Christmas Lights

[liberatordeluxe]

Do you think plain multi coloured lights look as festive without their shades? The majority of lights don't come with shades anyway. I know some call shaded lights retro but I've always like traditional classic lights that never go out of fashion. Just wondered what most people thought whether shades were necessary.

 

[vintagekitchen]

hmm..

If by shades you mean the plastic covers which make them look like the old c6 size bulbs, or the decorative plastic covers shaped like flowers or starbursts, I love them. It seemed like nearly everyone had them when I was a kid, then they were gone.

I havent seen any new ones in ages, (except those hideous LED lights with off colors and dim lights) but I have a ton of the plastic covers and can usually find new lights that the old covers will fit. I even found a multi-function (blinking, twinkling, chasing, etc) set of lights that the covers fit.

I will admit that they are brighter without the covers though. Just depends on the tree, size and fullness, and your decorating style I suppose.

 

[artcurus]

the reason that the plastic shades went out of style per say, is that they were considered a fire hazard. I've had 35 double flasher sets do a complete meltdown (while usually on the the tree >>facepalm>> ) but anyway. This was the reason for the "snap on" plastic reflectors from the mid 80s.

Personally I prefer with reflectors but it depends on the theme of the tree.

Pardon my French, but WTF is the fascination with LED Christmas lights? The more these abominations show up, it takes all I have not to go into a screaming rage. Well, not maybe to that level, but man.

We really are being duped to accept lower quality.

 

[firedome]

agree, much dislike for the LEDs...

but no problemo, have a lifetime supply of vintage GE C-7 bulbs, thanks to 58Limited!

 

[artcurus]

firedome,

Three colors I'm having a hard time finding, canary yellow, (usually used in Noma sets) white, and lord-help-us-here-it-comes-with-no..you get the picture, pink. Pink especially.

Can you help?

 

[vintagekitchen]

pink bulbs

25 bulbs for 4.95 plus shipping if I understood correctly

http://www.noveltylights.com/Pink-Ceramic-C7-5-Watt-Replacement-Bulbs.html

 

[vintagekitchen]

yellow bulbs

Same price as the pink..

http://www.noveltylights.com/Yellow-Ceramic-C7-5-Watt-Replacement-Bulbs.html

 

[artcurus]

Hey VK,

The yellow ones are very close but no cigar. I used those (along with the rest of the colors) when I relamped a bunch of C7 from the late 80's-early 90's.

However, these are the pink that I'm talking about, and this is at low or below average. This auction will probably run up around $80

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[vintagekitchen]

aaahhh..

I see. I thought thw yellow ones looked a bit different than the ones I remembered from when I was a kid, honestly didn't have a clue about the pink ones, lol.

The ones you linked to are a much prettier pink. The ones I found looked like they were stolen from barbie, lol.

 

[waterwitch]

Twinkle

I agree, I loath led light outfits. Whenever I find early light sets at the thrift stores, I snap them up quick. I especially adore the colored "transparent" TWINKLING lights. I love how they twinkle randomly.

 

[artcurus]

Hey Vk,

Yup, the 1950's pink bulbs have a very soft, pastel pink glow that's actually kinda soothing.

 

[twintubdexter]

Speaking as an outcast...

I really like some of the new LED lights, but then I hate stainless steel appliances and wouldn't take an old Foodarama if it was still in the box. Just call me an oddball, I've been called much worse.

 

I do appreciate vintage light sets. Somehere I have 4 sets of lights where the glass bulbs themselves are things like birds and Chinese lanterns. Once one burns out it's toast. I'll take a photo if I come across them.

 

[tolivac]

I'll stick up for LED lights,too.Just bought a few strings of them from Lowes and like the changing colors.And the LEDS put out the ACTUAL colors-not filtered as on incandescent sets.I think LED Christmas lights are getting better-I have some early Philips sets and agree-those are pretty bad.What I don't like about them is their flicker.Incandscent,flourescent and even HID bulbs have enough persistence so they don't appear to flicker.LED bulbs don't have the persistence-so the flicker is very apparent.It gets down to the LED drver circuit.Has to have enough capacitance in the supply to provide smooth DC power to the LEDS.

