This is something I do know a little about. The inverter solution is
one I have used many times. A small 100W peak inverter is only about
$20 to $30 and will light all the lights you can string at a campsite.
There is some inefficiency involved, so using the smallest inverter that
has sufficient capacity will generate less loss.
Leds actually run on DC, so doing so with 12V can theoretically work.
Typically, you find that in a string that is designed for 120VAC, there
will be between 30 and 40 lights in series, with a power type diode to
rectify the AC (placing any type of 'backwards' voltage on an LED will
fry it instantly - so polarity is paramount.)
To run on a nominal 12VDC, you would want to re-wire the string into
sections that had somewhere between 8 and 12 or so LEDs per string in
series. (Nominal 12V is actually 12.8 to 14 volts.) Make certain you
have them properly polarized and use a power type diode to preserve that
polarity in the event they get hooked up backwards. (The diode is like a
one-way valve for electricity.)
Sounds to me like the job of converting the LEDs would not be worth the
trouble and the possibility of wiping out the whole string with a
momentary error.... I will stick to the inverter for mine. Strings
designed for 12V operation are also readily available, as they are used
by RV'ers and fancy boaters for decoration, but they aren't on sale for
the after-Christmas crowd.
glenh :<)
On 1/4/2015 1:17 AM, Gerald Livingston wrote:
Now that they are so inexpensively available just use them with a
cheap, low wattage, inverter.
A string of 50 LED Christmas lights uses 4.8 watts according to the box
(50 incandescents was 21 watts).
So, with a cheap 500 watt peak (350watt continuous) inverter you can run
73 strings of lights.
That's 3650 lights. I don't have that many on my house.
G2
On Sat, 3 Jan 2015 18:03:35 -0600
"Bert Knupp" <[email protected]> wrote:
Volks,
Just curious. Has anyone calculated how to operate a string of LED
Christmas lights on a 12-volt system? Who knows what voltage range
the LEDs operate on? I can see lots of interesting uses if it’s an
easy conversion. I know they have a miniscule current draw and great
light output per watt.
I wish you a Happy New Year – ich wünsche euch ein glückliches Neues
Jahr – вам благодарю с новым годом – jullie wense ik een Gelukkig
Nieuw Jaar – une bonne nouvelle année à toi et à tous -- oe Hau’oli
Makahiki Hou -- to all the Aircoolers worldwide. (Sorry, Asad – my
Urdu’s a bit weak! 8^) )
VWs are everywhere.
Bert in Nashville
Copbug Polizeikäfer on FB
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