My 8m tall mega tree in testing phase

Cheers Alec. It's surprising how much time effort goes into building one of these. But it all is forgotten when you get to play with it lit up... 8)
 
Your tree design is similar to mine with an elevated bottom ring, similar total height and using 100mm pvc sewerage pipe as a pole. For the first couple of years, I simply used guy ropes to the top, but the pole did develop a nasty bow. In 2009, I added some half height guys but only in a direction to counter the bow. Had intended to add more, but before I got around to that, the storm hit. It was strong enough to snap branches from trees, but also snapped my mega tree pole; wind was from opposite direction to bow. See Pics.


I rebuilt using same design, but added half height guys all around AND bottom ring guys also. All my guys anchored to eye bolts in my fence or house at convenient locations. Because some of the guys were fairly close to the tree, I used 5 guys at each level to provide some redundancy. I also used a pair of tangential guys on the bottom ring to prevent it rotating relative to the centre pole. This design has proved rock solid over the past 3 years.


I would strongly recommend adding guys to the bottom ring as well as the half height guys.
 
Thanks Geoff... I actually got my inspiration from your tree after walking through your yard last year. I really was looking for something non metallic for the mast that was semi flexible. I have the same as you do with guys on the bottom ring (actually put them there to pull the strings straight but also to hold the ring from moving in the breeze). Guys half way and at the top.


So anyway Geoff, how much of the display have you decided to put ⬆ this year. What's displayed and what is staying in the shed?
 
No display this year - I'm having a break, but this will give me a chance to go and see all the local displays.


Next year - Who knows?? I am sort of planning to do a 2014 display, but it will depend on several factors. My plans are to cut out some bits, but also to add some props which I have not used in the past. Will see how I go next year.
 
Oh.. No display? Well I look forward to seeing you this year if you make it to mine. And I'm sure the greater Brisbane public will be waiting eagerly to see what you have possibly in 2014.
 
there is still a bit of tidying up to do around the cabling and also adding some strain relief on the data runs. also going to further shorten the data runs to get rid of the loop at the bottom. I have a few months to get it sorted but this gives you a better idea on how I have set this up.
 
Your tree looks awesome mate! Great job well done! Now do you wanna come and do mine? Lol just a quick question what pixels did you use?
 
dale82 said:
Your tree looks awesome mate! Great job well done! Now do you wanna come and do mine? Lol just a quick question what pixels did you use?
Click to expand...
Haha... I think my wife would shoot me if I had to do this again. Lol. Funny thing is that I had a customer at work the other day offer me a couple of thousand dollars to set one up at his child care business. I had to say no. :( I told the wife and her exact words were "you better have told him no". Hehe.


Anyways the pixels I used were ray wu. The tree is made up of 36 strings.
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Your tree looks gr8. Gives me hope for all the hours I am spending on mine.

Funny fact: I was wondering if it was a 5v or 12v tree so I took a look at one of you enclosure photos and enlarged it until I could see the two jumpers on the P12 and decided it was 12V. Then I got to your last post and realised the strings you linked are 12V. I always seem to do things the difficult or long way round :D
 
Charl Marais said:
Your tree looks gr8. Gives me hope for all the hours I am spending on mine.

Funny fact: I was wondering if it was a 5v or 12v tree so I took a look at one of you enclosure photos and enlarged it until I could see the two jumpers on the P12 and decided it was 12V. Then I got to your last post and realised the strings you linked are 12V. I always seem to do things the difficult or long way round :D
Click to expand...
lol...i think i do too, but the important part is the end result ;) as long as we all get there in the end what does it matter. I am trying to keep everything on only 2 voltages... 12v and 30v. so i opted against the 5v. also i worked out i would need more than 2 PS' for a 5v tree of this size so i scrapped it to make everything fit in the one enclosure.
 
hahah... my tree wasnt going to be there originally but after doing an early spring clean and cutting down 30+ trees i thought that woud be a better spot as the lights on the house wont drown the tree out and the effects on the tree will turn out better with very little behind it.
 
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