Mega tree question

[peteywhit]

So I have a question about a mega tree I'm planning to build.

I'm basically trying to get the best bang for my buck since I'm just starting out.

Here's some details of what I'm thinking about...

Spiraling Mega Tree
12 ft. tall
6 ft. dia. base
16 - 150 light incan. folded in half to make "32 strands" (each 150 strand is 31.6 lighted ft./2 = 15.8 actual ft. "per strand")
Use 2 strands (will look like 4) per channel
Therefore allowing me to only use 8 channels on one express!

My question is do you guys think that it would still look good while doing transitions around the tree? I've noticed a lot of people run around the tree with 3 or 4 strands lit instead of 1 at a time. Simply because I'm sure most people like myself think it looks better. But what I can't tell in some videos is whether each strand is being turned on to circle the tree or if it's actually groups of 3 or 4 being turned on at a time.

Here's an example of what I'm wanting to do (doesn't show the spiraling though)..
The numbers in red are the strand numbers (2 lines per number since 2 lines = 1 strand)
The numbers in green are the channel numbers (2 strands hooked to one channel)

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Hope my explanation isn't too confusing, but if you don't mind giving me some feedback I would appreciate it.

Blake

[jnealand]

My megatree is 64 strings of LED lights (used to be incans 3 yrs ago)  Each string is something between 15 and 16 ft long.  So about 17 ft to top of tree plus a 2 ft star (3 channel) on top of that.  When I first built it years ago I used 1 LE.  8 channels for clear, 1 channel each for red, green, blue.  So I could change the trees color and I could chase the clear strings (grouped).  The next year I went to 2 LEs and an SSR4 for the star and set it up so I could chase every RGB, but using a quarter of the tree and chase the clears with a smaller group count.  Now I have 4 LEs and an SSR and every string is on its own channel.  Gives much better control.  That being said, I am now wrestling on whether to retire that tree or move it to the side yard and replace it with an RGB mega tree.  I already have an 8ft pixel tree.  With 13 string of my old LED half bad the RGB is calling pretty strong.  Using the pixel strips found (and invented) on DIYC makes it a lot easier to move to RGB in my opinion so I'm leaning that way.  I already have some of the strips in hand and am working to use them with my pixel tree to go from flexstrips to nodes.  Just to note that to me anything under 12 ft is not a mega tree and I just call mine a pixel tree.

[peteywhit]

Thanks for the response.

Now that I've thought a little more on it, and walked outside and looked where I'm planning on putting it (see picture), I'm thinking about just going ahead and doing a 20ft with 2 strands per channel and going ahead and using all 16 channels for it. May as well spend the money on it to atleast have something, right? lol

So in the picture, 10 ft is about 2 or 3 bricks below the second story window. so 20 ft. would just look better next to the house. I've just got to find what will be the best and cheapest thing to use as a center pole...

[jnealand]

If you belong to doityourselfchristmas.com you should look for a thread titled "Quick and easy 8' MegaTree kit development thread.  Don't be misled by the title because you can go higher than 8ft now.  This is just a development thread and not an ordering thread.  Read the whole thread because there have been a number of updates to the design.

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