Back in the day before everything Christmas type came from China and “economical”, there used to be both quality rope light and Christmas light strings available (the
shunt type where if you had one lamp go out, that was the only lamp that did go out). Even 130v industrial grade rope light doesn’t hold up as well as the normal solid molded stuff from 15 years ago one could use as a lasso and still expect it would function. This much less in going to the vendors, they fondly remember the
shunt type industrial Christmas lights, but on the other
hand have no further sources for such gear. Even the “industrial” lighting these days won’t hold up any better than the “economical” stuff at the home centers - and I have tried hard in both cases. Don’t know if it’s of help, but I’m not aware of any source of better quality gear on the market for the most part than you can find at the hardware store or K-Mart.
That’s my major ***** with any useful lighting on a string, this before one goes even with
insulation displacement parallel type belt type lights as a third option - this given my belt light past project last week that gave me endless trouble but in the end would be less troublesome perhaps as type of lights for
effect and option available. I did learn from the belt lights that I dealt with, that they are
insulation displacement type - this especially by way of fixing those lamp bases that didn’t displace and instead bent. It’s possible and feasible to install more lamp bases per center in a normally 12" on center belt light string.
Ok, my problems with the Christmas lighting industry of types and styles aside. Spent a
bit of time at Chicago Scenic in “troubleshooting” nets full of Christmas lights - before there were nets on the market. Than later at
Frost Lighting later in making three dimensional snow flakes worth of also Christmas lighting so as to become useful or in making from scratch. Believe they had a huge stash of the
Shunt stuff because I don’t remember doing much trouble shooting in their lights by way of individual lamps - this or I was just replacing the entire strings as cheaper than my time in other than easy troubleshooting. Blast from the past also, make sure you keep segregated your 50 string light replacement lamps from those of the 100 string lamps.
Out of the
Frost Lighting experience, I found it curious and interesting how easy it was to simply manufacture Christmas lighting effects that look cool for winter use out of just a support mechanism for the lamp strings wrapped and or hot glued around them. Granted it was mostly three dimensional snow flakes of various sizes, but say a three dimensional rain deer or what ever, just a question of making some pencil steel or other material support, than wrapping the lighting about it. This or the
zip cord staple gun in such things could be one’s best friend in stapling lighting to even a plywood board that’s painted with some two dimensional
image.
Look towards the scenery books in how to make such things as paper meche frames (not the newspaper itself in being useful but what type of frame was used,) or towards how to make a scenery rock. Simple three dimensional frames to either by way of plywood solid structure, or some form of
wire framework to light.
Make a framework of what ever shape is wished and it’s simple enough to glue or staple one’s lights to the framework to light it up.
That’s all simple normal stuff - dancing Santas and other type stuff. Perhaps even to the extent of a hollow plastic Santa with a
fluorescent lamp inside of it. Still all 120v based powering up what shapes two or three dimensional you make as lighted
props.
One will find two very important tips if anything I recommend to doing Christmas lighting. First is the use of a good and long oak
stage brace. Them hooks to the
stage brace are ideal for hanging the Christmas lights over all other tools on a tree or high up. This beyond on
stage gel pulling, the hooks on a
stage brace are ideal for hanging Christmas lights. Rent or borrow from a classically fitted proper
stage a
stage brace to
ease in hanging the stuff if one does not have access to a
cherry picker. Nothing looks worse than a tree that’s only decorated to the extent one could reach.
Second is protect the fuses (inside the
plug) on the Christmas lights. First thing you check in troubleshooting, and often the first thing that gets moisture and goes bad. Tape up your connection by way of if over 50 degrees, normal good quality electrical tape, or if under 40 degrees, cold weather electrical tape - available
thru at least some electrical supply houses. Once installed, it won’t matter as much but the “all weather” electrical tape is overall a better investment for cold weather installs. It stays flexible when cold and protects better. At very least self vulconized rubberized electrical tape available
thru any home center will offer better connection and
plug insulation in cold weather than that of “economy grade” electrical tape that’s not of much use in the winter. If nothing else, avoid them ten packs of cheap electrical tape for “all weather” installs, go with the “Super ‘33".
