[6t7gto]

We started to put up our decorations yesterday. Got the lighted reindeer out of the basement and only part of it lit. Earlier while we were at Lowe's I spotted this...
http://www.lightkeeperpro.com/

Man, what a neat piece of technology. I hooked it up, pulled the trigger numerous times and the good lights came on. I then proceeded to replace the burnt out bulbs.
But I didn't work fast enough. The bulbs that I was replacing were burning extremely bright. My wife said that isn't right. I thought maybe the bulbs I was pirating from a string of lights that didn't work were a different wattage. WRONG.
The tool over rides the burnt out bulbs on the string (actuating the shunt) and put too much voltage to the bulbs I was replacing. The replaced bulbs worked for maybe a half hour.
Now I have to buy more bulbs.

david

[steve]

crap. i thought you were on to something there. i HATE buying new strings every year and am convinced it is by design. if my house burns down over that stuff somebody is gonna answer......

[6t7gto]

Finally got it done and it is on display.
Had to change out over 100 bulbs.

[Kyflier]

works like a champ, I bought one this year too. We bought a 400 dollar prelit tree about three years ago, plugged it in this year and none of them worked. I bought one of those lightkeeper pro too....wish I'd have known years ago

[Bob Hall]

Here is a good write up/tutorial I found on this thing from the Planet Christmas forums.
http://www.landolights.com/main/content/view/91/39/

[Scott M]

Aren't most light strings these days of the "keeps lit even if one burns out" variety?



Here's a question:

I want to use "old school" 1960s-1970s light bulbs this year, just like I remember as a bald-faced boy.




The ones at Lowes aren't the big painted bulb types. They're either LEDs or are phony-looking.

Now, it's easy to find old lights on eBay; question to all you electrical engineering dweebs out there is: "How many can I string together and run through one or two outlets?"

This is what I have in mind:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Christma...item5d271661e4



Thanks.

[Engine-Ear]

I have several late-'40s lite strings that I put up for Christmas...Main thing is to unscrew each bulb and raise the center contact in the socket, plus rub scotch brite on the threaded part and the lead tip.

This will maximize the electrical connection. Those early bulbs still get plenty hot and I go thru a few every season. BUT, there is nothing like the warm ambiance of those old light strings...then again, I am an odd guy.

[Scott M]

Matt:

How many strings (# of bulbs) per electrical outlet?

[Engine-Ear]

If you have a 15A breaker and assuming you don't have other heavy consumers plugged into it elsewhere, 15A x 115V = 1725W.

How many watts does each string dissipate? It depends. If the string is unlabeled, see if you can find a bulb number. Google-search for a spec sheet or go to the Sylvania or GE lighting website and determine the power dissipation (in watts) for that bulb.

I believe if you then add up the number of bulbs, that is the total dissipation in the string.

Depending on the age of your house's wiring and if anything else is on that circuit breaker, I would then keep the current draw for the bulbs to 10A. So, 10A x 115V = 1150W. Rearrange the equation once you know the power dissipation in a given bulb multiplied by the number in the string and solve for amps.

HTH...

[6t7gto]

As my son found out..
one outlet in the garage to feed the xmas lights, house is looking good.
He didn't know the garage and living room is on the same circuit.
xmas lights on, big screen tv on, and his wife decides to plug in the vacuum in the living room.
there went that breaker.
david

[Scott M]

That's my concern. I'd like to do the whole house, around the gutter, but am concerned about how many different breakers I'll have to draw from to complete the project.

[Engine-Ear]

Well I would suggest getting new (albethey chinese-made) light strings...the individual bulbs are thrifty on energy consumption (for some reason, 25W per 100 bulb string comes to mind) and in spring you can just send them to the recycler for copper recovery.