What lesson have you learned the hard way when working on your display?

[Macrosill]

I will go first.

Do not utilize a soldering gun with the gun tip upright above your hand. A ball of molten solder dripped off the tip and the wires I was soldering onto my fingers while I was up on a ladder 17' in the air. I was replacing a pixel on the roof line this afternoon.

Make sure the gun and your hands are above the point being soldered.

[Barnabybear]

Hi, water will always get in, keep all enclosures at least an inch off the floor and drill a quarter inch hole at the lowest point to let it out.

[codec101]

That I need to start setting up WAY earlier than when I do now lol.

[blantrip]

That no matter how thoroughly I test all of my pixels before putting them up, I'll still have some that aren't working correctly.

[patmitchell]

That vampire connectors are little bitches that way cables if you are using them for the first time causing your controller to short out until you figure out the problem and get so frustrated you go and buy easier to use connectors aka female Edison plugs.

[tecnageek]

Livinf in the Pacific Northwest everything (especially power supplies) need to be water tight. So many shorted out and rusted connections. So many....

[DrNeutron]

Pigtails are a PITA especially when temperature dips below freezing.

[neonexpresso]

Don't buy/sell a house in December. but i have an early start on 2019 lights!

[aknflyer]

Winter is warmer in Alaska. IP67 pixels are more suseptable to even small rain events.

[Dkelly0802]

I’ve learned that pixels aren’t plug and play or an exact science. What works flawlessly for you may not work for me at all. Weather has way more control over your show than all the knowledge and help you can get here.