Bulk bulbs

[ShortysLandscaping]

Where does everyone buy their LED bulbs from? I'm thinking abot buying a 1000' spool for c9 this summer and was wondering if anyone had any good places to buy C9 LED bulbs?

[Dave H1]

I am assuming that you want the dimmable C-9s. In order to get your best deal you better not wait till the summer. The two vendors I utilized is

Creative Display http://www.creativedisplays.com/SiteResources/Data/Templates/templatea.asp?docid=514&DocName=Home

LED Holiday Lighting

http://www.ledholidaylighting.com/

They both run early sales commencing in January and ending in February / early March.

Would be wise to get on their e-mail list to be notified of any pending sales

[ShortysLandscaping]

Thats perfect, my light distributor out here wants $2 a bulb. And if I'm getting the 1000' foot roll with 6" spacing thats $4000. OUCH!

[George Simmons]

Before you do any business with LED Holiday Lighting, especially if you're concerned with wasting money, be sure to read all the threads on this forum and also on Planet Christmas regarding their reliability, product quality and service.

[JBullard]

George Simmons wrote:

Before you do any business with LED Holiday Lighting, especially if you're concerned with wasting money, be sure to read all the threads on this forum and also on Planet Christmas regarding their reliability, product quality and service.

In other words, if you want fair prices, great quality, superior customer service, and fast prompt shipping, then order from Creative Displays

[grump010]

Did the same thing this year. I purchased the Lights from Creative Displays (Paul has a great crew of people) Preorder for CDI starts, I think early in the new year and I got the '1000 spool from Action Lighting on sale, CDI also sells socketed wire. I just had a look to see if Action still sells the spools and they're on sale again:

http://www.actionlighting.com/Items.asp?Sub=HolidayCloseout&MainCategory=Holiday%20Closeout

Good luck, I'm very happy with both products. A '1000 spool is alot of wire and I haven't even used half so far, room for more projects.

[ShortysLandscaping]

K now the next question is How long is the longest cord run you could do with LED dimmable C9's?

[JBullard]

ShortysLandscaping wrote:

K now the next question is How long is the longest cord run you could do with LED dimmable C9's?

each bulb is .96 watts.

We told you where, now you do the math.

[Paul Roberson]

JBullard wrote:

George Simmons wrote:

Before you do any business with LED Holiday Lighting, especially if you're concerned with wasting money, be sure to read all the threads on this forum and also on Planet Christmas regarding their reliability, product quality and service.

In other words, if you want fair prices, great quality, superior customer service, and fast prompt shipping, then order from Creative Displays

Before he did any business with CDI he may want to follow the same advice, if he is concerned with wasting money. Their "lights may not meet your expectations", or so I have been told. : )

[ShortysLandscaping]

JBullard wrote:

ShortysLandscaping wrote:

K now the next question is How long is the longest cord run you could do with LED dimmable C9's?

each bulb is .96 watts.

We told you where, now you do the math

Whats The max wattage per string?

[JBullard]

ShortysLandscaping wrote:

Whats The max wattage per string?

That depends on how many bulbs on the string.

What guage wire is the string you plan to use?

[ShortysLandscaping]

SPT1

[JBullard]

ShortysLandscaping wrote:

SPT1

Ok, SPT1 is the insulation rating on the wire.

Now, what guage is the wire under the SPT1 insulation? 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, or 22 guage?

For example, If the wire is rated for 8 amps then you could have 1000 C9 retro bulbs.

If the wire is rated for 10 amps, then 1250.

If 12 amp wire then 1500

If 14 amp wire then 1750

Do you want us to come install them for you?

You really need to learn do some of your own research and calculations.

[ShortysLandscaping]

Why though? When I have this wonderful forum to teach me.

[SLICK]

JBullard wrote:

ShortysLandscaping wrote:

SPT1

Do you want us to come install them for you?

You really need to learn do some of your own research and calculations.

WOW! I was happy to read about all the tech stuff you so nicely put in your post that was helpful to everyone. Yet I am not sure why you need to be rude and needed to throw out the last 2 comments>? I assume he asked these questions because everyone here has been very helpful and supportive. Glad you were helpful. To bad you're not supportive!

[Billy Gandy]

I am a newbie to the christmas lighting world, but if you use common electrical calculations, 1500 wats on 120 Volt AC is 12.5 amps. How do you run this on wire rated for 12 amps? I am sure it is OK, but it is exceeding the recomended maximum. To go a bit further I believe the maximum output per channel on a LOR dimmer pack is 8 amps.

Don't take me wrong, I am not trying to attack anyone. Please correct me if I am wrong on this. I am a master electrician but only a christmas lights begineer.

