stewartmatte Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Hey guys, need recommendations. Doing spiral tree this year,15' tall, what is your preferences, and difference, between 1.5 spirals, 2 spirals, maybe even 2.5 or 3 spirals. I've researched a lot but no post or videos say how many spirals,only height and base size and light count. Any help and maybe example videos would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 (edited) When I did mine, I used a spiral tree calculator that was floating around at the time and it said with 50 ct lights and my 10' tall x 5' diameter base, I'd get approximately1.5 turns. That's what I used and the tree looks great. I'm a big fan of spiral trees and I doubt you would go wrong with just about any choice. Having said that, I feel like you should stay at two spirals or less. There comes a point, and I'm not certain where that point is, when I fear the unique and graceful look of the tree might become muddled with an over-abundance of lights obscuring the actual shape and movement. YMMV Edited February 2, 2015 by George Simmons 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Arch Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Hey guys, need recommendations. Doing spiral tree this year,15' tall, what is your preferences, and difference, between 1.5 spirals, 2 spirals, maybe even 2.5 or 3 spirals. I've researched a lot but no post or videos say how many spirals,only height and base size and light count. Any help and maybe example videos would be much appreciated.Here's some good reading -----http://forums.lightorama.com/uploads/imported/258676=14280-SilverdaleLightsSpiralMegaTreeConstructionGuide.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartmatte Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 Thanks I appreciate it. Can't wait to build my display and post videos. Last year I had 16 channels and 10,300 lights. Just wanted to tip my toe into the water and spend first year figuring stuff out. Decent display I'd guess for never doing this before and getting first controller weekend before December lol. I spent 3 weeks straight staying up till 3 am to sequence. Well, I'm beyond hooked. I bought an additional 40,000 lights and first sale will order 3 maybe 4 more controllers. Hopefully double every year after. Everyone in the forum has been very helpful and shout out to all the veterans of this lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james campbell Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I did a spiral tree two years ago, I did not have any luck using the calculator like George used( probably operator error) My tree is 10 feet tall 6 foot base, I think I used 2 twist. I found trial and error the was the way for me to get the effect I was after. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grinch Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 As George stated, if you get over the 1.5-2 spirals then the shape will be muddle and there will be to many lights ON and you will lose the effect of the spiral. Keep it simple and play with different lighting effects in the sequence. Spiral trees are great when done correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfing4Dough Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 No sense reinventing the wheel here, so read these posts below. Here are some posts that I have made on the topic:http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/20218-sprial-tree/#entry192103 http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/19130-mega-tree-or-sprial-tree/?p=177832(follow the multiple replies it this thread for more details) Here is the construction guide referenced in that thread (also mentioned above):http://forums.lightorama.com/uploads/imported/258676=14280-SilverdaleLightsSpiralMegaTreeConstructionGuide.pdf Here is the spiral calculator George referenced:http://www.lightsonsixth.com/stuff/spiraltreespreadsheet-97.xls Other posts on the topic of my spiral tree construction: http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/22263-mega-tree-rings/#entry212248 http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/19130-mega-tree-or-sprial-tree/#entry177896 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I do two spiral trees. 15 feet tall each. 16 strings wrapped 1.5 times, CW and 16 wrapped CCW. Both trees run off two controllers on the first tree but the second tree is electrically connected to the second tree with SPT1 cords, but CW and CCW are reversed on the second tree from the first. The result is a dancing effect to each other for the price of only two controllers. Yes, I could buy two more controllers and run the second tree on its own too but not at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 share.northjerseylights.com/for_chuck/ my shared sequences and my spiral tree can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6rQS92LcPWUXsSF1WR3hkw I went just one around on mine It is 11 ft tall and two color using 8 channels for each color. Was also my first year with LOR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightzilla Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 (edited) I to had two spiral/regular mega tree combos. Each tree was 32 channels. 