Modifying Christmas String Lights

[Pappy]

In the past I had incandescent chasing lights around the front of my roof and across the front of the house chasing from the top of the bay window out over the door frame and windows to the ends of the house. I quit putting them up for 2 reasons. First, I changes to a metal roof with no good way to secure the lights to it. This year I found some strong suction cups designed for just that purpose. Second is that the incandescent lights are a PITA to get up and running. When you are dealing with 300' of lights there are always a bunch that go bad sitting in storage. That equals a couple of hours chasing down and changing the bad bulbs, if I can find replacement bulbs.

This year they have finally come out with multicolor, multifunction strings of LED lights at a reasonable price and in longer lengths. Before this they were limited to 12' - 15' lengths that could be programed. Now the problem is finding or making the right lengths. On my previous lights I cut out or added sections to make the right length strings for each section I have to come up with 178' 9" around the roof and strings of 63' 9" and 55' across the front. On the roof I can connect the new strings end to end which will allow all the lights to be controlled by one box so only the last string has to be modified. Anyone know if this is feasible with LED strings? Am I still dealing with a separate wire for each color or is the color somehow set for each bulb by the controller?.

[Pappy]

No response so far. Figured someone would be familiar enough to tell me how to cut and resolder the wires without screwing up the lights. If I don't get an answer in the next few days I'll find the cheapest multi function string I can and give it a go. I can twist he cut wires together and if it doesn't work go back to the original configuration and try something else until I figure it out..

[LCHIEN]

Pappy, I'm not really familiar with those LED strings of lights, to be honest since the kids have grown and moved and we are spending Christmas with them at their house instead of ours, I have been downsizing the decoration efforts and the size and number of lights which suits my dwindling supply of old series incandescents which I cull as they fail. So I'm still using up the incandescents and only have one string of LEDs I bought for the stair railing inside.

I think there may be a limit to how many of those LEDs you can string together because of the limited wire size gauge in them. Check the instructions or web site if there's a limit to how many can be wired together in successive strings.

[Pappy]

Loring, the product information on Amazon that can be connected end to end all say they will connect enough to encircle the roof. I modified 3 strings of the incandescents by shortening 2 and adding to the other one. To keep the light color sequence right required removing and adding them in sections of 4 bulbs/sockets. Since each color has its own wire that meant cutting and reconnecting the right wire on each end of the cut/splice. Changing the LED's can't be any more difficult than that was.

The reason I am putting up my lights and yard ornaments again is for the grand kids. Lilia has never seen Grandpa's lights. Time allowing there might even be an addition to the display.