RGB Ribbon Strip Arch Assembly Suggestions

RGB Ribbon Strip Arch Assembly Suggestions (Legacy)

This article details how our RGB pixel strip arches can be setup.

Locally Source Items
  • 20 feet of 3/4" PVC pipe - We recommend grey PVC pipe with a "belled" end if purchasing two 10 foot lengths of pipe as this pipe already has the coupler built into the pipe making it easier to create a 20ft length of pipe and it will not require PVC glue. The pipe will have one end that looks like this:

    This pipe generally can be found in the electrical supply section of Home Depot and Lowes
  • Two, 2 to 3 foot lengths of 1/2" rebar per arch - Rebar in pre-cut lengths can be found in the concrete section of Home Depot and Lowes. Here is what rebar looks like:
  • Tools
    • Hammer - For pounding the rebar into the ground
    • Saw or PVC pipe cutter - To shorten the length of the PVC pipe
Assembly Process
  • Determine the location where the arch(es) should be located. Consider the follow:
    • If the arches will block or interfere with elements located behind the arches
    • Location of the controller(s)
    • The spacing between arches and if there is sufficient low voltage extension wire to reach from the controller location to the location of the arches
  • Determine how far off the ground the arches should be - take into account the depth of snow, slope of the project location, grass or other vegetation growth
  • PVC Pipe Assembly
    • If there are two 10' sections of pipe, push them together with the small end of one pipe sliding into the belled in of the other pipe. No glue is typically required.
    • Cut the PVC pipe to length. Add the height off the ground (e.g. 6 inches) times two plus 16 feet 6 inches. So if we wanted a 6 inch gap at the bottom, we would cut the pipe to 17 feet, 6 inches long
  • Mounting the PVC Pipe
    • Arches can be any shape that you like - they can be higher than they are wider or wide than they are taller or they can be a perfect half circle. We recommend taking the pipe and bending it (this requires two people) until you determine the ideal height and width. Once the two points on the ground have been identified, pound the rebar half way into the ground at the angle and distances necessary to create the desired arch.
    • Now simply slide the PVC pipe over the rebar forming the arch
  • Mounting the Pixel Strip
    • Cut the supplied double sided velcro into ten, 5" long lengths, this will be used to secure the ribbon strip to the PVC pipe
    • Now that the PVC arch has been completed, remove the pixel strip from the roll and lay it out on the front side of the arch
    • Using the 5" length of Velcro, start attaching the ribbon strip to the front side of the PVC pipe about every 20 inches at the sections between the components on the strip
    • The strip will kink slightly but this is ok
  • Final Hookup
    • Mount the pixel controller in the location where it can reach the pixel arch
    • Run the supplied extension(s) to the arch(es)
    • That's it!