The pixel strip / ribbon style tree is a great way to add an amazing element into your display at a low cost. While your HolidayCoro Pixel MegaTree kit includes the lights, power and controller, the kit does not include mounting hardware. The reason that no mounting hardware is included is due to the huge variety of different methods that customers use to mount CCR trees. These factors include:
- Flat or curved tree design
- Mounting location
- Against a house or other structure
- Free standing and attached to a pole (new or existing)
- Against an existing live tree or similar
- Customer material preference and availability
- Customers may have the ability or preference to work with wood, steel or plastics
- Customers may have differing materials available to them based on country and location
- Off-season storage requirements of completed product
- Customer expectations of quality for mounting hardware
Here are some factors to consider for each section of the tree:
- Flat or Curved Tree
- Flat
- All strips are located in a single plane and form a "triangle" with a flat top
- Animations look better because all pixels are aligned in the same row
- Tree may look less like a tree as there is not a "pointed" top
- Generally has better viewing angles as all pixels are located in a single direction towards the viewer
- Generally easier to construct
- Curved
- Looks more light a "Christmas Tree" due to the pointed top
- Animations are stretched over a curve and can sometimes look distorted
- More complex to build as spacing varies
- Can have less viewing angle based upon how much of a curve is used and the viewing location of the people
- Generally harder to construct
- Strip / Ribbon Mounting
- Strips are composed of a flexible mounting surface and hard components such as chips and LEDs. Care must be used to prevent excessive bending of the strip as this can cause the hard components to break or come loose from the flexible strip on to which they are mounted.
- Strips can be mounted to a variety of sub-straits:
- EMT (Electrical Metallic Tubing) - Commonly called electrical conduit and sold in the electrical section of most hardware stores.
- Inexpensive
- Strong / Inflexible
- Typically used in 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch diameters
- Requires specific tools for cutting to length
- PVC - Commonly called PVC water or electrical pipe and sold in the electrical section (grey in color) or plumbing section (white in color) of most hardware stores
- Very inexpensive
- Slightly flexible (varies based on length and diameter)
- Typically used in 3/4" diameter
- Simple tools for cutting to length
- Incorrect mounting methods
- Mounting to wire rope, rope, twine, para-cord, flat nylon string or aircraft cable
- Any method that can result in twisting or excessive bending
- Using a flexible sub-strait also results in pixels not being directly aligned to the viewer and thus result in pixels that appear to the viewer as "missing"
- Securing strips to pipes
- Use included zip ties or double-sided velcro
- Attach to pipe at every 18 to 24 inches
- Do not over-tighten zip ties as this can damage strip. The outside silicone tube should not be fully compressed when the zip tie is attached - there should be a gap between the inside of the tube and the flexible PCB
- Zip tie the "pigtail" cable input to the pipe separately to serve as a strain relief
- Listed below are links to products shown above
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Name
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Material
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Dimensions
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Pro's
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Con's
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Notes
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Qty Required for
12 / 16 Strip Tree
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Purchase Links
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EMT
Electrical Metallic Tubing
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Galvanized
Steel
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3/4 inch * 10 feet
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Stiff, inexpensive, weather resistant, easily sourced
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Cutting requires special tools
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Requires 3/4" double female couplers
Home Depot
Lowes
Menards
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24 / 32
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Home Depot
Menards
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PVC Pipe
Poly Vinyl Chloride
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PVC
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3/4 inch * 10 feet
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Inexpensive, easy to work with, easily sourced
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Somewhat flexible
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Be sure to purchase "grey" or UV resistant. Typically comes with a belled end to facilitate connecting two sections together
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24 / 32
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Home Depot
Menards | - Mounting Location
- Each project location is going to be different and as a result, there are a variety of common mounting locations
- Mounting location considerations
- Ensure that the tree does not block other elements or lights behind the tree. For example, if you have a house outline, we don't recommend mounting the tree directly in front of the outline where the lights are mounted as this will result in lights being viewed "through" the tree and create confusion by the viewer
- Stand in the location(s) where your viewers will be seeing the display. This may be a walk-up display or car viewing only display but in each case, stand in that location and observe any issues such as:
- Trees or bushes that may block the view
- Hills
- Against a Structure - If there is sufficient clear space in front of your house, fence or other structure, the tree can be mounted against the structure
Other
Jim Kurtz has developed a "flat" build instruction guide here
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