Christmas lights

[Pelado]

After four years of no lights on the house, but a couple of lighted nativities in the front yard, I'm giving in and finally going to put up some Christmas lights on my house. I figured out how to do it last year, but too late to actually order what I wanted. I'm getting the jump on it this time around.

A large percentage of houses in my neighborhood use a lighting service that puts them up in October or November (See post #17), but they only offer a few styles. You can get a single color, like white, or a mix of two colors (red/white, green/white, red/green, white/blue), but they look too much the same to me. I want something a little different.

One concern that I have is that many of the light strings available at the local stores aren't bright enough. In the past, in California, I always had strings of multi-colored lights using C9 bulbs. By the time the strings started to wear out, a majority of the bulbs had been replaced anyway. I usually needed to replace 8-10 lights each time I put up three strings with 75 lights. Finally, after moving to Folsom, I bought a new set of three strings with clear instead of painted C9 bulbs, but those have gotten to the point of needing replacement lights regularly too. At least the strings aren't breaking yet.

So I decided that since my house has three main gables in front, I'm going with three single color strings on them, green, white, and red. Christmas colors, but also to match the Italian flag, or Mexican flag, or whatever. Last year I tracked down a web site where I could get just the bulbs to use in the strings I already had, 1000bulbs.com, and I just now ordered three sets of 25 of the colors that I need. Once those show up, I'll run over to Lowe's and get a bunch of clips to put them on the eves, and I'll do it all before it gets too cold outside. (I bet that they already have a Christmas section.) But other than one test to make sure they work, they won't go on until Thanksgiving evening. And I'm taking them down on New Year's Day.

The Lowe's closest to you already has a Halloween section. Not sure about Christmas.

[Scott R Nelson]

After four years of no lights on the house, but a couple of lighted nativities in the front yard, I'm giving in and finally going to put up some Christmas lights on my house. I figured out how to do it last year, but too late to actually order what I wanted. I'm getting the jump on it this time around.

Got them up, tested that all of the lights are good, now they can sit there dark for two months until the right time to turn them on.
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[Pelado]

Maybe we should do Christmas lights this year.

Nah.

[BigPiney]

I’d like to put up semi permanent lights controlled by a led controller. Be able to change the colors at will.

[Bo Diddley]

I’d like to put up semi permanent lights controlled by a led controller. Be able to change the colors at will.

My next door neighbors have this.

[Moliere]

Got them up, tested that all of the lights are good, now they can sit there dark for two months until the right time to turn them on.
4LGmn4j.jpg

Nice!