Blinking DC Christmas Lights

W

W. eWatson

Guest
I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

--
W. eWatson

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>
 
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:04:18 -0800, W. eWatson wrote:

I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?
Click to expand...
Maybe a 555 and a relay?

Good Luck!
Rich
 
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008, Rich Grise wrote:

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:04:18 -0800, W. eWatson wrote:

I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

Maybe a 555 and a relay?

Somehow the question made me think he wanted something off the shelf.
Click to expand...

You used to be able to get adapters that would flash lights that were
plugged in. Not much more than a pair of prongs on one side, and an
outlet on the other, and you'd plug your Christmas tree lights into
that. I gather something would heat up, which would then cause a contact
to open, at which point it would cool down and the contact would close
again, causing power to flow and not flow to the outlet. COmpletely
mechanical.

So you get one of those, then an AC adapter that puts out the needed
DC voltage. Plug the flasher into the wall, plug the AC adapter into
the flasher, then connect the AC adapter's output to the string of
bulbs, making sure polarity is correct if it needs to be.

Michael
 
W. eWatson wrote:
I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?
Click to expand...
I have an almost irresistible urge to demolish
blinking Christmas lights.

Stupid irritating things.
 
"Sjouke Burry" <burrynulnulfour@ppllaanneett.nnll> wrote in message
news:49594112$0$30618$ba620dc5@text.nova.planet.nl...
W. eWatson wrote:
I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

I have an almost irresistible urge to demolish
blinking Christmas lights.

Stupid irritating things.
Is there a chance that you might see his tree from where you are?
Click to expand...

Tom
 
W. eWatson wrote:
I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

Rich Grise wrote:
Maybe a 555 and a relay?

Michael Black wrote:
Somehow the question made me think he wanted something off the shelf.

You used to be able to get adapters that would flash lights that were
plugged in. Not much more than a pair of prongs on one side,
and an outlet on the other, and you'd plug your Christmas tree lights
into that. I gather something would heat up,
which would then cause a contact to open,
at which point it would cool down and the contact would close again,
causing power to flow and not flow to the outlet.
COmpletely mechanical.

When I got mine in the '70s, they cost ~$1 each.
Click to expand...
Look what the guy wants for one now:
http://google.com/froogle?q=Christmas-light-flasher&scoring=p&price=between&price1=1

So you get one of those, then an AC adapter that puts out the needed
DC voltage. Plug the flasher into the wall, plug the AC adapter into
the flasher, then connect the AC adapter's output to the string of
bulbs, making sure polarity is correct if it needs to be.

The current draw will affect the rate, of course.
Click to expand...
 
Tom Biasi wrote:
"Sjouke Burry" <burrynulnulfour@ppllaanneett.nnll> wrote in message
news:49594112$0$30618$ba620dc5@text.nova.planet.nl...
W. eWatson wrote:
I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?
I have an almost irresistible urge to demolish
blinking Christmas lights.

Stupid irritating things.
Is there a chance that you might see his tree from where you are?

Tom


Putting 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W into Google Earth....
Click to expand...
Not unless I can borrow time on the Hubble scope :)

Nice place by the way !!
 
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:04:18 -0800, "W. eWatson"
<notvalid2@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

--
W. eWatson
Click to expand...
After Radio Shack retires all their components, then I will stop
making my simple circuits.

Pull one of the LED's from it's socket and replace it with a blinking
LED from RS.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2117837

* * * *

Christopher

Temecula CA.USA
http://www.oldtemecula.com
 
Michael Black wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008, Rich Grise wrote:

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:04:18 -0800, W. eWatson wrote:

I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some
device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

Maybe a 555 and a relay?

Somehow the question made me think he wanted something off the shelf.

You used to be able to get adapters that would flash lights that were
plugged in. Not much more than a pair of prongs on one side, and an
outlet on the other, and you'd plug your Christmas tree lights into
that. I gather something would heat up, which would then cause a contact
to open, at which point it would cool down and the contact would close
again, causing power to flow and not flow to the outlet. COmpletely
mechanical.

So you get one of those, then an AC adapter that puts out the needed
DC voltage. Plug the flasher into the wall, plug the AC adapter into
the flasher, then connect the AC adapter's output to the string of
bulbs, making sure polarity is correct if it needs to be.

Michael

Yes, commercially available. I asked at our local h/w store where I had
Click to expand...
bought the lights the year before. Nothing available.

--
W. eWatson

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>
 
Sjouke Burry wrote:
W. eWatson wrote:
I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some
device that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

I have an almost irresistible urge to demolish
blinking Christmas lights.

Stupid irritating things.
Please, by all means, buy some from your local h/w store and do it, if you
Click to expand...
feel the need.

--
W. eWatson

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>
 
Christopher wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:04:18 -0800, "W. eWatson"
notvalid2@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

I bought a string of 10 DC, c-battery, power lights. Is there some device
that can be connected into it to make the lights blink on and off?

--
W. eWatson

After Radio Shack retires all their components, then I will stop
making my simple circuits.

Pull one of the LED's from it's socket and replace it with a blinking
LED from RS.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2117837

* * * *

Christopher

Temecula CA.USA
http://www.oldtemecula.com
I'm not sure that would work in the sockets I have. If they do, two of them
Click to expand...
are probably more than I paid for the entire string.

--
W. eWatson

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>
 
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