DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Smart String => Topic started by: DanHouston on December 24, 2013,
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I've seen some video and design ideas for arches using the strips, and thought I had seen someone do them with regular nodes, but can't seem to find it. Anyone using smartstring nodes for arches care to share some video of them in action and their design?
Thanks,
Dan
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I posted this one last year, and that is the way I did mine for my show this year:
http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=10852.msg144182#msg144182
I just added a little change to the way I am securing them to the ground, I'll post it early in 2014, just don't have time to do a video right now.
I posted this year videos on youtube yesterday, so you can see them in 'action'
http://www.youtube.com/user/fybatme
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Here are a couple of pictures of mine
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drlucas, if my 16 channel Fireflies pixels ever die, that is an excellent replacement.
But they keep on ticking.
http://vimeo.com/17977760
sent from my Galaxy Note
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I posted this one last year, and that is the way I did mine for my show this year:
http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=10852.msg144182#msg144182
I just added a little change to the way I am securing them to the ground, I'll post it early in 2014, just don't have time to do a video right now.
I posted this year videos on youtube yesterday, so you can see them in 'action'
http://www.youtube.com/user/fybatme
Saw yours last year, but they are strips....did you build some with the individual nodes and I just missed it? Video looks cool too!
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Here are a couple of pictures of mine
Got any video to go with yours? Looks like you are sticking the nodes all the way through the PVC...what size drill bit and what spacing did you use between nodes?
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I have a few videos of the show on youtube you can get a decent idea. I do have other vids from when I was building and can dig them up. http://youtu.be/RbIO8e1NlTw
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Dan,
The videos posted in this thread http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=13219.0 (http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=13219.0) are node based. I used 10' gray PVC Conduit with 40 nodes per arch. Each node is zip tied to the conduit. They are laying flat, not pointed towards the viewer (this may change next year, undecided).
Jamie
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Dan,
The videos posted in this thread http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=13219.0 (http://diylightanimation.com/index.php?topic=13219.0) are node based. I used 10' gray PVC Conduit with 40 nodes per arch. Each node is zip tied to the conduit. They are laying flat, not pointed towards the viewer (this may change next year, undecided).
Jamie
Those look great in the video....Got any close up pictures in daylight? I would have guessed a higher node count than 40 per arch.
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I'll snap a few pics tonight when I get home from work.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Koi7E7Zqo
Here is a quick video when I had just two of these built. Pretty bad quality video, but gives a different view of how I did this.
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Wish there was a good way to mount 2 pixels side by side to make the arch appear thicker
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I have attached my nodes with black electrical tape. Pictures and video should answer any questions. By the way. My arches are 28 nodes each and on a 10' stick of sch20 3/4" PVC. Anchored with 2' rebar stakes pounded into the ground about a foot. It takes me about 30 min. To build each arch.
I'll upload daytime video in a bit.
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Daytime video
http://vimeo.com/82840171
Nighttime video
http://vimeo.com/82299530
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Don't dismiss using the strips. I put the 3 leds per pixel WS2811 strings from Ray into 3/4 pex pipe, at 10' it's 31 "nodes". Then just put a small drill hole on the bottom inside of each end, slipped a s hook in there and run a piece of string between the hooks. A single vertical rebar right in the middle keeps them upright, completely disappears at night.
Just a few minutes each, pretty inexpensive, totally protected from the weather. Will be protected in storage as well.
By theory I could run the 4 sets of arches off one SSC with connector plugs between the arches. I though I read RJ limited some string types to 120 nodes, but never tried them all, as I have a 41' set at 128 nodes of the same flex and it goes all the way to the end. You would probably need power injection from the other end if you ran all 4 arches off one ssc with the strips I used.
Alan
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Not discounting strips at all....the ones I've seen all look fantastic just seemed to recall seeing some node based ones and liked that look as well.
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As promised, here are the pictures of my arches. Its nothing earth shattering, but I think they look pretty good.
Also, I put 3 conductor connectors at each end of the arch so that I can assemble them into strings. One smart string controller will run three arches. They break apart for easy storage. I just clipped the "tail" off a connector, dipped it in liquid tape, and plugged it into the end connector of the last arch in the string.
