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Incan/LED swap?


testraub

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testraub wrote:

Can LED's be swapped on to an incandecent string? I have some deer I want to change to LED.

Tom Straub


That is sort of like asking if you can put a Porsche 928 motor in a 914... Yes, but you will need to provide a fair bit of extra hardware (rectifier, and current limiting resistors) to make it work and you probably won't like the result.

You will be much happier if you just put new LED strings on the frames.
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I am in same boat here and decided it is far easier to just restring the deer with led's opposed to converting the wiring. I have had to restring them in the past with incans and its really nothing some zip ties cant handle. I did however find it easier to unhook one light and zip tie the new one in the same place to help keep the lights all uniform and not ending up with odd spacing between lights.:cool:

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TJ Hvasta wrote:

Tom, do you mean to swap bulbs in the same string, or remove an entire string off the deer and wrap it with LED's?


Just swap

Tom Straub
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Oh, then I'd say no.. but John says it's been done before.. I'd either replace the minis on it (R&R), or just ziptie the LEDs over them..

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Frankly I would not do a bulb swap if an LED string can be used. Just to much trouble. But, I have bought those 18", 3', 4' and 6' spiral trees. Pulled the lamps, installed a full wave bridge and calculated and install current limiting resistors. And I found out that dirty D.C. makes calculations not straight forward like clean D.C. I Have found that I can put 46 Pure White LEDs on a string without any resistors, just the FWB and plug into 115VAC. The main thing to remember is this. Your meter reads RMS, but you need to change this to Peak and keep the peak value below the LEDs rating. To include not only voltage, but current too. Right now doing my candy canes. Currently 20 icans, but will use 17 LEDs and a 48VDC P.S. and a DC controller. Thanks Paul R. will take pictures later once I am done. Might be 6 months before getting the controller.

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