Take down tips for newbies

[Jim Hans]

I thought it would be a good idea to put up some tips on taking the display down so that newbies... And old timers too... Could use. Here are some.....

- test everything before you take it down for repair in the off season. Setup time next year isn't the time for repairs.

- make sure everything is clean and dry before you put it away. Dirt holds moisture and moisture kills!

- take a lot of detailed pictures of this year's setup... You will not remember next year.

Other tips?

[iflights]

Great topic.  My submission:

 

- Number & label each container and maintain an inventory of whats stored where.  Makes finding items super simple during the off season if you need to get to them.

[wbaker4]

If you use strings of lights, roll them in a ball.  It makes it much easier to use next season!  Start with the socket end and roll it.  Use a zip tie to tie it.  You can plug it in next season to test, before you unroll it!

 

Label  your communication cables - where they are used, what they are plugged in to.

 

Make a map of the location of your controllers and how the cables are routed.

 

Note the power source feeding each of your controllers.

 

Make sure your labels for each fixture/prop are in place and not worn off.

Edited December 30, 2014 by wbaker4

[Santas Helper]

Actually, you should know what needs repaired before the end of the show season. No need for testing if it's running. So make note. But good point.

And as mentioned take many pics.

Also, write down what you put up something and when.

Time management!!! a big player when it comes to crunch time if weather gets bad. Gives you an idea of what you did in the past and work off that.

Label wire bundles to what went where. North roof, south lawn, east mini trees, red mega tree.

Mark each connector the channel for that bundle.

And one last time, take pics. Many different directions. It helps a bunch.

[Santas Helper]

Oh, and if you know mice are around in the shop/storage, put anything with wires/lights in plastic storage totes. You will do lots of repairs when the season comes up if you don't. I learned that this year.

[Max-Paul]

Unless your a natural. Dont make your marks permanent. Took me a few years to get things settled in. I do mark things like my cat 5 cables. On one end I put what controller it is plugged into and then the same at the other end at the other controller. I daisy chain my power from controllers so I do the same with the SPT wire running between controllers. Mind you I am 100% LED and using both 16 ga and 18 ga wire and branching several times from the first controller that is feed with 12 ga wire I can do this. Do not try this at home unless you have the equipment to take load measurements.  

[EARLE W. TALLEY]

Take a picture of the display in the day time and use it in the Visualizer and overlay your pops. This will get you a more realistic layout of your display for next year.

Edited December 30, 2014 by EARLE W. TALLEY

[Grinch]

As mentioned above.

LABEL extension cords especially if you made your own custom length SPT cables.

Mark both ends with the controller number and  channel number.  If you have multiple cables laying across the ground together, either tie wrap them or velcro then together and then roll up in one bundle.  When you get 3500 or 4000 feet of extension cables out there its tough to remember and sort out which one went where a year later.  Take note of how many strings of light went on each element.  As your trees, bushes grow you might need more lights, so buy extras during the pre sales .  

[Ron Boyd]

Remember the big elements that took the most time to set up this year. Pixel Trees, Mega Trees, bursts and such. Do those first next year.

 

If using any type of RGB, label what the voltage is, 5v or 12v, whether it's RGB, BGR or GRB, etc. Label all controllers with IP addresses and what they are used for.

[Denny]

Many of these tips are great IF you set your show up the same each year.  I like to change things up each year so marking cable ends doesn't really help me.  What I like to do is label the wires/cables with lengths.  What works well is those flat, little plastic tabs that they put on bread, buns, etc. and a paint pen.  Same thing with the controllers, I label the outside of the box with the controller ID as well as the type controller and or power supply contained inside.  Amperage handling capability used to help too, since some of my controllers have the heavy heat sinks and others don't.  Not as important now, though, since I have pretty much transitioned to 100% LED.

