Oh, Say Can You See..

After rummaging around in our local Goodwill (a treasure trove of parts and things), we found 2 single slide projectors along with some slides. Costing a combined total of about $20, it makes for a nice addition to our show. The slides included will also make images for other holidays and events. We are planning to use one on the house and the other on the shop.

In our 4th of July show, we will shine these flags on our shop. Hopefully, they will be seen along with the other lights.

Stringing You Along.

How to repair Christmas Light Strings.

1) Tools And Safety
Some tools you may require to fix strings are: Needle nose pliers, small size standard flat screwdriver, wire cutters, soldering pen and solder. Wire nuts, electrical tape, shrink wrap, masking tape, 9 volt battery, pencil and silicone caulking may also be needed. 120 volts AC against the skin doesn't feel good and may cause injury or death. Beware of metal objects or other paths that may be conducting from the string. Make sure the string is unplugged while working on it unless wiring is in good condition.
2) Visual Inspection
Stretch the string out so you can see it all in a line instead of coiled up. This will concentrate your attention on the wiring and bulbs. Always start at the beginning of a string and work to the end. Look for any obvious damage to the string such as melting, cuts, breaks, broken bulbs, broken or separated bulb housings, bent or missing plug prongs and burnt fuses. Tag any problems with masking tape. Label the tape with the problem if inspecting a number of strings to remind you.
3) Wiring Repair
Usually, broken or melted wiring is not a good idea to repair. In some cases, wiring can be repaired by stripping the ends of the broken wire and twisting them together. Solder the joint to keep them solidly joined. Cover the joint with a wire nut or spread silicone caulking on the joint then wrap the joint in electrical tape. This is a temporary fix only and the string should be replaced.
4) Bulb Replacement
Most bulbs have 2 paths that electricity can take through itself. The path of least resistance is through the filament of the bulb causing it to light up. If the filament is burnt or broken, then that path is lost and the electricity will have to travel through the shunt keeping the rest of the string lit. If the filament and the shunt are burnt then the bulb forms a break in the string. If a bulb in a string is out and the other bulbs are lit, then pull that one out and replace with another of the same type and color. If the bulb is tight in the bulb housing, gently use wire cutters to separate the bulb holder from the bulb housing. Careful not to squeeze cutters too hard but enough to separate the bulb. Pull the bulb out with fingers. If replacement bulbs are from another string or type of bulb housing style, gently bend the small wires at the base of the original bulb holder out straight. Pull the bulb out of the bulb holder. Beware that bulbs are made of glass and may cut you. Take the bulb out of the donor bulb holder and straighten the wires. Insert the bulb into the original bulb holder and bend the wires against the base of the bulb holder.
5) Fuse Replacement
If the fuses are missing, replace them with the correct type of fuse for that string. If a fuse is burnt out, remove the fuse. If fuse is stuck, gently pry it out with screwdriver or pointed tool. If fuse compartment is melted then the plug may have to be replaced or string discarded. Inspect the inside of the fuse compartment for debris or corroded fuse contacts. If corrosion is not bad, then gently scratching the surface of the contact will clean off the corrosion.
6) Plug Replacement
If a plug is ruined from bent, broken or missing prongs, broken wires, melting of the plug or fuse compartment, then the string may have to be discarded. In some cases, a replacement plug can be installed with a vampire type plug or similar. Cut the wire off close to the damaged plug. Some plugs require stripping of the wire so check the instructions for that new plug.
7) Bulb Housing Repair
Typically, melted, broken or missing bulb housing shouldn't be repaired. Usually bulb housings cannot be replaced but if most of the housing is still intact, it can be insulated to keep it safe from more damage. Spread silicone caulking around the housing and let dry. Housings can be cut out and the wires stripped. Join the wires by twisting them together and soldering them. Cover the joint with a wire nut or spread silicone caulking on the joint then wrap the joint in electrical tape. This is a temporary fix only and the string should be replaced.
8) Flasher Bulb Replacement
Some strings have flasher bulbs at the start of the string. If the flasher is burnt out, then remove the bulb and replace with the same type of bulb. If you don't want the string to flash any more, then pull the flasher out and replace with the same type of bulb as the rest of the string.
9) Light String Diagnostics
Start with the visual inspection with the string unplugged. If there are no obvious signs of damage, then plug the string in. Make sure the source of power you plug the string into is also working by plugging a good string into it. Plug the string into the outlet. If no lights are lit, unplug and check the fuses first. If fuses are good, then one or more bulbs are bad. If some of the lights are on then the problem lies in the section that is dark. Gently shake the string to see if there is intermittent contact. Sometimes shaking sections of the string will isolate the problem. Start at the plug end and pull out the bulb. Check for damage to wires and bulb holder. If no obvious signs of damage, then check if bulb lights by touching to the contacts of the 9 volt battery. If bulb lights, then replace bulb back into string, being careful not to disturb wires against the base of the bulb holder. If bulb doesn't light, replace bulb with same type of bulb in the same type of holder (see #4 above). Continue down the length of the string until all bulbs are checked. In the event that all bulbs are checked and the string still won't light up, check the string again. If the string still refuses to light up, then there may be a break in the wire inside the wiring insulation. In that case, discarding the string is best.
10) Bad Strings
We recommend to discard strings that just won't work. Incandescent mini lights and other strings are getting cheaper all the time with the move toward LED lighting. Easier and cheaper to replace the string other than chancing a fire.
Hopefully, this has given you some insight to that string that is causing you problems.

