Mega Tree rope or string?

[PeKu]

Hey everyone, Sorry if this has been previously posted...

i am finishing off my Megas tree build and was out looking at lights today and i started wondering if anyone has used rope lightting for their Mega Tree..i have been using them on my bench to test the controllers and theres no issues with fades as far as i can see but im wondering how they would look used on a ten foot spiral tree. Note: my tree is secured with sixteen 1/16 aircraft cables comming off the top cap so running them will be easy just using cable ties

any feedback is much appreciated

thanks,

[Santabob]

Thats a great Idea may do that as well.

[TJ Hvasta]

It's an idea, but keep in mind the single length of ropelight weight when you've got more than one. Imagine the weight of 16 lengths of ropelight

[PeKu]

Not an issue TJ. the tree was built using 3" Pipe with sixteen 1/16 aircraft cable running from the top to the ground..the thing could hold a hippo lol little more expensisve doing it this way but itll be so much easier to space the lights. my main concern is how itll look using the ropes,

Edited November 4, 2012 by PeKu

[caniac]

Hey everyone, Sorry if this has been previously posted...

i am finishing off my Megas tree build and was out looking at lights today and i started wondering if anyone has used rope lightting for their Mega Tree..i have been using them on my bench to test the controllers and theres no issues with fades as far as i can see but im wondering how they would look used on a ten foot spiral tree. Note: my tree is secured with sixteen 1/16 aircraft cables comming off the top cap so running them will be easy just using cable ties

any feedback is much appreciated

thanks,

been there done that and won't go there again. The issue I had other than weight was having sections of the rope light go out, not an easy fix. I am using C6 LED strings and they are much brighter and more reliable.

[GS]

Not an issue TJ. the tree was built using 3" Pipe with sixteen 1/16 aircraft cable running from the top to the ground..the thing could hold a hippo lol little more expensisve doing it this way but itll be so much easier to space the lights. my main concern is how itll look using the ropes,

Sounds like the first song is in the works - I wanna hip......

[PeKu]

Hahaha not a chance GS!..Tso and techno in this winter wonderland..well at least i hope! so far so good

[PeKu]

been there done that and won't go there again. The issue I had other than weight was having sections of the rope light go out, not an easy fix. I am using C6 LED strings and they are much brighter and more reliable.

great point Caniac...i was just going through my lights and have a few small strands out...just on a chance do you know if the repair and test tools at the big box stores help? sounds like youve been down the path lol

[Scott T]

great point Caniac...i was just going through my lights and have a few small strands out...just on a chance do you know if the repair and test tools at the big box stores help? sounds like youve been down the path lol

Look at 1000bulbs.com. They have rope light patch kits.

Scott

[CaptainCook]

Four years I tried rope light for the star on my megatree. Two strands - one white, one mixed. Both were tied to a steel star base. About 10 days into "lights on" I lost two adjoining sections of the white. Never again. I couldn't get to the star to fix it. It was a very sad star and I had to use just the mixed string. I am just glad that I had it or I would have had to go without any star. The next year I used minis and they were MUCH brighter. The following year was LED and now its RGB.

I wouldn't touch rope light on my megatree for love nor money. Just my $.02.

[caniac]

great point Caniac...i was just going through my lights and have a few small strands out...just on a chance do you know if the repair and test tools at the big box stores help? sounds like youve been down the path lol

too big a pain to patch plus you have to take the tree down during the process. Since switching to C6 LED's I have a brighter tree with no issues.

[caniac]

Look at 1000bulbs.com. They have rope light patch kits.

Scott

Not so much patching but IMO patched rope light on a tree just doesn't look good and would have been a real chore to take the tree down, fix three strands and put back up. At the time I had not bought any kind of spool of rope light but the individual boxes. would have been a pain to patch those.

Rope light has it's uses but IMO a mega tree isn't one of them, been there done that, got the shirt!

have also had a ton of issues with 1000bulbs.com so I avoid those folks.

[Liberty-Laser]

Not much of a rope light fan. I use rope lights in my display, but very sparingly.

[CaptainCook]

I only use rope lights for two purposes anymore. One is for some animated snowman figures. The other is to dimly line our driveway and along our flowerbeds since both are pavers and present 2" high trip hazards.

[PeKu]

Definetly taking everyone's advice. Thanks for the feedback guys