Newb with a Twist

[tscheifler]

Instead of creating a show for my house, I want to create a show for a straight chain link fence that is 4 ft high x 350 ft wide (long). The fence is located on the other side of the street from my house so I will probably be limited to a single extension cord up, over and down to provide power.

In what specific ways should I think about this differently than doing a house?

Any and all advice appreciated.

[Orville]

Won't be much of a show, because one extension cord to a controller would only be one channel.  Unless I'm missing something, but when I ran lights to a fence, 8 strands, I used 8 channels and had quite a few extension cords running from the lights to the controller.{more than the number of light strands to reach the controller and make it all work smoothly}.

 

Now if you're using RGB lights, I still believe you're goning to need much more than one extension cord.

 

Not exactly sure what you're trying to do, how many strands of lights or you planning on running along the fence?  And if you're planning on animating them to music per chance, you're going to need to break them up into segments so not all are turning on/off all at the same time, otherwise, likestated in the aforementioned, you'd only be using one channel and that just really wouldn't be all that interesting to watch.

 

I  think you'd be better off actually decorating your home and setting your display up where you can do so much more than trying to just run a strand of lights and one cored along a fence line.

 

But that's just me and how I'd opt to do it.

Edited September 10, 2015 by Orville

[tscheifler]

Thanks Orville. I'm thinking I can mount one or more controllers to the fence and power the controllers from the single extension cord (and the lights from the controllers). Yes? No?

[Jim Hans]

It depends on how much power you are bringing over on the extension cord and what kind of lights you are running to determine how many controllers you can run from it.  If you are bringing over 20 amps and running all LED you could run a lot of lights and a lot of channels off of that. 

 

Your show would be somewhat limited as there is not a lot you can do running lights up and down a fence line but hey.... blinking lights are blinking lights... go for it!

[Kapkirk]

Hows about using an easy light linker and LED;s to a controller, that would all work from one extension cord.

 

Keith

[EmmienLightFan]

Unless you have loads of channels, it will be quite boring.

 

Why not look at pixels? Turning a fence into a giant LED screen would be impressive.

[jstorms]

If you had a good extension cord you could run quite a few LEDs. LOR controllers on the side with the fence. 

 

I had a neighbor that did wire-frames on top of a stone fence and it looked great. There is alot you can do with a 2d surface. Mozart's here in Austin (done by Darren Vader) is essentially a 2d show and very popular

 

 

Above, pixels were mentioned. Below is what alot of money can buy you for a pixel fence. Not cheap and can be challenginging.

[tscheifler]

Thanks everyone.  I will have a dedicated 20 amp circuit.  I'll look at the linker, that could be very handy.  CCRs or pixels would be ideal but, like a lot of newbs, the first year budget won't cover the cost of getting enough of them.  I think we'll start with CTB16 x 2 (ShowTime Central + 1 controller) and various dumb LEDs.  I'm hoping 32 channels will be enough to make it interesting if we use enough lights per channel -- like a 30 in snowflake or similar per channel.  Feel free to tell me if you think it's a bad idea (and why).

Edited September 12, 2015 by tscheifler

[Old Sarge]

Have you thought of the possibility of possibly having some static displays with it and possibly the fence set to resemble piano keys being played..

 

dont worry about trying to have a really big show the first few times out... Just take your time. think about what you/ the wife and kids if you have them there would like. Do It For Fun... Not as Work or to try to Impress anyone... Make it fun for you and yours and the rest will follow.

 

You said the fence is across the road.... Dont run ext cords on the road to cross it... but if you have a culvert,etc. you may get by with running one threw it ... unless your power is on the other side of the road already..

 

Also be aware that with length ext cords do drop power..

[George Simmons]

I don't know about cars, but I think if there's chickens crossing the road, THEY might be confused by the extension cord. Unless you use a blue one. Then the chickens will be okay. They don't care much for blue.

[EmmienLightFan]

You could the the cord to something high up. Running a cross the road is bad.

[Dcroc]

I don't know about cars, but I think if there's chickens crossing the road, THEY might be confused by the extension cord. Unless you use a blue one. Then the chickens will be okay. They don't care much for blue.

 

They actually have glasses for chickens that blind them to the color red.  I'm not even making this up.  Chicken glasses~!!!

