My First MegaTree

Fing

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Dec 31, 2014
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Muswellbrook
what kind/size was your welder? did you use an Al spool gun?


Cheers
Fing
 

fmt1962

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Dec 28, 2014
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Forster
Just an update on my progress.....

Just finished cutting and welding up the star for the top of the tree this weekend, this took several weeks with all the small angled cuts and welds.

Anyway, it is now on top of the tree, just need to add some paint and I am ready to start putting on the LED strips :)

When finished it will be mounted on the top of the roof ridge cap seen in the photo above the tree.

Mega Tree 1.jpg Mega Tree Star.jpg Megatree 2.jpg
 

Fing

Full time elf
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That looks really neat and precise, can't wait to see it lit up.


Cheers
Fing
 

fmt1962

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Dec 28, 2014
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Forster
It is finally 'lit up'.

I have finally finished attaching all the LED strips and the wiring looms on the base of my first mega tree.

I gave it a first test run tonight and I am really pleased with the results.

https://youtu.be/UNp8AIjvZIs
 

fmt1962

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Dec 28, 2014
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I am using Vixen 3, this is my first time using pixels and I am still trying to come to terms with the software.

I have tried LOR and LSP but found them both painful, Vixen 3 just seems to make sense to me. But when I get more elements and start work on my full display, I may try them all again.
 

killaralights

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Dec 23, 2012
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Sydney
Thanks. Did you wire the strips from the bottom of the tree? I made some meteors and used Vixen as well, but effects like meteor moved from the bottom of the meteors up. I assumed this was because pixel 1 was at the top of my meteors, whereas I think the effect assumed pixel one was at the bottom...if that makes sense :)
 

fmt1962

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Dec 28, 2014
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I have used 8 x 5 mtr strips, cut in half.

The feed started on the left from the bottom, the strip is cut in the middle at 2.5mtr and a small wire link soldered (and sealed) in. Then the signal travels back down from the top to bottom on the second strip. At the bottom of the second run I then injected additional DC power and the feed then goes up on 3 and back down on 4 and so on.

At the end of string 8 I finished with a final power injection, this was fed from one port of the Pixelite 4 (600 pixels in total, one port will only support 680 pixels).

The whole things was then repeated for the second side for another 8 strips using a second port on the pixelate 4.

I will take some close up photos of the wire links and feeds tomorrow and add to this thread, a couple of close ups might be of interest to some people.

It does not matter if you feed from the top or bottom, in my design the signal is zig/zaging all the way across, I just map the pixels to the controller using Vixen so it knows which way the feed is, each vertical strip was mapped individually and on the downward strips I just checked the "reversed" box and bingo, all done, easy :)
 

fmt1962

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Dec 28, 2014
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Location
Forster
Here are a couple of photos of the business end of my new tree.

Image 1 shows the top of the tree, the LED strips have a short wire loop going from the top of the first strip to the top of the second and so on as previously noted, so the power and signal travel up on the left and down on the right for each alternate pair of strips.

IMG_1293.JPG

Image 2 shows the cables on the bottom, the left socket accepts power and data in, the next 3 connectors are power injection points with the data passing through. The last socket on the right also receives one final input of power injection.

The cables are soldered and sealed with clear heat shrink and silicon. The cables appear long but are now cable tied to the frame and very neat. The use of all the sockets allows me to change out a faulty strip pair quickly should it be required during the xmas display, I have made up 1 pair of strips pre wired as spares, so it is only a 5 minute job to completely replace a strip pair if required.

IMG_1294.JPG

This last photo shows the reversed option I use in Vixen 3 for all the downward strips when they are mapped to the controller.

Capture.JPG
 

fmt1962

New elf
Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Messages
40
Location
Forster
Finished attaching all the LED strips to the "Star" tree topper, I am very pleased with the result.

I still have to finish the wiring looms, but the hard part is done.

60 pixel/m 5v strip.
Big star 240 LED
Middle star 160 LED
Small start 80 LED
Starburst 245 LED

Also finished my forest of 8 spiral trees, 2 pixel trees done, 6 to go....

[attachimg=1]
 

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