Tiny Fairy lights

[VultureChow]

Anyone have any experience with something like these:

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ledlights8.html

I was looking for something a little less bulky than the battery operated christmas lights I use for my camp and bike. They look pretty delicate though. Not sure how they would hold up on my coat.

[tamarakay]

I used them on my coat last year. Three strands. Two made it, one pulled from the power source. We used them on the wagon too, doing fine.

[tamarakay]

Of course the pulling apart thing could have happened on one of my many falls off of things.

[VultureChow]

Awesome. Thanks. I had some EL wire pull from the battery pack last year. Hadn't secured the pack well. Instant darkwad.

Now I just need to decide on a color. I was going to go with white, but I feel like the purple would look nice with the silver coat.

[ygmir]

Awesome. Thanks. I had some EL wire pull from the battery pack last year. Hadn't secured the pack well. Instant darkwad.

Now I just need to decide on a color. I was going to go with white, but I feel like the purple would look nice with the silver coat.

Purple is nice......keep in mind it's not a super good color in the dark if you want to be seen. Lots of it and you're fine.

[VultureChow]

Awesome. Thanks. I had some EL wire pull from the battery pack last year. Hadn't secured the pack well. Instant darkwad.

Now I just need to decide on a color. I was going to go with white, but I feel like the purple would look nice with the silver coat.

Purple is nice......keep in mind it's not a super good color in the dark if you want to be seen. Lots of it and you're fine.

Then white it is. It's what I had in mind originally anyway.

[theCryptofishist]

I keep turning this thread title into Tiny Mystic Lights...

[fernley1]

I used some purple ones last year. They held up pretty good, no problems.
With them being battery powered, made it real easy to place them around our camp site.

[Elliot]

Some purple, some white. Turn the white on when out in the open, off when in or near camps.

[danibel]

One of my campmates bought a couple strands of these in white and we used them in the shade structure. They didn't get banged around much and she said she would bring them back next year. They didn't throw a ton of light, but I thought it added a nice ambiance.

I need to get some better lighting for my camp area, so thanks for posting this and reminding me that NOW is the time to get them.

[maladroit]

They are actually really bright, even the purple ones. Wrapped them on bike handlebars and around camelback, very good backup anti-darkwad system. They are actually a little too bright for handlebars because the glare in front of your eyes makes it harder to see darkwads about to get bifurcated by bike tire.

[Elorrum]

They are actually really bright, even the purple ones. Wrapped them on bike handlebars and around camelback, very good backup anti-darkwad system. They are actually a little too bright for handlebars because the glare in front of your eyes makes it harder to see darkwads about to get bifurcated by bike tire.

There is a good point here, and one we seem to learn through experience... I learned it from putting lights on hat brims, or around my neck... they can get distracting, and also make it difficult to see further ahead.

edit to add: points for the use of "bifurcated" in a post.

[MyDearFriend]

I keep turning this thread title into Tiny Mystic Lights...

I miss her too.

[Elorrum]

I keep turning this thread title into Tiny Mystic Lights...

and I read that VC wants to put them on her cat.

[Eric]

A little late, but I used these on all my hats last year, as mentioned in other threads, and they held up great and are still working. I like the white ones for open playa, but they're cruel in camp.

[VultureChow]

So I accidentally ordered the blue ones. Otherwise, they're perfect. Exactly what i was looking for. I'm returning them for the cool white like I originally wanted, but per everyone's advice, I'll add some purple for around camp.

Wouldn't want to blind everybody with my brilliance!

[Dr. Pyro]

I'll add some purple for around camp.

Might I recommend PINK?

[missmelee]

We used these on our bike wheels. We used an adhesive suitable for attaching to metal and they worked great. Ours had a coin style battery that we also fastened to the wheel and we didn't have to replace the battery all week. It's hard to find the strands long enough with the coin battery pack attached to it, but you can find that style battery pack and then solder it to the strand yourself if you're inclined. It's smaller than dealing with the battery packs that hold AA or AAA batteries.

