clenaghen Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 For the first time this year I decided to make my own SPT extension cords, and I must say I dont know how I put up my display without it. I have easily shaved my setup time in half. Not that my display is big, but normally it would take the better part of a week to get the lights up then get all the extension cords ran. Usually I would end up making several trips to the hardware store to buy more cords or get the right lengths. No more!If you are a newbie (like me), the best advice I can give you is to make your own extension cords. It will save you a huge amount of time, and if your wife or significant other is like mine, she will LOVE not having orange extension cords all over the yard and roof.I'll never buy pre-made extension cords again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vipzach Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 For my first year using LOR, I decided to stick with my extension cords and just get a few more. I am starting setup this week and already know, that I wish I would of bought some SPT.I am adding a mega tree next year and some leaping arches and I am already planning to buy a 1000' role of SPT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 vipzach wrote: .... and I am already planning to buy a 1000' role of SPT!Buy 2000' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonB256 Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Yes, buy 2000'It doesn't go bad and you may need it. Those little 250' rolls at Lowes or Home Depot are expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 You need to think about it in terms of how many channels, and what is your average run length. The product of those two numbers can get pretty huge, pretty quickly.I have 7,500 feet of new SPT2 on hand at the house, waiting to be used, 3,000 of pre fit cables from last year on a spool waiting to be deployed, and another 2,000 that have been out since Halloween. Once I get done with the city park set up, I may easily go through 5,000 of new SPT2 at the house...I'm trying to remember how many empty spools are kicking around the firehouse/park.. I think the first year we bought 10,000, but only used 8,000. Second year I believe was 15,000 feet of new cable, and we used about 20,000 of the 25,000 feet. This year we added 7,500 feet to total inventory, and have at least 25,000 feet in use currently. That sounds outrageous, but at 750 channels, that is only an average cord length of 33 feet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 I bought 3000 feet of it during the spring presales and have gone through 2000 feet already and will probably use up the other 1000 by the time I get everything set up.I wish now that I had bought 8000 feet of the stuff and a lot more of the end connectors on sale.It will amaze you how much you can use very fast. I went through 1000 feet just making the connection cords for my mega tree. :shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friskybri Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I love spt wire. Its so easy. At the end of the season I am zip Tie them where there are bulk runs and labeling all of them so next year it will be even faster to deploy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salts Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 So where can you get the bulk fairly cheap? I was at home depot and Lowe's and realized that it cost more than buying extension cords. I wish I had SPT cord. Which is better SPT 1 or 2 other than the thickness of the insulation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCampbell Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 How about $0.08 per foot for 1000+ feet, plus shipping?http://skycraftsurplus.com/lampcord.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Gardner Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Ther rule of thumb that I use for figuring SPT is to calculate what you "think" you will need then either double or triple it!!!!!!! Its amazing how much you will go through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clenaghen Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 I picked up 1000' feet from christmaslightshow.com, along with the male and female quick connect SPT-1 plugs. At the time I think I paid $80 for the wire and $5 for a pack of 10 connectors.I agree, I thought that I would not need 1000', but sure enough, I used it all up and now I need more. Had to resort to digging out all of my old extension cords from last year.I again cant stress enough how much time it saved me this year. Normally I would be trying to match the correct length of pre-made extension cord, or putting several together to make the right length. It was like a small puzzle, trying to match the right extension cords where I needed them.Now, all I did was put my roll of SPT wire next to whatever set of lights I needed to connect up, spool off a length of wire to my controller, cut it off with a little slack, and snap pulgs on each end. Walla! Custom made extension cord! AND, SPT wire (I used SPT-1) is MUCH easier/flexible to handle than stiff extension cords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffF Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 We've gone through almost 3000' of SPT1 this year replacing 6' and 9' cords from last year. It's great reeling out exactly what you need, putting two ends on, and moving on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Add my voice to the chorus - buy AT LEAST twice as much wire as you think you'll need and AT LEAST four times the number of vampire plugs as you think you'll need. That should put you close to reality, although I predict you'll still be buying pre-made cords. Personally, every time I see pre-made cords cheap or "on sale" I pick up a couple dozen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffF Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Funny you should mentions that about the pre-made cords... even though I'm using a ton of SPT1... I still use pre-mades when runs are 9ft and under and I'm shocked at how many of my connections are that short. I couldn't imagine the cord situation for you folks who locate all your controllers in one centralized place. :shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiner Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 +1 to the choirI thought I needed 1000', but listened to the guys who said buy double what you think.... I am out...and need more...This quantity eluded me and I made a stab at it.However, I added mini-trees after I ordered the cable and that did me in.I have 16 trees. 8 to a side, and the first one is at 60ft. from the controller. I then spaced them 18" apart, so doing the math, that adds up FAST per color: 60+58.5+57+55.5+54+52.5+51+49.5 = 438 / side!!!!I used 876 of my 2000 just for white... I also added one circuit for green on each side and one for red on each side, for another 240 ft. So 1100 of my 2000 went to mini trees.I only have 64 channels this year, and now I get the math much more so than I did last year at this time. Running 3 colors everywhere chews up cable.As G.I. Joe so famously said at the end of every show - "Knowing is Half the Battle" - And now I know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Slonka Jr Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 With all the above comments the SPT wire factories must be working overtime just to supply our LOR habits! LOL:PAnd with visions of SPT cords dancing in our heads.... and to all a Good Night!Merry Christmas to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 shiner wrote: ... and now I get the math much more so than I did last year at this time...That should be the number one lesson for newbies. Never mind how many channels you've got or how many lights you have or how many songs you've gotten sequenced. It's really all about the cords. Start stockpiling them before you even order your first controller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanr256 Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 I have 16 channels and the display is mostly on the house. SWMBO has determined that we will not have anything in the yard so the lights are on the roof peaks, bushes and small trees in the planters on the front "step" of the house.I ordered 250' for SPT-2 wire and the vampire plugs from the Internet for the extension cords and started with the lights furthest from the controller working toward those closest to the controller. I ended up about 60' short. I bit the bullet and drove to Home Depot, preparing to pay 38 cents a foot for their bulk SPT-2 wire. As I entered the store, I had a rare flash of brilliance and headed to the extension cord area. Sure enough, they had 12' lengths of SPT-2 extension cords with 3 receptacle heads for $1.79 each.I had grabbed about 7 of them when an associate came up to me. Here's the dialogue:Him: "You're not connecting them in one long string are you?"Me: "Nope, I'm making custom length cords and I will cut these to the length I need."Him: "We sell bulk cord. I can cut any length you want."Me: "Yeah but your bulk cord is 38 cents a foot, these are about 14 cents a foot and the longest length I need is about 9 feet."Him (with that face of realization): "Good point."I wish I had a camera for his expression when he realized the difference in cost. Of course I didn't tell him I was using "interior" cords for exterior purposes. I don't think he would have understood.:cool:-Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineedmorelights Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 Help!!! It's two days to the launch of my show and I need more spt2 wire. I have a bunch of spt2 plugs. I can't find any 18 gauge spt2 wire. Can I use those plugs on spt1 wire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isimpleman Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 Extension cords---- Whats that??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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