CCR Tree Designs

[BrianBruderer]

I have many people ask about how to build a CCR tree. My star is secured with one bolt through the middle of the star, and the CCRs are zip tied to pairs of 3/16" nylon rope. To keep the CCRs facing forward I have aluminum wire going throught the back of the CCRs in 4 places. There are pictures of this on my web site at www.superstarlights.com   Click on "CCR Tree" underneath the words "SuperStar Construction"  I have used it for several years and have had no problems, but I have my display up against my house and I expect that my house blocks much of the strong winds that come along.

 

Most people build their tree on a pole where there is more exposure to strong winds. I have heard that many people use PVC pipe or aluminum conduit to mount the CCRs on. And most people bolt the back of the star to something with 3 or more bolts. Are there some folks out there that could share more details of how they made their CCR tree? And maybe post some pictures?

[k6ccc]

Here is mine: http://newburghlights.org/pixel_tree.html

As explained on the web page above, I did not build my tree as originally intended, but for 2014 it will be quite similar. My star is a custom variation of a Brian Bruderer star. Brian shipped me a star kit without the front face drilled, and without the lights. I am lighting it internally with 361 WS2811 RGB pixels. The page above gives the details. The one thing that does not show is that the star is mounted to the unistrut "A frame" with four 1/4" bolts. Massive overkill, but that's what I did. I did not weigh the whole thing, but it's a fairly easy move with two people.

[steve synek]

Pictures of my CCR tree    from a couple of years ago.

To many pictures......I need to edit a few out.

The wife and I easily manage standing it up.

 

Steve

Edited November 6, 2014 by steve synek

[eravndal]

I am soon done building my frame for the CCR tree. Is there special places on the ribbon I can put the zipties, or can I put them any where I want?

[k6ccc]

Look for the joints between every 3 LEDs.

[mixnight]

Last year was my first time with CCR and mega tree, mega tree was made of PVC 3/4", 16' high and 8' width at the base, I won't do it again that way, the PVC wasn't enough strong and it shakes a lot, the star was 2' with one channel for rope light that I cut, this year I just made yesterday the mega tree frame of two 2x2x16 studs and a base of 1x4x8', the star is the same that I used last year but planning to have a 3 ch star, at the bottom of star there are 12 hooks and other 12 hooks at the base of mega tree, then I run from star to mega tree base 12 string of tie line then zip tie each CCR to tie line, mega tree has total of 20' for the high and 8' at base and it will be installed at ground level lining against the house, last year and this year also I will install all controllers (LOR controllers and Sandevice e682) inside of the garage, from e682 I have a set of 12 25' cat 5 to connect each CCR, yes, 25' long cat 5 cables from e682 to each CCR with no problem,  I will post some pictures when it's installed.

[forddieseldean]

I have built mine out of 2- 10ft 3" 80 sch conduit pipe with two guide wires up both sides of the pipe. I made a carriage for the star and a 12 hook steel hanger that rides the two guide wires that is attached to a pulley system that is threaded thru the top (pulley) of the pipe and down to the bottom (thru pulley), out a hole and attached to a hand crank winch. I made a hinge plate at the base of the tree so i can raise the tree without any effort by attaching a rope an anchor point and using another hand crank life the tree verticle. Then i just slide the star on the carriage (two pins attach it) and attach the 12 ccrs and crank the star to the top. I will post pics when i put it up. This has worked for me flawless for 5 years

[sysco]

Some great picture guys   thank's for posting them Blair

[Ron Boyd]

I built mine on the design of Walter Monkhouse. It can be found here. I did a few tweaks to the original though.

 

http://www.magicchristmasnews.org/magic_christmas_news_002.htm

 

I would suggest a different media than the strapping if using pixel strips. If using individual nodes, this is the way to do it.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Ron Boyd

[Jay Czerwinski]

Pictures of my CCR tree    from a couple of years ago.

To many pictures......I need to edit a few out.

The wife and I easily manage standing it up.

 

Steve

Great Star photos and visual description.  I think I may copy the design - I am assuing that is CCR ribbon but the wiring confused me - I would think it would all be sequential and not have the 5 pigtails I see in the images....

[steve synek]

Great Star photos and visual description.  I think I may copy the design - I am assuing that is CCR ribbon but the wiring confused me - I would think it would all be sequential and not have the 5 pigtails I see in the images....

Jay

They are just dumb strips formed into different size stars. A lot cheaper than a CCR and a lot less channels to program.

 

Steve

[jonnyci]

Ron what would you recommend instead of strapping if using pixel strips?

[Jay Czerwinski]

Jay

They are just dumb strips formed into different size stars. A lot cheaper than a CCR and a lot less channels to program.