 

[artcurus]

@tolivac,

you just stated everything that's wrong with LED. While the colors are bright they are still too dim. The blues actually cause me physical pain from eyestrain. There are no capacitors in these, it's either full wave or half wave DC rectification depending on the brand. Half wave DC produces flicker.

My neighbor put up cool white icicle type LED lights, and I swear to God it looks something out of a Stephen King novel. Both neighbors actually have crosses in their yard, with LED lights, these are large crosses, one is probably close to 5 feet tall the lights are so small, they are almost invisible. There is no detail or definition between the lights.

They also have some LED C7 version lights, they are at least 75% dimmer than normal C7. Again, it's about being duped to accept lower quality.

 

[twintubdexter]

Here in Palm Springs wrapping palm trees with lights, Christmas and all year long, is a big thing. The LED lights look much brighter...white lights seem to have a sparkle and colored lights have a jewel-like quality. When you're talking about hundreds and in some cases thousands of lights the energy savings are dramatic.

 

The Christmas tree at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is now all LED and from my yard it looks much brighter than before.

 

[tolivac]

I don't like the "cool White" LEDS in Christmas lights,LED parking-street lights or general lighting light bulbs.The Warm White LEDS are better-and full wave bridge rectifiers with capacitors in the LED drivers.Then no flicker.The light set I have from Lowes-beleive the name is "Holiday Bright"must have bridge rectifiers and capacitors in it-as well as the lights run on a high frequency.The string has a remote control unit-you can turn it on-off or select what mode you want the lights to do.I have been happy with this.Don't have any older lights.I use the fading color" mode on this light set-fades from red,green,yellow,pink,purple and so on.
Kinda like the tree shown in the Twintubdexter picture.Looks like some of the trees around here I see in peoples windows.The decorations I really don't like are those stupid looking inflatable things.Give me the plywood or masonite cutouts anyday.

 

[glenfieldmathk1]

Plain White lights are fine for me. We'll decorate our outdoor tree with them next week.
In the meantime - yesterday I put up a row of multi coloured LED's along the guttering, a row of Blue & white snowdrop LED's below, and then a slow glow (old not LED) row of lanterns around the door / garage.

I'll send a video if you ant to see (when the tree's up).
Our whole cul-de-sac gets lit up with Christmas lights!!! We previously won awards for the most lights in one street - a few have moved on since then though, so now there's less lights - but still everyone gets involved with lights on every house! (Its like the American Films - one house lights up, all houses get lights up!) We were first this year. Next weekend though - definitely all houses!

Back to Thread, yes LED's are fine, but as are the colour type you mention, or simply plain white. Our lanterns are basically 2 lights in one - if you take the lantern of the bulb, you've simply got white glow lights.

 

[twintubdexter]

I guess when you get right down to it Christmas lights, incandescent, LED and the rest, are all good. I always remember this scene from 1951's "The Lemon Drop Kid" where Marilyn Maxwell and Bob Hope introduce the song "Silver Bells." Notice the full-size incandescent light bulbs. 

 

This clip is on You Tube and is guaranteed to ignite your Christmas Spirit...sorry I don't know how to post it

 

[firedome]

Artcurus....

'Ive also noticed that the C-7s in pink and yellow seem to bring nutty prices, and while I like them, can't bring myself to pay what they typically go for, so have stuck to mundane colors like red, blue, green, orange, and white in vintage bulbs. May try to pick up one 5 pack just for some variety, but there won't be a lot of them on our tree!

Like the big honking vintage (C-9?) bulbs on the outdoor bushes as well, we even have a few of those old yellow ones that I remember were ubiquitous when I was a kid in the '50s that have the 3-D rippled glass effect that presumably was intended to simulate a candle-flame.