[SparkDr]

Lots of great advice here that I still managed to ignore in my first year of take down (last year).  Instead, I threw all of my extension cords (unlabeled, of course) into a jumbo tote and chucked all of my light strings into the bathtub to thaw before piling them into totes of their own.  What a knotted up, tangled up, disorganized mess for setup this year, and I vowed to never let it happen again.  This year, thanks to wonderfully mild weather on the weekend immediately after Christmas, I am already packed up and properly stored.  With my electrical background, I find wire marker books to be my favorite choice for labeling.  Another thing I've already noticed about proper take down is that I am already looking forward to next year whereas last year's hasty pack up had me dreading and postponing setup (and even sequencing) for this year.  SO LISTEN UP, NEWBIES!  Don't be a SparkDr!  SparkDr makes bad decisions and is a notoriously slow learner.  HEED THE ADVICE GIVEN BY THESE GREAT PEOPLE HERE!

Edited December 30, 2014 by SparkDr

[wbaker4]

In addition to writing the controller ID, I also write the firmware version on the controllers as well.  That way I know whether or not to apply an update before it gets installed next season.

[jeffandnicole]

After several years of putting away short extension cords, I found this works best for me:

 

Lay out all similar size cords together.  Using a typical Rubbermaid storage bin, take 8 - 10 of the extension cords, loosely loop them inside, then take a newspaper or add page to go over them, then do the next 8 - 10. 

 

Next year, you'll  be able to quickly grab each bunch, and they're a lot easier to untangle.  Added bonus - the bins don't get overly heavy.  Yes, you many need an extra bin or two via this method, but it's well worth it!

[Santas Helper]

After several years of putting away short extension cords, I found this works best for me:

 

Lay out all similar size cords together.  Using a typical Rubbermaid storage bin, take 8 - 10 of the extension cords, loosely loop them inside, then take a newspaper or add page to go over them, then do the next 8 - 10. 

 

Next year, you'll  be able to quickly grab each bunch, and they're a lot easier to untangle.  Added bonus - the bins don't get overly heavy.  Yes, you many need an extra bin or two via this method, but it's well worth it!

I've been using that method for more than 20 years for my light strands. Works very well.

[smallcrpt]

Cord management is paramount. In my third year I didn't pack up nearly or label boxes. Ugh, many an hour trying you figure it out

[Santas Helper]

Cord management is paramount.

That's a major key right there.

[BryanZ]

Label everything and use smaller bins. Larger bins can be a wonderful workout tool, especially when you put them up in the attic and they are full of lights and electrical cords. Shorter clear plastic bins make for a lighter load but more trips but also have the added bonus of your being able to remember at a glance what is in them and where it goes. 

 

Another fantastic time saving tool is to put the icicle lights on PVC poles and attach them onto the roof that way. It made life so much easier not only for the install but the tear down. As an added bonus the lights will remain straight.

[Old Sarge]

I have kept many of my eve/ outline lights on PVC for years... just hang them on hooks and plug them in..

 

extension cords are separated by length/ approximate length. rolled in groups of 4 and layered in my plastic tote boxes. and as someone else did I put a layer or newspaper between groups to make separating them easier.

 

USB cables etc. are no problem, just mark by length and I store them In plastic zip lock baggies, my large ext cords I use off and on all year so many are not stored at all but just rolled up and on hooks in my garage so I can use them when I need them.. some are rolled and stored in totes by length,

 

I have also at times in the past wrapped my ice cycle lights with Saran(spelling) wrap. the clear plastic freezer wrap as some would call it on the PVC to help keep it from getting tangled so easy.

 

I put a sock filled with something like salt in it in my totes to help keep the moisture content down especially when I lived in a high humidity area.. 

 

mice and rats... no problem... my cats take care of them for me. I have never had that problem..

 

all my controllers are numbered on the outside corner as weel as the inside of the lid... 01, 02, 03 etc. 

cords that are used just for certain connections for a certain controller are marked.. 01-02, 01-03,, 04- 05, etc. makes it easy to remember what they go to unless I put controller in a different location and changes the length for the cord from that controller .

[mpageler]

I'm expanding my display tremendously for 2015.  As I'm building the elemetn, keeping in mind, hanging optionsw for quick install/take down. Trying to eleminate having to screw stuff in every year.  Instead, use hanging options like keyhole hangers, etc..

[Vince4xmas]

Rubbermaid totes

Labels

Pictures

Detailed drawings/layouts

Store indoors

 

That works for me.