shfr26 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I'm planning a new tree this year about 13 feet tall. Will be halfing my lights, 26 feet long string, up and down so 13 feet tall. Planning on 2 strings per channel, and 16 channels. Would I be better off using 32 hooks at he top, 1 for each string, or am I over thinking this whole process??? Would 16 hooks work just as well?? Thanks in advance.:? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Ancona Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 16 will be just fine. You may an issue with space with 32. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 I was thinking that if I used 16 that trying to space the strings correctly would make them different lengths at the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jem5136 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Last year I used 4 hooks for 16 strings, and I didn't have any problems with my tree as far as spacing goes.And are you planning on the tree being 13 feet tall? If so, then you are either going to need longer light strings or you are going to have a slightly elevated bottom. I don't know how big you want your base to be, but you have to remember the pythagorean theorem. It basically mean that if your pole is 13 feel, and your base(from the pole) is 4 feet(just for kicks and giggles), then your light strings will have to be 13.6 feet (13' 7.2"). So your lights will not reach all the way to the ground, you will have to be elevated a little bit for a 13' tree.Here is a picture to help describe the Pythagorean Theorem a little more. http://math.about.com/od/pythagorean/ss/pythag.htmSorry, I don't mean to go all technical on ya, but I just wanted to help you plan your tree without running into any errors at build time.Jesse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Thats ssuming a 4 foot radius, as opposed to a 4 foot diameter.An 8 foot diameter on a 13 foot tree seems like a little too much..I'm assuming Pete's adjusting his radius to match the 26 foot strings, up and back.I would agree, though, the 26 foot strings with a 13 foot pole might be a little tight.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted June 16, 2011 Author Share Posted June 16, 2011 You are both 100% correct. That is why I said about 13 feet, have not figured out how big the base will be yet, so that will determine the exact height of the tree. Don't worry about going all technical, if the words get to big, I'll just ask my granddaughter what they mean, she's here all day today so ask quick, she will being leaving later today, probably after I cook her steaks on the grill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 My 9 year old is doing the algebra I didn't do until 7th grade, so I can totally relate.I'm close to seeing how she can do with sequencing...Sounds like they have similar appetites too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rstately Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 I made a tree for my friend that is 12' tall, with a 4' base. I like trees that are a little on the skinny side. I used 2 sleeves on top so the wires wouldn't get all clustered. It worked really well for 3 years now. Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Hvasta Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Rich Holdman has a great tool for the top of his MT that allows a wider top, and spins to keep the lights/lines from tangling.. I just noticed there are only 12 screws (for 12/24) strings.. decrease the spacing btwn screws by 1/4"-1/3" or so and you should be able to add 4 more screws for 16 strings Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Hvasta Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 lower pipe slips inside the top of the pvc trunk.. top pipe has the star secured to it..I made mine similarly, using 16 cup hooks into the side instead of using drywall screws.. cup hooks are smooth so they wont chew into the wires Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 instead of hooks I made a "ring" for all the strings to be tie-wrapped to at the top...that way they could all be evenly spaced around the top of the mast...I never liked the idea of using screws (especially with some of the threads still exposed) or anything where winds would make it chaff and perhaps cut thru the insulation of the wires.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Cherry Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 If you look at my 2010 videos my tree is about 14 feet with a 8 foot diameter base.Just for reference purposes. The base ring was made from Gray PVC with 4 spokes.It would float around the pole, this was to let me know the tree was level.Here is a picture of the base. Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisquit476 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Hi Jim,To combat the chaffing problem, I used a piece of clear vinyl tubing, sliced and slid over the wires, bent in half, and zip tied to the wires as shown in this pic. That allows the vinyl tubing to take all the abuse. I used only one string last year, but I'm going to double it this year, my wife said the tree needed more lights,Bill Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Hvasta Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 bisquit.. clip off the zipties, add braided RGB strings and you've got RGBW Superstrings to put on that tree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Ancona Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Since we're posting pictures of your headers..... Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 not the best shot...but my Weber Tree Topper.the ring is about 12" diameter and holds 96 100ct strings (24 bundles of RGBW) Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Amedee Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 JimYou the man !!!Can't get my son off the video games !! He's starting to drive though and talkin' alittle more to me:shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgardner518 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Here is one for all of you. If this is my first mega tree and its going to be 10ft tall. I have all of the lights and they are all 100ct that vary from 23.5' to 24' in length. They will all be attached to the top and bottom with carabiners. So they are easy to remove at any point. The base will be 3/4" gray electrical conduit PVC. I currently have two 10ft pieces glued together in a circle. I can add more if need be, I want the tree to look full, so I'm using one 16 channel controller with 2 sets of 100ct lights per channel. If I fold them all in half if will be 4 passes per channel. I'm going to have 4 colors. Red, green, blue, and Yellow. So that only gives me 4 channels per color. What do you all think? Will it look ok? And I will not have a trunk, but it will be off the ground about a foot, since I get 2 plus feet of snow in my area. How big of a ring should I have to make it "look good"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 ny_yankee_25 wrote: So that only gives me 4 channels per color. What do you all think? Will it look ok?**I think it will look fine...but you won't be able to do much in the way of effects, such as spins...at lest if you want to "spin" a certain color** How big of a ring should I have to make it "look good"?**Usually a good rule of thumb is a 2:1 ratio...so a 10' tall tree would have a 5' diameter base.** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Ancona Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Yeah, OK Jim, there's a ring in there.... sure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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