2nd Year Mega tree

**gassy** · 01-08-2012, 12:37 AM

After playing around with my first attempt of a mega tree this year, I've decided to expand the tree in height, lights and channels. At this time, I'm limited to the number of strings/channels/power noted on the attached image. I just don't know which of the options will give me the best animated look. Or maybe someone has another idea how I can configure it with the resources I have. Thanks

**rstehle** · 01-08-2012, 01:15 AM

I would vote for option B. Either of the two other methods may end up being a wiring nightmare............ I have a question though, in your diagrams you show white, green and red lines, but your words say white, green and blue? IMO, you will get more bang for your buck with red lights rather than blue. Blue is probably the least powerful of those 4 choices, especially if using incandescant lights.
just my .02

**dirknerkle** · 01-08-2012, 01:24 AM

Wow, 108 strings... If you're planning mini-lites that's going to take a whole lot of power. Fast animations with all channels on might cause your local substation to blow out!!!

**djulien** · 01-08-2012, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by gassy

Or maybe someone has another idea how I can configure it with the resources I have.

If you don't need all the channels to be on at the same time and don't mind more complicated wiring, there are some techniques that can be used to reduce the number of channels needed. One such technique uses "bank switching" on the channels. This may or may not be suitable for what you want to do, but if you're interested, there are some details described on page 8 + 9 of this article:

http://downloads.eshepherdsoflight.c...d-MidiTree.pdf

don

**gassy** · 01-08-2012, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by rstehle

I would vote for option B. Either of the two other methods may end up being a wiring nightmare............ I have a question though, in your diagrams you show white, green and red lines, but your words say white, green and blue? IMO, you will get more bang for your buck with red lights rather than blue. Blue is probably the least powerful of those 4 choices, especially if using incandescant lights.
just my .02

I don't know why I did that. I was thinking of going blue, but your right about the intensity difference of the two. Red it is.

**gassy** · 01-08-2012, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by dirknerkle

Wow, 108 strings... If you're planning mini-lites that's going to take a whole lot of power. Fast animations with all channels on might cause your local substation to blow out!!!

I'll admit I'm a novice, but am I missing something in my calculations? It's my assumption that if I were to go "all on" (which I'm not) it would total slightly less than 40 amps. (108 x.35= 38) About 1 amp per channel on the Renards, right? I was planning on distributing the power over 3 - 15 amp circuits. Do I need to scale back my bulb count?

**gassy** · 01-08-2012, 09:51 AM

Ignore my original post, I'm going to re-think this thing. The problem is that I've read too many ways of building a mega tree that I've confused myself on what I really want/need. I'm going to keep it simple and best of all, I'm going to do it my way.

**Skunberg** · 01-08-2012, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by gassy

I'll admit I'm a novice, but am I missing something in my calculations? It's my assumption that if I were to go "all on" (which I'm not) it would total slightly less than 40 amps. (108 x.35= 38) About 1 amp per channel on the Renards, right? I was planning on distributing the power over 3 - 15 amp circuits. Do I need to scale back my bulb count?

Scale back? NEVER! I have my lights like "C" with one channel per string. I had 72 strings this year. 16 red green blue white and 8 white spiral. I had planned to split them on two circuits but put a extension cord in the wrong outlet and for the first two weeks this was on one twenty amp circuit. No trips but when I noticed it I switched cords. Your only going to have one color on at a time. And most of the time that one color won't be on 100 percent all the way around.
o.K. with your limited channel count I would run one color 32 strings, that would make great fades and chases. Second choice would be two colors 16 strings each, fades and chases not as good but as good as most people run. Or the best answer is get more channels.
I think Dirk was kidding with a point to make you think about power, which you have.