Led Christmas lights

[deuce22]

Hi.

I have bought a set of string led Christmas lights and connected them up to a plug to come on automatically. However every time they turn on, they go through the different sequences and the only way to keep them static is to physically press the button.

They are outside and come on whilst I'm at work, so a friend suggested I remove the circuit board that allows you to select the sequence and just connect the wires together.

I have done this and they now come on statically, but there are quite a lot that do not turn on at all.

Is the way to get them to all com on or is it something on the circuit board that allows this.

Thanks.

 

[333rocky333]

I may be wrong but I think theres 2 wires going into the controller but more than 2 coming out, so its not just a case of linking the box out.
I think they work by connecting different wires at a time, possibly sometimes in series, sometimes in parralel and even reversing polarity sometimes, thus creating so many different sequences.
Therefore its not that straightforward to get them all on, without breaking down what the box actually does

 

[deuce22]

Thanks 333rocky33.

One of the sets have 3 coming out and the other set only has two.

There probably is no way then.

Cheers.

 

[333rocky333]

From a thread last week.

The style of LED lights available has recently changed in the last two years. These days you seem to get as you describe a switch mode PSU on a plugtop with integrated control unit and a two pin connector out to the lights and running around 32-34v

Before that, you used to get a control unit separate from the power supply (which used to be 24v in most cases). This seemed to be a thing which has carried on from SELV filament sets... which are in 95% of cases 24v.

I expect the change is down to a redesign to allow them to be made cheaper... initially it was cheaper to just re-use a design for which production was already set up for.

Now I need to investigate the set I have on my tree, but I expect the setup will be something like a DC supply which the controller flips the polarity of many times a second (far too fast to see) in order to effectivly get two channels down a two core cable. The two channels of LEDs will be connected in series with a diode to protect them from reverse currents, and be over driven to make up for the fact that they will see at max a 50% duty cycle.

If that is indeed the case (and I am guessing until I have investigated) then I would have thought a suitable AC supply would keep allow them to all be on. But I am taking a stab in the dark here!