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Need ideas for BIG stuff


chuckd

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Our house is a bit different from others out there in that viewers of our display are at least 200 feet away. That means everything we do has to be big (can't do mini trees, small stars, etc). I was thinking of leaping arches over the driveway, but the driveway is 1/4 mile long, and we often get large trucks coming up it this time of year, which means that the arches would have to be 20 plus feet tall at the top. Huge effort, I'd have to believe.

So I was looking for suggestions for BIG stuff. Some people are pushing me to make the Mega Tree 50+ feet tall next year, which makes my brain hurt trying to conceptualize how to build that! We are also considering multiple Mega Trees configured to look like mini trees.

Mind me borrowing some neurons here? You guys rock, and if anybody knows how to do this stuff, you all definitely would!

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4' mini trees will show up at 200'. The picture below is at about 60' and the house about 100'. The road is about 600' and they show up OK. A lot of people watch from the road instead of driving down the lane. The larger trees by the house are made with a simple a 8' 2x4 frame with four 100 count strings making up 4 wedges that are individually controlled. I have 4 colors of four wedges each for 1600 lights per tree. I am considerinmg going to 12' trees next year. These are easily made, including lights, in about an hour.

I know what you mean about being a bit back from the road. Things do need to be a bit bigger, but these places are usually away from a lot of other lights, so a little light is seen from a long way off.


Attached files 146210=8604-house_1.JPG

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  • 2 weeks later...

u have to do mini trees they look awsome maybe make them little bigger then normal like putting 2 mator cages together and raping 500 100ct lights on them they should look okay for there i have my house setting back some 200 ft or so or less and i have some 30 mini trees they look awsome form the road.

i would go ahead and try and make some mini trees for the display.

just a idea you dont have to do it but just a idea for ya.:(

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I'm in a similar situation, only we are 700 feet from the road...and slightly below the road level...I'm really inclined to put some large 2D trees laying flat on the roof and also some wording...has anyone figured out letter heights and thicknesses and how readable they are (or not) from certain distances?

We have found that (at least with the mini lights) that only white is visible at that distance. The other colors are so dim as to not be noticeable. I'm not sure if LEDs would be a better choice in the color dept.

Tonight i quickly made a tree that was 12' high and 8' wide at the bottom and outlined it with all green C9's...its ok, but not very bright at that distance. It will be better when the interior is filled.

My current thought is a roll of wire fencing and having the letters be 4' tall and nearly that wide as well...tying the lights to the wire and then rolling it out across the roof.

I'm open to suggestions!

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I'd love to be that far away... I wouldn't have been limited to a 52' mega-tree!!

Our approach to the mega-tree was fairly easy, but was on the expensive side. I've got pictures on the picture page on website... andrewschristmas.com

Randall

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Yep, that's why I contacted you about your Mega Tree, it inspired me! I'm just kicking around how big to go next year. It will be an additional mega tree across the yard from my existing 22 foot tree (probably 200 feet away from the other). Right now, I'm considering a 60 foot tower with strands connected at about the 56 foot mark. It will require 224 channels on it's own.

I think that with adding the flat parts of the roof with horizontal strands, the yard the same way, along with leaping arches and a couple of more trees wrapped, plus the giant mega, I'll be in good shape for next year.

I considered arching the driveway, but it's 1/4 mile long, and I'd have to make the arches large enough to clear a semi truck, due to the occasional deliveries that we get here. That's a bit beyond what I want to get involved in at this point.

I also thought about 10 mini trees that would be actually 15 feet tall (mini mega trees). From 800 feet, they would appear small, and might work OK. Currently though, I lean towards a few large multi-channel 'wow' effects instead of many smaller, simpler items. It seems important to get a feeling of 'movement' with the music, rather than flashing everything all over the place at the same time.

Chuck

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I did Dueling Banjos last year and this year had over 100 people request that I put it back for next year. The sound is bad but if you go to YouTube and key word Ridge Harbor Christmas you can get and idea. That was with 268 channels. In 2008 will have almost 600 so it should really hop.

Oh and be prepared to spend a long time sequencing it and falling asleep at least half a dozen times in the beginning!!:shock:

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I almost did Dueling Jingle Bells by US Navy Band... I was working on editing it down... Really don't like anything slow... I like the show to have pretty fast pace with lots of movements and color changes

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Let me tell you people did not mind the slow part in fact they thought it was pretty neat. I would be in the back of the house and hear the people cheer every night. Only thing is this year I think I will do it twice during the show and maybe they will leave sooner rather than waiting to watch it again.

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Since we are talking about Dueling Banjos, does anybody have a link where I can get a clean, short MP3 file of it? Alot I have seen are pretty long, and are quiet in recording.

Thanks, chuck

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Dueling banjo-LOR neighbors would be a fun idea if they were close enough together. None of my neighbors are using computer control.......... yet.

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