[Shop-talk] xmas lights that don't suck?

[David Scheidt]

On Sat, Nov 29, 2008 at 1:16 PM, Bill Rabel <brabel at comcast.net> wrote:
> The incandescent 'mini-lights' have driven me crazy for years. The packaging
> assures you that if one bulb burns out the whole string will stay lit.
> However, the problem arises from a broken or intermittent contact where the
> bulb plugs in. This WILL extinguish a section.
>
> I have converted completely to LED strings, as suggested by another
> response. Every joint is soldered, so there are no fluky contacts. They run
> cool, use less power, and seem to be more durable than the old incandescent
> strings. Strangely, they come labeled with the same warning to limit
> plugging more than three in series. This seems too conservative, as they
> draw far less current than the old-style bulbs.
>


The ones I've seen advertised recently say things like "connect up to
76 in series".  (I don't remember the number, but it's absurdly huge.
More than 50, less than 100.)

> Fortunately, I have a self-imposed rule to not begin decorating for another
> couple of weeks.

Even more fortunately, I dont' decorate at all.


-- 
David Scheidt
dmscheidt at gmail.com