Tree Lights

[kolias]

Tree Lights

Sorry guys, I know this post is not related to CNC but perhaps one of you may have an answer to my simple question

My 5 years old Christmas tree with pre installed lights (came in 3 sections which they slide together and 2 plugs to connect each section lights to the next one) was too high so now was the time to cut the lowest row of branches. Somehow when I was removing the lights on these branches I cut a wire seen on the attached picture but it puzzles me because one wire is copper and the other looks like fiberglass threads.

Plugging the lights they work except this branch which I don’t mind but would like to know where to splice the copper wire to what? At the bulb before the cut one wire from the trunk goes into the bulb’s socket and the one coming out is the cut copper wire. The fiberglass type goes towards the trunk of the branch and I can’t locate yet where to (everything is wrapped in green kind of cover)

To me looks like that the copper wire was cut from the fiberglass wire but is this possible?

What is the purpose of the fiberglass type wire?

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[CitizenOfDreams]

Strip the wire a bit further, I'm sure you will find the copper strands. The white fibers are there for pulling strength.

[kolias]

Strip the wire a bit further, I'm sure you will find the copper strands. The white fibers are there for pulling strength.

I stripped 3” from the end and there is no copper strands. BTW that wire is about half the size of the copper one (the copper is about 22AWG and the fiberglass is about 26AWG).

Reading on the Internet they are talking about some similar lights they have one wire which acts like a shunt? or something but I don’t understand. I think the shunt prevents all bulbs to go out if one bulb is burned.

[john-100]

what looks like a fiberglass core in a green cover is just to support the copper wires and lights

the first set of Christmas tree lights I remember was twenty 12V bulbs wired in serise and run directly from the 240V AC mains supply !!!!


As the tree is not very old
I expect your lights are going to be powered via a step down transformer

the simplest arrangment will be
the bulbs being wired as several groups of series connected bulbs
for example for a 40 bulb set you could have 10 groups of four 6V bulbs wired in series to run of a 24V supply
so a broken wire to one bulb would effect four bulbs

if they are LED's and not bulbs there must be resistors wired in series to limit the LED current

to have the lights turn on & off to form a running pattern will increase the number of wires and require an electronic control to switch groups of lights in sequence

John

[kolias]

what looks like a fiberglass core in a green cover is just to support the copper wires and lights

the first set of Christmas tree lights I remember was twenty 12V bulbs wired in serise and run directly from the 240V AC mains supply !!!!


As the tree is not very old
I expect your lights are going to be powered via a step down transformer

the simplest arrangment will be
the bulbs being wired as several groups of series connected bulbs
for example for a 40 bulb set you could have 10 groups of four 6V bulbs wired in series to run of a 24V supply
so a broken wire to one bulb would effect four bulbs

if they are LED's and not bulbs there must be resistors wired in series to limit the LED current

to have the lights turn on & off to form a running pattern will increase the number of wires and require an electronic control to switch groups of lights in sequence

John

John there is no transformer in my lights, they just plug into an 110VAC wall outlet.

As for the fiberglass wire supporting the wires and lights I doubt it because the wires were pre installed on the tree and they have done such a good job that I had a heck of a time to remove the wires from the bottom branches I wanted to remove, the wires are wrapped around the branches and sub branches very tightly and need no extra support. They look almost they are glued to the branches.

Is it possible that the copper wire is connected to the fiberglass wire? This is the last bulb on this circuit branch and perhaps is some kind of return? I remember when I cut that wire actually I was cutting a tree branch but because the wires are wrapped so tight I cut the wire and I look at the 2 ends and I said no problem I will join them later. But then I discover one end had just a fiberglass core and I looked to see any other loose ends but it’s kind of difficult since everything is green color.

[Jim Dawson]

Unless that fiberglass ''wire'' is a resistor of some kind, maybe infused with carbon, I can't see it being any kind of a conductor. Some kind of strain relief would make more sense. But I have never seen anything like that.

[kolias]

Unless that fiberglass ''wire'' is a resistor of some kind, maybe infused with carbon, I can't see it being any kind of a conductor. Some kind of strain relief would make more sense. But I have never seen anything like that.

I have checked all bulbs at the end of a run and one wire goes into the bulb and another comes out but there are 3 wires going to the bulb and the third is the thin wire with the fiberglass core which makes a loop and returns to the center of the tree and I have not been able to find where it ends.

However I found close to the center of the tree a plastic cylinder like “device” about 2” long and 1/4” diameter and the thin fiberglass wire goes into one end and come out from the other end. I assume this must be a resistor?

I also found a tag on the tree which says the bulbs are connected in series and to replace the bulbs with similar ones 3V, 0.06W

[Jim Dawson]

Fiberglass makes a good insulator rather than a conductor. I really can't see how the fiberglass could be part of the circuit.

[kolias]

Fiberglass makes a good insulator rather than a conductor. I really can't see how the fiberglass could be part of the circuit.

Sorry Jim, I’m not saying it is fiberglass but for sure it is not copper or any other metal

Looks like threads of some kind of material like threads from a cord

[Jim Dawson]

I have seen wires where the conductor is wrapped around a central core of some kind of thread, normally this is used for ear buds or other low voltage/power applications. Not sure what you have there.

[kolias]

Well John you were right, see the attached page

https://diy.stackexchange.com/questi...the-thin-rubbe


I finally fixed my wiring and the 2 wires with the “fiberglass” core I just made a knot to tie them together and wrapped it with tape

Thanks to all