[Mega Arch]

I will be running 15,000 plus lights on 10 controllers and using 13 amps total. I know this by utilizing a controller calculator. Rick has a good one here:

http://www.quartzhillchristmas.com/12.html

After you know your total amps, since you are somehow going to get the power across the street, you will need to be sure you have the power. I'm talking about voltage drop as Chuck mentioned above. Voltage drop is typically only good for operating down about 6%. 120Volt example - 6% loss = about 113 volts. You may have a problem with just "1 cord up and over" if you don't know how to compensate for the drop.

Example - Where you plug this 1 cord into is not the starting point. You need to guestimate how far from that receptacle it is back to your breaker box. So I'm guessing for this example and using 100 ft. Now, plugged in at your house, then "up and over", guessing 100 ft extension cord. So you are going to have 200 ft total over power to the first controller. If you are going to try for 20 amps, to allow for voltage drop, you will need an 8 awg extension cord, which is not practical. So, if you use a 10 awg extension cord, you could run a 15 amp circuit with only 5.25% loss and get your controller(s) working.

So know your load, or back it down, before trying this "new twist".

Keep it safe & no fires.

**Notes/disclaimers: All ampacity values are taken from the Section of 310-15 of the NEC. The conductor characteristics are taken from Table 9 of the NEC. The calculations used to determine the recommended conductor sizes for branch circuits are based on 60°C ampacity ratings for circuits rated 100 amps or less or marked for use with #14 AWG - #1 AWG. Circuits rated over 100 amps or marked for conductors larger than #1 AWG are determined using 75°C ampacity ratings. Calculations to determine service and feeder conductor sizes are based on overcurrent device ratings rather than actual expected loads which are conservative and may yield oversized conductors. No calculations take into account temperature correction factors or conductor de-rating. & most importantly - user uses information supplied at own risk as I'm not liable in anyway.

[robongar]

They actually have glasses for chickens that blind them to the color red.  I'm not even making this up.  Chicken glasses~!!!

Yes, you are correct. If I remember correctly. It's to stop them pecking each other if they see blood.

[indi]

Yep, put thousands on chickens. Chicken will peck at red. Used to put red Prince Albert tobacco cans in the chicken houses to try to keep them from pecking a wounded chicken to death. Then they came out with the little plastic glasses, really blinders, so they could only see to the sides. Wow!! I'm old. LOL At least when they first came out.

Edited September 13, 2015 by indi

[tscheifler]

The extension cord will cross at 22ft above street-level.  Planning to use 10 awg extension cord to minimize voltage drop but I'll still need to measure/monitor it as we proceed.

I like the idea of piano keys ... we'll give that some thought.

15,000 lights on 13 amps?  That's encouraging!  And thanks for the link to the calculator.  "No fires" -- a good motto

[EmmienLightFan]

You could look at SWA cable and braided cable. They can carry much more power and are better for long distance.

[rainyoregonchristmas]

Sooooo no one emphasized the issues with a chain link fence.  What about voltage leak in to the fence when everything is wet.  The fence will act just like Tomato Cage Mini Trees and will/could easily trip your GFCI.  So, if it's wet in your area, consider that a fence may not be the best place to put lights.  Though strings of lights look fairly water proof, at every junction where there's a light or a connector there is a place to let water in.  That water getting in then conducting current into the near by metal fence is what will trip your circuit.  It could be a huge point of frustration to you. 

 

-RainyOregonchiStmaS

[tscheifler]

Thanks Rainy. I had no idea this could be an issue. I'm in Missouri so it will be cold and often wet. The chain link has thick paint on it so I wonder if the risk is significantly reduced?

[Orville]

I'd think it depends on the paint and how thickly coated it is on the fence.  

 

Also to help keep water out of connections such as female ends for string to string connections and male/female pass through plugs at the beginning of most light strands, I use those child proof outlet caps, I paint the unpronged side flat black using a cheap can of Wal-Mart flat black spray paint.  

 

One can painted over 1,500 child proof outlet covers.   

 

Why paint them flat black? 

 

Because they are a fluorescent white plastic and light reflects off them, especially if you do Halloween and use black lighting{incandescent or L.E.D.'s} then they really show up even worse!   So best to paint the backs a flat black {the non-pronged side of them} to prevent this.

 

I insert them into the unused female ends on all cords, light/L.E.D. strands, extension cords, even the controller unused dangles, it helps keep GFCI trips way down, as well as water, dirt or mud from getting inside the female plugs!  

 

They work very well and have been serving me reliably in my display for 5 years now.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Orville