# Power inverter for powering xmas lights



## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

I want to power a string or two of small Christmas lights via a power inverter and 12v battery in a place on my property that has no electric power access. Does anyone have any idea how long a regular 12 v car battery might power a 150 mini light string or how big of an inverter I might need to buy? Thank you for any help.


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## DrippingSprings (Sep 22, 2004)

we rigged one up like that for a display in my old store. I had a timer on so the lights only burned for about three hours each night and it ran a month on a regular 24 series battery rated at 600 cca


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## idahodave (Jan 20, 2005)

Buy LED lights...there's a huge difference in power consumption. 

With a couple of LED strings, the inverter loss will be most of the power 
consumption. 

A small inverter might draw .4 amps or about 5 watts to power itself. With a small car battery (80-90 amp hrs) you could get over 100 hours of run time before charging is needed.

The key to this is LEDs and a small inverter. Using non-LED lights would cut run times in half or more.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

I put 300 ft. of lights on my hay wagon that we pull with our team of mares. With an 800 amp. inverter, and 2-6 volt deep cell batteries in series, we can run 24 hours between charges. Thats 6 nights of hay rides for us.


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## WayneR (Mar 26, 2007)

It should be possible to rewire the light strings (incandescent or LED) to operate on DC eliminating the need for an inverter and it's losses.

A series-parallel circuit, as the individual lights operate at 2 to 3 Volts each. Modern AC connected light strings are wired this way. If you have a non working string of lights, separate nine of them from the rest of the string. After testing the bulbs to be certain that they work, connect the series connected string across a battery. Use a small fuse (1/2A) for safety. If they light dimly take a bulb and socket out of the string, which will brighten the remaining bulbs. When an appropriate combination is reached, make additional ones, connected in parallel with the first. Then arrange these segments into a "string". Additional wire may be needed.

LED's may need a current limiting resistor to protect them. They are also polarity sensitive and can be destroyed if connected improperly.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

How to hack Christmas lights for 12vdc use:

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/05/hacking_led_christmas_lights_f.html

There are also 12v lights available so you wouldn't need an inverter. Just couln't find any right now.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

google "solar christmas lights"


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## Ozarka (Apr 15, 2007)

Real Goods, ukiah. Calif. also sells 12 v.xmas lights.


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