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Mark Liked His Tree Straight Up with a Twist

By Design News Staff -- Design News, January 9, 2005

Mark likes his martinis dry, but never his Christmas trees. To avoid his tree turning into kindling prematurely, he created an automatic watering device that keeps it fresh and helps it last longer. His system pumps water from a 1-gal reservoir via a pump powered by a 12V dc power supply. Level sensors maintain the water level and provide overflow control. To avoid the risk of soggy Christmas presents, he suggests testing the system for water leaks in advance of use.

For Mark McCuller's complete instructions on how to build your own Electronic Christmas Tree Watering System, click here.

Electronic Christmas Tree Watering System Parts List
Amt Part Description Allied Part #
1 Quad 2 input and gate 568-3237
1 1N4148 diode 263-1538
1 Relay DK1A-5V 788-0085
1 2N2222 transistors NPN 248-1004
1 Resistors 1K Ħ, 0.5W 832-9016
1 Protoboard 0.1�~ 0.1 inch spacing 237-0119
1 Power supply +12V dc and +5Vdc 800-8071
3 Level sensor switch 908-1180
1 Dip socket 14-pin 512-4681
8 Terminal block PCB mount 607-7155
Additional parts required: Automotive windshield water pump, plastic 1-gal reservoir, 12-ft plastic tubing, assorted bolts and nuts, metal supports for sensors, Styrofoam flat (1.5-inch balls), cable (see website for complete specs)
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