MphsGal Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 (edited) I searched but couldn’t find an answer. Obviously I am an extreme newbie! I bought a 10 foot mega tree; what kind of LED lights should I use for it? How bright are the M5 lights? I’ll be using C9 lights to outline the roof and the other parts of the house because I’m doing a two-story home. Wrap the columns in front with plain ole LED mini lights? Ditto a tree trunk and branches’ outline? Brightest lights for prop outlines (wire snowflakes, stars)? Point me to a lights tutorial? Bless you folks! PS: Is holiday-light-express.com a reputable company? Edited January 25, 2018 by MphsGal Add question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrown1972 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 29 minutes ago, MphsGal said: I searched but couldn’t find an answer. Obviously I am an extreme newbie! I bought a 10 foot mega tree; what kind of LED lights should I use for it? How bright are the M5 lights? I’ll be using C9 lights to outline the roof and the other parts of the house because I’m doing a two-story home. Wrap the columns in front with plain ole LED mini lights? Ditto a tree trunk and branches’ outline? Brightest lights for prop outlines (wire snowflakes, stars)? Point me to a lights tutorial? Bless you folks! PS: Is holiday-light-express.com a reputable company? Holiday light express is a reputable company. I personally have not ordered from them but I know plenty who have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 M5 LEDs are more directional. I would go with C6 if using traditional LED strands. I use them in my 35ft mega tree. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EARLE W. TALLEY Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 HLE is a good company to deal with, at least 1/2 of my 40,000 light came from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MphsGal Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 Thanks all. @Santas Helper, to clarify: all of the lights on your mega tree are C6? And what did you use on the trees lining the driveway? And finally, the large lights forming the garage door arch/outlining the mega tree pole? Cool display and thanks again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 yes, all of the light strands on the mega tree are C6, along with the mini trees lining the driveway and the icicles lining the roof. The large lights you speak of are 10w RGB floods I hacked to control with LOR DC controllers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcroc Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I don't waste money on high end AC mini lights. I use the ones off the shelf from Walmart. They will all be replaced with pixels/nodes in the next couple years, so I don't need them to last forever, and they are cheap enough that I have plenty of spare boxes of them. Even before I started into pixels, I used off the shelf led lights (incans for singing faces), and they look good. This is not a cheap hobby, but I see no need (for me) to spend $10 or more for each string of single color leds, when I can get lights for less than $1 a box after Christmas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I’m with Tom (Santas Helper above) on using C6 sealed LEDs. I’m with Earle on using HLE (who happens to be running their presale right now through Feb.) With a 3 season warranty and great service, place to buy. They can offer that warranty as I’ve yet to have a string fail. Now Dcroc brings up a good point about the price, unless you’re like me with ZERO plans to convert. I loved the vibrant colors of Tom’s setup so much I tried to duplicate it, except not quite as tall. (He’s a beast climbing that mega tower too BTW) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 3 hours ago, Dcroc said: I don't waste money on high end AC mini lights. It's not really a waste of money. It's an investment for longevity. Kinda like buying off brand tools versus major brand tools. I could call cheap off the shelf lights a waste of money because they won't last as long and will need to be replaced much sooner than high end lights. But I won't call them a waste of money because they do have purpose and if you're switching to pixels and such, then I don't blame you. Being my high end lights are still working since 2006 and plan to use them for many more years, I can't see that being a waste either. And by the way, CDI (Creative Displays Inc) is also having their 40% off sale as we speak. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcroc Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Sorry, I should have included "for me" after "waste of money". I was speaking for myself. It would be a waste of money for me when I will be replacing 99% of them is a couple years, or so. I did not mean to imply that the more expensive ones are a waste of money. You def get what you pay for. I don't need them to last 20 years, so the investment doesn't make sense for me. Each would have to consider their own future plans to consider if it was right for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namecipS Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 HLE for me as well. Reasonably priced, great customer service and will work with you even if the lights were purchased years ago and then go out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MphsGal Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 This will be my first year and I won’t be doing anything more than maybe dabbling in pixels until the prices come WAY down and I can fully fund upgrades from tips... or hubby gets a huge raise, assuming I’m still married at Thanksgiving!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Once you dabble, your hooked. Kinda like a serious drug. Prices won't be a high priority, divorce is acceptable and being late on bills are side affects. ? 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Gotta get my fix. More pixels. Gotta get my fix! Oh wait, in the past month I've ordered so many things that I had to write a spreadsheet to keep track of them all . Lots of changes for this year. I'm only adding about 61K channels this year. Funny part is I'm going old school in one case - adding a traditional string spiral mega tree. OK, a BUNCH of other stuff too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MphsGal Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 On 1/27/2018 at 1:08 AM, k6ccc said: I'm only adding about 61K channels this year. Did I read this right?? Adding 61 THOUSAND channels? Just...wow. And here I am trying to figure out how to get the $$ to buy the 48 channel LOR starter kit. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 8 minutes ago, MphsGal said: Did I read this right?? Adding 61 THOUSAND channels? Just...wow. And here I am trying to figure out how to get the $$ to buy the 48 channel LOR starter kit. ? When you use individually addressable nodes, they count as 3 channels (RGB) @ bulb. You and I mostly use dumb strings, where the entire string is 1 channel per outlet or DUMB RGB board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 16 minutes ago, MphsGal said: Did I read this right?? Adding 61 THOUSAND channels? Just...wow. And here I am trying to figure out how to get the $$ to buy the 48 channel LOR starter kit. ? Yea, you did read that right. I’m re-building my 12 string by 50 pixels per string pixel tree into 24 strings of 100 pixels, so that adds 5,400 channels. Then adding a P10 matrix which will be 6,144 pixels or 18,432 channels, and a P5 matrix panel which will be 12,288 pixels or 36,864 channels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 MphsGal, Don't be intimidated by Jim's channel count. They are micro size compared to your 48 channels. ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 19 minutes ago, Santas Helper said: Don't be intimidated by Jim's channel count. They are micro size compared to your 48 channels. ?? Ain't that the truth! A P5 panel is just over 6 x 12 inches and has 2,048 pixels - or 6,144 channels (and costs less than $20). Hey, I'm going old school and adding a traditional string spiral mega tree too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MphsGal Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 Ah. Pixels - something I know nothing about. I was about to ask you for a loan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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