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Mine are very similar to MazdaFan above. 128 SS nodes split over 4 arches (32 nodes per) ziptied to 3/4" pex with 1/2 wooden dowels stuck at each end to stick them in the ground. The four nodes fold flat for storage. You can see them in action in this video: https://vimeo.com/82612008. BTW no issues with water infiltration or node failures after 3 weeks of rain.
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Thanks guys! Both look great....now to get my plans together!
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How did you over come the problem with PVC wanting to tear out when drilling holes.
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I did mine like mitch09 by attaching them with electrical tape to PVC. 10' diameter. Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUf6cOcPGI4
you can access my other videos from that page. Mine were new in 2012, so anything older then that will not have them.
-Keith
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I did mine like mitch09 by attaching them with electrical tape to PVC. 10' diameter. Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUf6cOcPGI4
you can access my other videos from that page. Mine were new in 2012, so anything older then that will not have them.
-Keith
They look great in the video.
Those are the regular SS pixel nodes and not flexstrips? If so, how much spacing in between lights after taping?
(Also, is your megatree SS nodes or flexstrips?)
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How did you over come the problem with PVC wanting to tear out when drilling holes.
this is what I used to drill my pvc for nodes. nice clean holes and didn't rip like a normal drill bit. I used a drill press and once I had my depth set, I could drill one side completely and it would start the hole on the other side of the pipe, I just flipped it and drilled again. with depth set on the drill press you don't have to worry about going to deep. just remember to check your depth from time to time so they stay consistent. they have different sizes and I think my holes ended up being around 9/16 of an inch. allowed me to put the node in the hole and make a slight turn and it tightened up nice and snug with no zip ties needed. I will say though. at about 3 hours a night, it took me 4 or 5 evenings to drill the 1600 holes for my mega tree. if you go to my facebook page, I have pictures there. this is a new pc and they are not loaded on here. I'm keeping this pc as clean as possible for show performance.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-3-4-quarter-inch-high-speed-steel-step-drill-44460.html
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Thanks guys
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PVC (I did 1inch sched 20) will drill just fine with the right bit. Nothing fancy, just a conical shape, and feed slowly.
It will chip if you drill too fast. Been there.
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PVC (I did 1inch sched 20) will drill just fine with the right bit. Nothing fancy, just a conical shape, and feed slowly.
It will chip if you drill too fast. Been there.
that's what makes the uni-bit work great! go as fast as you want, no chipping, smooth holes when finished.
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but with the Uni-bit, I have to drill once and flip, hoping to match.
With a Drill Press, properly set up centerline, I drill two perfectly aligned 1/2" holes.
Sharp bit, slow feed rate - perfect holes for 12mm pixels.
This is really best done with two people. A friend and I drilled 6 tubes for 40 pixels per tube (480 total holes) in just over 2 hours. That included setup, cleanup and getting all the cuttings out of the tubes.
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but with the Uni-bit, I have to drill once and flip, hoping to match.
With a Drill Press, properly set up centerline, I drill two perfectly aligned 1/2" holes.
Sharp bit, slow feed rate - perfect holes for 12mm pixels.
This is really best done with two people. A friend and I drilled 6 tubes for 40 pixels per tube (480 total holes) in just over 2 hours. That included setup, cleanup and getting all the cuttings out of the tubes.
I stacked and drilled 2, 3/4" pipes at once with a standard bit and a jig we set up. Went through both tops and bottoms with one swipe. Took some setup time to get it to go throught the bottom one, but just made it.
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I did mine like mitch09 by attaching them with electrical tape to PVC. 10' diameter. Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUf6cOcPGI4
you can access my other videos from that page. Mine were new in 2012, so anything older then that will not have them.
-Keith
They look great in the video.
Those are the regular SS pixel nodes and not flexstrips? If so, how much spacing in between lights after taping?
(Also, is your megatree SS nodes or flexstrips?)
Sorry, I didn't see these questions earlier. The arches are made with the pixel nodes. 3-1/2" spacing. The mega-tree is made from the same nodes. They are @ 3-5/8" spacing.
Thanks,
-Keith