Need help with LED icicle strings, please

beeiilll

beeiilll

Member
I have a bunch of 79-count blue LED icicle strings it seems that the rectifier blobs are failing. Half of a string will go out while the other half continues. I have had 6 strings fail in the last week!
Can someone tell me what these rectifier blobs would contain? I have diodes and resistors to make a rectifier but don't really understand how these work? What would I need to make to replace a defective blob?

I appreciate any information you can give. I understand that we are only a day away from Christmas Eve, but I would like to try and get a couple of strings repaired if possible.

Merry Christmas to all of you DIYers and families.

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A 1N4001 or 1N4002 diode should work. You basically make a half wave rectifier. If they are way dimmer than usual, then you will need 4 diodes to make a full wave rectifier.
 
Are you certain that it's the rectifier blob that has failed versus a bad LED (or one making bad contact)? Also, a 1N4001 or 1N4002 have 50V and 100V reverse volt ratings, I'd go with a 1N4003 or one of it's higher voltage-rated friends.
 
Thank You for the suggestions on this irritating problem!

I have replaced all the LEDs on a dead section without any luck. I may try a diode to see if it works for a test today if I get a chance.

Again, Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year as well!
 
Well, I could not get a diode to work with this setup! I wonder why they have one of the LEDs before the rectifier blob.
I guess I will have to try and make up some type of rectifier for the whole string. I have done a full-wave type for a string of C6-style LEDs with two diodes and a resistor setup at each end of the string. Will this work just as well with this? I know that I will have to take the blobs out and replace them unless someone better at design can give me some suggestions for doing a half-wave type setup on them.
Would I need to put a diode before the 35 LEDs rather than after the first one? I am not an engineer so design is not my forte at this! I can solder and rebuild things but could use a little help in design, please.
I appreciate any help you can spare.
Something to work on before the New Year comes on us I guess.
I have some 4005 diodes that I use for full-wave rectifiers that I can use for this along with a lot of various resistor values and wattages.
Thanks again.
 
Would it work if you just put on a resistor and tried it on an adjustable DC power supply? I mean if it worked on 5, 12, or 24, then you're done.
 
As I was researching this topic, I came across this thread that you posted in 2016, the principle is the same however, some of the links no longer work (because of the migration to the forum upgrade) but I think it covers what you are looking for.
 
Thanks for all the replies and help!
I am going to cut the strings apart and replace the blobs with full wave rectifier diodes and resistors at the start and end of the strings. so have to cut up 7 strings so far and fix them. But these strings have di-electric grease in the sockets already and have run for some years before this spurt of failures. Can't feel to bad with them lasting so well for a few years and will see how the reworked strings hold up for the next few seasons.

I have 5 wireframe deer that the light sockets are getting corroded and need to be cleaned and greased to fix them as well! It takes a couple hours at the least to fix 135 lights on one of the frames but it is a project that I work on while watching movies at night as it is pretty much a no brainer operation and gives me a few years of service on lights.
 
The LED keeper pro works by a AA battery and applying that across the leads.

Home - LED Keeper

Fix LED Christmas lights fast and easy with our light tester and light saver the LED Keeper, the complete tool for fixing LED light sets and pre-lit trees
www.ledkeeper.com www.ledkeeper.com

Apparently, this works on most store-bought LED strings. If even that little bit from a AA battery is enough to turn them on, then IMO you're making this harder than it is by dealing in rectifiers, et. al.. Just go low-voltage with it.
 
I bought several Full wave converters in a group buy in 2015. This is a link to the buy.
There are pictures of the boards in links in first post. I'm sure someone with the proper
knowledge of PCB designing software could conger up the same thing, or maybe this
member could make more. I still use them today.
 
rayhjr said:
I bought several Full wave converters in a group buy in 2015. This is a link to the buy.
There are pictures of the boards in links in first post. I'm sure someone with the proper
knowledge of PCB designing software could conger up the same thing, or maybe this
member could make more. I still use them today.
Click to expand...
I don't suppose you might have any of the converter boards left lying around by chance?
Or does anyone who is still here have anything to spare? I would buy a whole sheet if necessary but only need a couple dozen or so to fix things.
 
I have a full sheet of FWC boards and several bags of diodes I'm willing to sell. $20?

there are 54 boards in the sheet
VEJCoCe.jpg


I think there are 100 diodes per bag
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