On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:14:09 -0500, willshak
wrote:

You have to have a vacant socket in order to plug the socket into the
device.

Yes, but I'm talking about the test procedure if the socket is too big
to fit into the device; they make you remove one good bulb from each
string until the entire run no longer lights up, then you insert the
plug (the 2-prong 110v thing) into the Lightkeeper. That piece is what
is confusing me: there's no continuity anywhere, how does the circuit
completes so that the shunts "activate"?

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:14:09 -0500, willshak
wrote:

On 11/29/2004 6:54 AM US(ET), Paul Giroux took fingers to keys, and
typed the following:

Art Todesco wrote in message news:Dooqd.157815$HA.23705@attbi_s01...



All this said, there is (was?) a company that builds a high voltage
pulser to break down the shunts. It was called Lightkeeper, however, I
suspect they are out of business as their web page doesn't work.


Cool. A $79.95 gadget to repair a two buck string of lights!


Americna ingenuity!


Joel





I found www.lightkeeper.biz. Neat device. eBay also has 'em, but they
look like "older" versions.

This discussion has me thinking. Perhaps one could wire a BBQ ignitor,
also a piezo device, to the string of lights and that too would send a
pulse out to the lights. However, what I don't understand and perhaps
somebody can explain, is why (following the Lightkeeper's
instructions) they make you remove one bulb from each set of lights
prior to plugging the light string into the device. I mean that way
there's no continuity to the shunt. Maybe I'm missing something.


You have to have a vacant socket in order to plug the socket into the
device. They don't want you to test the string from a good bulb socket,
so if you remove a bad bulb before unplugging the whole string from the
outlet, you won't have to try to remember which bulb was bad (it's the
vacant socket).
I don't have one of these devices, but I'm going to look for one.

On 11/29/2004 8:49 AM US(ET), Phisherman took fingers to keys, and typed
the following:

I can't see fixing Christmas lights. I am currently unemployed and
not rich, but I bought a 100-light string of color GE lights yesterday
for $1.37 plus tax.


But where is the challenge in that? Don't you get a warm glow when you
fix something (but in this case you want to get a 'bright' glow)? :-)

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 17:14:28 GMT, "Hybyd2"
wrote:



For one who has the time but is low on funds ... how does one fix those
strings of Christmas tree / colored lights that have the bulbs in series -
presumably, if one bulb blows they all get knocked out? I have a multimeter
and several non-working strings (so hopefully there are plenty of spare
light bulbs).

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Henry

On 11/29/2004 9:28 AM US(ET), Paul Giroux took fingers to keys, and
typed the following:

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:14:09 -0500, willshak
wrote:



You have to have a vacant socket in order to plug the socket into the
device.



Yes, but I'm talking about the test procedure if the socket is too big
to fit into the device; they make you remove one good bulb from each
string until the entire run no longer lights up, then you insert the
plug (the 2-prong 110v thing) into the Lightkeeper. That piece is what
is confusing me: there's no continuity anywhere, how does the circuit
completes so that the shunts "activate"?

It is saying to plug the empty bulb socket into the device, not the 110
plug.
quote
"Plug the light string *bulb socket* fully into the LightKeeper Pro
Socket Connector.
The metal contacts of the bulb socket should line up with the metal
contact of the LightKeeper Pro Socket Connector.
When properly inserted, the flat indentations of the Socket Connector
will match the parallel the indentation of the bulb socket".
/quote

On 11/29/2004 9:49 AM US(ET), Joel M. Eichen took fingers to keys, and
typed the following:

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:14:09 -0500, willshak
wrote:



On 11/29/2004 6:54 AM US(ET), Paul Giroux took fingers to keys, and
typed the following:



Art Todesco wrote in message news:Dooqd.157815$HA.23705@attbi_s01...





All this said, there is (was?) a company that builds a high voltage
pulser to break down the shunts. It was called Lightkeeper, however, I
suspect they are out of business as their web page doesn't work.




Cool. A $79.95 gadget to repair a two buck string of lights!
Americna ingenuity!

Joel


The Mfg. blurb says $19.95.
http://www.hotproductnews.com/detail...ories=Products
One other site was selling it at $24.97.
http://www.polsteins.com/ultr0liprore.html





I found www.lightkeeper.biz. Neat device. eBay also has 'em, but they
look like "older" versions.

This discussion has me thinking. Perhaps one could wire a BBQ ignitor,
also a piezo device, to the string of lights and that too would send a
pulse out to the lights. However, what I don't understand and perhaps
somebody can explain, is why (following the Lightkeeper's
instructions) they make you remove one bulb from each set of lights
prior to plugging the light string into the device. I mean that way
there's no continuity to the shunt. Maybe I'm missing something.




You have to have a vacant socket in order to plug the socket into the
device. They don't want you to test the string from a good bulb socket,
so if you remove a bad bulb before unplugging the whole string from the
outlet, you won't have to try to remember which bulb was bad (it's the
vacant socket).
I don't have one of these devices, but I'm going to look for one.

