Jump to content
Light-O-Rama Forums

LED Arches ?


H3RRS

Recommended Posts

**I'm not looking into pixel arches. Just plain LED lights for arches..

Do any of you use LED arches? I'm looking into building LED arches. I want them to be able to leap to each other. So, my question is, how many sets of LED's should be put on one arch? What do you use to make the arch? All help would be truly appreciative!

Thanks!

-H3RRS

Edited by H3RRS
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take a look at mine:

http://newburghlights.org/CCP_Arches.html

They are 50 CCPs for each of the 50 arches.

Then got to my videos page and watch the first video.  There are several places in the song that have a good look at what the arches are doing.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

Take a look at mine:

http://newburghlights.org/CCP_Arches.html

They are 50 CCPs for each of the 50 arches.

Then got to my videos page and watch the first video.  There are several places in the song that have a good look at what the arches are doing.

 

They look awesome! However, I am not familiar with pixels. My show will be for the 2018 season. How hard is it to incorporate pixels? What controllers do I need?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What controller is a longer answer than I have time before I have to hear out the door, however those were made with LOR Cosmic Color Pixels.  Pixels add a lot more channels (and three per pixel).  Other than that, they are not any different than any other LOR channel.  Those six arches are 900 channels.  More later...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

What controller is a longer answer than I have time before I have to hear out the door, however those were made with LOR Cosmic Color Pixels.  Pixels add a lot more channels (and three per pixel).  Other than that, they are not any different than any other LOR channel.  Those six arches are 900 channels.  More later...

 

Pixels seem a bit too much, as 2018 will be my first show. Although, I plan to add pixels to my 2019 show. So, all information will be helpful, as I will save it for later usage! I do need to familiarize myself, so any help is truly appreciative! :)

Thank you!
-H3RRS

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, H3RRS said:

**I'm not looking into pixel arches. Just plain LED lights for arches..

Do any of you use LED arches? I'm looking into building LED arches. I want them to be able to leap to each other. So, my question is, how many sets of LED's should be put on one arch? What do you use to make the arch? All help would be truly appreciative!

Thanks!

-H3RRS

We don't currently have any arches in our display but we might be adding some next year. The better looking ones I have seen use an odd number of channels, 5,7 or 9 channels with a 100 count string of lights per channel on each arch... They tend to be channel hogs but look awesome! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I made mine with 8 channels per arch using 100ct incandescent lights, but strands of LED will work just as well.  I wrapped each strand on a 12" piece of 1" PVC pipe.  I then slid 8 pieces onto an 8' piece of 1/2" pvc pipe to make the arch.  Each strand is plugged into an AC Controller.  I broke them up like this for easier storage.  Here is a video of them in action at about the 2 min mark.  The video says I did 6' and 8', I have since made them all 8'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5i2F72IyBY

Keep in mind if you use strands of LED lights, make sure they are dimmable.  Not all LED's are. It will limit the effects you can do if they are not dimmable.

Edited by Little_b
More Info
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Little_b said:

I made mine with 8 channels per arch using 100ct incandescent lights, but strands of LED will work just as well.  I wrapped each strand on a 12" piece of 1" PVC pipe.  I then slid 8 pieces onto an 8' piece of 1/2" pvc pipe to make the arch.  Each strand is plugged into an AC Controller.  I broke them up like this for easier storage.  Here is a video of them in action at about the 2 min mark.  The video says I did 6' and 8', I have since made them all 8'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5i2F72IyBY

Keep in mind if you use strands of LED lights, make sure they are dimmable.  Not all LED's are. It will limit the effects you can do if they are not dimmable.

Little_B,

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I was looking for. I sent you PM. 

Regards,
-H3RRS

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used 100 count led strings with 5 channels. I wrapped the light strings on 1in black Polly running then slid them over the 1/2 in pic that way if i had a string go dead I could quickly swap it out. However there was a post I saw where someone did it a bit differently that i loved. I'll post it if i can find it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, Thebug said:

http://www.planetchristmas.com/index.php?/forums/topic/53580-easy-arches/&page=1 

Here is a link for another way to do it I really liked and did at my dad's house. It was much faster than the sleeves

This is the way I do mine, much easier to replace sections especially when the deer and elk come out. They sure love eating the lights off the top of the arches.

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 10/29/2017 at 10:16 PM, Thebug said:

http://www.planetchristmas.com/index.php?/forums/topic/53580-easy-arches/&page=1 

Here is a link for another way to do it I really liked and did at my dad's house. It was much faster than the sleeves

So glad I saw this method. I'll be doing mine this way. Was going to use the spinning approach, but that's out the window now. I'll use 1/2" conduit to create the arch w/a movable wooden foot for support. Another idea I got from someone else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/25/2017 at 6:46 PM, H3RRS said:

**I'm not looking into pixel arches. Just plain LED lights for arches..

Do any of you use LED arches? I'm looking into building LED arches. I want them to be able to leap to each other. So, my question is, how many sets of LED's should be put on one arch? What do you use to make the arch? All help would be truly appreciative!

Thanks!

-H3RRS

I have three arches.  Each length of PVC pipe is about 9 feet long, with 6 inches at each end that are bare and get staked into the ground with rebar.   Each individual arch has 8 channels on it, each section approximately one foot in length along the PVC.  Each one-foot section is a single individual string of 100 white lights, tightly wrapped around the PVC pipe.  I bought the arches from another member a couple years ago and just used them for the first time this year with great success.  My husband said they were his favorite part of our display this year.

Unfortunately, I don't have any video of my arches at work.  I never got around to filming my yard this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/28/2019 at 12:06 PM, Tman49 said:

So glad I saw this method. I'll be doing mine this way. Was going to use the spinning approach, but that's out the window now. I'll use 1/2" conduit to create the arch w/a movable wooden foot for support. Another idea I got from someone else.

I got some 1" black pvc for arches instead of the 1/2". It's the same stuff used for direct boring. It has a natural curve to it. I'll run the spt cords through the pvc and have holes at each section of lights for connection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Tman49 said:

I got some 1" black pvc for arches instead of the 1/2". It's the same stuff used for direct boring. It has a natural curve to it. I'll run the spt cords through the pvc and have holes at each section of lights for connection.

remember that holes weaken the spot. keep them small as possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 5 arches wrapped with led lights. I used 3/4" grey electrical pvc. They are 7 channels each. I ran my power cords first and tie wrapped them to the pvc. Then I made a spinner from an old door window motor and some copier sprockets and chain. Here are a 3-4 pictures of the arches being built about have way down the page.   http://www.buscochristmas.com/How_it_works.html

Wayne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 2/22/2019 at 12:07 PM, TheDucks said:

remember that holes weaken the spot. keep them small as possible.

Thanks for the reminder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...