Cheap LED festoon lighting is very interesting.

There's also a 3V solar powered version available. But getting replacement lamps seems a bit harder.

Big Clive

Just noticed this same lighting strung up at an event I was recently at. May have to grab some and convert to 12vdc. Would make for good camping lighting.

AESFTW

The open foam 15 lamp tray came with the festoon, but the box of 10 12V lamps came with a couple of foam trays with the lamps alternating direction to save space.

Big Clive

Hey Clive, do you recall if that foam lamp tray briefly shown came with the light string or with the 12v lamps? I'd like to use a set of these with my pop-up camper, but the tray would be mandatory to avoid smashy incidents while traveling.

It look like as long as the insulation doesn't get split or scuffed up it would probably be okay for a few seasons.

Michael Thompson

Try searching for LED festoon 15

Big Clive

Series strings of LEDs have a history of being very disappointing when applied across the mains. They usually go open circuit cleanly and quietly.

Big Clive

Can't find them on Ebay. You tested once a 12V filament lamp like these. I bought a couple of those, hooked them on a 12V battery and they didn't last for long. Probably because it is not 12V, but more 14,2V if fully charged. I saw it as a learning curve :) Do you have a link for the festoon?

Hub Rijcks

I can't be the only one who wanted to see what would happen if you had mixed the bulbs up.

Neil Tonks

There will probably have been some intensity loss over time, but one of the nicest things about the LED filaments is that they tend to run the individual chips at a sensible current. If I put these ones on test outside I'll use a dusk sensor to turn them on and off purely to extend the life of the lamps.

Big Clive

We don't have them on all the time, we should, we just waste the power from the Trident Heater we use for power and to heat the koi pond.

The first time you didn't have all the lamps in, would that make a difference ? I have a set of the Edison antique style filament, 120 volt, but yellow glow. We have had them outside, for three years, with no degradation yet. We see the at many "out door" eating areas at restaurants. We did have to put strips to mount the hanger hooks, for some reason the didn't use Standard joist spacing, or is yours different?

The figure-8 style cable has very thick insulation. I'd guess it was used to allow easier construction of the tails. It may also be used in insulation displacement style products by the same manufacturer.

Big Clive

I may have done that deliberately.

Big Clive

I quite like the idea of using 12vac if you can get lamps with a rectifier and smoothing built in - unless they’re easy enough to take apart / put back together without damaging - why use something as it comes when you can modify it? Also, is that shotgun / figure of 8 / speaker / bell wire style cable strictly compliant when used on the mains (wondering why they used it rather than matching it to the rest)?

I'd go with the 120/240v string with some flicker if it weren't something I looked at a lot with a safety on the plug/string and the 12v for indoor use or outdoor if it rarely rained.

Do your really not see that two core with ribbing on the live kind of cable there? That's common for lamps in the US.

Nani Isobel

I would go with 12V because I'm not a fan of flicker. I guess you could cut it in half and do both. I bet there won't be any corrosion either way. The lamps are going to hang down so that there is no place for water to pool. The cable seals look really good with the little o-ring.

Nani Isobel

I don’t know about anyone else but I’d quite like to see the result of a 12v lamp ‘accidentally’ left in the string when connected to 240v mains

Wow i was really starting to cringe and nearly wanted to look away as you put your finger in the socket as the rest of the bulbs were lit. Then you said its 12 volt and i started laughing saying oh good im not going to see you take a nasty shock.

a knife is what i use

God 420

I think I'd love to try both... You know... for science. Clive, I know I don't speak for everyone, but I never tire of lighting videos. The company I work for just approached me to make a video comparing similar products, and you better believe I choose lighting products. I already have Carte Blanche requistioning power at work, and now I have a mandate! I think some of the stuff might actually make it back into stock too...

Michael Thompson

Nice bit of kit. Is there a stripper that can remove insulation in the middle like that? (Other than a hugely expensive industrial tool). That would be useful.

Keith Miller

These sound brilliant as 12v. I don't have mains in my garden, but do have 12v from multiple solar panels stored in multiple batteries and fed out to decking etc via RF relay. Will have to pick some up

mark barratt