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 10:36:48 -0500, willshak
wrote:

It is saying to plug the empty bulb socket into the device, not the 110
plug.
quote
"Plug the light string *bulb socket* fully into the LightKeeper Pro
Socket Connector.
The metal contacts of the bulb socket should line up with the metal
contact of the LightKeeper Pro Socket Connector.
When properly inserted, the flat indentations of the Socket Connector
will match the parallel the indentation of the bulb socket".
/quote


I saw that, but I'm referring to the "Partially Lit Sections -
Alternate Method Step 1D: (...) The Lightkeeper Pro's Socket Connector
should be your first choice to repair a partially lit set. If the
Socket Connector can not be used, the Alternate Plug Connector is a
versatile option. (...) It is important to note, if the light set is
partially lit, one bulb must be removed from each lighted section
before using the Quick Fix Trigger. Removing the bulb from each
lighted section isolates the problem. (...) A click will be heard each
time as the charge flows to teh defective shunt."


But you know, as I read this again, I think they want you to remove a
bulb so that only the loop with the bad bulb and shunt is actually in
circuit.


Doh! Doh! Doh!

As I recall when I saw one in a nearby Ace Hardware store, there is a
female outlet on the unit to use for the high voltage pulse. There is
also a continuity tester in the unit .... this is probably where you
need to remove bulbs to test. The high voltage pulse must have the
whole string present in order for it to work. This probably works
better than my 1/2 wave rectified 220 volts (from an autotransformer)
because the pulse voltage is higher than the peak of 220, which is only
about 310 volts or so. The piezo unit can literally put out 1000s of
volts, although I don't know what this unit does.

Paul Giroux wrote:
On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:14:09 -0500, willshak
wrote:


You have to have a vacant socket in order to plug the socket into the
device.


Yes, but I'm talking about the test procedure if the socket is too big
to fit into the device; they make you remove one good bulb from each
string until the entire run no longer lights up, then you insert the
plug (the 2-prong 110v thing) into the Lightkeeper. That piece is what
is confusing me: there's no continuity anywhere, how does the circuit
completes so that the shunts "activate"?

Actually, they are no where near $79.95. I think I remember they are
about $15. Still, it IS cheaper to buy new lights, however, fixing does
keep the landfills less busy.

Joel M. Eichen wrote:

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:14:09 -0500, willshak
wrote:


On 11/29/2004 6:54 AM US(ET), Paul Giroux took fingers to keys, and
typed the following:


Art Todesco wrote in message news:Dooqd.157815$HA.23705@attbi_s01...




All this said, there is (was?) a company that builds a high voltage
pulser to break down the shunts. It was called Lightkeeper, however, I
suspect they are out of business as their web page doesn't work.



Cool. A $79.95 gadget to repair a two buck string of lights!


Americna ingenuity!


Joel

It's actually pretty rare to have a "one bulb blows, the whole strand goes out"
anymore. It _is_ still true in most sets though that if "one bulb is not fully
seated the whole strand goes out". That being the case you usually only have to
go through the set looking for the loose bulb(s) to get the strand to light up.
Once the strand lights, the bulbs that are actually burned out are easy to spot.

Cheap grain-of-wheat xmas lamps are designed for no-more-than 3-volts..
and will (dimly) light with a regular C-cell battery.
50-bulb strings are thus in series. 100-bulb-strands are usually 2
separate 50-bulb series twisted together so that the bulbs alternate.

If I were testing the bulbs, I'd use a battery and a chunk of wire.

I've seen fault-tolerant light strings, but I don't have any idea how
they work. If OP had one, he wouldn't be asking how to test
the lights in a string, though.

--Goedjn

Toss out the Christmas tree? I paid $60 for it a few years ago and it's
still going strong.
It's a pain to decorate and undecorate it every year, so I'm going to
build a cantilevered closet addition in the corner of the LR where it is
usually displayed, and when Christmas is done, just slide the decorated
tree into the closet, close the door, and it's all ready for next year.
I may put wheels on it, or some kind of extension track like on a slide
away keyboard tray to make it even easier. :-)

Our christmas tree is a pain to decorate and un-decorate, too,
but that's because it's gotten taller than our extension ladder.

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 16:02:27 -0500, "
wrote:

Toss out the Christmas tree? I paid $60 for it a few years ago and it's
still going strong.
It's a pain to decorate and undecorate it every year, so I'm going to
build a cantilevered closet addition in the corner of the LR where it is
usually displayed, and when Christmas is done, just slide the decorated
tree into the closet, close the door, and it's all ready for next year.
I may put wheels on it, or some kind of extension track like on a slide
away keyboard tray to make it even easier. :-)

Our christmas tree is a pain to decorate and un-decorate, too,
but that's because it's gotten taller than our extension ladder.

Put it on a dolly, roll it into the garage, and then roll it back into
the house next winter.

Joel