are often painted in translucent or pearlescent colors. "Rice" lights are tiny, like a grain of rice, and can even have a subminiature base, if they are not already fixed permanently to the wires (on low-voltage sets). Rice lights are typically transparent, although colored variations do exist. They are intended to create tiny points of light, and are suitable for decorating miniature models, small wreaths, and other similar situations in which even "midget" T1¾ lights may be too large. LED lights, which are encased in solid plastic rather than a hollow glass bulb, may be molded into any shape. Because the LED casts light in only one direction, the most common way LED lights are designed, even "plain" sets having some sort of crystal pattern to create refraction. Many bargain brands have dome-shaped LEDs which focus the light so that it's sharply visible when viewed head-on, but almost invisible from a perpendicular direction. This has both advantages and disadvantages, depending on one's decorating needs. If a small LED bulb size with wider viewing angle is desired, wide-angle LEDs are available. The body is cylindrical with a concave conical depression, instead of a dome-shaped lens at the tip, to cause wider distribution of light. All miniature bulbs, including some LED sets, have a wedge base, though their designs are inconsistent with one another, making it somewhat difficult for the average consumer to change bulbs. To replace a bulb, the plastic base of the bulb must usually be changed by straightening the two wires and pulling the glass part out. Most replacement bulbs do not even include the bases anymore, despite getting only ten in a package and being charged nearly half the price of a new string of 100. For this reason, many Americans treat miniature holiday lights as disposable. In addition, colored lights tend to fade with even brief exposure to weather. Many LED sets are permanently wired, with bases that look like conventional pull-out bulbs. Light sets Traditional C6 bulbs were typically 15 volts, and used in series strings of eight bulbs, or multiples of 8. The use of eight bulbs (120 volts for 8 lamps equals 15 volts per lamp) gives each lamp the rated voltage for proper brightness. Later sets used nine bulbs on a string to increase the life of the bulbs by reducing the voltage each lamp received (120 volts divided by 9 lamps =