House Christmas Lights - Page 2

binky · 12-03-2008, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I refuse to put up lights. My wife likes them so she puts them up on the bushes in front of the house. I'm not doing it. I think it is a waste of time, energy, and electricity.

Bah humbug!

ZenGum · 12-03-2008, 08:01 PM

I have recently installed some lights, but not as a Christmas thing.

I have a dark hallway and front room in my house. So dark I needed to leave a light on to be able to safely walk about at night ... waste of electricity/money/CO2.

So I got some solar powered decoration lights. One set has 300 LEDs in icicle drops, the other has nine LED stars. The stars run down the hallway and the icicles are hung around a strategic central wall. I had to do a bit of wiring to make it all reach but it worked first time.
It is free to run, automatic, and self-charging. All great except for one technical issue that I might post about here when I get time.

Elspode · 12-03-2008, 08:03 PM

TF in front of her house complete with lights.

Aliantha · 12-03-2008, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I have recently installed some lights, but not as a Christmas thing.

I have a dark hallway and front room in my house. So dark I needed to leave a light on to be able to safely walk about at night ... waste of electricity/money/CO2.

So I got some solar powered decoration lights. One set has 300 LEDs in icicle drops, the other has nine LED stars. The stars run down the hallway and the icicles are hung around a strategic central wall. I had to do a bit of wiring to make it all reach but it worked first time.
It is free to run, automatic, and self-charging. All great except for one technical issue that I might post about here when I get time.

Where'd you get those from Zen? I'd be interested in having a look about for them.

ZenGum · 12-03-2008, 08:13 PM

Set of nine stars: Cheap as chips, $20

For various combinations of solar powered lights, try the Christmas decorations at target or K-mart (which seems to be much cheaper for equivalent products).

Aliantha · 12-03-2008, 08:13 PM

Hmmm...I'll have a look tomorrow.

Maybe we'll have lights afterall.

Thanks matey.

Stress Puppy · 12-04-2008, 07:03 AM

Here in Fresno, they have Christmas Tree Lane. It's about 2.5 miles long and they do it every year for the last 86 years. It's kind of amazing. They have a couple days out of the month where they block off the street and let people walk the length.

sweetwater · 12-04-2008, 07:21 AM

I am lurking the online catalogs for LED house lights. They were on sale last year post-holiday but there was no extra money, and I'm hoping to find them again post-holiday this year. I like the idea of using stars for the hallway. Love to see a photo [hint hint hint]

ZenGum · 12-07-2008, 08:52 PM

Somewhat late, here they are:
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These nine stars were $20. There were a few difficulties: the distance from the solar panel to the first light was only about 3 meters. I needed about 12. It could have been an easy job to splice in some speaker wire, but (second issue) the stars are on two circuits that flash alternately (1, 3, 5, 7, 9; and 2, 4, 6, 8) and hence use 3-core wire (one for each circuit and one as a shared return, I think). So I had to get some 3-core wire to splice in. Cut, strip, crimp, tape ... to my mild surprise, it worked first time.

As well as making the wiring difficult, the flashing is in fact unwanted. I am considering simply bridging the two feed wires and seeing what happens. I'll let you know. If it works I have a second set like this which I will simply extend with 2 core wire.

Meanwhile, the icicle lights were $70, but $55 on discount:

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The whole thing has a one meter drop and is about 3 meters long. It came with a 10-meter lead cord so I didn't have to do any wiring, just an awful amount on untangling. It is wrapped around a central wall so you can't see all of it here, but you can see some of it in the mirror on the left of the picture. It can cycle through about 8 combinations of flashing, but I set it for a steady glow.

Neither is bright enough to read by, but they're both enough to provide some mood lighting and make it safe to walk about at night.

lumberjim · 12-07-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinx

Last year the bastard snuck some big, colored, charlie brown lights up on the fence that looked kinda cute...

these rawk

monster · 12-07-2008, 09:55 PM

.

sweetwater · 12-08-2008, 06:46 AM

ZenGum, that's delightful! I've seen LED ropes (deck lights?) used in homes before, but I like the stars. Perfect for indoor sailing at night.

