Today I tried connecting some 70-LED light strings to DC (using a
single 1N4003 diode). Half the string would light. Changing the
polarity made the other half light. This also applies to additional
strings connected to the female connector at the end of the string.
This could make an interesting multi-string flasher, automatically
switching the polarity.

I have a few 70-LED icicle lights that work this way too.

I tried it on some others: rope lights, 25- and 35-LED strings, and
even an incandescent (considering the 1A limit of the diodes). These
would all light dimly on either polarity.
--
48 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"God was invented by man for a reason, that
reason is no longer applicable."

using what dc voltage?
we use these indoors and outdoors but i haven't played with them yet.

Mark Lloyd wrote:
Today I tried connecting some 70-LED light strings to DC (using a
single 1N4003 diode). Half the string would light. Changing the
polarity made the other half light. This also applies to additional
strings connected to the female connector at the end of the string.
This could make an interesting multi-string flasher, automatically
switching the polarity.

I have a few 70-LED icicle lights that work this way too.

I tried it on some others: rope lights, 25- and 35-LED strings, and
even an incandescent (considering the 1A limit of the diodes). These
would all light dimly on either polarity.
--
48 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"God was invented by man for a reason, that
reason is no longer applicable."

On 7 Nov 2006 10:05:41 -0800, "buffalobill"
wrote:

using what dc voltage?

120VDC half-wave rectified, what did you expect? I wired a normal
receptacle with the tab between the hot screws removed and a diode
connected between then, and then repeated that with the diode wired
the other way (to get the other polarity).

The 1N4003 diode can handle up to 200V (not the 1N4004 as I mistakenly
posted earlier, that one's 400V). The diode has a current rating of
1A, more than sufficient for several of these light strings.

we use these indoors and outdoors but i haven't played with them yet.


I had a few last year, but hadn't tried DC yet.

Mark Lloyd wrote:
Today I tried connecting some 70-LED light strings to DC (using a
single 1N4003 diode). Half the string would light. Changing the
polarity made the other half light. This also applies to additional
strings connected to the female connector at the end of the string.
This could make an interesting multi-string flasher, automatically
switching the polarity.

I have a few 70-LED icicle lights that work this way too.

I tried it on some others: rope lights, 25- and 35-LED strings, and
even an incandescent (considering the 1A limit of the diodes). These
would all light dimly on either polarity.
--
48 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"God was invented by man for a reason, that
reason is no longer applicable."
--
48 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"God was invented by man for a reason, that
reason is no longer applicable."

Why do you need the diode? The LEDs themselves are diodes.


Mark Lloyd wrote:
On 7 Nov 2006 10:05:41 -0800, "buffalobill"
wrote:

using what dc voltage?

120VDC half-wave rectified, what did you expect? I wired a normal
receptacle with the tab between the hot screws removed and a diode
connected between then, and then repeated that with the diode wired
the other way (to get the other polarity).

The 1N4003 diode can handle up to 200V (not the 1N4004 as I mistakenly
posted earlier, that one's 400V). The diode has a current rating of
1A, more than sufficient for several of these light strings.

we use these indoors and outdoors but i haven't played with them yet.


I had a few last year, but hadn't tried DC yet.

Mark Lloyd wrote:
Today I tried connecting some 70-LED light strings to DC (using a
single 1N4003 diode). Half the string would light. Changing the
polarity made the other half light. This also applies to additional
strings connected to the female connector at the end of the string.
This could make an interesting multi-string flasher, automatically
switching the polarity.

I have a few 70-LED icicle lights that work this way too.

I tried it on some others: rope lights, 25- and 35-LED strings, and
even an incandescent (considering the 1A limit of the diodes). These
would all light dimly on either polarity.
--
48 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"God was invented by man for a reason, that
reason is no longer applicable."

On Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:23:08 -0500, Stubby wrote:
Why do you need the diode? The LEDs themselves are diodes.

So he could tell how the set of lights was wired.

At least, that was why last year I did exactly what he described.

sdb

--
Wanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not
sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com

sylvan butler wrote:
On Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:23:08 -0500, Stubby wrote:
Why do you need the diode? The LEDs themselves are diodes.

So he could tell how the set of lights was wired.

Is that a question or an unclear statement????

I'm saying that 70 LEDs in series, all pointing the same way, will not
benefit from having one additional 1N4003 in series with them.