How big should a leaping arch be?

[EmmienLightFan]

I am going to get some 5m digital LEDs, but I am not sure how big of an arch 5m would be. Would I be able to get two 2.5m arches out of 5m?

What is the best material for the frame to be constructed out of? Would ordinary PVC pipe be good?

 

I saw something on the internet about utting it in some clear tube facing down, and that way it will look like the whole thing is lighting up. This looks good, as it will make bending the strip easier, as they only bend in certain directions.

[Dave Batzdorf]

Most of use black 3/4" thin wall irrigation pvc pipe for the wrap and a length of 1/2" grey pvc for the actual arch.  This sleeve method works the best for troubleshooting and storage.  You'll just have to experiment on what length each sleeve needs to be for a 7 segment arch, again the most common.  All this is IMO....

[jimswinder]

I think Emminent is talking about using ribbons...I use clear 1" IPEX for my strips...I cut each ribbon down to 40 pixels making each arch 13 feet long and standing about 4 feet high with a distance of about 10 feet from each end

Edited December 23, 2014 by jimswinder

[k6ccc]

My arches are built using 3/4 PEX with CCPs.  Each arch is 10 feet long with the lit portion being 8 feet, leaving 1 foot on each end to slip over rebar beat into the ground to keep the arch in place.  Each arch has 50 Cosmic Color Pixels on 2 inch spacing.  The arches are 80 inches long along the ground.  There is about 4 inches of overlap at ground level so the point where the lit portion starts on each arch is right next to the end of the lit portion of the previous arch.

 

If you are going to attach strip to the outside of the pipe, PVC is fine, but if you are going to put the strip inside the pipe, PVC really dulls the light and changes the color.  Most of us use PEX instead (the stuff plastic milk cartons are made of - only thicker).

[EmmienLightFan]

Will these two products work with DMX dimmers on the same network (I'm new to DMX)?

Can I make two leaping arches out of them?

 

 

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