Blue LED's

[Steelers95]

This is just a general question about blue led lights. Last year I bought many sets on sale at lowes but in general why do the blue leds look blurry when looking at them from a distance. has anyone noticed that they kind of mess with you eyes. Im debating on weather or not I should not use them ,has anyone avoided using them because of this ?

- Any thoughts

[TitusCarnathan]

Those strings are Half Wave Rectified strings, they kind of give you a flicker illusion. Full Wave strings won't give you that issue.

[Steelers95]

How can you tell if they are half wave or full wave, will it say on the box because when I looked on the boxes it doesent say anything about half or full wave

Edited September 24, 2014 by Steelers95

[Paul R]

Full wave will usually be labeled "Flicker free".

 

-Paul

[George Simmons]

Due largely to competitive price pressures and fueled by the average wholesale buyers' (and consumer's) ignorance over what they're buying, it's rare - perhaps even unheard of - to find full-wave lights in retail locations.

Edited September 24, 2014 by George Simmons

[Steelers95]

when im up close looking at the lights they look perfectly fine, I don't even notice a flicker but then when I step back the lights become blurry looking but it only seems to happen with the blue led's ive never noticed this problem with any other color.

[chandalen]

Get a full wave rectifier from Radio shack.  The instructions are pretty easy at  http://www.dirtside.com/led/hacking.html   You dont need to use the capacitor, and with a LOR display I would not recomend it.

[JSteinwall]

I believe part of the issue is also higher intensity of blue LED light and its shorter wavelength. There are a number of explanations on the internet about this. I think it comes down to the focal point of the light and the number of receptors in the retina. 

 

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?183489-Why-do-Blue-LED-llights-look-blurry

http://blog.codinghorror.com/blue-led-backlash/

[Steelers95]

so getting a full wave light string would be the easisest way to fix the problem?

[john fulkerson]

tachnical issues really blow my fuse just blink alot LOL and they'll look fine

[George Simmons]

so getting a full wave light string would be the easisest way to fix the problem?

The easiest fix is standing back a few feet from the lights.

If you do your light shopping with any of the vendors you see mentioned here, I believe they all carry only full wave lights. This is a tough time of year price-wise, but most vendors have early Jan pre-season sales that rival after-Christmas retail prices, but you get lights that are far, far better quality.

[Max-Paul]

I still think that blue has some kind of weird effect on my eyes. Heck wife had a G6 pontiac, with red dash lights. Screwed with my vision and did not like it either. I know my blues are full wave, but can see how half wave would mess with my eyes more.

[Steelers95]

Actually called the 1 800 number on the box and asked if they were full wave or half wave and they told me that the blue led lights were full wave. now i did hapen to confuse them with the question of full wave or half wave so there is a chance that they could have just picked an answer at random but i dont believ so. im just going to stick with the lights that i have and put them out this year but i do apprecaite all of the replys. 

[Bob VandenBoom]

Easy way to check.  Plug the lights in and wave them back and forth at arms length in front of you.  If they leave a strobe like on-off light trail they are half wave.  If they leave a solid light trail they are full wave.  Might be easier to see in the dark.