how many sections/segments for a dumb rgb leaping arch?

[ewanh]

OK, quick poll.

How many sections should my leaping arches have?
A. 7
B. 8
C. 9
D. Another number......

Making them out of 20cm lengths of 5050 strip, tied to wooden lattice, and hung on side fence. Can't decide how many sections.... and then what controller.....

thanks,
Ewan

 

[aussiexmas]

Everybody has their own ideas on this, and much depends on your layout, arch size, and budget.

I have 6 arches - 3 on each street frontage, but the two lots of 3 are wired in parallel so the same effects occur on each frontage. My arches are quite long - over 7 metres and made from 2*4m lengths of conduit. I use 10 segments on each arch plus a splash pool. I chose an even number of segments so that I could easily split the arches for storage. Many suggest that an odd number of segments gives a more flexible sequencing arrangement, but I really don't think this matters.

It sounds as if your arches are quite small, so 7 segments would work OK. I do think that multiple arches provide a better effect with the bottom of 1 running into the next in line. I think 3 should be a minimum, but 4 is better.

 

[ewanh]

thanks Geoff.

Yes, not big arches, planning on four in a row along the side paling fence. Due to a front fence I can really only have them on the top half of the fence, so about 80cm high.

I found some cheap lattice at Bunnings yesterday, 60 cm high. Can make a nice arch about 1.2m wide and 60cm high on it, but they are 1.8m long, so can make it wider to fit more sections.

thanks for the voting bit ;-)

Ewan

 

[prof]

I have made my arches with 6803 pixels (50 each). Some effects I handle the pixels individually, and for others I group them together to simulate the 'classic' look of an 8 or 16 channel arch.
Craig

 

[Boof63]

Wondering how you made the "splash pool effect" as it looks really good in my opinion.
cheers boof63

 

[Benslights]

mine are 7 segments but thats just me

 

[aussiexmas]

Boof63

My arch splash pools are just a collection of lights mounted on a pair of flat Bunnings plant trainers, all connected together by zip ties. Most of the radial arms were light stakes from KMart or Big W, most white but some blue. I then added some white snowflake bulbs and wired them all together - with resistors where necessary to suit the supply voltage I used.

Some of the tubular stakes have now failed and I replaced these with regular string lights zip tied to a rod. To install, I just zip tie the assembly to the arches. I usually treat the splash pools as just another arch segment so each arch is 10 sections + a splash pool segment.

Hope this helps - Geoff

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