Re: LED Xmas lights and X10.. the final solution...

[AZ Woody <reply@here>]

Actually not quite $0, as a string of the mini-lights take more power
than something like 10 strings of LEDS.

Outside, I have a few mini-light strings in use - but then again, I have
a blow-up snowman too!

Inside, however, it's all LED - had a chuck of mini-lights go out on my
"pre-lit" tree, and I now have it pre-lit with LEDS.  The color is so
much better, and I don't want mini-lights in the mix..  Therefore the relay.

The LED strings I got do allow you to interchange lights (from Target -
made by phillips), and while you can get the white (kind of blue)
strings, to get a string of all red, you need to get about 5 strings and
use the reds all in one..  You'll wind up with a string of orange
(Halloween) and green (St Patty's Day)!  The ones I got look (in shape)
like mini lights.


Steven Downin wrote:
> I ran across the LED glow issue last year. I'm slowly changing outside
> decorations to LEDs where possible. The $0 solution is to connect at least 1
> miniature light set to each LED branch power feed.  This not a problem since
> I have an intermix of LED and miniature lights.  This needs to done at the
> controller end or before the LED strings.  The pass-through power
> (string-a-long) on the LED string is rectified voltage (about 100 volts DC).
>
> My decoration theme is candy cane so most of the lighting is red and white
> (clear or frosted).  For years I'm made on own color schemes by
> interchanging bulbs. However, this is not possible with LEDs.  For one
> decoration I interwove the red and white LED sets using tiewraps.  My next
> task is red/white LED icicles (sometimes called curtain lights).  There are
> a few on the market but are way, way, way too expensive.  No easy solution
> other than cut, splice, heat shrink, and keeping the polarity straight.
>
> The colored LEDs are very bold in color.  However, the white LEDs have a
> slight cold blue color when viewed outside in the dark.
>
> Mixmaster
>
> "AZ Woody" <reply@here> wrote in message
> news:47425b92$0$506$815e3792@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> OK..  After doing testing with 1-4 strings of LEDs and the X10 mods I had
>> on hand (modified and unmodifed) here's what I did... (none of the modules
>> would turn off the Leds all the way
>>
>> - Home Depot - gray plastic box, outlet cover, and outlet - ~$2
>> - 2' power cord (salvaged from junk box)
>> - 110v AC relay (ratshack - $8, but I'm sure they can be found cheaper -
>> 10amp contactsis what I got)  Just make sure it will fit in the outlet
>> box, with the outlet
>>
>> Basically, wired so that when power is a applied, relay closes and power
>> is applied to the outlet..  Using a std X10 appliance module all works! I
>> plug the relay into the module, the LED lights into the relay.  It's less
>> visible than adding a incandescent light to the mix..  2' cord is enough
>> to set the outlet box on the floor (containing the relay).
>>
>> The relay is DPDT, but only switching hot, so I can easily use the other
>> side for dry contact at a later time. (3 screw terminals on the outside of
>> the box and wire to the relay is all it takes...)
>
>