Thread: X-Mas lights mod?

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Hey All, has anyone ever tried to modify Christmas lights in any way? I was looking to add lighting to a fence project that I have started, and thought that cutting off the bulbs, and extending the wires to fit my needs might be an easy way to go. Also I found this, but doesn't look all that safe to me .

How to mod Christmas lights into stereo party lights | Video « Wonder How To

Would it be easier to splice the bulb sockets into some zip cord?

A zip who?

If you want to create this effect without endangering your stereo here is a link to a simple one channel color organ. You can probably get the parts at a "real" radio shack....(that would be one that still sells component parts instead of cell phones) for about $10. Less if you already have a project board. Simple Colour Organ

If you can solder, I highly recommend this very easy-to-assemble kit:

Audio to light modulator kit

I built one of these last year and it only took about 45 minutes to build, including putting it in a plastic project box from Radioshack. I used it for doing thunder & lighting and it worked great! You can see the lightning in this video here... it's about 1:10 minutes in:
YouTube - Haunted Drury 2008 Montage

the how too looks pretty simple. I like xpendable's idea for the same concept.

I know there's a simple hack for turning a strand of Christmas lights into flickering candle flames. I've been trying to find it for the past week.

Hate to hijack the thread but Xpendable do you have any still pics of your groundbreaker mechanism? It looks great in your cemetary and I wouldn't mind stealing the idea! Thanks.

Originally Posted by jayb

Hey All, has anyone ever tried to modify Christmas lights in any way? I was looking to add lighting to a fence project that I have started, and thought that cutting off the bulbs, and extending the wires to fit my needs might be an easy way to go.

Of course you can cut and splice. Just use thick enough wire. I have 24 skulls on the top of my cemetary fence lit by individual C7 bulbs. I took the C7 sockets off strings of C7 christmas lights, purchased individual 110v plugs at my local hardware store, and wired them in with 16 gauge wire run through the vertical posts. I used THHN, which is a individual stranded wire encased in pvc because I had several spools of it, but most people would use lamp cord (cheaper) with similar results. The plugs hang out the bottom of each post, and I can then connect them to individual channels on my LOR boxes.

I don't think doing a cut-and-splice would be much fun with mini-bulbs, as they're made with much thinner and cheaper wire. If I wanted smaller than C7's, I'd consider going LED instead of mini-lights.

Craig

Originally Posted by Trader Sam

I know there's a simple hack for turning a strand of Christmas lights into flickering candle flames. I've been trying to find it for the past week.

Not to hijack but this might help
AC flicker power strip hack

Victor