Erik Reuter wrote:
>
> On Thu, Jun 26, 2003 at 05:35:51PM -0500, Robert Seeberger wrote:
>
> > Nah.....its for convenience. It is just a basic series parallel
> > circuit, so you would get 120V if you got
>
> Huh? "series parallel circuit"?
>
> I'm not sure we are talking about the same thing. Julia said hers were
> wired in parallel. In other words, if one bulb burns out (becomes an
> open circuit due to a broken filament), the other bulbs still are on.
> If it were wired in series, a burned out bulb takes the whole string
> down.
>
> The problem with wiring them in parallel is that you need a transformer
> and the main feed parallel wires have to be able to handle a lot more
> current. So the parallel ones are more expensive. Most people are
> familiar with the series ones, but I have seen ones labeled "parallel"
> for sale, and from Julia's description, hers must be in parallel, since
> she said they only all go out if a bulb is physically removed from the
> socket.
Exactly. You can have a whole bunch of them burned out, but as long as
something appropriate is in the socket (be it a bulb or the plug for the
Enterprise D designed to go into the socket) for *every* socket in the
run of 50, the lights still light. So if a bulb goes out, you can find
it to replace it fairly easily. :)
> > shocked in any case, not an iota safer than the standard series style
> > lights.
>
> If pulling the bulb out shorts the power supply then you would only
> get shocked if you managed to stick your finger in an UNSHORT the
> electrodes.
Sammy might be able to do it. I sure couldn't -- the bulbs are small,
the sockets are small. Small children are not left unattended in the
same room with the Christmas tree anyway, so the risk to Sammy isn't
great. (Plus we have this baby fencing that can be put up in such a way
as to block access to the tree, for greater peace of mind.)
Julia
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