   Help me save Christmas: Christmas tree lights dilemma
  I just went out and bought a Christmas tree, along with some lights and decorations (I live with two girls, so the idea was to give them a bit of a surprise when they got home, since I’m not renowned for this kind of thing [evil]). Now this is the first time I've set up Christmas lights, and so it looks a bit ugly. But after I got them setup and plugged in they worked, but after I unplugged them and moved the tree and plugged them back in, they don't work anymore! I don't know what I did, but they are borked now. I'm thinking that if by some chance a bulb blew, does this mean that I have to go through and replace every bulb (all 100 of them) with a working one to see if that bulb is the cause? If so, is it ok to be pulling the bulbs out while it is still plugged into the power point (turned on)?Geez, Christmas is hard [sad]   
  YesLook for one globe being looseTwist it one wayif it moves, move it backIf it doesn't, try the other wayYou can do this while its running. (you get 2v per light, so it can't really hurt you. Unless you do something silly like implant one over your heart)From,Nice coderHave a look at the new bot on the block.Add joanstable@hotmail.com to your msn contacts list today![Edited by - Nice Coder on December 13, 2005 5:45:15 AM];  Yeah, those things are wired in series so if 1 bulb dies, they all die.  Not much choice other than to go through 1 by 1, unless of course you realize what a total waste of time that would be and just buy some new lights.As for leaving the power own, do they have a transformer or do they run directly off mains?  If its the former and they're only running off something like 5V go for it, otherwise......setup a webcam first so we can watch you get fried [evil][grin];  The trick to burned out christmas lights is patience, rhythm, and algorithms.It's not too difficult, though it sure does seem that way. First thing is patience. You need to be patient and methodically work your way through. Otherwise you have a pretty good shot of missing the dead bulb, and having to go through them all again.After the first couple dozen bulbs you'll get a rhythm going and go through at a pretty quick rate.Then finally, use some algorithms. Use an extension cord and test each string separately, then work on individual strings.Good luck, if you're good you might be able to pull it off in about 15-20 minutes.   ;Quote:Original post by joanusdmentiaAs for leaving the power own, do they have a transformer or do they run directly off mains?  If its the former and they're only running off something like 5V go for it, otherwise......setup a webcam first so we can watch you get fried [evil][grin] Thanks for the compassion [wink]They run directly into the wall. So does that mean that there is a fair chance I will blow myself up if I start fiddling with them while the power is on?   ;  No. Just don't put your fingers into the sockets. What's mains voltage in Oz by the way - I'm sure I heard that the 115V in the US is a lot safer than the 240V in the UK.   ;  Check every bulb?! Bah! Most of us are Computer Science majors. I'm sure there is a way to turn this O(N) algorithm into O(ln N). Is there any way you can give power to 1/2 of the bulbs?   ;  If you're really worried about shocking yourself, take the string of lights into the bathroom (!) and plug them in there. Hopefully, if you have new up to code plugs in your bathroom (at least, up to US code) they will be GFCI protected and you won't zap yourself (as much)Really, there's not a whole lot of danger (at least to 110V americans, dunno about you down-unders). Just don't lick the socket or stuff like that.   ;Quote:Original post by etothexReally, there's not a whole lot of danger (at least to 110V americans, dunno about you down-unders). Just don't lick the socket or stuff like that.That low? It's 240Vrms over here...   ;  Before you try removing/reinserting all lights, plug it intothe outlet and then start moving around the cables, usuallyit comes back alive because somewhere there was no contact(this stuff is made _cheap_).If it doesn't work... well happy exchanging :)I'm going to put our tree this evening... so you might wish me luck too :)Took me ages last year to put all 200 lights nicely back into this darn mini-box (hope they still work this year lol)   