Arches Using C6 LEDs

[RaceMedic]

I hate to bring up the arch issue again but as a newbie I am getting frustrated getting it to work.

I am using 100ct C6 bulbs 4" apart.

I used 3/4" pipe which had a 1" outer diameter ... ALL the lights lined up. I tried going smaller but they were STILL lining up.

Suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

I even took a strand of lights to my local Home Depot and tried wrapping some different pipes ... was getting some weird looks.

Thanks,

Dave

[jem5136]

Usually if I notice the lights starting to line up, I will overlap them for a couple of rotations, and then continue on. It works if you do it right,and you cannot tell the difference unless you really look at it.

Jesse

[Surfing4Dough]

I too am in the midst of wrapping my first arches too. I found that if I wrapped the lights tightly they would all line up also, so I started wrapping just a tad looser, and everything worked fine then. Plus I remember somebody saying that you want to wrap them a little loose so they will have some give for when you bend the arch.

[lightzilla]

I sent you an email but I forgot to add that a number of folks use the sleeve idea these days for their arches.

Sleeves go over the electrical PVC conduit pipe. They wrap light around these individual sleeves. A 9 channel arch would have 9 sleeves.

I think you use high water pressure tubing or something like that.

Just another idea.

Now it is time for you sleeve experts to come in.

[RaceMedic]

That is what I am going to do ... the sleeves.

I got 1" piping that you use for sprinklers .... still line up.

The 1 1/4" which I tested out on a cardboard tube looked perfect so I am on the hunt for 1" PVC inner diameter which gives a 1 1/4" outer diameter.

Thanks for all the help !

Dave

[GS]

4" LED, 3/4" pvc - this is what you need to do (I've done over 50 of these) -

As your pvc spins you need to be 4-6" out on your pvc (think stretched out barber pole). After 4-6 spins compress (push) the string down the pvc. Keep the pvc spinning and compressing every 4-6 rotations.

This does two things - perfect misalignment and spare wire so heat/cold expansion will not stress your wire.

PS - I do all my arches with c6 LEDs.

Good luck,

Glenn

[GS]

double post

[RaceMedic]

Thank-you again for all the suggestions.

I go my first arch done today .... 6 sleeves 18" each with 100ct C6 LED bulbs.

I went with the 1" piping so I have plenty of room for the inner tube.

If interested in taking a look ... I am photographing my projects.

http://www.pbase.com/dgeall/arches

Dave

[Surfing4Dough]

Did my first test arch yesterday. Wanted to see how the Harbs' sleeves (16", 7ch) worked out, and also was testing how some 50ct LEDs that I had would look for use on each channel (originally thought I would use 100 per channel). I still plan to run the power cords (using spt1) under the sleeves. I think these will suffice. I don't have enough to double them up. My yard isn't huge, so I think if I had 100ct per channel that it could be a little too strong. I am pleased with the result. Don't see any gaps. If you watch really close, it seems that ch 6 (2nd channel from the right), lights a little different than the others (lags, and/or flickers). I think it is a "LED thing." Any thoughts on that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFGWova893M?fs=1

[Bob Wingert]

That arch looks fine! So you have 350 lights on it? I have 6ch of 70ct (420). Initially when I began people were telling me I needed almost double the lights. I believe with the brightness of the LED's you can cut that number wayyyy down. My mini trees only have 210 on each and can be seen from the skies as planes approach

[Surfing4Dough]

pokrplr wrote:

That arch looks fine! So you have 350 lights on it? I have 6ch of 70ct (420). Initially when I began people were telling me I needed almost double the lights. I believe with the brightness of the LED's you can cut that number wayyyy down. My mini trees only have 210 on each and can be seen from the skies as planes approach

Yes, 350 lights, over 10ft (actually 9' 4"). They are M5 warm white LEDs. Since the sleeves made it so easy, I figured I would make a prototype using these lights (and had nothing else to use yet) to see how the design worked, and to see if these lights were an option. Glad I did. Yes it could be a little "fuller" but people won't have anything to compare to when just driving by.

[Bob Wingert]

BTW Surfing, do u live out in the country? There was an awful lot of critters talking before the music kicked in

My arch is 10' too and even with less lights than what I have, its still enough! I imagine these last few months will drag now till we can all set up. The 1st 9 months FLEW by...Sheesh!

[Surfing4Dough]

pokrplr wrote:

BTW Surfing, do u live out in the country? There was an awful lot of critters talking before the music kicked in

Actually live in a suburban neighborhood, but there are some woods adjacent to our lot, so the backyard does have a lot of wildlife.

[Max-Paul]

Surfing4Dough wrote:

I too am in the midst of wrapping my first arches too. I found that if I wrapped the lights tightly they would all line up also, so I started wrapping just a tad looser, and everything worked fine then. Plus I remember somebody saying that you want to wrap them a little loose so they will have some give for when you bend the arch.

Wrapping loose for the bend is minor detail compared to this. Everything I can think of shrinks when it gets cold. Yes some things expand if it gets cold enough. But for this issued of wires, well I just dont think it gets cold enough to see any expansion. So, I would say that if the wires are wrapped to tightly, then there might be an issue with wires being broken and more than likely at the lamp socket.

Have any of you people reading this have had this problem? I am just suspecting that this might have happened in the past to a few who really wound their lights tightly.

And I agree, when I wound on my lights with the wire laying right next to the previous wrap. The lamps kind of aligned with the others. So, Like Surfing, I held the light string at about a 45 degrees and it wound on quickly. I would stop after a foot or 2 and then slid the coils close together. Now the lights were offest at almost random angles and looked good. Also this left the wires loose.

[Surfing4Dough]

Max-Paul wrote:

Wrapping loose for the bend is minor detail compared to this. Everything I can think of shrinks when it gets cold. Yes some things expand if it gets cold enough. But for this issued of wires, well I just dont think it gets cold enough to see any expansion. So, I would say that if the wires are wrapped to tightly, then there might be an issue with wires being broken and more than likely at the lamp socket.

Have any of you people reading this have had this problem? I am just suspecting that this might have happened in the past to a few who really wound their lights tightly.

I would wonder if the shrinking of the PVC or poly sleeve would offset (at least partially) the shrinking of the wires.

[GS]

Max-Paul wrote:

So, Like Surfing, I held the light string at about a 45 degrees and it wound on quickly. I would stop after a foot or 2 and then slid the coils close together. Now the lights were offest at almost random angles and looked good. Also this left the wires loose.



Yes, that's the best method. Your goal is to do this without stopping

Glenn