[JBullard]

Billy Gandy wrote:

I am a newbie to the christmas lighting world, but if you use common electrical calculations, 1500 wats on 120 Volt AC is 12.5 amps. How do you run this on wire rated for 12 amps? I am sure it is OK, but it is exceeding the recomended maximum. To go a bit further I believe the maximum output per channel on a LOR dimmer pack is 8 amps.

Don't take me wrong, I am not trying to attack anyone. Please correct me if I am wrong on this. I am a master electrician but only a christmas lights begineer.

The OP was asking the maximum number of strobes he could place on his mythical string of wire of unknown guage. At some time in the future as he had not purchased any products, and was thinking about next year.

I made some quick calculations, for different wire sizes using .96 watts - .008 amps for a product that is available from a vendor website. I have strobes from three different vendors, and they all have different current draws.

I agree, I would never do this myself, but since he had mythical wire of an unknown size and wanted to know the maximum number of strobes, of unknown orgin, that was what I calculated.

With true real world specs of which strobe, from which vendor, and the real size of the wire, and a derating of the maximum for safety, and taking into account the controller rating per channel, then an actual calculation could be made.

But he just seemed to want to know hypothical maximums without providing any information about the actual products to be used.

I guess I could have just ignored his question and not provided any information to his mythical hypothical questions.

For anyone elses information, I used ohms law for the calculations, I = E / R which anyone can do for their own calculations for their own display. There are also lots of free online calculators that can be used.


I don't mind helping anyone with support for their display, but when the only questions asked are hypothical without providing any specs of products to be used ...... then you either provide hypothical answers or just ignore the questions


I don't mind helping anyone that wants to learn how, and is willing to learn, but maybe my fuse was getting short with someone that wanted someone else to do all their work for them.

If anyone is offended by my post, then I'm sorry.

[ShortysLandscaping]

Okay so let me rephrase my question: What is the formula to figure out how many bulbs you can put on a string?

Remember I'm not an electrician so you will need to explain what each letter in the formula is please.



Shorty

[HowardShank]

Here's a little primer that may help.

http://www.christmaslightsetc.com/pages/how-much-power.htm

There are quite a few factors to figure out.

1. LOR with heat sinks can have 8amp per channel and 15 amps per bank with a maximum of 15 amps per unit if single power cord or 30 amps if dual power cords.

2. The type of light or mixutre of lights on one circuit may differ in wattage and you have to know what you have to use the calculations.

3. You have to know the guage of wire you are using as the smaller the wire, the less it can handle.

4. Get a Kill-A-Watt meter from online or Lowes/HD or wherever and measure your light strings. Here's a link to Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=kill-a-watt+ez&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=4643200587&ref=pd_sl_91z07ckm6g_e

[Billy Gandy]

JBullard wrote:

Billy Gandy wrote:

I am a newbie to the christmas lighting world, but if you use common electrical calculations, 1500 wats on 120 Volt AC is 12.5 amps. How do you run this on wire rated for 12 amps? I am sure it is OK, but it is exceeding the recomended maximum. To go a bit further I believe the maximum output per channel on a LOR dimmer pack is 8 amps.

Don't take me wrong, I am not trying to attack anyone. Please correct me if I am wrong on this. I am a master electrician but only a christmas lights begineer.

The OP was asking the maximum number of strobes he could place on his mythical string of wire of unknown guage. At some time in the future as he had not purchased any products, and was thinking about next year.

I made some quick calculations, for different wire sizes using .96 watts - .008 amps for a product that is available from a vendor website. I have strobes from three different vendors, and they all have different current draws.

I agree, I would never do this myself, but since he had mythical wire of an unknown size and wanted to know the maximum number of strobes, of unknown orgin, that was what I calculated.

With true real world specs of which strobe, from which vendor, and the real size of the wire, and a derating of the maximum for safety, and taking into account the controller rating per channel, then an actual calculation could be made.

But he just seemed to want to know hypothical maximums without providing any information about the actual products to be used.

I guess I could have just ignored his question and not provided any information to his mythical hypothical questions.

For anyone elses information, I used ohms law for the calculations, I = E / R which anyone can do for their own calculations for their own display. There are also lots of free online calculators that can be used.


I don't mind helping anyone with support for their display, but when the only questions asked are hypothical without providing any specs of products to be used ...... then you either provide hypothical answers or just ignore the questions


I don't mind helping anyone that wants to learn how, and is willing to learn, but maybe my fuse was getting short with someone that wanted someone else to do all their work for them.

If anyone is offended by my post, then I'm sorry.

I was not attacking, nor was I offended. I just wanted to clarify for my own knowledge. And yes, I also used ohms law: In simple terms - Watts/Volts=Amps