cutting 100ct mini lights

[Dan Lott]

I have 24 2 foot trees that have 35ct white minis on them. I want to add red and green to the trees for this year and i have not found the 35ct lights that i need to do it. I do not want to put 100ct strands on them as then i will need to redo all the white lights then. The trees are not a main focus so that is why i do not want them that bright just a nice background light. What i was thinking is to take the 100ct green and red lights i have and cut them at the 50/51 spot in the strings. I am just wondering it that will make all the lights blow like if you try to modify minis in other spots or because that is the 2 wire spot it will work. Any help would be awsome.

[Frank A.]

Good evening

this is a supplier that i have bought from

hard to beat 2.99 a string

doing the cutting at the correct spot and repairing the cut ends will cost more in time than the cost of these imho

http://www.aachristmas.com/vpasp/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=246


[align=left]ML-3-35-GW-R-NEC
Approx. 3 Inch Spaced 35 Red Mini Lights on Green Wire Stackable (Male) plug with No End Connector (NEC)- 12" Distance from the stackable male plug to the first bulb. Perfect for Crafts - Approx. 9 ft in length (2455-03)





Product Code: ML-3-35-GW-R-NEC





$2.99
[/align]
Frank A.

[George Simmons]

Dan,

In answer to your question, a 100 ct set of minis is basically two 50ct strings wired one after the other. So yes, you can cut them between bulb 50 and 51 where there are just two wires and put a plug on the tail end and make two sets of 50 and they'll light just fine.

[Dan Lott]

Just wanted to say thanks for the link and thanks goerge for the answer. As i need 48 boxes of the minis i think i may just spend the time and but the ones i have. It will take lots of time but not cost anything.

Thanks for all the help

[George Simmons]

Frank A. wrote:

hard to beat 2.99 a string

Frank,

I don't mean to be unkind, but I think that maybe you need to get out more. Actually, it's not hard at all to beat 2.99 a string. I'd dare say that most of us here wouldn't dream of spending that much for a 100 ct set of minis - much less a 35 ct set! And 39.95 for a Light Keeper Pro? You've gotta be kidding - that's AT LEAST twice as much as stores sell them for. A good profit margin for the web site owner perhaps, but a lousy deal for anyone naive enough to do business with them.

[Frank A.]

Good morning

George

i knew someone would give the correct info about the mini light

split --- i did not remember --- i would spend money to match exactly

what i have and not have a 50 count light string introduced

into a group that is built around a 35 count design

just me ---

i purchased -from this company- mini strings that were 10 foot in length

to minimize the time installing them on leafless tree branches

just me ---

i do realize my drummer has a different beat

and i am not much of a diy'er

Frank A.

[Randy]

Hi Dan,

If you can find some strings of 70 lights, those consist of two strings of 35. Or if you can find some of the strings of 105 or 110, those are usually three strings of 35...

Then you can cut them in between the sections of 35 where there are only 2 wires and attach power cords (leftovers from junked strings) to make up your sets of 35 more economically...

Randy

[schristi69]

Can't you do something like put a resistor or something in the line and make strings of the length you want?

[Dan Lott]

Frank A. wrote:

i would spend money to match exactly

what i have and not have a 50 count light string introduced

into a group that is built around a 35 count design

just me ---

Well maybe i dont have as good of a job as some to afford 150 dollars in 35ct ligths . That is why I am a big diy. I am trying to add a element to my display with items i have and can modify to work. As i do not think that you will see a major difference with 15 more bulbs between the white and red/green. But i do see where you are coming from as i do want everything to look perfect. I will do a test on the trees and see if there is a difference that people will actually notice or not. If there is i will be adding the 50ct to the white and scrap the 35ct all togeather. Like i said i am trying to work with what i have. I do not see 2.99 a good deal as i buy most of my 100ct lights at 30-50 cents a box. I just can not justify spending 150 dollars on 35 count lights just to get them to change to two more colors. I may be cheep but i like getting the biggest bang for my buck so i will take the money i dont spent on 35ct lights and buy another controller. Thanks for the link though frank.

Dan

[Frank A.]

Good morning

Dan

i could not figure where all the dollars for the minis were

coming from

i misread your original post ---

i thought you had four trees not twenty four

i understand the cost impact now

can't hear and i guess can't see so well either

Frank A.

[RaceMedic]

George Simmons wrote:

Dan,

In answer to your question, a 100 ct set of minis is basically two 50ct strings wired one after the other. So yes, you can cut them between bulb 50 and 51 where there are just two wires and put a plug on the tail end and make two sets of 50 and they'll light just fine.

Not seen my 100 ct LEDs yet ... does splitting them in half apply to LED strings also ?!

Dave

[Don]

RaceMedic wrote:

Not seen my 100 ct LEDs yet ... does splitting them in half apply to LED strings also ?!

Dave

Unless there has been a change in the design of LED lights that I am unaware of ... you can not cut LED strings in half (and expect them to work.)

[PaulXmas]

George Simmons wrote:

Frank A. wrote:

hard to beat 2.99 a string

Frank,

I don't mean to be unkind, but I think that maybe you need to get out more. Actually, it's not hard at all to beat 2.99 a string. I'd dare say that most of us here wouldn't dream of spending that much for a 100 ct set of minis - much less a 35 ct set! And 39.95 for a Light Keeper Pro? You've gotta be kidding - that's AT LEAST twice as much as stores sell them for. A good profit margin for the web site owner perhaps, but a lousy deal for anyone naive enough to do business with them.

Those LightKeeper Pros are GREAT! And something anyone that has mini lights should have!
Got 2 ($10 each) after Xmas and fixed 3 of decorations that had lights out in about 15 minutes!

[jerrymac]

Why can't you cut a 100 sting set into 2 30's and 1 40 or any other combination? What whould be the result, since in most cased the strings are on for a very short time. (Incandescent not LED).

[George Simmons]

jerrymac wrote:

Why can't you cut a 100 sting set into 2 30's and 1 40 or any other combination?

Setting aside the issues of rewiring the partial set so that it even lights up at all, the biggest problem would be the voltage to each bulb. For instance, if you took a 50 light set (keep in mind a 100 light set is actually two 50's joined at the hip) and cut it down to a 30 light set, instead of each bulb receiving 2.5 volts as they were designed for, each bulb would receive 4 volts. The filaments would burn quite brightly and then self-destruct in a very short time.

[ErnieHorning]

schristi69 wrote:

Can't you do something like put a resistor or something in the line and make strings of the length you want?

You can and this would work as long as no bulbs burn out. When you have less than 50 bulbs, the voltage increases in greater steps each time a bulb burns out. You'd have to watch the string closely and the bulbs promptly or you'll lose them all.

George Simmons wrote:

The filaments would burn quite brightly and then self-destruct in a very short time.

I checked this out a while back and the 2.5 volt bulbs burn out in about 1 second at 3.5 volts. At 4 volts, they'd be more like a fuse.

[Papa-LF]

jerrymac wrote:

Why can't you cut a 100 sting set into 2 30's and 1 40 or any other combination? What whould be the result, since in most cased the strings are on for a very short time. (Incandescent not LED).

Boy wouldn't that be a blessing as 50 is usually plus or minus 10 lights to make er fit. The unfortunate truth is that it doesn't work like that - as it has already been explained. Although many of us cut strings for the 50's all the time. 100 count are the most popular and usually the best price. I drew up a crude drawing some time ago that has helped several folk to understand where to cut strings of 100 count too get two stings of 50. View that here.. ( read the disclaimer at the bottom ).

JerryMac, your question is a good one, and hopefully you have gotten an answer that helps. Happy Trails.....