WAKE COUNTY — Day 4: Tuesday, November 20
Tasks for the day:
Pull out and test string bundles
String Tree 1 (Crepe Myrtle), Tree 2 (Holly), Tree 3 (Butterfly Bush)
Pick Up Spare Lights
Review spreadsheet for light deployment (see if any minor changes/updates needed)
Print out final spreadsheet for control mapping
String Bundles
I bundle together strings to make it easier to place them (and remove them) from the larger trees/bushes. The left Holly tree is now about 12-14 feet tall. I use a combination of an extension pole and a small step ladder to place the lights.
Testing
The show ran last year for about 4 weeks, and when light strings failed, I repaired them in place, or put a 'spare' string up to replace the failed one. I fixed them fully as I pulled them down and stored them. Even with that effort, cheap light strings will fail over time. As I deploy each item/string, I test it to make sure it lights up fully. If it's not quickly fixable, the bad string gets placed aside for attention later.
Lightkeeper Pro
This device can do a lot, but primarily I use it to trace (via a 'beep' sound) where electricity stops flowing in a dysfunctional light string. I've rescued dozens of light strings using this device.
Custom Extension Cords
18 gauge zip cord (also know as lamp cord). Special ordered to get the green color. Also ordered 18 gauge 'vampire' plugs, designed to poke through the wire insulation and make contact. Easy to add standard male and female ends to whatever length of cord I need. Easy to even add additional female plugs along the string when one channel runs multiple strings on different bushes/trees.
Control (Network) Cable
I've been looking for this for several days, found it with my network stuff instead of the Christmas stuff.
Light String Balls
Carefully ball the lights upon themselves, just like a ball of yarn. Makes it easy to place them in the storage bins, as well as unroll them as I deploy them. Discovered that I should always roll them with the female end at the center, makes for easier testing without having to unravel.
Spare Lights
So I don't have to dissamble anything after the show is up and running to fix a light outage, I keep plenty of spare sets on hand. I just lay them over the bad string with a plan to fix during take-down. Walmart in Fuquay is out of Green already.
20 amp cheater plug
I have a dedicated 20 amp circuit for each lighting controller. One controller can run 16 channels, and each channel may have multiple strings plugged into it (1/3 amp for each 100 light strand). All the circuits are GFI protected. If it rains more than just a little, the show doesn't run that night, because once any of the GFI's trip, I shut it all down. I made this cheater plug to be able to test the controller by plugging it into a standard 15 amp outlet (20 amp outlets have one blade turned sideways).
Spreadsheet
A little insight into how I map out and plan where everything goes. The columns contain, in order:
Controller Number (1-8), then channel on that controller (1-16)
Overall Channel Number (1-128)
Amperage Draw for that channel (.33-3 amps)
Item for that channel (mtr5 is mini-tree, right number 5; sf1 is snow flake 1, etc.)
Color for that item (P = Purple, B = Blue, etc.)
Repeats for additional items on that channel
More photos for today's work effort in the image gallery
Lights deployed today: 5600
Total so far: 26600 (none of them plugged in yet)
Rental Man-lift tomorrow to get the high stuff safely (and do a small roof repair job)