[VultureChow]

I got my lights in. How many did one coin power? The voltage was okay?

[FossaFerox]

The lights you linked run on 2 AA which means by design they're powered by 3V. You could put two L,S, P or G button cells in series or use a single C or B type button cells. All that matters is the first letter when you pick a button cell battery to use. The rest is just size factor stuff, though if there's mAH listed more is better (determines how long it will run).

For button cells the first letter indicates the chemical makeup which determines the nominal voltage (L, S, P, and G all push at or close enough to 1.5V each to work for our purposes) while C and B push 3V. The "R" that's usually included just indicates they're cylinder shaped. Next 1 or 2 numbers is a size code that corresponds with the diameter (It's mm rounded down with some standard sizes. 11 is 11.6 mm for example and 12 is always 12.5). Then the last 2 numbers are the actual battery height in tenths of a millimeter.

Suddenly a CR2032 doesn't sound so scary, does it? It's a round button cell about 20mm across, 3.2mm tall that puts out 1.5 volts.

[BoyScoutGirl]

I've used two sets for two years and they're still going strong. I did snap the wire in one set but a campmate soldered it back in a jiffy and then wrapped it with shrinkwrap. The feat worked perfectly and was a bit like magic!

To help avoid stress on the thin wires, I've taken to wrapping the strands around giant pipe cleaners I got at a craft store. The chenille fuzz filters the lights a little bit, but the stiff wire makes 'em pose-able and easily wrap-able on bikes and hats and such and generally lends some support.

[BBadger]

I've used two sets for two years and they're still going strong. I did snap the wire in one set but a campmate soldered it back in a jiffy and then wrapped it with shrinkwrap. The feat worked perfectly and was a bit like magic!

Yeah, having a soldering iron out there, or at any of those types of festivals can earn you some new friends.

To help avoid stress on the thin wires, I've taken to wrapping the strands around giant pipe cleaners I got at a craft store. The chenille fuzz filters the lights a little bit, but the stiff wire makes 'em pose-able and easily wrap-able on bikes and hats and such and generally lends some support.

I ought to try that out instead of using zip-ties.

[Ano]

I've used these for years - except mine are from Amazon. They work great... except that they start off REALLY REALLY DAMN BRIGHT. Like, HOLY GUACAMOLE BATMAN bright. It hurts the eyes... I tend to pre-burn new batteries for about an hour before heading out. Because seriously, they hurt. Maybe it's just the set I got... but they provide enough light to turn me into a goddamn walking floodlight. It's pretty funny, except for the part where it really really hurts other folks eyes.

[BBadger]

I've used these for years - except mine are from Amazon. They work great... except that they start off REALLY REALLY DAMN BRIGHT. Like, HOLY GUACAMOLE BATMAN bright. It hurts the eyes... I tend to pre-burn new batteries for about an hour before heading out. Because seriously, they hurt. Maybe it's just the set I got... but they provide enough light to turn me into a goddamn walking floodlight. It's pretty funny, except for the part where it really really hurts other folks eyes.

Try using some rechargeable NiMH batteries. Not only will they last longer, but they're only 1.2V each which might drop the amount of current being pushed through those lights.

[chuckularone]

I've used these for years - except mine are from Amazon. They work great... except that they start off REALLY REALLY DAMN BRIGHT. Like, HOLY GUACAMOLE BATMAN bright. It hurts the eyes... I tend to pre-burn new batteries for about an hour before heading out. Because seriously, they hurt. Maybe it's just the set I got... but they provide enough light to turn me into a goddamn walking floodlight. It's pretty funny, except for the part where it really really hurts other folks eyes.

You might want to put a resistor inline with the power. This will reduce the amount of power you use as well.

[missmelee]

I got my lights in. How many did one coin power? The voltage was okay?

Sorry - I just now came across this question. The coin type battery powered a single strand (maybe 6ft long?) that was wrapped around the perimeter of the bike wheel. It probably could've powered more than that, but that was all we were using it for at the time.