Half strands etc - Inventory

[TitanBry77]

Hey all,

As I am now fully caught up in this craziness, I've got all my inventory out and in order.

This will be my first season computerized but I've always done tons of lights.

So doing the usual, going through my strands, in the past, I'd half half lit strands etc and just chuck them.

Now that I have this wonderful resource of brilliant folks, I wondered what everyone else does, is that tester I've seen in stores any good etc?

For the cheapo strands I have, I'll trash, also the ones I see with half the bulbs that look smoked or burnt (black marks). I do have a few strands that are nice GE incandescents where maybe 1/4 of the strand isn't lit, all bulbs are in, none have black marks etc. Trash?

Only had a few LED last year, they all work. Just talking about the incandescents.

Thanks again!

[Guest guest]

Before you trash those light strands, one suggestion I'd make is cut off the female end and the male/female end, cut them as close to the bulb socket they are near, this gives you a little wire (male/female about 6", female end about 3") and they can be used to make your own extension cords with just by adding wire between the two and soldering them together, put shrink tubing over each solder joint and another larger shring tube over both.

I made hundreds of extension cords out of some last year, I almost tossed the strings out without doing anything, but got to thinking, how could I utilize parts of them? And cut off the plug ends.

I also kept a few of the sockets I cut out so if I have one go bad on a working string, I can splice in a new socket.

So there's always a use for old incandescent light strings for parts for working ones.

On those that may only be 1/2 lit, you can actually find where the split is, this is where there are 2 wires, example on a 50 light string, if 25 are bad, you can cut the bad 1/2 out and now have a working string of just 25. You either put a new female end on the working string or just fold them back and cap each side off with heat shrink and then cap off the dual fold with a larger piece of heat shrink and pinch the end to seal it. Done this with 50 and 100 ct. light sets where 1/2 just would not work any longer.

[Dan Ancona]

Get yourself a LightKeeper Pro or Buzz box and fix 'em.

[kellyhaglund]

Roll them up like a ball of Yarn and place them in a tree somewhere. They take half the amps and now provide a lit up ball of lights. From the street, no one knows it's only half lit up. Throw them away at the end of the year. Just a thought.

[TitanBry77]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I had wondered if the lightkeeper or the buzz box was any good also.

[Ken Benedict]

Buzz box: http://www.aachristmas.com/vpasp/shopexd.asp?id=618

I have one; works great every time on incandescents. Have NOT tried it on LED strings.

[meadmkr]

The lightkeeper pro was one of the best investments I'd made for holiday decorating! Nothing worse than trying to figure out what is wrong with a string that's 15' up (or higher) in a tree or on the house in the middle of December at night :-(

[Dennis Cherry]

Ken Benedict wrote:

Buzz box: http://www.aachristmas.com/vpasp/shopexd.asp?id=618

I have one; works great every time on incandescents. Have NOT tried it on LED strings.

You will destroy LED's with a Buzz Box.

[Paul Roberson]

You could also remove the bulbs/sockets and just use the wire and plugs as a extension cord.

If it is a 100ct string I think you have to leave the light socket on each and the 2 in the middle. All others can be removed.

[TitanBry77]

Thanks that's a good idea too Paul. I am stopping by Target or similar today to see if they have the LKP in stock, worth a shot. (no pun intended) :-)

[TitusCarnathan]

JUST A REMINDER do not use the shocking feature of the light keeper pro while the set is still pluged into a Light O rama controller or any other light controller the shock can damage the boards
But the light keeper pro is very good investment

[Paul Roberson]

TitanBry77 wrote:

Thanks that's a good idea too Paul. I am stopping by Target or similar today to see if they have the LKP in stock, worth a shot. (no pun intended) :-)

Here is a great how to.

[shakeonit]

Paul Roberson wrote:

You could also remove the bulbs/sockets and just use the wire and plugs as a extension cord.

If it is a 100ct string I think you have to leave the light socket on each and the 2 in the middle. All others can be removed.

I have been doing this for years. I use my old mini-incandescant lights as extensions for my LED displays to hook up to my LOR box. All you have to do is remove a bulb or two and it no longer lights, but still provides power running through it.

I haven't mentioned it on here because people seem to have money for real extension cords, or are worried about fire hazards (never was that cautious).

I use anywhere from 50-100 mini strands as extension cords in my display. They only run LED lights, so power overload really isn't an issue. Also, you can find these in after Christmas sales for $.50 or so, and it saves you several dollars over real extension cords.

Just my 2 cents...

[TitanBry77]

Thanks! I picked up the LKP on sale at Home Depot yesterday, went home, amazing, had 2 nice GE Icicle strands that are prob 3 seasons old, half not working, couple pulls on the trigger..... fixed! What a neat gadget.