Trilby · 12-08-2008, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nirvana

I live in the middle of a 40 acre woods...

Is Pooh there? And Eyeore, Tigger, Piglet? *hopes, hopes*

glatt · 12-08-2008, 08:26 AM

We bought our tree on Saturday. It's sitting in a bucket of water in the back yard. Be fresher this way when we are ready to put it up than if it was sitting in the parking lot of the tree place getting all dried out.

monster · 12-08-2008, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

We bought our tree on Saturday. It's sitting in a bucket of water in the back yard. Be fresher this way when we are ready to put it up than if it was sitting in the parking lot of the tree place getting all dried out.

Same here, except the bugger's sitting in an ice block

12-03-2008, 08:01 PM	#17
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	I have recently installed some lights, but not as a Christmas thing. I have a dark hallway and front room in my house. So dark I needed to leave a light on to be able to safely walk about at night ... waste of electricity/money/CO2. So I got some solar powered decoration lights. One set has 300 LEDs in icicle drops, the other has nine LED stars. The stars run down the hallway and the icicles are hung around a strategic central wall. I had to do a bit of wiring to make it all reach but it worked first time. It is free to run, automatic, and self-charging. All great except for one technical issue that I might post about here when I get time. __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

12-03-2008, 08:03 PM	#18
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	TF in front of her house complete with lights. Attached Images __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-03-2008, 08:13 PM	#20
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	Set of nine stars: Cheap as chips, $20 For various combinations of solar powered lights, try the Christmas decorations at target or K-mart (which seems to be much cheaper for equivalent products). __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

12-03-2008, 08:13 PM	#21
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Hmmm...I'll have a look tomorrow. Maybe we'll have lights afterall. Thanks matey. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

12-04-2008, 07:03 AM	#22
Stress Puppy Elite Elitist Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Fresno, CA Posts: 359	Here in Fresno, they have Christmas Tree Lane. It's about 2.5 miles long and they do it every year for the last 86 years. It's kind of amazing. They have a couple days out of the month where they block off the street and let people walk the length. __________________ ~Stress Puppy~ Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur

12-04-2008, 07:21 AM	#23
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	I am lurking the online catalogs for LED house lights. They were on sale last year post-holiday but there was no extra money, and I'm hoping to find them again post-holiday this year. I like the idea of using stars for the hallway. Love to see a photo [hint hint hint] __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

12-07-2008, 08:52 PM	#24
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	Somewhat late, here they are: These nine stars were $20. There were a few difficulties: the distance from the solar panel to the first light was only about 3 meters. I needed about 12. It could have been an easy job to splice in some speaker wire, but (second issue) the stars are on two circuits that flash alternately (1, 3, 5, 7, 9; and 2, 4, 6, 8) and hence use 3-core wire (one for each circuit and one as a shared return, I think). So I had to get some 3-core wire to splice in. Cut, strip, crimp, tape ... to my mild surprise, it worked first time. As well as making the wiring difficult, the flashing is in fact unwanted. I am considering simply bridging the two feed wires and seeing what happens. I'll let you know. If it works I have a second set like this which I will simply extend with 2 core wire. Meanwhile, the icicle lights were $70, but $55 on discount: The whole thing has a one meter drop and is about 3 meters long. It came with a 10-meter lead cord so I didn't have to do any wiring, just an awful amount on untangling. It is wrapped around a central wall so you can't see all of it here, but you can see some of it in the mirror on the left of the picture. It can cycle through about 8 combinations of flashing, but I set it for a steady glow. Neither is bright enough to read by, but they're both enough to provide some mood lighting and make it safe to walk about at night. __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

12-07-2008, 09:55 PM	#26
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Finished the tree.... . Attached Images __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

12-08-2008, 06:46 AM	#27
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	ZenGum, that's delightful! I've seen LED ropes (deck lights?) used in homes before, but I like the stars. Perfect for indoor sailing at night. __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

12-08-2008, 08:26 AM	#29
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	We bought our tree on Saturday. It's sitting in a bucket of water in the back yard. Be fresher this way when we are ready to put it up than if it was sitting in the parking lot of the tree place getting all dried out. Last edited by glatt; 12-08-2008 at 08:46 AM.

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