CrossRoads:
Half mile, 2640 feet, a light every 6" is 5280 lights.
I think I'd be tempted to make up 10' modules, 20 lights per module bright LEDs like this or similar. 5280/20 = 264 modules.
5mm Super Bright White, 10000mcd Non-Diffused LED
Wire all the modules in parallel with 12/3 or 14/3 wire, with 12V,Gnd common to all, and signal in to a module which buffers and passes to next module.
Signal would be "I'm done, turn on for xxx seconds", next in line gets the signal, turns on, turns off & sends signal.
Current draw is thus pretty continuous as only one is on a time, and turned off modules don't consume much, say 20mA so >6A total current needed.
Each "module" could be a 10' foot strand with 3-pin input, 3 pin output, and 20 LEDs on sticks spread the length of th strip all driven by arduino-clone in the middle of the strip:
LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..board..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED..LED
signal in------------------------------------------------------------------in, out-------------------------------------------------------------------signal out
power in--------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------- power out
Gnd in-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------Gnd outThe LEDs coud all driven together, or groups of 3 or 4, or individually controlled. The wires to the LED needn't be 14 guage, can be much smaller.
This is basically it, but is it possible to use LED light strips instead of wiring it all together myself?