Christmas Lights

[Brian1960]

Hi All, a small query, could this be removed and replaced with a 3 pin plug as we only require the steady mode, I can't see anything about it being DC output, many thanks in advance.

 

[yorkspark]

Err no is the answer,
can you not see the bit which says output = 4.5v dc?

 

[Brian1960]

Can see the 4.5v but no DC.

 

[Brian1960]

Or is that It in the model number?
Thanks for your reply.

 

[pete01]

 

[Brian1960]

Got ya, it's the symbol, lines following the 4 5v.
Sorry about that, thanks again.

 

[flameport]

we only require the steady mode

Turn it on at the desired time, press the button 7 times to get steady mode.
Then leave it on. It will turn off after 6 hours, and on again in the same mode at the same time tomorrow for another 6 hours, and repeat every day after that.

Do not switch off the power to it, as that will reset to whatever flashing mode is the first one.

 

[Brian1960]

Many thanks for that information, much appreciated.

 

[SUNRAY]

Turn it on at the desired time, press the button 7 times to get steady mode.
Then leave it on. It will turn off after 6 hours, and on again in the same mode at the same time tomorrow for another 6 hours, and repeat every day after that.

Do not switch off the power to it, as that will reset to whatever flashing mode is the first one.

I have a couple of dozen or so of these sort of devices and several different versions with maybe 50:50 mix of remembering last state and as Flameport says.
The Type I hate have a default 'off state'.

 

[JohnW2]

Can see the 4.5v but no DC.

Well, even if it were AC, if you connected an ordinary mains plug to it, and hence supplied the lights (which want 4.5V) with about 230V, you would just get 'a big bang'.

However, for your future reference, as you have been told, the symbol (a solid line above a dashed one) immediate after the "4.5V" means that it is (sort-of) DC.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Brian1960]

Thanks everyone for your replies, much appreciated.

 

[SUNRAY]

For what it's worth, that set will work in steady on mode with 4.5v ac instead of the controller.

 

[Adam_151]

For what it's worth, that set will work in steady on mode with 4.5v ac instead of the controller.

Is 50Hz fast enough to avoid noticable flicker on the half wave rectified LEDS? (Edit: and will the LEDs handle the peak (and revserse peak) of the 4.5ac)) I looked at one of those sets with a scope one and it was outputting a square wave at much faster than 50hz (close to 400hz - i think - although I was using a scope older than me and struggling a little bit with it).

[tangent]I think its odd how they describe the output of those supplies as DC, when its probably its closer to AC than DC, although I suppose it is DC on the output of the PSU section before the control section. and I suppose not being a sine wave, if you were to feed it through a rectifier and smooth the DC output, the output would then would be 4.5v whereas if it were sinewave ac you'd get higher after rectifing and smoothing. I think if I were labbeling it, I'd probably feel compelled at least to dscribe it as "inverting DC" even if I didn't meantion sqaure wave[/tangent]

 

[RandomGrinch]

I think its odd how they describe the output of those supplies as DC, when its probably its closer to AC than DC,

Is a new symbol required????

 

[SUNRAY]

Is 50Hz fast enough to avoid noticable flicker on the half wave rectified LEDS? (Edit: and will the LEDs handle the peak (and revserse peak) of the 4.5ac)) I looked at one of those sets with a scope one and it was outputting a square wave at much faster than 50hz (close to 400hz - i think - although I was using a scope older than me and struggling a little bit with it).

[tangent]I think its odd how they describe the output of those supplies as DC, when its probably its closer to AC than DC, although I suppose it is DC on the output of the PSU section before the control section. and I suppose not being a sine wave, if you were to feed it through a rectifier and smooth the DC output, the output would then would be 4.5v whereas if it were sinewave ac you'd get higher after rectifing and smoothing. I think if I were labbeling it, I'd probably feel compelled at least to dscribe it as "inverting DC" even if I didn't meantion sqaure wave[/tangent]

I assume you realise that it is polarity reversal and not chopped dc and the LEDs are wired as 2 sets in opposing polarity.