Recent Developments

The 7 new SSRs are at the halfway point in construction and will soon be assigned jobs. Hopefully, we will have enough Cat5 cable to make the runs out to the yard. Also, a new addition is being made for the front porch, a new 7' revolving, yep, revolving pre-lit tree! As we are sure its not water-proof, it will be standing under cover on the porch. Much better than trying to see it through a window, I'm sure. A new cartoonish reindeer blow-mold will be appearing somewhere out in the yard probably on the side of the house. A lot of light strings acquired that didn't work, have now been repaired and ready for use. Some new scratch-built items are nearing completion as well. Light Fence construction is gearing up and will added to the front yard line. A major portion of the entire Light Show now has put up and away in new storage areas so nothing will get lost or broken. Good to have more garage space back. Plans for the 4Th of July show are being finalized and sequences written (gonna be a good Rock n Roll show for sure!). Plans for the Halloween show are also in the works with all the new items being assigned their places. A lot more things to work on and planning is still going on, so stay tuned!

Here We Go Again!

A new batch of parts has arrived in the mail and its time to assemble some SSRs for this year's upgrade. A total of 7 will be built and wired to handle the new parts of the show's lights. Where the new SSRs will be deployed in the yard is still open to ideas currently being batted around by my wife and myself. At least one of them will upgrade the side yard Megatree and perhaps 4 will be used to control 4 new Minitrees. Some talk of reindeer in a forest of trees has been discussed as well. Whatever is decided, we are sure the viewing public will enjoy it.

Deal or No Deal

As your display grows larger, you have probably already noticed how much things are costing. In order to achieve the effect that you are looking for, you will have to be the budgeted-minded purchaser. Buying items during non-Christmas time of the year is most likely the best time to get those super sweet deals. Shopping online is a big part of that. A place i like to shop is Craigslist. There is always someone selling holiday items there, most likely in yard sales, moving sales or "I just want it out of my garage!" sales. Pictured above is a purchase we made just after St. Pat's day. It is a mix of Christmas and Halloween lights and other items. Mostly for outside and some for inside. We paid $100 for the entire lot and we did get a bargain. Most of it was new and still in factory boxes sealed up. But what did we get? A list of items and store prices follows:

Santa and Reindeer Teeter Totter: $98
Yard Reindeer: $15
Yard Reindeer: $15
2' Spiral Tree: $7
2' Spiral Tree: $7
5 Holographic Bat Lights: $10
4 Candy Cane Lights: $10
4 Candy Cane Lights: $10
80" Merry Christmas Sign: $40
6' Spiral Tree: $16
10 White Star Lights: $10
2 Tote Bins of misc. Halloween stuff: $40
2 Tote Bins: $5
=============================
Total: $283 Approximate Value

Purchase Price: $100
Gas and Refreshments going to get it all: $10
================================
Total: $110

Value minus Expenses = $183 profit.
Smiles and Christmas Cheer: Priceless

Other Birthdays

Christmas is also a birthday party as much as a holiday. As there are birthdays every day of the year, some are special, more so if they are for your loved ones or family. My wife's birthday falls in the month of March and I made her a special cake.

Telletran's Strawberry Banana Twinkie Cake

Ingredients:

16 Twinkies (unwrapped)

1 LB Fresh Strawberries (washed and sliced- reserve biggest 1 for topping)

5 Fresh Bananas (peeled and sliced)

2 Containers of Whipped Topping

1 Chocolate Bar (shaved with cheese grater)

In a 9 x 15 pan, place Twinkies face up in rows to cover pan. Add Strawberries and Bananas. Spread Whipped Topping on top and press down into fruit with spoon. Sprinkle Chocolate shavings evenly over Whipped Topping. Place biggest Strawberry on top for garnish. For best flavor, refrigerate overnight to allow Strawberry juice to seep into Twinkies. To serve, scoop a Twinkie with some of the fruit/topping mix on top. Enjoy!

Just Hanging Around

17 pumpkins on a string

Sadly, once Christmas is over, its time to pack up the twinklies, cords, controllers and other whatnot. For most, its not much problem to throw it all in a box and stow it in the garage to await the next Yuletide season. However, if you are one of those special few that go overboard like us, then you have a storage problem. Where do you put all this stuff? Lucky for us, we have a big garage but still we need space for our non-Christmas things and we have to come up with solutions to get that space. This what we did..

Hanging stuff from the rafters gained us a large chunk of storage that would have been wasted if all the items were packed in boxes on the ground. It also allows us to see if repairs or other things are needed. 16-Penny nails were driven into the rafters so there is no danger of anything falling and allows quick access for when its time to bring them down again.