120v
power running everywhere is or could be dangerous. Make sure your connections are both off the
ground and taped shut so water can’t get in and freeze about conductors. Properly there is other stuff necessary in feeding stuff by 120v
power but it’s not as easy or at all easy. One thing one might do is to
cable tie Unistrut or at least a 2x2 piece of lumber below each taped joint / connection so as to keep it out of minimum expected water levels on the
ground, and not have a connection in other than high
ground. Such a tapped water tight connection when cable tied to a
blocking up of the connection from exposure to the
ground is needed for all other than 64v (low
voltage) in
line voltage connections or even with them. In other words, while not easy in all instances to run say a 12/3 SOOW to your
props, (And instead most often running the as possibly fine say orange 16/3 SJTOW where load and length appropriate) be aware of all junctions in keeping them weather tight and out of the water. Pay attention also to the loading on your circuits - do the math with your
layout just as you would on
stage. A cable melting down (most often at the
plug end) due to
voltage drop is a fire hazzard and no longer display. Check one’s load and size the cable for it. Be safe in deciding what
wire gauge it is you are using by way of knowing what is safe over just using what’s about and or cheap.
Ok, now into the advanced stuff. I do believe that nobody on your street has moving lights, or if they do, nobody is using a black light based or fiber optic
system for
effect. You are
stage technician and have the advantage in a Homer Simpson type of way.
First there are many outdoor moving light fixtures on the market such as the EC-2. Or from a
cove, a normal moving light
fixture might work, or from heated Eco-dome, a normal moving light could still be useful. Talent as with the above posts in design can compensate for a moving light in your front yard, but it’s a concept to feasibly design with. Just be careful about where that light from the thing is pointing - pointing towards the sky - especially if near an air port, requires a very specific permit. This much less moving lights in a household application induces RF to the community and could become a complaint by way of the next door neighbor no longer being able to watch Oprah. Be very aware of any moving light warnings of what installing such a thing might induce upon the city
block about you - this is a possible reality.
Most Wildfire fixtures are a pain in the rear by way of both being very weather tight and aluminum. Could
wash the
house in black light and in say plywood based signs or symbols, paint them with UV paint. (Wonder how well the UV paint on the market holds up to water?) So beyond some various lights, one than has the UV
effect about one’s
house, and either in addition to other lighting, or the stealth
effect of limited lighting but your
house and it’s decorations now glowing by way of a few fixtures, you now have the UV lighting doing it’s job. Sure everyone else on the
block has their various lights all about, you just have some UV
effect in being different - very different in being different if so desired.
Not sure but I’m thinking research into “cold
cathode pads” as discussed a few years ago on this forum or perhaps Pro Sound, would also be effective in a concept type of thing by way of starting at a low temperature and providing a different than normal source of light. This as similar to fluorescents - other than cold weather ones one should plan for also not liking under 40 degree temperatures, it’s possible to plan for and use to best advantage.
The fiber optic thing is potential for the future. Imagine, some high output and water proof
fixture in the garage, than just running the fibers to the sources and potentially just installing lenses where needed. We as consumers see the Christmas trees at the store that are fiber optic, imagine doing fiber optic light strings to the various fixtures about one’s
house or perhaps just one or many. Say a star of David if nothing else that’s just plain permeated by way of fiber optic lighting. Limited for now in use, but keep in mind the fiber optic
effect by way of both
color temperature and real
safety beyond this of just plain wave of the future.
Finally, above the 120v lack of
safety with running it all about by way of short verses that of what is needed to run a low
voltage system by way of both
voltage drop and
transformer. My advice overall is to be careful about stringing 120v
power all over the yard - this by way of all it takes is one puddle and you get something very dangerous.
Plug into
GFCI outlelts and watch and design for your loading.