Christmas Tree Build Thread (2022-2024)

Bricks GardenCenter on Route 309 in Quakertown on Thanksgiving night...

 

Across the street from my grandma's house in New Jersey; I am not a huge fan of these lights...

 

Forgot that I clipped and tossed all the lights on my formerly pre-lit last year. So today was spent buying and stringing lights.

Tree is almost up, and exterior is done. Still have ornaments to hang.




Sadly, the all-important lamp has yet to make it's prominent front window appearance. I hope to get it unpacked tomorrow.

 

I need train help... I have voltage along each track and the Locomotive... according to the pin pointer , but if I put the voltage meter leads to it. I get no voltage. Power seems to be there, but the engine won't run.
seriously confused. I don't play electrical very often, especially on a small scale. I plan on going to youtube College this week to learn what I don't understand.
At this point, I can't figure out if it's the track, locomotive or the speed controller???

 

Looks like HO scale?

My first go-to move is to put the locomotive directly over the power feed to the track. If it moves a couple of inches and dies, that's an easy one - clean the track.

Next, gotta check for voltage at several points around the loop. Look for shorts. If the track is clean and it's getting solid voltage all the way around, then it's time to take a hard look at the locomotive.

 

I have good voltage around the track and the Locomotive with the pointer, just nothing with the voltage meter. The Locomotive doesn't move at all.

 

"Fra gile must be french"

 

Kind of weird that you're getting nothing with the multimeter.

How complex is the transformer? Some are very simple with just two terminals for track feed, others get confusing with aux, accessory, or reverse loop power.

 

This is super simple, 2 prongs. 1 neutral/ground 1 power.

 

I had plans to hang the outdoor lights and possibly set up the tree this weekend, but after a 1500 mi Thanksgiving road trip I decided I'd rather relax instead.
I'm in a new house this year so I still have to figure out my new lighting scheme, and potentially pick up a few more light strings and/or extension cords to work it all out.
My new goal is to utilize the nice weather predicted for the second half of this week to get it done.

 

In the lobby at work...

 

Also, my parents (especially my mom) both prefer white lights to colored on the front of the house. Problem is that I have more colored light sets than white ones, and very few of them match. I told my parents that if they bought it, I would put it up, and they agreed. Seven brand new 150-light sets of net lights, plus a 300-light strand! I will dig the remaining light sets out of the basement later this week and complete the job by nightfall on December 1st!

 

I used the 300-light set to fill out the two bushes at the end...

 

And done with the bushes; I had to run out to Home Depot and get another set of net lights...

 

The new ornaments and tree collar are in place.

It's amazing how different the tree looks cycling between the white and colored LEDs.

 

That's an amazing tree.

 

After the snap of a few sparks, a quick whiff of ozone, the lamp blazed forth in unparalleled glory.

 

Tree came from Costco and my wife ordered the ornaments from Amazon. After 15 years, it was time for the old tree to be replaced.

 

Leg lamp in front of the window where it belongs and kick ass pillows. Awesome.