String Lights
- Thread starterKevin Rogers
- Start date
Huge variety to choose from. If you are using incandescent strings, you should be able to dim them with almost no issues. They certainly won't break. The only issue that you might have is that conventional dimmers sometimes have a trace amount of current even when they are "at zero." If you put something else that draws power on the same circuit (it's called a 'ghost load') that will bleed the power away and you can actually get the string lights to completely black out. LED can also be dimmed without breaking them, but you will find that at the bottom end on the dimmer curve, is will not smoothly go to black.
You can combine strings on separate circuits to chase them. If you get strings that chase by themselves, I'm not sure how they would react to dimming. Probably not well. And they would probably be chasing all the time, not just when you wanted. Blinking the string would be easy with an effect on your lighting board,
You can combine strings on separate circuits to chase them. If you get strings that chase by themselves, I'm not sure how they would react to dimming. Probably not well. And they would probably be chasing all the time, not just when you wanted. Blinking the string would be easy with an effect on your lighting board,
ChrisB_SanDiego
Well-Known Member
We've used several different types of incandescent string lights from home depot on stage and they have dimmed just fine. I've never used an effect on them, just long fades and they never had any issue. but they are just one channel so I'm not sure what you envision as a chase. One year we made a 'drape' out of about 100 christmas strings all hanging vertical and I was able to create some neat effects with it.
@Kevin Rogers Outdoor, parallel wired, 120 volt incandescent lamps OR some other type (?): LED's, series wired strings, yada, yada?
If the former: Parallel wired 120 volt incandescent lamps; then yes, certainly, many, many times. In these applications I've purchased three or four strings with the lamps separated by 12" to 15" on each string; stretched the strings out, staggered the male ends such that the lamps are equally spaced on reduced centre to centre distances. Power the lamps from three or four suitably rated dimmers and program your dimmer board to chase the dimmers. Depending upon your board it'll likely offer several variations of chases including:
Channel 1 plus 2 plus 3. Out and repeat.
Channel 1 plus 2 plus 3 minus 1 minus 2 minus 3 repeat.
Channels 1, 2 and 3 on, blinking them off one at a time in order.
The permutations are nigh on endless along with adjustable rates. You've got the notion.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
Normal commercial Stringers are 48' long, 24" on center (14ga wire meaing 1,800w max.) and have options for pendant stringer or socket string, but don't care what lamp in in them. You can buy 330' long lengths of them also - with normal rules for cutting to length. This all assuming E-26 medium screw. Normal dimmers don't care if incandescent or halogen loading, if you have over 75 watts incandescent, and don't exceed the maximum normal 2,400 watts... you should be fine.
For adding more circuits in chase or in adding closer together spacing, I would recommend looming together commercial stringers to that spacing. Commercial stringers kind of suck in failing especially if someone goes gorilla in ripping out the screw shell of the lamp socket by getting it too tight. (Only quality replacement socket for this is discontinued. Can still fix, just with less quality.)
Such stringers are UL listed and at least IP rated.
In the past I have made three circuit 12 O.C. 12ga MTW three circuit strings (IP-20), covered in fiberglass for the wiring and a lot of silicone at the connections. Addition of rigging cable normal to all stringers for support and attachment to hard rigging point. That was in the day, I no longer make such things in preferring UL listed products.
Check out TMB for their LED Marquee lighting system. Each lamp is individually DMX addressed before installing on a stringer. With lead time they can probalby also custom mold spaced stringer lamp sockets. Way above most budgets but overall good quality if you have some lead time. Have used them a few years, common failures are bad lamps (warranty) and lamp programmers also failing (warranty). But really expensive overall as a concept.
For adding more circuits in chase or in adding closer together spacing, I would recommend looming together commercial stringers to that spacing. Commercial stringers kind of suck in failing especially if someone goes gorilla in ripping out the screw shell of the lamp socket by getting it too tight. (Only quality replacement socket for this is discontinued. Can still fix, just with less quality.)
Such stringers are UL listed and at least IP rated.
In the past I have made three circuit 12 O.C. 12ga MTW three circuit strings (IP-20), covered in fiberglass for the wiring and a lot of silicone at the connections. Addition of rigging cable normal to all stringers for support and attachment to hard rigging point. That was in the day, I no longer make such things in preferring UL listed products.
Check out TMB for their LED Marquee lighting system. Each lamp is individually DMX addressed before installing on a stringer. With lead time they can probalby also custom mold spaced stringer lamp sockets. Way above most budgets but overall good quality if you have some lead time. Have used them a few years, common failures are bad lamps (warranty) and lamp programmers also failing (warranty). But really expensive overall as a concept.
