Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with lights

Ridiculous things to do at Christmas light displays

913 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:23:12 -0800

I'm organizing a Christmas light convoy tomorrow night. Basically a bunch of cars driving around town visiting the best lit up houses. I want to assign a ridiculous task to be performed at each house? Any ideas? We are all going to meet in a large parking lot, leave the excess cars behind, and everyone is going to follow my car to each house. I want to "assign" the task in the parking lot before we leave.

The tasks don't necessarily have to be Christmas related.

Lights out!

sandra_s — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:03:47 -0800

I need burned out christmas lights (the miniature variety), or I need to burn them out myself. Basically, I have 100-light outdoor miniature light strings that I only need the LAST 90 of. the first 10 or so (nearest the male plug) are not needed and when clumped together produce too much light in that area and ruin the effect we are trying to achieve.

These sets are the variety that when one burns out, the remainder remain lit, however, if you remove one, the whole set goes out.

Covering them is not an option because there is a fire hazard to having 100 or so of these lights on and in a box (10 from 10 strings)

Rewiring isnt an option as I dont have the talent and dont want to compromise the "outdoor-y-ness" of the strings.

So basically, I have to get burned out bulbs, or figure out a way to burn them out myself. I have a couple of strands to experiment with.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Holiday lights: hang 'em high!

Bardolph — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:58:49 -0800

How can I conveniently and safely affix a string of Christmas lights to the edge of a second-story roof? Halloween's over, and it's officially time to start planning holiday decorations, hurray! My challenge this year: to get a string of lights (preferably icicle, but standard C4s in a pinch) hung along the eave of a ~22'-high roof.

It sounds simple, but the roof is really too high and treacherous to go with the standard plastic light clips that have to be manually stuck on and pulled off the gutter every season. I think I could probably make it up there once, to install whatever hanging hardware may be necessary, but after that the lights will have to be hangable from the ground exclusively.

My current thought is to screw metal hooks into the underside of the eaves, then hoist a string of lights onto the hooks using a tall pole of some sort-- but without any way to close the hooks, I worry that the lights might blow down in a gusty wind. Ideally, there'd be some more secure way to make sure the lights stay attached, but can still be hung and removed easily by someone reaching out a window or standing on the ground.

So what might be some clever alternatives for hanging long strings of lights across high places? Has anyone had any success with pulley/clothesline-type apparatuses? Or with these dodgy-looking lighting tracks? Any other bright ideas?

Details:
--There's a small dormer in the middle of the roofline which it'd be nice to outline as well, although in theory the lights could be strung straight across that.
--The gutter is also accessible at wide intervals from second-story windows, as shown in this crude drawing.

Any and all suggestions welcome-- thanks!

Can anyone identify the manufacturer of these ceiling light fixtures?

anonymice — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:22:44 -0800

Can anyone identify the manufacturer of these ceiling light fixtures? http://img26.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=lights001.jpg

I'm assuming it's the same manufacturer for all three fixtures. They were in my apartment when I bought it in 2005.

Long shot, but with the hive mind, anything is possible.

Help me find a light graffiti machine

citybuddha — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:24:01 -0800

While in various locales I have seen what what appear to be advertisments or graffiti that appears to be light generated that is projected onto a wall. I would like to use this technology for a sign for my business. I am not able to find anything with my google talents. Can someone point me in the right direction to locate and price this technology?

What equipment do I need to take clear photographs of 2d artwork from above?

Nonce — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:52:04 -0800

What equipment do I need to take clear photographs of 2-d artwork from above? I'd like to keep costs low (under $200). The artwork would range in size, but some would be what I would consider pretty big (30" or perhaps more).

I found this DIY camera stand online.

I also found mention of tripods that can be used to shoot straight down.

Any specific model recommendations of tripod? Or particular models of old studio/copy stands that I should poke around and try to find online used?

Also, what inexpensive light source will give me good results? These bulbs seem to have a good color temperature and high CRI, but I don't know if that actually makes them an appropriate choice.

Wiring a dimmer for outlet use

davidriley — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:57:33 -0800

Basic wiring: can I put a clamp light on a dimmer? I want a cheap means of fading in and out lights for my makeshift light kit. The dimmer I bought only has one pair of wires, plus an extra red wire and a green ground. I want to send power in and out of the dimmer. Is this possible? Photos inside. http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1069/dimmer1.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1016/dimmer2.jpg

Please help me find this children's night light/lamp!

