Powering individual Christmas ornaments with power supplies?
November 26th, 2020, 02:57 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: central Indiana
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Powering individual Christmas ornaments with power supplies?
Reluctantly, we decided to put up our Christmas tree when number one stepdaughter was home. I say reluctantly because I prefer to spread out the holidays. Let’s get Thanksgiving done before discussing Christmas!!!
Anyway, over the summer I found several Star Trek Christmas ornaments at a flea market. Much to my wife’s disgust, I had to have them! I now have several duplicates. Some of my old ones the sound no longer works, but the lights still function. So I have decided to replace the old ones with the functional flea market ones, and use the old ones as decorations.
My question, what voltage do Christmas light use? I have seen 2.4 volt, 3.6, 6 volt, etc. I’m guessing individual lamp lamp voltage depends on the number of lamps to a strand of lamps? If that’s the case, do the ornaments have a internal voltage regulator?
I have small tote full of power supplies left over from old cellphones, answering machines, cordless phones, cordless tools, etc with various voltages and current capacity. I would like to use one of the power supplies to power the ornaments.
Anyway, over the summer I found several Star Trek Christmas ornaments at a flea market. Much to my wife’s disgust, I had to have them! I now have several duplicates. Some of my old ones the sound no longer works, but the lights still function. So I have decided to replace the old ones with the functional flea market ones, and use the old ones as decorations.
My question, what voltage do Christmas light use? I have seen 2.4 volt, 3.6, 6 volt, etc. I’m guessing individual lamp lamp voltage depends on the number of lamps to a strand of lamps? If that’s the case, do the ornaments have a internal voltage regulator?
I have small tote full of power supplies left over from old cellphones, answering machines, cordless phones, cordless tools, etc with various voltages and current capacity. I would like to use one of the power supplies to power the ornaments.
November 28th, 2020, 11:55 AM
#2
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 10,944
Anything that doesn't have a transformer will run on US 110VAC. Those things take up space, so, if all you see is wire, it's 110. A variac, generic name for a variable voltage power supply helps here. I have an old vacuum tube bulb with a plasma lit metal sculpture I use mine on.
November 28th, 2020, 01:54 PM
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 2,972
Anything that doesn't have a transformer will run on US 110VAC. Those things take up space, so, if all you see is wire, it's 110. A variac, generic name for a variable voltage power supply helps here. I have an old vacuum tube bulb with a plasma lit metal sculpture I use mine on.
Be careful with that advice. It will run on 120v IF it has a normal 120v male plug on it. If not, it probably runs off of some sort of wall wart.
Most all 50 or 100 count Incan strings use 2.5v bulbs. The plug in ornaments run at the same voltage. They do not have any voltage protection built in. I doubt you will find a wall wart that will provide 2.5v. You could use a higher voltage wall wart, and use what's called a buck converter to lower the voltage to 2.5v (they are adjustable, on the cheaper ones, you set the output voltage with a multimeter, some of the more expensive ones have a built in voltage meter). Here are some examples of what I am referring to:
Be careful with that advice. It will run on 120v IF it has a normal 120v male plug on it. If not, it probably runs off of some sort of wall wart.
Most all 50 or 100 count Incan strings use 2.5v bulbs. The plug in ornaments run at the same voltage. They do not have any voltage protection built in. I doubt you will find a wall wart that will provide 2.5v. You could use a higher voltage wall wart, and use what's called a buck converter to lower the voltage to 2.5v (they are adjustable, on the cheaper ones, you set the output voltage with a multimeter, some of the more expensive ones have a built in voltage meter). Here are some examples of what I am referring to:
Last edited by RandyS; November 28th, 2020 at 01:57 PM.
November 29th, 2020, 09:50 AM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 10,944
Anything that doesn't have a transformer will run on US 110VAC. Those things take up space, so, if all you see is wire, it's 110. A variac, generic name for a variable voltage power supply helps here. I have an old vacuum tube bulb with a plasma lit metal sculpture I use mine on.
Be careful with that advice. It will run on 120v IF it has a normal 120v male plug on it. If not, it probably runs off of some sort of wall wart.
Most all 50 or 100 count Incan strings use 2.5v bulbs. The plug in ornaments run at the same voltage. They do not have any voltage protection built in. I doubt you will find a wall wart that will provide 2.5v. You could use a higher voltage wall wart, and use what's called a buck converter to lower the voltage to 2.5v (they are adjustable, on the cheaper ones, you set the output voltage with a multimeter, some of the more expensive ones have a built in voltage meter). Here are some examples of what I am referring to: https://www.amazon.com/dc-buck-conve...buck+converter
Be careful with that advice. It will run on 120v IF it has a normal 120v male plug on it. If not, it probably runs off of some sort of wall wart.
Most all 50 or 100 count Incan strings use 2.5v bulbs. The plug in ornaments run at the same voltage. They do not have any voltage protection built in. I doubt you will find a wall wart that will provide 2.5v. You could use a higher voltage wall wart, and use what's called a buck converter to lower the voltage to 2.5v (they are adjustable, on the cheaper ones, you set the output voltage with a multimeter, some of the more expensive ones have a built in voltage meter). Here are some examples of what I am referring to: https://www.amazon.com/dc-buck-conve...buck+converter
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