Cheap LED strand at Dollar Tree

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SpaceRanger1
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Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:56 pm
Location: Carrollton, Texas

Cheap LED strand at Dollar Tree

Post by SpaceRanger1 »

Get thee to thy nearest Dollar Tree and look for "Red Cup Party Lights." Each package contains 5 warm white 4-mm LEDs wired to a 2-AAA battery holder w/on-off switch. Each LED is inside a small red plastic cup which serves as a reflector, but the cups are easily removed. Only one US dollar per set!
Michael McMurtrey
IPMS-USA #1746
IPMS-Canada #1426
Carrollton, TX

"Yup, exactly what SpaceRanger1 is saying. 100%" — seashark
wetphoenix
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:06 pm
Location: York, Pennsylvania

Post by wetphoenix »

NIce thanks you for the tip. I use dollar store led tech all the time.
foreverw
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:00 am

Post by foreverw »

Nice! thanks will look next time I'm there
Redfern
Posts: 556
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 8:05 am

Post by Redfern »

Hey! I have one of those stores in my town! 5 pre-wired LEDs for a dollar? That's a "steal"!

(Though, with my luck, that'll be an item "my" store doesn't carry.)

Sincerely,

Bill
Tempt the Hand of Fate and it'll give you the "finger"!
Redfern
Posts: 556
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 8:05 am

Post by Redfern »

I went there today and did not find the red cup lights.

Instead, I found an even better bargain!

From a company called "Garden Collection" I found a string of 10 LEDs attached to a 2 AA battery clip labeled as "10 LED Colored Flower Lights". Instead of red Solo type cups, little, soft poly-vinyl "flowers" are attached, decorative elements that slide right off with just a gentle bit of tugging. The "bulbs" are not that bright and give a bit of a blue-white glow, but for a single buck, that's not a bad deal.

The store also had dozens of "tea lights" packaged in sets of 2 for just a buck. I "think" the LEDs are the self contained "flickering" variety (as opposed to being controlled by an external circuit. I bought a set just to see how they worked. The little "base" contains a CR2032 "coin" type battery, so it's a deal just for that. If they are the kind with the circuit housed in the acrylic lens, they can be extracted and wired inside a model or diorama where one might need an "earthy" unsteady light.

They are from a company called "Luminessence" THe battery are rated for roughly 120 hours of accumulated use. The LEDs do seem to be enbeeded within a candle flame shaped casting of firm poly-vinyl. They may prove a tougher challenge to extract without damage.

Sincerely,

Bill
Tempt the Hand of Fate and it'll give you the "finger"!
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