DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Smart String => Topic started by: txag2008 on November 14, 2013,
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I have a question for those of you mounting pixels and/or flexstrips to PVC or any other kind of pipe for the purpose of mounting.
If you are mounting a 30' pixel string (spaced at 4") onto 3 10' PVC pieces are you using couplings at the joints to combine the pipe or using pipe with bell ends? If so, are you having to space the lights closer together at the joint to allow yourself to pull the next pipe out of the coupling or bell end? I figured if you mounted each pixel at it's 4" spacing then there would be no slack in the string to disconnect the pieces of pipe.
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I mounted flex strips inside of 1" PVC and it looks awesome. Diffuses the light very well and still plenty bright.
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I have a question for those of you mounting pixels and/or flexstrips to PVC or any other kind of pipe for the purpose of mounting.
If you are mounting a 30' pixel string (spaced at 4") onto 3 10' PVC pieces are you using couplings at the joints to combine the pipe or using pipe with bell ends? If so, are you having to space the lights closer together at the joint to allow yourself to pull the next pipe out of the coupling or bell end? I figured if you mounted each pixel at it's 4" spacing then there would be no slack in the string to disconnect the pieces of pipe.
You could just leave a node loose in there to provide some slack, or cut the line at 10' and add a few inches of wire there.
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Mine are all mounted to 3/4" PVC. I use a regular coupler to join pieces if PVC. I do find that about 9' is all the length I want in one piece due to it being very cumbersome in the roof with longer pieces. I use electrical tape to mount my strands wrapping the entire length and space it so a node is at the vet edge of the coupler. Giving me about 3" to loop navy to the next piece if PVC. I'll post some pics tomorrow.
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You could always cut and extend the wires at the corners to give you the slack you need to seperate the pipe at the end of the season.
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I taped my nodes with red tape on white pvc to give the candy cane stripe. I also used regular couplers and screwed them together instead of glue and used male/female crimp connecters to be able to separate them. nothing water proof and everything worked fine.
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Looking to do this next year and I'm building a "plan" so I know what I need to spend over the course of next year to make it real. For those of you with your house close to the road (I'm sitting back roughly 80-100 feet), are you happy with the 3.5" spacing? Or is a closer spacing provide a nice clean lighted line?
I've decided that I'll cut out a strip along the back of the PVC and run the LED's through drilled out holes. Mostly to keep it straight and hide the wire some. Then use a low temp hot glue gun to keep the nodes from receding back through.
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Wanted to follow up with how I mounted my technicolor lights to outline my sidewalk.
I zip-tied each node to 1/2" PVC (with bell ends). With all of the nodes mounted I can still fold up each of the PVC sticks so it will only take 10' of space to store.
For the lawn I got 12" pieces of #3 rebar and used 4 pieces of rebar for each 10' section. I drove the rebar into the ground with ~3" sticking up. I then held up the PVC to rebar and made a mark with a sharpie. I drilled a hole on the underside of the PVC at each sharpie mark. With all the holes on the underside drilled, the PVC simply slips over the rebar and sits atop.
(http://i.imgur.com/6XQUeX5l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8D3qXfEl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/6rQyNNEl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Ka0t6AYl.jpg)
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wow that looks great, got any pix at night?
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wow that looks great, got any pix at night?
Nothing yet. Still trying to find someone in my area(Dallas) with a Pickit3 for my EthD that can save me.
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Fry's? I ended up buying one off Ebay from J1sys. A couple of days and you would have it in your possession.
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That is a neat way to trim the yard. I like it!
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I like the idea, but would be concerned about future years and trying to pound in the rebar to match up to the existing holes. I would have let the rebar stick up a little more and then put a zip tie around the rebar and the pvc. Then I never have worry about where I put the rebar in the future.
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Got my sidewalk Technicolors up and running.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTirdWxNW5s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTirdWxNW5s)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVrlHCdKnSw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVrlHCdKnSw)
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I like it.
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Love it! (will make shoveling my walk a PITA but it will be worth it)