Pole trees

[dkoehler42]

I'm looking for ideas this year, and I was thinking about doing one of those pole/cone trees with the strands coming down. Problem is I don't know their real name and can't find them. If someone knows, or has a good idea, I'm all ears.

[bwaldrep]

i think you are looking for a mega tree

[JeffF]

We use a ten foot piece of 3/4" EMT conduit and then attach lights to the top with zip ties. For the bottom we use two 10' lengths of 5/8" gray electrical conduit bent into a circle... then we zip tie the lights to it. Works out well and doesn't cost much at all.


http://www.mainelights.org/ChristmasLightsDaytime/foottree.html

[dkoehler42]

I'm not sure what they're called, but I have seen them online in years past. They range from 5' to well over 20'.

[Surfing4Dough]

bwaldrep wrote:

i think you are looking for a mega tree

Have you searched for "mega tree"?

http://tinyurl.com/2vnhbv2

Or are you meaning something different?

[TJ Hvasta]

Yep, it's a Mega Tree you're looking for.. pvc or metal pipe with lights fixed to the top of the pole, hanging down and connecting to a hoop at the bottom.. mega-tree

Mini-trees are typically tomato cages wrapped with lights, less than 3'-4' tall.

[dkoehler42]

That's odd, because I can't find any when I go to Google shopping.

[TJ Hvasta]

Well, they aren't a store-bought item, that's why you can't find them, have to be built.

[gizmomkr]

I think the closest you will find is a "kit" type frame- it has most of the structure, but you will need to add the lights, and the controller. (and the programing)

Here is a kit from wow-lights.

http://www.wowlights.com/ProductDetail.asp?Category=20&Product=183

[Surfing4Dough]

Some other mega tree kits/items:
http://christmaslightshow.com/home.php?cat=25

[mijoangel]

Instead of ordering them just go to Home Depot get a 1-1/4" conduit or 1-1/2" conduit they already come with the coupling buy your hook head from christmaslightshow.com the hook head head comes 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" to fit on pipe also at Home Depot get a 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" ( depending on size of pipe you get) reducer down to 1/2" for your star to fit on also buy a 1/2" nipple. Buy star from christmaslightshow.com. . If you don't want to use conduit for the bottom here is the formula I use 5' out from center of pole 23.5 inches apart from each tent stake or yard staple.(That is for a 16 channel mega tree).I can send you a picture of mine that I did

[dkoehler42]

gizmomkr wrote:

I think the closest you will find is a "kit" type frame- it has most of the structure, but you will need to add the lights, and the controller. (and the programing)

Here is a kit from wow-lights.

http://www.wowlights.com/ProductDetail.asp?Category=20&Product=183

And just how many lights would you add to this? I dropped some cash for Halloween, I don't want to go crazy for this...especially after I kept K-Mart in the black last year.

[wglyons]

dkoehler42 wrote:

And just how many lights would you add to this? I dropped some cash for Halloween, I don't want to go crazy for this...especially after I kept K-Mart in the black last year.

Well, that depends on personal preference and how tall or short the tree is. If you look at Jeffrey's post above, I would guess there are about 40 runs from the top of the tree down. Each run has 2 strands of what looks like 50 lights. So, you've got at least 80 strands of 50 lights...80 * $/strand, and you've got a rough guesstimate...

[TJ Hvasta]

you dont have to use 40/80 strands.. if you go with a 12' pipe, 8, 16, 24, 32 strings.. just multiple of eight to fit the channels is all you'd need. My first megatree was only eight 100ct multi-lights folded in half, gave me 16 strands.. yeah, sure, wasnt the fullest, but as OJ said, it was my first stab at it.. :shock:

If you plan for ..16 strands of 100ct lights.. at even $2.88/box (Lowes price) thats.. um.. lets, 16 times, 8, carry th' .uh.. I was an English major, but you get the idea LOL!

[JeffF]

wglyons wrote:

dkoehler42 wrote:

And just how many lights would you add to this? I dropped some cash for Halloween, I don't want to go crazy for this...especially after I kept K-Mart in the black last year.

Well, that depends on personal preference and how tall or short the tree is. If you look at Jeffrey's post above, I would guess there are about 40 runs from the top of the tree down. Each run has 2 strands of what looks like 50 lights. So, you've got at least 80 strands of 50 lights...80 * $/strand, and you've got a rough guesstimate...

Boy, that was a good guess.

It was 36 100ct strands. I just found the middle of each strand and zip tied it to the top of the pole. It takes some time but if your yard is like mine there are no natural trees so you have to do something.

And if the OP is asking about larger trees, I learned a heckalot about mega trees a couple years ago when Larry(aka RedNeckChristmas) posted a How-To over at Planet Christmas. Here's the original thread...
http://forums.planetchristmas.com/showthread.php/23693

Good luck OP!

[mdickenson]

JUST MADE MY MEGA TREE POLE.....1 1/4 TO 1 1/2 CON..PIPE,DRILLED TO HOLES TO ALLOW ME TO BOLT 2 PLOE TOGETHER,ONE INTO THE OTHER,ADDED INSULATION TAPE TO KEEP IT FROM MOVING IN THE OTHER PIPE,MADE TREE TOPPER LIKE THE ONE ON THE PLANET CHRISTMAS SIGHT(COUCH FOOT,16 SCREW HOOKS,PIPE FLANGE AND PIPE) SLIDES INTO 1 1/4 PIPE AT TOP,USE COLLAR NOT ON TOP TO ADD ANOTHER BOLT(CUT TO LENGH) TO SECURE STAR TO TOP,ADD 32OO CLEAR LIGHTS/32OO MULTI LIGHTS,SECURE TO GRD WITH REBAR RODS,16 CHANNELS AND THERE IT IS A 16 CHANNEL...6400 LIGHT MEGA TREE......APPROX- COST......200.00....NOT TO BAD....18F OOT TALL......MIKE

[TJ Hvasta]

Rob Holdman of HolmanChristmas.com and Music Box Dancer fame has a great pix of his topper to hook the lights onto.. slips into the top of the pole, pvc or steel and the lights loop over the screws.. and because it's a slip-fit, it can spin in the pipe to allow for centering..

Attached files

[TJ Hvasta]

Second pix of it..

Attached files

[TJ Hvasta]

If you only knew the power of the tree-topper!!

Attached files

[jjdurrant]

TJ Hvasta wrote:

If you only knew the power of the tree-topper!!

Win!!