24 Volt Chrismas light string

[wiggall]

Does anyone know of a source for 24 volt Christmas light strings? We would like to decorate THE BEAUTIFUL BEAST for the Christmas Parade this year

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Likely the easy and cheap thing would be a 12V to 110V ~200W inverter; cost $20, carry another battery inside the deuce just to run the inverter (or connect it to your grounded deuce battery, because the case of the inverter is normally NEG ground), and use normal inexpensive 110V Christmas lights.

 

[m108]

I haven't found any but I have made my own from regular strings. You take the available voltage and divide by the bulb voltage. If you have 24 volts and bulbs are 2.5 volts you need 9.6 bulbs per string wired in series. I have found it is best to round down and use 9, if you round up use 10 they can be dull. RV suppliers have a selection of strings other than Chirstmas, some of them use 12 volt bulbs so be sure to check them.

 

[wreckerman893]

We would like to decorate THE BEAUTIFUL BEAST for the Christmas Parade this year

That is so..........redneck.

 

[cessnatwin]

there is a power deverter on the 4 sale page here on this sight and I bought one for 50.00 and it is great! buy one you will be pleased!

 

[quarkz]

I do the same as m108.

Except I cut up 120vac strings.

50 lights at 120 V = 2.4V per bulb so cut off lights in groups of 10 and then wire these sections in parallel.

 

[dm22630]

You could look like one of my lawn ornaments last year....

 

[saddamsnightmare]

October 22nd, 2009.

Man, it will look like Christmas in Tijuana!! Or a Mardi Gras Float a little early!!

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[longshot2171]

Last Christmas parade, I decorated the truck and ran it off of a small honda generator chained in the bed...could bearly hear it running while driving.

 

[unimoger]

you could by a small rechargable battery pack and run the modern small low voltage lights off of it. The new lights use very little power and produce almost no heat.

 

[KaiserM109]

Decades ago I put Christmas lights on a 12 volt Volkswagen. It isn’t very difficult and it will be even easier on a 24 volt system.

If you take a 50 bulb 120 volt AC string and measure the voltage across a single bulb you will find out that because of voltage drop each light will have (120 / 50) volts across it, in other words 2.4 volts. If you cut up a light string into 10 bulbs strings (24 / 2.4), and apply 24 volts DC across them you will get approximately the same intensity.

Now to turn theory into practice, I apologize for not having a drawing package, but I will try to describe it in simple terms.

You take some “zip cord” (bulk AC 2 connector wire) or larger speaker wire and run it around where you want the lights. One wire will be connected (preferably by a 10 amp fuse and a switch) to the positive side of your positive battery and the other wire will be connected to ground. Strip 1/4 inch of the ends of each string.

Start on the ground wire where you want your lights to start and strip 1/4 inch (don’t cut), connect (wrap the wire of the light string around the exposed section of the power wire and solder) one end of the first string and wrap it with tape. Stretch out the string and strip 1/4 inch of the positive wire 1/2 inch short of where the string ends. Connect the end of your first string AND connect the start of the next string. Stretch that string out and then strip 1/4 inch of the ground wire 1/2 inch short of where the string ends. Connect the end of the second string AND connect the start of your third string. Wrap it with tape. Keep doing this until you are finished.

The fuse is important because these lights were not designed for outdoor use and can easily short out if they get wet.

Take pictures.

Arlyn

 

[Blood_of_Tyrants]

Do what Carl says. Just get a cheap 12vdc inverter and hook it up to one of the batteries. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

 

[KaiserM109]

Do what Carl says. Just get a cheap 12vdc inverter and hook it up to one of the batteries. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

If you bought one for some other purpose that would work quite well, except that it isn't a good idea to put a load on one battery only.

Otherwise, though my pockets are probably as deep as Carl's, they're empty. I lighted the VW when I was a starving student.

Arlyn

 

[cjcottrill]

Decades ago I put Christmas lights on a 12 volt Volkswagen. It isn’t very difficult and it will be even easier on a 24 volt system.

If you take a 50 bulb 120 volt AC string and measure the voltage across a single bulb you will find out that because of voltage drop each light will have (120 / 50) volts across it, in other words 2.4 volts. If you cut up a light string into 10 bulbs strings (24 / 2.4), and apply 24 volts DC across them you will get approximately the same intensity.

Now to turn theory into practice, I apologize for not having a drawing package, but I will try to describe it in simple terms.

You take some “zip cord” (bulk AC 2 connector wire) or larger speaker wire and run it around where you want the lights. One wire will be connected (preferably by a 10 amp fuse and a switch) to the positive side of your positive battery and the other wire will be connected to ground. Strip 1/4 inch of the ends of each string.

Start on the ground wire where you want your lights to start and strip 1/4 inch (don’t cut), connect (wrap the wire of the light string around the exposed section of the power wire and solder) one end of the first string and wrap it with tape. Stretch out the string and strip 1/4 inch of the positive wire 1/2 inch short of where the string ends. Connect the end of your first string AND connect the start of the next string. Stretch that string out and then strip 1/4 inch of the ground wire 1/2 inch short of where the string ends. Connect the end of the second string AND connect the start of your third string. Wrap it with tape. Keep doing this until you are finished.

The fuse is important because these lights were not designed for outdoor use and can easily short out if they get wet.

Take pictures.

Arlyn

Have you ever tried this with LED lights? I've read LED require an extra diode to keep everything "flowing" the right way. I thought LED might be cooler and use less power. I'm attending a Christmas parade and have been asked to use lights to outline the truck. I've thought about inverters but this sound better to me.

 

[bmwsyc]

I just finished stringing 10 - 50 LED light sets, and I hooked up a Kil-o-Watt meter to the string...24 watts. I would also do the inverter deal. Much easier and safer than cutting up light sets.

 

[Stan Leschert]

I have invertors and gas powered generators to spare for our rig, but I really like the simplified 120 VAC lights, cut to strings of 10, fused and switched.
So simpled, and effective!

I'll still need the Gen Set for the inflatable Santa.

 

[BIG_RED]

Modifying 120volt LED lights to run on 24volts is possible, but more complex. You need to do some math and find a proper resistor. I can help you and do the math for you if you like. Consider it an early Christmas present plus, I love to see happy kids at parades . PM me with what you have (how many LED lights), I'll help you figure out what you need. (I'll need you to follow some wires for me though).

 

[bratpackdad]

Save yourself the headache and buy some 24v lights

Christmas Lights, LED Christmas Lights, Holiday Lighting | Primo Lights

 

[mistaken1]

Red, white and blue LED Christmas lights, a few small extension cords, a small 12V inverter and a bag of ty-raps is so simple........

 

[papakb]

24v Christmas lights

http://www.santasledlights.com.au/multi-led-c7-string-light-p-89.html