Lightkeeper Pro

[Wayne J]

The wife was watching QVC and told me to check out this tester. After watching, this looks likes something I GOTTA have.
What is your thoughts?

http://www.lightkeeperpro.com/default.asp

8)

[Matt]

I have one..it really is useful. Target and Lowes sold them at Christmastime for $15-$20. The continuity tester is probably the most useful - just run it along the string until the beeping stops and that's (usually) where the problem is. The magical almighty quick-fix shunt-activating trigger button is nice, but I found more of my problems were solved with the continuity tester.

-Matt

[lbro]

The wife was watching QVC and told me to check out this tester. After watching, this looks likes something I GOTTA have.
What is your thoughts?

http://www.lightkeeperpro.com/default.asp

8)

Wayne,
I remember Brian (macrosill) saying that it was one of the the best things he bought.
Lou

[Jeff Millard]

I thought you saw the one we had out at the mini. This really is one of the most important tools I have in my Christmas Light toolbox. I regularly sort the bulbs in multi sets to make solid color sets. At first Dawn would take all the bulbs out of a string but the color we would make the string into. Then I would take an ohmmeter and start putting the bulbs in while checking continuity after each bulb. It took about a half hour per 50 string. After I got the LightKeeper I just shoved bulbs in as fast as I could and then I would click the voltage detector at each bulb. If it didn't make a tone I'd go back one bulb and recheck the bulb seat and test the bulb. It never took more than about five minutes to get a string lit. The time was cut to around ten minutes per string.
For old strings just plugging them into the LightKeeper and pulling the trigger would usually get a shunt to carry load and relight the string. If it didn't, I'd just turn the lights off and do it again. You can see the arc jump the bad bulb.
It was perfect for those crappy LawnLights. I couldn't keep them lit for anything. But getting them back on was easy with this thing. I plan on buying another one when they get them at Lowes this year, just in case this one stops working.
Jeff

[Macrosill]

I have one and love it. I brought it to the mini also.

Get it!

[Mudsculpter]

Keep some of those hearing aid batteries that power it handy each year. Storage sucks them dry (for me)

[Wayne J]

Well then... I'm sold. Thanks guys! :wink:



8)

[greenmeanie]

I also have one.
I didn't think it would work but I needed it twice last year and it fixed the dead bulb.

[dvanteslaar]

Being new to the scene, I certainly think this product seems to be nothing short of an indispensable necessity! I'll be buying one (perhaps two) once I see it in the store.

David

[Mrplow123]

I bought one last year, and it was sooooo usefull, I bought another one to have as a back up. I can't imagine trying to trouble shoot my display without it ever again. Every night I do a quick check of all the lights in the display looking for any dead strings. 90% of the time last year, I would hook the tool into the string and it would shunt the dead bulb. I would have the strand back up in less then a minute.

[Wayne J]

I ordered one. It should be here this week. Thanks for all the input guys! :)

[kkmm]

I just ordered one as well. Thanks for the tip!!

[ErnieHorning]

I would have to say that this is the best tool that I have. The majority of the time, I can plug the whole string in, give one click and the string is working. If it still doesn’t work, there is a proximity sensor that looks for high voltage across a bulb, without actually connecting to it. If this still doesn’t work, you can pull each bulb out and test it individually. If you find a bad bulb and after replacing it, you find that the string still doesn’t work, make note of the bad bulbs position a start over by plugging the whole string into the LKP and zapping it. The reason for doing this is that you have a string with more than one bad bulb.

I used it once on a brand new string last year that was dead out of the box. One click and it was working. The bad bulb was the one that didn’t light.

This is a ‘Must have” for anyone using mini lights.

[MarkL]

Anyone recall how much they've paid at Home Depot or Lowes? Cost with shipping from QVC is 24.54 - and it can be ordered now. Obviously HD/Lowes aren't going to have them for a while.

[ErnieHorning]

I bought mine at Target for $18 when they first showed up on the shelf and they were out before the season really started. I remember other stores selling them for around 20 to 21 dollars.

[Macrosill]

I paid about 20.00 from Target last year.

[Wayne J]

Mine came in this evening..... used it and fixed this icicle set that has give me trouble. :)

[BillAd]

Lowes has begun stocking their shelves with Christmas items. They have Lightkeep Pro's for under $17.00.

Bill

[disneynut]

I bought one too when they first came out and use it alot. I was going to throw away a bunch of lights that I could not fix but I fixed all of them by using this handy litttle tool. :roll: :lol: :D

[MarkL]

I'll put in my plug. After seeing Bill's post I went to my Lowe's where I too found them. I had one string 1/2 dead out of the box while building my min trees. One "shot" from the Lightkeeper fixed it right away.

I'm sold!

Mark

[DeanCollins]

Hey Guys,
Just wondering if the lightkeeper pro will work in australia? (our lights ususally run at 24VAC).

Thanks,
-Dean

[random_rodder]

Got my LKP from Lowe's this morning, paid $16.97. The trigger method didn't work on my problem string, but, tracing the voltage did and I had the string working right in under 5 minutes.

Later,

Brian

[kkmm]

What an awesome tool!

I got to use mine for the first time tonight. I have 30 brand new strings of lights, and 2 wouldn't light up. Pulled out the lightkeeper and did the clicky thing, no joy. Used the beeper to trace down the problem to a couple of loose bulbs and BINGO! Now they all work!

Total joy!

[jmelvin]

Picked mine up today at home depot for 15.95 and a couple a sets 100 mini's (32) for 2.00 a set.

[synnie]

OK OK ENOUGH already... How do we get these things in Australia...anyone know off a store over there which will send to Australia??????????????????????????/////

[Macrosill]

not sure if they will work in AU. The light sets are different. Look into it before you try to buy one.

[Greg in Canby]

I seem to be having problems with the voltage detect part of mine. It seems to be hit and miss. Sometimes it appears to work, others not.

Anybody else experience this with his or her Lightkeepers?

[Wayne J]

I seem to be having problems with the voltage detect part of mine. It seems to be hit and miss. Sometimes it appears to work, others not.

Anybody else experience this with his or her Lightkeepers?


It is a bit touchy, you have to hold it just right or don't read properly. At least that is what I have found. :)

[ErnieHorning]

Sometimes you need to flip the power cord around, so that the hot side of the line goes through the lights instead of the neutral side. Also if you wrap the lights around something, like a window and you double the string over itself; you’ll have to unwrap it. Sometimes it helps to pull the socket out a bit from the string; otherwise it just picks up the AC from the wire.

[Greg in Canby]

Thanks for the tips, I'll report next time I get it out and try it.