jtomason Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Really simple question, really. How do you keep the strings from getting tangled to hell and back? Is it in the method that you put it up and take it down? How do you do so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75redman Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I use a the pulley head with a crank to put the lights up and down 23'. When I raise them up I stretch the strings all the way out. When I lower it, I crank them down about 5' then pull the strings away from the pole. Then another 5' and pull the strings away from the pole. I do this till I can reach the hook head. A little time consuming but nothing gets tangled up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffF Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I use a the pulley head with a crank to put the lights up and down 23'. When I raise them up I stretch the strings all the way out. When I lower it, I crank them down about 5' then pull the strings away from the pole. Then another 5' and pull the strings away from the pole. I do this till I can reach the hook head. A little time consuming but nothing gets tangled up.Exactly what I do here. Works out great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I'll 3rd that method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portcity_gt Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Dont pull it all the way up before attaching to the base, this was my first attempt at a mega tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffF Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I can raise our larger mega-tree all the way up and then attach the strands to the gray PVC frame because the strands are about 4' longer than needed. Our smaller mega-tree will end up like your picture if I try to raise it all the way up. Those strands are just long enough for my needs so they won't stay on the PVC frame without being zip tied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hans Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I have a 12 slice tree. Each slice uses 2 100 bulb strings of three colors (RGB) and each string goes up and down. So that 4 strings of each color per slice or 12 strings total per slice.... 144 total. Yes... they can get tangled into a knot!!! For me, success in setting it up has always come from paying attention to taking it down. While the tree is up and the strands are nice and straight on the tree I loosely zip tie each set of three colors 1/3 down from the top, 2/3 down from the top and at the bottom. This gives me 4 bundles of three per slice. As I detach the strings from the base I gather the 4 bundles for that slice and again loosely zip tie. Now each slice is secured top and bottom. Next year at setup I attach the strings to the hook head, raise it all the way up and each slice is there ice and neat. Grab a slice and cut the big zip tie... I now only have 4 bundles to straighten out (easy) grab one small bundle, cut the zip tie... arrange in the order you want and secure to the base. It takes a few minutes extra prep time during takedown but it now only takes seconds per string to untangle and secure to the base. In fact I just took my mega tree down yesterday and I can easily say setup next year will be a breeze! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffl Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 At the top I have strings zip tied in pairs of 3 to 4 strings. On the base I have every string zip tied to a PVC ring that is in equal chunks of 2-3 sections. My plan this year is to be able to leave the lights attached to the PVC and just roll them up. I'm not sure how it will work but I'm going to give it a shot. I'm with you in that trying to keep 108 string separated makes me furious. I love them when they are done, and don't mind the tear down, but I hate the setup of them with a passion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Well for a taller mega tree it's a little more of a process.Takes two people.33' tall, one climbs up to the top.I have a pulley at the top with a rope.I attach a splice of 8 strands (two mega strands) and pull it to the top. Then it gets attached at the top and connected to the ring at the bottom.Then lower the rope back down for another splice doing this 24 times (192 strands total).It gets way too crazy if we try to do more at a time.All in all, we have it down to about an hour. The same process takes place in reverse order when taking it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 It gets a little busy up top when all are attached. Here are the strands rolled up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Elliott Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Very absolutely insane!Has anyone made a Mega tree using RGB strips?Seems like a better approach to minimize weight and tangle. Thx. Jimbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Very absolutely insane!Has anyone made a Mega tree using RGB strips?Seems like a better approach to minimize weight and tangle. Thx. Jimbo Jimbo,There are RGB strip mega trees out there.It might be less weight/tangle but the look is totally different IMHO.I prefer the "bulb" look. Not the "strip" look. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric walls Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Yikes, after seeing all these posts I hope I'm not going to have a tangled mess. I just have a 10' PVC tree with 16 regular strands. I left them all connected and then at the bottom just used a bungee cord to get them all gathered against the PVC pole. Took the pole down with the lights and then hung it on a few hooks in the garage.I hope when I take them next year they won't be a tangled mess and relative easy to set up. Set the pole with the guy wires and then the strands of lights. This was my first year so I'm in the learning cure. I hope it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Eric, I think you'll be just fine with 16 strands of 10'. If you go with more strands and/or longer strands, that's when things can get complicated depending on the method/process. Think of brushing short hair verses long hair after being outside on a windy day. The longer the hair, the increased chance it gets tangled. I'm a military vet that has grown my hair out, so yes, I can use that example. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 I will post pics of my meg tree when I get to it. I made my first one for last Christmas 2015 out of PVC using the way I say someone on u tube had done. Sorry but I dont remember the site or name. I made it about 11 ft tall usin 16 strands and made it a spiral tree. This year I am Planning on using a Harbor Freight Flag pole. again maybe only going up about 12 to 15 ft. Making a PVC center ring to go around it spread out at a distance yet to be determined as support for the lights. going down and out more at the base with another larger ring to connect the lights to and again making it a spiral tree. I do not plan on going to high with it and figure that when the flag pole is put in the ground 2 to 2 1/2 feet that should be enough to hold it. I am thinking I can fabricate a pulley system for the flag pole to raise the lights to the top and then spread them out and wrap them hopefully without to much trouble maybe if I run them over the center support and then use it to give them about 1/2 a turn around with and then connect the lights that will be on the bottom.. I do not have anyone who can help me do it so I have to use the KISS method on whatever I try to do. sometime this summer I will probably be playing with different things or ides to see how it if it works unless someone has already tried it and found out it doesn't work... LOL I am thinking probably doubling my lights this year and instead of just using 16 strands I am planning on using 32 strands but connected two together so it is still 16 channels. Thoughts and ideas are appreciated as I am still a newbie.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Chuck,I imagine living in Palmdale you can probably get by with the Harbor freight pole. I would keep it at the height you mentioned though and not take it to the full 20 ft. It's just not designed for the extra weight the lights will put on it. I know - they don't weigh anything. Correct, but they can act like a sail in a good wind. Keeping it shorter adds a little strength, so again, 32 strands you should be good. Here in Oklahoma, no way. Snow and ice can triple the weight over night. The pins that hold that pole up will give out. If you plan to fly the flag the rest of the year - go for it. If not, I would not buy it. For less money you can pick up (2) 10ft sections of 1-1/4" galvanized rigid electrical conduit at Home Depot.Just my thoughts and good luck,Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 might check this out too http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/26677-harbor-freight-telescoping-flagpole/page-1#entry251851 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipwdw Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Really simple question, really. How do you keep the strings from getting tangled to hell and back? Is it in the method that you put it up and take it down? How do you do so?like others said, i use crank/pulley/cable to lift the ring the lights are hung on (mega tree head), i use the mega tree stuff from Christmas Light Show. i have the strings pulled out away from the pole, and then crank them up. i also use several people to help the whole process, buying pizza also works. i have pictures on the facebook page - Silver Lake Lights - building the mega tree 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince4xmas Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 I did a 8 strand RGB 16' flat tree last year. Very bright! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 (edited) I will probably go with a JUMP pole or Galvanized.. Here in Palmdale we do get winds as high as 60 mph a lot of times... 30, 40 mph is really common for us here. I don't really have to worry a lot about snow and ice even though we do get both at times its not as bad as Okla and Tex. I grew up along the N. Tex. Border in the Lake Texhoma area so I know how it gets there. I haven't researched it but is there and good directions around for a JUMP spiral pole, I know I need to have guide wires from top to bottom ring to keep lights out so I can Spiral them down .. Does anyone have any tricks they want to share about doing that? Edited May 25, 2015 by Old Sarge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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