What to do with my 8-year-old Pixel Tree

[Steven]

What's the best way to solve this problem with an 8-year-old pixel tree?

This pixel tree has been working fine since I built it in 2014, but this year it had several failures, which is to be expected from pixels this old in rainy weather. I have 3 options:

 

1. Continue to use it as-is, and replace the pixels as they go bad. This is the path I took in 2021, but I'm worried the failures will get out of control this year.

 

2. Replace all the pixels on the tree. I bought a couple of strings from Wired Watts, and they work well. I would buy 24 more strings, and redo every branch, switching to xConnect connectors at the same time, since my old connectors are starting to corrode, and aren't standard anyway.

 

3 Redesign the whole tree. I'm asking this group because I'm thinking maybe there's a better way. The current tree is designed like this:

 

The base is a mega tree kit from ChristmasLightShow.com, with the topper with 24 hooks.

Each branch is 1/2" EMT conduit in 2 pieces: 10' and 7'. The 10' section has 27 pixels and the 7' section has 23 pixels. The pixels are attached to the conduit with wire ties. The 2 pieces are connected with an EMT coupling.

Each branch has a loop on the top that can be rotated so the pixels point at the viewers. The tricky part is holding the poles from the ground and getting the loop over the hook.

The branches are attached to the ground with a length of dowel with a metal spike on the end that slides into the conduit.

I'm wondering if there is a better way. What other pixel tree designs work well?

[ItsMeBobO]

Wish I could see the pictures Steven

[Steven]

Try this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bfhysbtoDbgHgG3P8

Go to the last (newest) 8 pictures.

[dibblejr]

I also have the old CLS winch system. I used it for my LED 24' MT and when I retired the MT modified the hook head for my ccr tree.

I modified my boat trailer dolly so that my wife could help me lower the emt conduit. As I lowered the winch she would walk it back. Works great.

When my emt couplers started breaking I ordered 16- straight 20' lengths of emt. Now there is no more slop. The extra 4' is at the base. 

If you do not have a dolly you can use pvc pipe or any pipe. Place the ends of the emt on the pipe laying on the ground and slowly let the tree down moving the pipe as needed. I found 3" pvc or larger works great. I use this method moving my 50x24 ' storage barn. Sometime you have to get creative.

Looking at you pics I do not see a winch.

To add, I use a trampoline base at the bottom. Spacing is perfect due to the pre drilled spring holes.

JR

Edited January 10, 2022 by dibblejr

[Steven]

17 hours ago, dibblejr said:

IWhen my emt couplers started breaking I ordered 16- straight 20' lengths of emt. Now there is no more slop. The extra 4' is at the base.

Looking at you pics I do not see a winch.

If I understand you correctly, you also tie the square pixels to EMT, but you use a winch to raise all the branches at one time. Do you have a picture of this?

I lift the trunk and make it plumb first. Then I fasten the EMT couplers to make 17' branches. I connect 2 together, tilt them up, and carefully put the loop over the hook on the top of the tree. I can do this myself, but it's easier with 2 people. The branches go up 1 or 2 at a time, not all at once.

My storage shed is only 12' long. I have no place to store a 20' pole.

[dibblejr]

4 hours ago, Steven said:

If I understand you correctly, you also tie the square pixels to EMT, but you use a winch to raise all the branches at one time. Do you have a picture of this?

I lift the trunk and make it plumb first. Then I fasten the EMT couplers to make 17' branches. I connect 2 together, tilt them up, and carefully put the loop over the hook on the top of the tree. I can do this myself, but it's easier with 2 people. The branches go up 1 or 2 at a time, not all at once.

My storage shed is only 12' long. I have no place to store a 20' pole.

I use ribbons, they are now on their 6th year. Shoot me a cell number on PM and I can text you some pics. I never uploaded them anywhere normally i share pics that way.

Both of my holiday storage buildings are long. However if you have a place large enough and some trees you can store emt outside an hangers. I did share pics on here a while back with some cool fishing rod hangers mounted to store emt.

JR

[Little_b]

I had a similar conundrum with my matrix a couple years ago.  I built it in sections as it got bigger over the course of about 3 years.  Each year certain areas flickered constantly, I was replacing pixels or even entire strands trying to find the bad pixel.  I ended up buying all new pixels made to custom length from Ray Wu.  I did this so there was only one soldered contact point with the connectors, rather than 2 or 3 connecting shorter strands together. It also helped to make sure the colors were the same.  With different strands from different batches and years, the colors (esp white) were not all the same.  I even re-did the way the control boxes were built, and this year was the 3rd year since the rebuild, and I haven't had any major issues, just a bad power supply at the beginning of the season (Halloween) that was easily replaced.  Keep in mind I use it from October through Easter for the main holiday of each month.

Long winded answer made short:  If you're starting to constantly chase down bad pixels, just replace them with high quality pixels.  They are much cheaper now then when they first came out.