Can this string be repaired?

[rayhjr]

I started with building a grinch 15 years ago so no problems with cutting and repairing wires. My newbie status is in understanding the data and power flow in the strings. Yesterday 20 pixels worked 80 acted crazy, turn power off and on and 20 work 80 dead. I powered them up today and first 69 working, 70 dead, 71 constant red and the next 29 dead. After 5 minutes 69 working pixels, 70 turned on white, 71 still red and next 29 dead. 2 minutes later all 100 started working correctly. Could it be cold solder joints around pixels 20,21 and 69,70 causing this? I really don't want to return the string to Amazon, it has been a royal pain with shipping, it started when 2000 pixels were "undeliverable" 2 weeks ago and it hasn't got any better since.

thanks

Bob

I understand. Welcome to the world of Pixels!
My first year was 2015 mostly Renard Plus AC channels and a E682 with a few pixels here and there.
MAN! Pixels! What a learning curve that was, or is, LOL. You name it, I done it. I fried the first pixel in a string several times by just plugging them in Hot. I don't
think it is as much a big deal today as it was back them but I lost plenty of Pixels due to my own mistakes.
I'm that Guy who need to know the How's and Why's when it comes to some things. I once had a string of 50 pixels that while testing I did a ramp up of each
color. I think the blue started flickering and doing strange things as it ramped down. when I grabbed the first acting up pixel, the problem went away. I replaced that
pixel, temporary with small Orange wire nuts, and everything was working as it should. I tore that Pixel apart, I had to know, What. and I found it. The resistor for the
Blue LED was only soldered on one side of the board. When I mashed on it between my fingers it made the other side of resistor make contact and it worked.
I don't get that involved these days as my time, as mentioned above, is better spent on other things. Like making my own extension cords or most anything else.
All my AC LED strings are box store or wally world and I have added Full-Wave boards to them to get rid of that Darn Flicker. Can't stand it.

[1pet2_9]

One last thing you might try before you snip is to power inject the back end of the string as well as the front. If the power & ground is not passing and you have to inject, I could probably live with that. Also if you do try and work it out with Paul Zhang, you might wait to snip until you circle around with him first.

[angus40]

Ray made some salient points! I'll add another.

Your time has value. You alone have to determine whether it's worth your time to repair strings when they go bad. Having the extra parts is worthwhile, but sometimes, the amount of effort required to make things right can become heroic -- in both the initial diagnosis and the eventual repair. Sometimes, the fastest and most sure fix is just to replace the darned lights.

Another sure-fire fix is to unplug them for good.

Are you suggesting 99 pixels to the extra/spare parts bin ? lmao

[DILA]

Well this wacky string has been running for about 20 hours now without a single glitch. I think I'll leave well enough alone and only use it in an emergency.

thanks

Bob

[rayhjr]

Well this wacky string has been running for about 20 hours now without a single glitch. I think I'll leave well enough alone and only use it in an emergency.

thanks

Bob

As my appearance at work likes to say "It be like that some times" LOL.