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Mega Tree Pole keeps breaking


Richard365

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26 minutes ago, Richard365 said:

  I never knew how windy it was in Delaware around December until I put up the tree 3 years ago.  I used the fence post first and that failed 2 times the first year, Last year I used the black pipe and it lasted at least until Christmas with the 1" black pipe, This year it broke when putting it up. If I could find a flag pole that would work, Then this 3 man job I could make into a 1 man job.  I bought 16 conductor cable to run to my singing displays . Instead of running 8  extension cords. But the cable was back order and came 6 weeks to late. I bought water proof plugs so I can quick disconnect from Halloween to Christmas.  Mr. P where did you get your aluminum military pole.?

That is the good thing about the miltary aluminum poles, they are designed to bend when being put up so they flex. You can usually find them at military surplus stores or even Ebay.

By the way, I grew up in Delaware just south of Dover.

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I use something similar to this:

https://www.tmastco.com/main/page_products_vertical_antenna_kit.html

 

I have 16 light strands running from this - I use small S-hooks at the top of each strand and just sit them in the open top of the pole.  The bottom of each strand is staked to the ground with regular thin metal tent stakes.   Three heavy duty stakes with rope ending in clip hooks are used to keep it in place.   Hasn't moved an iota in 5 years despite some heavy wind.     

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

   After rain and rain. Now been raining for 3 days now, backyard has like 1" of water or more in the low area. But after the high winds My 20' pole still standing. After I put the 1" round stock inside the pipe were the connectors connect the pipe. Still third year of RAIN, RAIN. Third year of my 18" stakes coming out of the ground ,because of so much rain, I guess this summer going to have to put 3' footers in the ground with a hook .

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Another 2 days of rain and wind. Still standing. But back yard is under water.  Keep any stakes in the ground is impossible.  Guess maybe tie it down to the fence. 3 sides are fence one side is the house. This is with the one inch black pipe with one inch round stock at the connection of the 2 pipes. I put the 36" star on my spare 10' section. Next year I have to decide stay with the 1" and hope when I put the star on top. It can handle  it. Go with 1-1/4 pipe I already bought. Go and spend more money and buy the military  grade antenna. 

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Just went through your wind and rain, pole wasn't my problem, but the stakes holding my 10' diameter PVC conduit and bottom of light strands was being torn out of the ground, my 135 light strands are held up by 2 boat winch's, so I cranked them down about 6 foot and bungeed the strand to the pole. Solved the problem but I was kinda nervous till this evening when the wind finally got below 25 mph.

 

Cranked the strands back up and resecured the pvc ring to the wet ground, all is good again. You would think 1/4 inch rebar pounded into the ground 12 inch's would have held better, guess it was the rain and wind together.

 

Keith

Edited by Kapkirk
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More rain with lighting and thunder.  Keeping the life perseveres by front  door.  Just wondering how much snow we would have if it was cold enough. 

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5 hours ago, Richard365 said:

More rain with lighting and thunder.  Keeping the life perseveres by front  door.  Just wondering how much snow we would have if it was cold enough. 

If you see animals in pairs then you are in deep deep do do!! 

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9 hours ago, Richard365 said:

...  Just wondering how much snow we would have if it was cold enough. 

On average, thirteen inches of snow equals one inch of rain in the US, although this ratio can vary from two inches for sleet to nearly fifty inches for very dry, powdery snow under certain conditions. per nssl.noaa.gov

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  • 2 weeks later...

24 hours of rain again. So my daughter built Noah  Ark. This site scks on trying to load pictures.

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11 minutes ago, Richard365 said:

24 hours of rain again. So my daughter built Noah  Ark. This site scks on trying to load pictures.

Join the club but we have had days of rain with only a couple days in between since Halloween. Shut my show down Friday because my MT is flooded and my mini trees which were in my driveway looked like they were in a river.

Packed 90 % of my controllers Saturday in the few hours of no rain. Looking for possible tornados later and into the New Year.

JR

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11 hours ago, Richard365 said:

24 hours of rain again. So my daughter built Noah  Ark. This site scks on trying to load pictures.

I found issues with posting pictures also.

Somethings I do

This one works each time

Post picture to Facebook or some other site and copy as link. 

These sometimes works

Send picture to your email Sometimes it asks if you want to downsize

Get the App compressor for picture

 

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another rainy weekend,  whats up. with this rain. Going to have to wait for the ground to freeze to get in the back yard.   Good news is my Mega tree is still standing, just cant take it down without swimming to it..

Edited by Richard365
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16 minutes ago, Richard365 said:

another rainy weekend,  whats up. with this rain. Going to have to wait for the ground to freeze to get in the back yard.   Good news is my Mega tree is still standing, just cant take it down without swimming to it..

Yes, my MT is the last one standing. Like you , I have a swamp. It may be up until July at which point I will add that to my 4th light show and just may decide to leave it up. Never even had as much as a puddle in my MT area, I was assessing it today to see where it could be moved, absolutely nowhere else. This year I already planned and was given an old trampoline, I will use that as my base for possible flooding in 2019. I will cut the legs to elevate the strands about 6" off the ground. 

The rain stopped early this morning and it looks like sun for 4 days in a row.

JR

Edited by dibblejr
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I use a telescopic flag pole made by Telepole (USA Company).  It’s a 3 1/2” commercial pole 25’ tall.  The 16x50 mega tree is 20’ tall.  The North Star is another 5’.  Use 2 guy wires on Star only.  Had winds up to 50mph and no problem.  Extended the pole only 20’ then Star was set on top.  

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Here's a MEGA TREE pole that will not break if you can get your hands on one. In use for 10 years.

100_1041A.jpg

Edited by EARLE W. TALLEY
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28 minutes ago, EARLE W. TALLEY said:

Here's a MEGA TREE pole that will not break if you can get your hands on one. In use for 10 years.

100_1041A.jpg

Very similar to the Rohn 25 tower section I intend to use for mine...

 

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yep, I use a rohn25 tower for both my mega tree and spiral tree. Holds up perfect to snow, ice and wind. You can climb them and mount controllers on them.

IMG_20180106_142238_zpstetlmicv.jpg

DSC09273_zpsceed9wm6.jpg

DSC04968_zpsa5676859.jpg

DSC04972_zps6b10175f.jpg

DSC05171_zps58a79ea1.jpg

DSC05279_zpssdw6kngd.jpg

IMG_3274_zpsf7358f37.jpg

Edited by Santas Helper
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  • 3 months later...

Ok with the solid rod between my connection point where the two 10 foot section connect. The pipe did NOT break at the connector this year. First year ever it did not break. So, by  putting the solid pipe inside where they connect did the job. We had gust of wind between 50-70 MPH.  I am just taking down the tree now. So its been up for 5 months.  LOL...

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2 hours ago, Richard365 said:

Ok with the solid rod between my connection point where the two 10 foot section connect. The pipe did NOT break at the connector this year. First year ever it did not break. So, by  putting the solid pipe inside where they connect did the job. We had gust of wind between 50-70 MPH.  I am just taking down the tree now. So its been up for 5 months.  LOL...

Great when it works like it’s supposed to. 

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