eschlomach Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 my plan is to buy 100 boxes of incandescent minis to add to my display. Am i wasting my time with incandescents? LEDs are just way beyond my budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I think you answered your own question (in regards to you can't afford the LED's)One of the problems that might arise with incandescents is the power draw...depending on how large you expect your display to grow over the years...There are many spreadsheets/calculators out there that could help you with that aspect of it...Use one of these to help with your calculations (depending on how many controllers you have):http://www.quartzhillchristmas.com/12.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Don Gillespie Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 You could also do a mix of Leds and incadesents, lots of forum members do this, I used to be all leds, but have incorperated the incadesents into some of my display, also the main thing to remember is the amps per channel, yes it is true leds don't draw as many amps as incadesents but in the long run you put up what you can afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Don Gillespie wrote: but in the long run you put up what you can afford.If that was true I would still have 10 incandescent strings (with more burnt out bulbs than good bulbs) and NO LOR controllers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cray Augsburg Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 jimswinder wrote: If that was true I would still have 10 incandescent strings (with more burnt out bulbs than good bulbs) and NO LOR controllers!! so, then . . .you put up what you rationalize that you can afford . . .in other words, what you can convince your spouse you absolutely must have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Burge Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 eschlomach wrote: my plan is to buy 100 boxes of incandescent minis to add to my display. Am i wasting my time with incandescents? LEDs are just way beyond my budget.I have about 60,000 incandescent lights and I don't have any problems. The led's are just too expensive for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eschlomach Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 60 thousand is quite a bit. i currently have 20 and want to add another 10 thousand this year. this year will be my first year with LOR. i hear you on the price of the LEDs. not only do i have a big yard i also own the lot next door. so i have 2 yards to decorate. 10 dollars a string is just out of the question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Burge Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 eschlomach wrote: 60 thousand is quite a bit. i currently have 20 and want to add another 10 thousand this year. this year will be my first year with LOR. i hear you on the price of the LEDs. not only do i have a big yard i also own the lot next door. so i have 2 yards to decorate. 10 dollars a string is just out of the questionYea 60,000 is a lot and it takes 8 dedicated 20 amp circuits to run it. It's a good thing I am an electrician so all those new circuits don't cost me anything. I just hope that I can keep myself from expanding again this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubado Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I have about 25000 in inventory, roughly a half and half mix. I watch the sales closely on leds and get what i can afford and only what I really need, but the after Christmas deals are too good to pass up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eschlomach Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 Electricity isnt an issue with me either. im only 21 but have been doing electrical work since my freshman year in high school. It kinda runs in the family. my grandpa was a master. my dads a master. I guess that makes me next. i enjoy what i do though. Electricity is what got me interested in all these christmas lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I'm also somewhere near half and half for what I use in the display, although total inventory is still about 75% incandescents. Almost all I buy is LEDs at this point and I'm hoping I live long enough to see the day when the display is entirely LED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKSedg Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I also am gradually changing all my lights to LED, but I figure it will take me two more years to get there. I just like the fact that they use so much less electricity and you don't have to worry much about overloading the controllers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale J Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 i would agree with the most, about half and half i can only afford the leds during the after Christmas sales, i do try and use more leds for the display mainly because of power issues . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 What is this word you people are usings?Afford? What is dis afford?I don't know the meaning !Wife tells me what I can spend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 PaulXmas wrote: Wife tells me what I can spend...that is what you can AFFORD...because you can't AFFORD to [Foul Language Used] off the wife... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakeonit Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I have about 70,000 lights now, and I'd say at least 50,000 are now LED's. I've never bought anything custom until I got controllers last year. Prior to that I simply got what I could find in the after Christmas sales stock piling for years. My display has 95% lights with no ornamental candy canes or blow molds, my theme is colored lights and Christmas trees.I started converting to LED's 3 years ago, and have never paid more than $5 for any strand on clearance.I can't afford to order high quality LED's that dim properly, but my show is still a success, and no one but a perfectionist can see the difference.My original plan was to go solely to LED's, but my ideas keep appearing faster than the cash in my wallet, so I have to hang onto Incad. lights to keep expanding the display to my liking.Someday, it will be 100% LED.www.prosperchirstmas.weebly.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 shakeonit wrote: Someday, it will be 100% LED.http://www.prosperchirstmas.weebly.comclicked on your weebly.com link..but it says your site is not yet published... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakeonit Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 jimswinder wrote: shakeonit wrote: Someday, it will be 100% LED.http://www.prosperchirstmas.weebly.comclicked on your weebly.com link..but it says your site is not yet published... hmm... try this http://prosperchristmas.weebly.com/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 shakeonit wrote: jimswinder wrote: shakeonit wrote: Someday, it will be 100% LED.http://www.prosperchirstmas.weebly.comclicked on your weebly.com link..but it says your site is not yet published... hmm... try this http://prosperchristmas.weebly.com/index.htmlThat one works...but then when I get there only the "Video Links" works...not the Photos, Story or Giving pages... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakeonit Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, it's a work in progress, but I figured the front page pics and videos would give people an idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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