16 channels were for the mega tree part & 16 channels for the spirals The spiral ran CW & CCW. Both tree were 11.5 feet high. I wrapped the 70 count strings around (it was either 1.5 times or 2 times tops). I ran both trees at the same time, doing the same effects, but the second tree was running in a different direction. It looked like dancing (dueling trees)trees. However, to keep things interesting I sometimes made one tree spiral while the other was doing some mega tree spina-rama-moves. Sometimes I left one tree off to let one tree do some effects then all eyes look to that tree, then I left it off & the other tree did some effects & all eyes were affixed to it. Then both trees do there thing at the same time. I liked doing the combo because I like the mega trees to rock during the "fast guitar playing" sections. Sure gets the peoples attention. I try to sequence using a point 10 or a bit higher grid rather than .05 on Christmas songs, or non-Christmas songs where fast guitar playing is involved, (that way I can subdivide certain sections of the song were the guitars are fast ) otherwise I do use 0.5 The funny thing is that when I introduced the 12 ccr Matrix in 2013 & 2014 seasons those other display items meant very little now (to the people) because all eyes were focused on that Matrix. (glued to it like a TV screen, like they were watching the NHL playoffs). Oh & our small yard didn't help. That is why I am going to try & add sing trees to help offset all the attention that will be on the ccr or pixel string Tree that is coming for this Christmas season. Edited May 2, 2015 by lightzilla 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 I am thinking of maybe adding a second (16 channel) spiral tree this year and possible a mega with straight lights,,, no spirals on it between them and have them on one controller two spiraling in opposite directions and the single 16 channel in the center.... i dont know how it woll look or if i will even attempt it yet.. I use 1 strand Doubled in hall of 200 lights for each channel on one tree so it would be like running three strands on a channel so it should be ok I think. Also with the spiral going 1 wrap the mega would be taller using strand doubled I am a newbie so still experimenting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrock_at_rons Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 The funny thing is that when I introduced the 12 ccr Matrix in 2013 & 2014 seasons those other display items meant very little now (to the people) because all eyes were focused on that Matrix. (glued to it like a TV screen, like they were watching the NHL playoffs). Oh & our small yard didn't help. That is why I am going to try & add sing trees to help offset all the attention that will be on the ccr or pixel string Tree that is coming for this Christmas season. I always wondered if I was the only one that noticed this. I love the idea of the matrixes and CCR trees (my kids have been asking for one since two of the other guys in town got them), but I've always felt they take so much away from the display overall. I don't know if its the brightness or what, but the CCR trees and matrixes just seem to overpower everything else in the display. I watch see these homes with beautiful displays and thousands of lights, but then leave wondering why I just spent the past 30 minutes watching an 8-bit Christmas special on his CCR tree (not to mention it was the same 'Let it Go' CCR sequence from the previous house). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I noticed too that when I added the pixel tree last year, all attention is now on it. I could probably forget everything else and the people watching wouldn't notice too much...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsusie Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I'm using CCRs for the first time this year as a matrix on my roof. SO far I've only been using the visualizer. But after the first song my wife & I realized that it was taking away from everything else. So I went back and reworked the matrix lights so that they weren't the only show to watch. Instead I try to use them to accent my other lights. Then occasionally at spots in the song that are perfect for them I will put the attention to the matrix and use our other lights as backup to the matrix. I've tried doing the matrix first then going back and doing the regular lights and also doing the regular lights first followed by the matrix. Not sure which way is best -- have done 3 songs so far so still working on the best way. I've tried working both at the same time but found I used the matrix more heavily in those circumstances. It may also come down to individual song as to which way. I have also done a song where the matrix will be the headliner and everything else will coordinate with that. I agree that if the matrix or tree is doing all the animation then nobody will be paying attention to everything else going on. Definitely a learning curve as to how to incorporate different lighting technologies together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericg2000 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 i'm beginning to build my spiral tree as we speak. i'm going to have 8 channels cw and 8 channels ccw. i'm thinking it will look best if looking at the front of the tree (say from the street) i will start my cw from the right side of the tree and the ccw from the left side. how does everyone else do their set up? at first i was thinking i would start the both in the front but then after thinking about it i decided it might not look good like that. thanks for the input ahead of time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 As I mentioned before, I do 16 spirals both directions therefore 32 strings. I do go all 360 degrees. I suppose you could do side to front setup but creating a true spiral would be difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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