I have been told that the orange bases I used in this video are no longer available so I have started building kits that are improved over my original DIY design. You can purchase the Arch Base Kits here: \r
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If you are interested in buying these and other light show products already built, please visit my new store Living Light Shows: . You can also see some demonstration videos here of the products: \r
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All you will need to complete the arches is the following:\r
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1. EMT tubing (1/2 from Home Depot) (70)\r
2. 2OD, 1-3/4 ID HDPE Tubing ( (I cut mine to 9-1/2)\r
3. Pixel strips. These are the ones I use ( I cut each 5m strip in half and make two arches with it. Dont let the shipping cost frighten you, email Ray and tell him I referred you and he will give you a better price.\r
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Good Luck!\r
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For frequently asked questions and more videos on my light show, visit my website at \r
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Have you been watching ABCs The Great Christmas Light Fight or browsing videos on YouTube of Christmas Light shows or displays that are synchronized to music and wondered how you can do that to your house? This video is part of a five videothat I created based on emails I have received from others who have watched my lightshow and are interested in the elements, the technology, and how a person can get started with their own DIY Christmas display. I have attempted to show a basic overview of building elements for your own light show on a budget and with readily available materials from Home Depot, Lowes, Hobby Lobby, or other stores. \r
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Here are some additional details on the arches not clearly covered in the video that I have been asked about:\r
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1. The slits at the bottom of the tube are about 2 inches long and 1/8 wide (or a little wider). I did them in two places on each side opposite of each other. They are there so the clamp can squeeze the tubing against the rebar cap and keep it tight. Without the slit, you cannot get the tube sufficiently tight on the rebar clamp.\r
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2. The pipe clamp is ually a pipe hanger I think it what it is called. I got it at Home Depot in the section that pipe fittings, EMT, etc. Its intended purpose is to support a 2 conduit hanging from a ceiling. The cross bar screws into the clamp where you would ordinarily put a threaded rod if it was hanging from a ceiling.\r
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3. The Cross bar is 1/2 EMT and painted black for aesthetics only.\r
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4. The arch is staked to the ground, heavy duty tent stakes work great.\r
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This videoincludes the following:\r
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Part 1: How to build a Leaping Arch for an outdoor Christmas light show\r
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Part 2: How to build a Pixel Tree for an outdoor Christmas light show\r
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Part 3: How to build a Pixel Matrix/Pixel Grid for an outdoor Christmas light show\r
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Part 4: How to build a Pixel Wreath for an outdoor Christmas light show\r
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Part 5: How to build a Pixel Snowflake for an outdoor Christmas light show\r
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You can view all these videos in this HOW-TOhere: \r
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If you plan to use these elements with Pixel LED lights then you will need a controller, sequencing software, and a show player. For my Christmas Light Show () I used the SanDevices e682 pixel controller with a Raspberry Pi running the Falcon Pi Player (FPP) software that is freely available through Falcon Christmas () or Github for the show player. \r
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For sequencing the show (i.e., Programming the different effects the lights will do) there are many available options in software, some are commercial and some are open source or free. My preferred software is called Vixen 3. Other popular options include Light-O-Rama (also known as Lightorama, Light o rama, or LOR), Light Show Pro, Madrix, Hinkles Lighting Sequencer (HLS), Nutcracker, and more. \r
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For your soundtrack you can either create something custom (I used a free program called Audacity) or you can simply download an MP3 or WAV file of music you like and import it into your sequencing software.\r
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Other great resources for getting started and learning more Christmas Lights, Displays, and Light Shows, are listed below:\r
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- DIYC forum ()\r
- Falcon Christmas ()\r
- Planet Christmas ()\r
- Australian Christmas Lighting & Computer Animation Forum ()\r
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Visit my site for more information at: \r
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Like us on Facebook: \r
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Matt Johnson\r
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new Contestant on ABCs The Great Christmas Light Fight
