Pixel count and spacing for mini tree

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XmasinVancouver

New member
I've done a different version of mini trees the last 3 years, but leaning towards spiral type this season. Just wanted some feedback from people as to what they have found to be the sweet spot for pixel count per mini tree and especially spacing for any kind of mini tree, spiral or other? I have 34" tomato cages (about 29-30" of actual working space for mounting pixels). I was thinking that at their 3" spacing may not be dense enough, but not ready to field test to check yet
 
My 30" high mini trees were within 15' of the viewer. I had them set up as 360 degree trees, 10 legs per tree, 35 pixels per leg (one inch spacing). Looked pretty good
 
MartinMueller2003 said:
My 30" high mini trees were within 15' of the viewer. I had them set up as 360 degree trees, 10 legs per tree, 35 pixels per leg (one inch spacing). Looked pretty good
Click to expand...

OH wow! you went with 350 pixels?! I mean that would be awesome. I had been picturing maybe 50++ for something like a spiral tree, but it never occured to me to go to that level, i'm jealous lol. My wife (aka boss) told me she didn't like the trees last year when I did them as zig zag even spacing for the sake of a rough matrix and location based fx. She said it didn't look much like a christmas tree, just a wall of lights, hence the idea to go spiral. I noticed that going at 3" spacing directly wrapped around the frame doesn't seem to give much of a feeling of a unified spiral. or if just wrapped evenly without thinking about the spiral, both just kind of look like lights randomly on a frame. That's what made me wonder if people are using 2" or less spacing on their trees
 
I used boscoyo strips for the legs. The trees were 4' center to center and they were in a semi circle around a reindeer. Yes they were wired in a zig-zag and patched to make effects apply properly. I had my 6' trees about 3' behind them.

I had three 6' spiral trees near the mega tree. Used 3:1 pixel strips zip tied to some frames I got on clearance from Bed bath and beyond
 
I built a mock-up to design my mega tree, and also so I could program and see the sequence play in my office. Like Martin, I used the Boscoyo strips, but 17 pixels at 2" spacing and 18 strands....306 Pixels total. Worked great....maybe too good. It is now part of my Halloween (as a pumpkin) and Christmas show.

I used MDF for the top plate, and Particle board for the base. But when I decided to use it as a part of my display, I just brushed on several coats of outdoor polyurethane. Figured if the wood failed, I would redo in some sort of PVE/Plastic/??? Well this is year 3 and no sign of failing....still the original poly coating.

Another feature to using my mock-up. It became a great place for a controller box.

Here is a couple pictures. I did not skimp when I built the mock-up. This was how I was to build the Mega Tree, except metal frame of emt. Actually used J hooks at the top of straps, and made my own ball hook bungy for the bottom strap connection. Every end was real close , so power injection was a breeze.

PS: Tree behind the mini tree just fell last Saturday. Missed my mini tree by inches.

Just thought I should share to give ideas to others.

IMG_6112m.jpg IMG_6113m.jpg
 
mrGrumpy said:
I built a mock-up to design my mega tree, and also so I could program and see the sequence play in my office. Like Martin, I used the Boscoyo strips, but 17 pixels at 2" spacing and 18 strands....306 Pixels total. Worked great....maybe too good. It is now part of my Halloween (as a pumpkin) and Christmas show.

I used MDF for the top plate, and Particle board for the base. But when I decided to use it as a part of my display, I just brushed on several coats of outdoor polyurethane. Figured if the wood failed, I would redo in some sort of PVE/Plastic/??? Well this is year 3 and no sign of failing....still the original poly coating.

Another feature to using my mock-up. It became a great place for a controller box.

Here is a couple pictures. I did not skimp when I built the mock-up. This was how I was to build the Mega Tree, except metal frame of emt. Actually used J hooks at the top of straps, and made my own ball hook bungy for the bottom strap connection. Every end was real close , so power injection was a breeze.

PS: Tree behind the mini tree just fell last Saturday. Missed my mini tree by inches.

Just thought I should share to give ideas to others.

View attachment 41769 View attachment 41768
Click to expand...

Ohhhhhhh, a TRUE "mini" mega tree. That's awesome lol. I was just using tomato cages to wrap. I had been wondering if mounting the pixels in mounting strip and then wrapping it as a spiral would help, but it looks odd other than the benefit of being nice and straight and evenly spaced
 
I printed a top and bottom plate then 8
c18678db3b662a47415b37e2c3faf6db.jpg
strips with 20 lights @ 1 inch spacing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Those (and mine) are sometimes called Dalek trees (check out Dr Who). Once you have them, you can put a spiral effect on them.
 
Mine are 42" tomato cages with 100 pixels 4" spacing per tree with 13 spiral wraps per tree. For a spiral tree 3" should be fine. I don't want my mini trees to become mini matrices. I like the look of the spiral myself. Plenty of other matrices in my display, I don't need 62 more of them
 
XmasinVancouver said:
For trees like that, are you zig zagging or using multiple outputs or a combo? Are you having to add any wire if you zig zag for the bottom ?
Click to expand...

Zig zag every 20. It is just one long string 160 pixels running at 30% the globes are on the same string for a total of 170 pixels. The globes are at 100 percent


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