LED Guru Advice Needed

[Denny]

Some years back, before I started using LEDs, I think I read somewhere that you could/should not change multi-color LED strings to solid colors by replacing the LEDs from different strings because ech color of LED required different voltages to operate properly.

This year, I purchased many LED strings during the post-Christmas sales with the hope that I could use them next year on my wireframes. The incandescents on the wireframes have the fading problems over the years not to mention the lost and broken bulbs from storage.

The LEDs I have are from Home Depot and Lowes and have the removeable bulbs. Each string is fifty count of five different colors. First, did I remember correctly the statement above about making a string all one color? Would putting more of one color on a string than the others damage the LEDs?

How do others solve the problem of different colors of LEDs on wireframes?

[Wayne K]

Very good question! I was also wandering the same thing about that as I do that with mini icons now in my deer and sliegh setup.

[WilliamS]

This is true each color usually has a differnt power draw. If Im not getting it backwards red uses the least power green is next with blue being the biggest power offender. This may not be true with 100% LEDs though. Also the wiring in the string they came im will compensate for this where as the other string your trying to make a solid color will not. If the power is wrong as in the overall string now only calculates to use 80 volts and you throw 120 at it, you have magic LED smoke.

To change the color of a wire frame, remove old lights, wrap your solid color lights on. I would not swap around bulbs to create a solid color.

[Guest wbottomley]

Denny... use pure or warm white leds for the entire frame. To change colors in sections of it... these aren't a bad idea. http://www.christmas-leds.com/category_v3.aspx?categoryID=336


From what I have seen... they look pretty good.

[Denny]

wbottomley wrote:

Denny... use pure or warm white leds for the entire frame. To change colors in sections of it... these aren't a bad idea. http://www.christmas-leds.com/category_v3.aspx?categoryID=336


From what I have seen... they look pretty good.

That seems like a good solution, but it would get expensive with several large frames, but it got me thinking. Has anyone tried painting the clear leds with that transluscent colored paint? I do have a couple small frames that only use about 100 bulbs, I may try that on one of them to see the results.