 

Steve

Thanks Steve.  How are you controlling them?  Where did you get the hardware?

[Ron Boyd]

Ron what would you recommend instead of strapping if using pixel strips?

 

1/2 PVC conduit or 1/2" EMT.  The EMT is stiffer. Sean Meighan had a video one time about how he did his tree with EMT. I tried to find it, but couldn't. Might want to send him a message and he can point you to that video/how-to.

Edited November 8, 2014 by Ron Boyd

[mixnight]

What kind of light I can use beside rope lights and CCR for the star, so far I'm using rope light that I cut it to fit at the outer side of the star, this year planing to use 3 ch star, so I will need another 2 lights for the other 2 ch but the rope light is not too benddable and it's not making a good shape of the star for the inner ch.

[jonnyci]

Ron

 

I came across a giant roll of the strapping when I moved into our house about a year and a half ago.  I also have four 8 ft lengths of aluminum channel that was left as well.   I was thinking of using the strapping, doubling it up and then also put cross bracing of the aluminum every 4 feet or so on my tree.   Do you think this would do the trick?

[oilmoney]

Ron

 

I came across a giant roll of the strapping when I moved into our house about a year and a half ago.  I also have four 8 ft lengths of aluminum channel that was left as well.   I was thinking of using the strapping, doubling it up and then also put cross bracing of the aluminum every 4 feet or so on my tree.   Do you think this would do the trick?

I used strapping as well, 3/4" i think. The nice thing about using wood and strapping is that I can adjust the tension of any of the ribbon simply by pulling 2 screws. I built my frame from treated 2x4 and split it in two for ease of installation. When the winds come I just laugh. I used the Brian star as well, looks great.

[iflights]

I would suggest a different media than the strapping if using pixel strips. If using individual nodes, this is the way to do it.

 

 

 

What problems or issues did you find using the strapping as a substrate for a pixel strip?

Edited November 8, 2014 by iflights

[htebault]

I built the 12 CCR tree last year using 3/4" alum square tube. I have sent out the construction pictures to a number of members this past year. Today, I just pulled it out of storage and put it back into service for the November 11th veterans show -  This is the first year to pull it from storage and rebuild it -

I forgot I had labled the CCR cables, so when I assembled the tree - they are not in the correct order - I will re-label now and try to remember next year to look at the lables first.

Everything else went smoothly. We even had a neighbor walk by and help as we were standing the tree - so this work really gets others involved (he might have felt sorry for me as I was on the ladder trying to place the 15" tree with star on top, but help is help.

Tomorrow will be a hot test - setting up the controllers, firing up the two networks and running power to get ready for Tuesday's show.

 

To attach the CCR ribbons - i had used double tape - and carefully zip tied every 4 feet or so.  I am thinking of looking for the clear wrapping material - like kitchen wrap - to use instead of zip ties - has anyone use other methods of attaching the CCR onto a mounting surface ?

[Ron Boyd]

 

 

What problems or issues did you find using the strapping as a substrate for a pixel strip?

 

I used the aluminum c channel for anything that has straight lines. The strapping I used for the counter balance on the back, (see above links for Colormotion Tree) was vibrating so hard with about a 10 mph wind the other day, that it sounded like a Rock-n-Roll drum solo. I would imagine that could have negative impacts on a strip. I have not used an entire strip on anything that flexible. I did however, use it on a spiral tree last year, but it was carefully ziptied to a 3/8" PEX tubing. The tubing was secured by many, many zipties.

 

From my experience, I made the comment, but have never tried it. My pixel trees are done with the Monkhouse version for my 180° tree and Brian's CCP tree for my 360° tree. 

 

 

Ron

 

I came across a giant roll of the strapping when I moved into our house about a year and a half ago.  I also have four 8 ft lengths of aluminum channel that was left as well.   I was thinking of using the strapping, doubling it up and then also put cross bracing of the aluminum every 4 feet or so on my tree.   Do you think this would do the trick?

 

Absolutely. The aluminum channel is rigid enough to have 25 nodes, not strips, on a 4' section for my large Pixel burst. 2, quarter inch bolts hold each arm just fine, even on a straight horizontal line. Using it as a cross member for a 2D tree, I think would keep it rigid enough to keep the strapping from vibrating in the wind.

 

 

What kind of light I can use beside rope lights and CCR for the star, so far I'm using rope light that I cut it to fit at the outer side of the star, this year planing to use 3 ch star, so I will need another 2 lights for the other 2 ch but the rope light is not too benddable and it's not making a good shape of the star for the inner ch.

 

If you're doing RGB, I'm using dumb/basic nodes for mine. I use the same configuration as Brian used on his original CCR Superstar tree. He used LEDs though.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Ron Boyd