given more and more people are using these things there has to be more manufactures I would think that should be stepping up to build them.  The quality and options should only get better from here on out.

[duane.mosley]

my nodes have been great. plenty of rain and snow to test them and no failures. i plan on adding about 1500 more next year.


duane

[smeighan]

This is my first year. I have 2400 (20x120) flex strips and 16x128 strings. I have had some early failures when installing on the strings, no failures on the flex strips. No failure sin the last couple of weeks.

[twooly]

I had mine up for 3 months (Oct - Dec) and they had plenty of rain on them and a good show on them also (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login).  Not a single node went out.  I purchased mine in Jan of this year.

[hicksjo]

Smart strings Purchased in sep 2012
1 failure out of 288 ... 289 counting the replacement
11 spares

[taybrynn]

Out of 3 toppers with 89 nodes each ... Mostly from the early batch of 2011 nodes, I've got two bad nodes, they work, but stay stuck on a color when off ... one on each of two of the toppers has a troublesome node on it. 

[chrisatpsu]

I believe an old manufacturer might still be making the old style nodes (the crappy kind) I think Steve Gase calls these, the IP66?
 
the new manufacturer is making the ones we love to use now. (IP68)

[maffeirw]

This year I had 3 pixels fail on my eves out of 612 nodes from a batch I bought from Ray last year.
The 1320 nodes that I bought this year for a 1/2 MegaTree had no failures of the pixels.

I also had 4 SSC failures where the PIC chip went bad.