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Turning Multicolor LED's into Single Color?


miker1999

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Hello,

I need some expert advice here.  I took advantage of purchasing a lot of multicolor LED's at Walmart.  My intent is to try to remove the bulbs and turn the multi strands into single color strands.  These at 150 count strands.  We testing this out last night with little success.  Typically, 50 or so of the 150 strand would come on, then after a minute or so, they would go out.  I would love some thoughts/advice on this before I pack everything up and return to Walmart.  I did notice that it appears that there are three 'fatter' bulbs per 50 lights (so 9 fat bulbs per 150 strand). 

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice..... is this even possible?

 

Mike

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While a lot of people do this, it is really not a good idea. Each LED color has a slightly different voltage and current use and the resistors in the strings are tuned to handle exactly what the factory default is. If you start changing bulbs around, some will get too much current / voltage and others will not get enough.

I have tried this in my early years and ended up with a lot of dead strands after two seasons.

However - I have seen many do it successful.

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Great point viennaxmas!  I've seen people do this with success with incandescent bulbs, but I didn't consider the ramifications of LED bulbs and the different voltage needs!  Thanks for the insight! 

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I do this with my icicles from Walmart and I have done it with their 60 count strings the only problem being is the 60 count strings have more red than the other colors. As long as they have the resistor in the wire I have not had any problems.

At one time there was a chart posted on what voltage each color was but I can't seem to find it now .

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Doing this is not a good idea, many strands will end up overheating and can burn the insulation on the wires, which in turn can start a fire!   And it's because of the different voltage ratings of each color L.E.D.    Most strands so converted, if the resistance or voltages are not extremely close, within +/-1 volt, will fail.  Maybe not immediately, but eventually, they will fail.

 

As for those "fat bulbs", it's not the L.E.D. that's a different size, it's the socket and most often those L.E.D.'s are the "control L.E.D." for that section of the strand.   Sometimes there are 2 per section, sometimes only 1.    The difference being that the "fat socket", the L.E.D. is REVERSED in polarity from all the other L.E.D.'s.     Example:  Say the L.E.D. socket has a tang that folds down to lock the socket in place, the tang side for the L.E.D. may be the + side of the L.E.D. in the "standard" socket, however, the "fat socket". the L.E.D. will be - on the tang side of it.    So is something to also watch for when replacing L.E.D.'s inside those sockets if they ever burn out.    Every strand I have that has the wider/fatter sockets are wired like that, I haven't found a single exception to that rule as yet to date.  EDIT: Forgot to mention that those larger sockets are usually near or directly next to the war{s}{rectifier{s}} on the strand if one is visible, if not, these sockets may also contain a capacitor or resistor, sometimes both.

 

But to have a strand converted you need to know the correct capacitors or resistors to use inside and across the sockets to keep the voltages correct for all the same color L.E.D.'s.     Many L.E.D. strands have very small resistors or capacitors in various sockets along the strand to maintain correct voltages to each color L.E.D. in the strand, and those would have to be changed out for all the same color L.E.D. in a strand.

 

You're actually better off and much safer, if you can find and buy single color L.E.D. strands already made up by a commercial manufacturer, then you don't have to worry about knowing all this or modifying strands with electronic components to make them function as a solid color L.E.D. strand.  

 

Especially since I've played around with this and gotten some really HOT strands, too hot to handle, and some extremely warm ones, neither of which I would use because I know they would pose a definite fire risk!{and I worked in Electronics all my life, from manufacturing, technician and prototype labs.}

 

 

So in my opinion, if the strand is multi color L.E.D. it should stay that way.  If I need a solid color, I'll try and find a manufactured single color replaceable L.E.D. bulb strand.

Edited by Orville
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Thank you all for the education on LED's.  I had no idea.  I will be off to Walmart tomorrow with my returns.  Switching to LED's may take me a little longer than I hoped when I purchased these.  The cost is so much, I will just have to do a little at a time. 

 

thanks so much!

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This is what happens when you do not do some reading and research. Electricity is not something that one should go into (projects) without educating yourself. One of the reasons we see electrical house fires. How many of you have heard of some fool running out of fuses (back when we had fuse boxes) and putting in a penny then screwing down the old blown fuse. I was just a kid and my grandma's boy friend just that. a few minutes later smoke came out of the outlets. thankfully pulling the main fuses stopped the smoke and her house did not catch on fire. And just because we have breakers does not stop fools from putting small gauge wires on an outlet with no small fuses to protect.

 

Know before you go!  know what your doing before you go and mess with something electrical. From post like this and others. Dont fool yourselfs, you dont know what your doing. Read and ask before doing.  Disclaimer, there are many here that do know what your doing. I am only talking to those who really dont.

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Thank you all for the education on LED's.  I had no idea.  I will be off to Walmart tomorrow with my returns.  Switching to LED's may take me a little longer than I hoped when I purchased these.  The cost is so much, I will just have to do a little at a time. 

 

thanks so much!

FYI.........CDI is running there sale right now they carry full wave fully rectified LED sets and these are significantly better quality than the Big Box Store stuff. There brighter and last much longer so in the long run they will save you some $$$ 

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I had to chuckle at this statement {bolded text} - copied from FB post.:

I think the LEDs have a small bypass in the LED themselves to allow the current to flow through, even when the polarity is reversed. This would explain why I could cram a 2 Wire light into the 3 Wire base, and the other lights will work.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

For one thing the 3 wire base is still a 2 wire base, that 3rd wire is connected to one side {usually the neutral side}  and follows the strand all the way to the female end, otherwise there'd be no need for that 3rd wire.   

 

The other 3 wire socket on the second half of the strand is connected to the male/female pass through and goes to the opposite side of the female plug at the end.  Otherwise if it wasn't wired this way, if one bulb/L.E.D. happens to burn out and strand go dark, there would be absolutely NO POWER going to the female end either, so any strands connected to the now dead strand because of the burned out bulb/L.E.D. would also be dark!    And those larger 3 wire sockets, most often, the L.E.D. is REVERSED from the other smaller 2 wire sockets in the strand.

 

That's why there are usually only 2 wires going to the second half of a 50 or 100 count strand and why a 50 count can usually be cut in two to make 2 - 25 count strands without any issues, 100 count to 2 - 50 count strands, even some 60 count strands can be cut into 2 - 30 count and 70 count into 2 - 35 count strands, but they all would have that 3rd wire to be split.   If no 3rd wire, they usually can not be split in half like that.   I've done this many times when I needed a shorter L.E.D. strand for a prop or area where the full length would not be conducive.

 

However, even though they state there is a resistor in the green wire strands, this IS NOT always true either, so if you follow their advice, make sure those strand wires don't get very hot, if they do, DON'T USE IT!    It will melt the wires and possibly start a fire!

 

Still say one is better off purchasing single color L.E.D. strands already made by a manufacturer, then you know{or at least hope} they would be safe.

Edited by Orville
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