Decorative String Lights w/Messenger Cable?

[TKM]

Anyone know where I might find C9 holiday/decorative light strings already
assembled on messenger cable? A source that does custom lengths would be
nice too.

Terry McGowan

 

[TKM]

Hi Terry,

Could you please describe a bit more what you need? I think I have a
few suppliers to look at.

Thanks,

T.

Sure. The project requires 6 runs of about 60 feet each of decorative
lighting with lamps on 12 inch centers. I prefer intermediate-base sockets
since a variety of lamps can fit into those. The client prefers 120 volt, 5
watt, multi-color C-9 lamps at the moment.

The usual Christmas Tree string sets can't properly handle 60 foot runs
between attachment points; so I'm looking for string sets, preferably
commercial grade, with a plastic covered messenger cable support.
Someplace I saw such an assembly option which, as I recall, was available on
reels in bulk so the lengths could be cut to fit. Nothing shows up,
however, in the usual places on the web or locally at the holiday display
houses.

Thanks,

Terry McGowan

 

[TKM]

Hi Terry,

I believe these fill the needs that you're describing. It took us
about a month to find earlier in the year for a hotel client, but
there are two options below. Tokistar is usually excellent (although
we've only used them for other products).

http://www.tokistar.com/pdf/tokistar_exhibitor.pdf
http://www.calilighting.com/html/marketlite.shtml

I hope these help.

By the way, as I'm sure you know far better than I, keep in mind that
the E26 versions will be hard to lamp as incandescents gradually
disappear. I don't think anyone's going to be doing 3W 60lm/W super
efficient incandescents any time soon.

All the best,

Thomas Paterson
http://www.luxpopuli.com

Many thanks, Thomas. The sites were indeed well hidden.

I agree that such things, at least in incandescent versions, are now likely
to disappear in favor of LED alternatives. I'm going to install a string of
LED multi-colors anyway to see how they compare from the appearance
standpoint. I do like some of the blue LED decorative lamps since they have
a nice saturated color.

Terry McGowan

 

[Clive Mitchell]

Clive recently dropped some diffused package LEDs off, like old
fashioned LEDs with the resin coloured the same as the LED, gives a
wider view angle but with intensity of modern LEDs.

I think the best LED lights use the crystal lensing or side emitter
package to best effect. The sparkly points of light are visible from a
greater distance than a solidly diffused package.

Choice of LED festoon lights is critical. There's still a lot of dodgy
crap out there that either uses poor quality LEDs or doesn't give much
regard to proper current limiting.

 

[Clive Mitchell]

Is the feeling that incans are really destined for the bin that quick?

Buy them up now. If you thought people paid a lot for "collectible"
Christmas lighting on ebay at the moment, just think what it's going to
be like when incandescent lamps are history.

The state of current LED Christmas lighting suggests that incandescent
lighting is history anyway. The current stuff completely outshone
traditional tungsten last year and the LED Christmas lighting market has
some amazing new products lined up for this year.

Can't talk about them too much though... (But the prototypes look
fantastic.)

 

[TKM]

Buy them up now. If you thought people paid a lot for "collectible"
Christmas lighting on ebay at the moment, just think what it's going to be
like when incandescent lamps are history.

The state of current LED Christmas lighting suggests that incandescent
lighting is history anyway. The current stuff completely outshone
traditional tungsten last year and the LED Christmas lighting market has
some amazing new products lined up for this year.

Can't talk about them too much though... (But the prototypes look
fantastic.)

This should be interesting. I attended a residential lighting/decorative
lighting market in January and there was nary an LED Christmas string set to
be seen on the hundreds of displays and in dozens of vendor's showrooms. I
mean not one LED was visible! We're talking traditional lighting here,
folks. Change? What change?

Then LightFair in May (not a residential/decorative show in reputation or
direction) where the Asian vendors were piled one upon another showing LEDs
everywhere, but especially for string sets and "themed" festoons --
everything from lighted chili peppers to miniature dracula statues. See
http://www.offthedeepend.com/c-2-cheesy-lights.aspx if you haven't had
lunch yet.

Yes, there was plenty of junk; but also a few very-nicely made and
rich-color sets. I particularly liked some of the small globe transparent
color lights which had a nice look and style.

So, another residential/decorative market is coming up at the end of June.
Are the winds of change blowing?

Terry McGowan

 

[TKM]

Still not sure what messenger cable is,presume something with an
inbuilt cantenary reinforcement?
Other suggestion might be Lumisphere, know they have a couple of wedge
base LED lamp options:

http://www.lumisphereusa.com


Is the feeling that incans are really destined for the bin that quick?

Adam

Certainly the standard GLS (A-line) lamps will tend to disappear since they
are the least efficient and use the most kWh; but I rather doubt that a CFL
can substitute for a 20 watt low-voltage halogen anytime soon especially if
a reflector is involved. In N.A. about half of all GLS lamps used for
residential lighting are 60 watts which could be replaced by a 17 watt CFL;
so that's about a 35% kWh reduction for all residential lighting with one
lamp type gone. Add in the other major GLS types 100, 75 and 40 watt and
you've captured most of the kWh savings while leaving the halogen and
specialty lamps to do what other lamps can't. Do that over a few years of
phase-in and manufacturers might figure out how to apply IR coatings and
such to GLS types for those who love incandescent light and are willing to
pay more for it. But I don't know if that is being planned. There are so
many different legislative approaches in the U.S. and Canada (16 at last
count) that dumb stuff is sure to happen.

Terry McGowan

 

[[email protected]]

The state of current LED Christmas lighting suggests that incandescent
lighting is history anyway. The current stuff completely outshone
traditional tungsten last year and the LED Christmas lighting market has
some amazing new products lined up for this year.

Just from driving around here in Tulsa, OK during the holidays, there were
a lot more LED outdoor light strings in 2006 than in 2005. In 2005 there
were a few around, but mostly you had to drive out to the part of town
where you can get pulled over for not having a new enough car to see them.
In 2006 the LED strings could be seen in more places, and in front of more
sanely-priced houses.

Matt Roberds