Well, 8 days to go ......

[Goliath]

This is my first pixel Christmas, and HoHoHo is getting real ....

Some learnings along the way.

1. I will never get a job with Ray Wu soldering ANYTHING ......... I would earn enough in a year to eat for a day, if I was paid for what I produce. Hat's off to Ray and his crew.

2. It is not a good idea to use your knee as a soldering station ....

3. The Minister for War and Finance is not amused when you put your soldering iron down on her tupperware dish, instead of the newly acquired soldering station.

4. Always order more pigtails than you need. I have just ordered 25 pair of two core from Hanson Electronics, which hopefully should arrive before I resort to desperate measures. It was while making this order that I saw "If you leave the nut off, you can soften it in boiling water and stretch it over ...". What n00b would forget to put the nut on? Think I'll go boil the kettle ......... I need a cup of tea ......

5. I now know enough to do it better if I was starting out again, can we rewind 2015? Just to April would do.

6. I told one of my workmates about Christmas Lights Addiction Problem. He now takes great delight in publicly asking me how my CLAP is going.

Happy CLAPping folks, keep the smoke inside the electrics where it belongs!

 

[Superman]

Some great incites in to "what to expect" if you are first timing this hobby. It doesn't happen overnight, Does it.
Sounds like you have done well Hope you enjoy your achievement,

 

[lizardking]

As this is my first year also and not being an electronics or electrical expert , but having enough knowledge to not blow myself up i would recommend this to anyone
1, never rush and give yourself plenty of time
2. buy a cheap ray wu tester so when you finish an element you can test it and make sure you are happy with it before moving on
3.take notes of what ever advice you are given by the awesome people in chat
4. never drink and solder lol
but remember it's a hobby what doesn't get done today will get done the next day and have fun creating enjoyment for yourself and others

 

[Superman]

4. never drink and solder lol

Now your just taking the Fun out of it all

 

[Goliath]

I now also recall why I hated making network cables when I ran a LAN party eleven years ago.

Crimping tool - check.
Network cable ends - I KNOW where they are ......... yeah right - eleven years and a house shift ago. After much cussing they were found, and then the absolute joy of feeding in those finicky lil wires in the right order begins. Two down, one to go.

 

[Bumpy2020]

4. never drink and solder lol

Now your just taking the Fun out of it all

This is when I do my best work :-X

 

[Goliath]

Well, all but finished setting everything up. Oh ......... look there's 300 or so spare pixels. That would be a tribute to the accuracy of my paces when measuring, and guestimates of angles of roof etc. If only some one would make an accurate measuring device, I'm sure there would be a market.

 

[Goliath]

Bugger!



Hail ...

 

[the grinch]

Ummm yes great insight comments etc but not sure if ever soldered without a beer . Must try . Oh and still believe I haven't got that clap thingy just trying to keep my wife happy with those blinky lights (crazy light lady) happy wife happy life ive been told !

 

[scamper]

Well, all but finished setting everything up. Oh ......... look there's 300 or so spare pixels. That would be a tribute to the accuracy of my paces when measuring, and guestimates of angles of roof etc. If only some one would make an accurate measuring device, I'm sure there would be a market.

Don't be silly, overestimating is the name of the game.
That way when you have spares you can tell the minister for finance that you cam e up with a better way of doing things and now have spare pixels to make another project.
Then if you are smart about it, you can build half that project, make sure it was her idea, and then suddenly need more :-0
She will insist you order them straight away to finish HER project...

 

[Goliath]

Sadly, the inflatable Santa & Reindeer didn't survive yesterdays hail storm. Had a really vexatious day getting the ridgeline pixels working. Concentrated on checking MY work ........ turned out to be 2 dead pixels at the end of segments and a dodgy power injection pigtail. Teetering on the roof with a soldering iron, gazing into the westering sun in a fresh gusting wind was not fun. I have concluded this hobby would be ideal for octopuses. One hand for the multimeter, 2 for the probes, one to hold the errant cable, a couple to brace with a couple left over to stand on. Bring on genetic modification!