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After 5 Years And It Finally Happened


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Guest wbottomley

After 5 years of a synchronized display, the wind claimed one mega tree. We had gusts near 50 today and a guy wire snapped.

I'll have pictures tomorrow of the destruction.

Hoping I can get it back up and running by tomorrow night.

That feeling of a huge lump in my stomach is a reality now.

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Mountainwxman wrote:

After 5 years of a synchronized display, the wind claimed one mega tree. We had gusts near 50 today and a guy wire snapped.

I'll have pictures tomorrow of the destruction.

Hoping I can get it back up and running by tomorrow night.

That feeling of a huge lump in my stomach is a reality now.
William,

I hate to hear that. Setting up the first time is one thing but setting the second time in a rush is a different kind of pressure.

Good luck with it. What type of material did you use for the wire? Did the wire break or pull the anchor out of the ground?

Charles
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Guest wbottomley

Charles... it's a heavy duty 6 strand wire that has never been a problem. The wire just snapped in half.

The anchors I use are the mobile home kind that's 30-36 inches long. Needless to say the anchor is still there.

Just glad I took advantage of Lowes 50% off and bought enought lights to make another tree.

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Mountainwxman wrote:

Charles... it's a heavy duty 6 strand wire that has never been a problem. The wire just snapped in half.

The anchors I use are the mobile home kind that's 30-36 inches long. Needless to say the anchor is still there.

Just glad I took advantage of Lowes 50% off and bought enought lights to make another tree.
William,

I own a production company in Dallas and I have rigged many things both around the public and over their heads for concerts, special events, etc.

What you described is a pretty serious matter and it had to take a big straight line wind to do that kind of damage. Over the years I have seen many ground anchors pulled out of the ground by big winds and it is never a pretty sight.

I am glad that is all of the damage you incurred and hope you get through the rest of the season without a repeat performance.

Charles
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William, where on the tree did you have the wires attached? Was it from the top or the middle of the pole? Also what angle were the wires coming off the tree?

I know Randall has a lot of experience with radio towers and properly guy wiring your tree. Maybe he can chime in and offer some advice. I know he had a thread about it last year.

I have a sleeve that is buried 2' that the pole slides into then guy wired 4 different directions from the top. My tree really can't fall over since it is in the ground 2' but the wires help it stabilize it even more.

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Guest wbottomley

Tex... my guy wires were attached at the top.

I'm in the broadcasting business too... so I know about attaching guy wires.

It was strictly a guy wire failure. It snapped in half near the top.

Next year, I'm increasing my size to 1/8" cable. That cable was near 4-years-old. So I'm replacing all guy wires this summer on all 4 mega trees.

The controllers are fine... just the rack is busted a little, lot of bulbs shattered, and only replaced 2 strands of lights.

Here's images of the catastrophe:

DSC01197.jpg

DSC01194.jpg

DSC01195.jpg

DSC01196.jpg

DSC01198.jpg

DSC01199.jpg

Needless to say... I was a lucky one this time.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest wbottomley

tyler9613 wrote:

What do you use to encase your LOR Controllers? I'd like to have a rack under my mega tree, but I need something to weatherproof them...

Thanks,
Tyler


The standard enclosures that come with the pc version controllers work fine. Those controllers and rack is going to it's fifth year in 2009.

All you have to do is build a rack and you're set.
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  • 2 weeks later...

This year we almost got the vandals, we got to the window fast enough to see a car take off. We could not get a make or color, it was dark. Called the cops, but to no avail.

This year they went through the yard with a set of wire cutters, no other damage really. Its not like it wasn't put together with wire nuts and crimp fittings anyway.

Didn't happen last year but the year before it did, they made off with some reindeer and our beloved Santa.


Five years that pretty good. Seems like every time they strike here, they hit six or seven houses that night.


Suppose it's Carma really, can remember as a youth stealing C-9s just to here them pop when thrown. Wait to much information.

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