I found this thread through a Google search -- this was the exact solution to the challenge I was facing! Thanks, intruth!
After using this technique with two 10' downspouts to light my 25' spruce tree, I wanted to add a few clarifications. These may seem obvious, but you know hindsight is 20/20.
- Choose the largest downspout size practical. I chose a 2"x3", and had a lot of hang-ups with the lights on the edge. The 3"x4" size would have been better.
- Be sure to orient the downspouts the right way! I started out with the upper downspout wedged into the lower one (the one I was holding); as the lights went up, they got caught on the tapered edge at that joint area. I took the lights out and reversed the device, so the tapered edge was pointing upward -- that way the lights didn't snag.
- This is definitely a two-person job: one person to hold the tool, and the other to feed the lights, make sure they don't get caught on the edge, and add strands. (At least this one I figured out from the very beginning.)
- As the lights went up the installation tool, my assistant added strands by plugging them in end-to-end. Halfway through the project, I thought that it would be a good idea to put a bit of electrical tape around each pair of joined plugs. Fortunately, the whole thing went smoothly, but if a good tug unplugged the chain somewhere 20' up in the tree, that would have been a lost cause.
- Be cautious about overhead power lines! I hadn't noticed before we started that there are some power lines very close to one side of the tree. We managed to get past them safely, but it was some delicate maneuvering there.
Thanks again and Happy Holidays!