JPowers — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:05:01 -0800

I've seen this revolving children's night light in 2 TV shows (Undeclared and Sex and the City) and 1 movie (One Fine Day) and I have been trying to find it since. I've searched online and I can't seem to find one anywhere. Can anyone help me find where to purchase these revolving lights/lamps?
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

Where can I get those cute lights they hang on trees at Christmas?

basil1 — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:14:51 -0800

UK lighting gurus: where can I get those cute lights they hang on trees at Christmas? They come on a string, and look light normal lightbulbs, only a bit smaller.

Here is a picture: http://www.mintdesignblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/3634079094_aee71d48f1.jpg

I'm hoping this is just a thing that I can plug into the mains socket...

Thanks!

Stars in my lens

frwagon — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:11:07 -0800

When a camera is focused on a bright light, there is a "star" flare around that light. I've noticed that in different situations, that flare has a varying number of points... What decides how many point the lens flare has? BONUS QUESTION: I've only ever seen even point counts... Can odd happen?

What is a good continuous light kit for a beginner photographer?

austinlee — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:17:15 -0800

What is a good continuous light kit for a beginner photographer? Here is one that I am looking at. The price is about what I want to spend but does anyone know if there are better options available?

I'd prefer continuous lights because I sometimes do video work as well.

http://cart.owens-originals.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=COOL8

Thanks!

-Austin

How does YOUR garden glow?

mykescipark — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:26:48 -0800

I'm going camping this weekend and want to deck out my tent in style. Where in the greater Los Angeles area can I get battery-powered string lights, ready-to-use EL wire, and other such self-sustaining glowy bits?

The unbearable darkness of our studio

shmegegge — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:00:45 -0800

What are the go to guides for learning to light in production environments? specifically, I'd like a resource (in book or other form) to learn about lighting sound stages for video production. our studio right now has plenty of decent lights, but not enough know how to compellingly light a scene.

What kinds of light bulbs and trims can I put in my ceiling-recessed light cans?

Nelson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:05:08 -0800

What kinds of light bulbs and trims can I put in my ceiling-recessed light cans? My bedroom is too dark and I'm curious what my options are for getting more light from the existing lighting. I'm looking for a website or catalog that explains options for what trims can be installed in the can and what kinds of bulbs there are.

I've got some regular 120V ceiling cans in my bedroom, ordinary incadescent bulb socket, controlled by a solid state Lutron dimmer. Can diameter is 3.5" inside. Right now they have 50 watt incadescent floods in them and then a trim that covers half the bulb so there's a 1.75" hole for the light to come out. It's too dark. I tried replacing one bulb with a 60W halogen and took the trim out and it's noticeably brighter.

Now I'm curious how to get a replacement trim that lets more light out. And also exactly what kinds of bulbs I can put in the fixture, balancing brightness, colour, heat, and energy efficiency. I'm also interested in replacing some trims in other parts of my house to, say, wash a wall.

Bonus question: if anyone has personal experience with a good fluorescent bulb that actually works with a solid state Lutron dimmer, I'd love to hear about it.

Weird automotive electrical issues.

kingbenny — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:35:32 -0800

I'm looking for some ideas on the numerous weird electrical issues with my car. My 2003 Chevrolet Impala has begun to show some odd behavior. The most troubling seems to be that the dashboard lighting never works. When the light sensor detects darkness and thus tries to turn on the dashboard lights, the gearshift indicator and radio LCD dim, and the dashboard lights do not come on. Manually turning on and off the interior lights doesn't seem to do anything, nor does dimming them. The interior cab lights do work, however.

Another odd symptom seems to be that when I roll the windows up or down, the voltage seems to drop way down (while the window motor is on).

Add to this the fact that sometimes when I start the car, the clock has been reset to 12:00, but not always.

Also, the check engine indicator has come and gone for quite awhile now (perhaps entirely unrelated).

I have checked all of the fuses, and they seem fine. I appreciate any suggestions!

ISO color changing Christmas tree lights

jtfowl0 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:40:29 -0800

Does anybody know where i can buy these Christmas tree lights, or some similar to them, either on the internet (preferably) or in the real world? I adopted lights like these from my mother, who cannot recall where she purchased them. They look so awesome on my pencil cactus/Christmas tree that everybody that sees them asks where they can obtain some, and I would like to buy some for Christmas gifts but can't locate them anywhere.

The set I have is an entire strand of these lights (rather than the add-on variety featured in the link), but I'll settle for whatever I can get.

How to fix Christmas tree lights in series?

mccartrey — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:01:00 -0800

I have a Christmas tree with lots of lights on it. The lights are wired in series and are currently not working. So somewhere on this set of lights one or more lights are not functioning. It is a major pain, swapping bulbs for known good ones or peering into each and every bulb with a torch to see if you can spot whether the filiment is still there. What is the easiest way to find the non functioning bulbs and get the lights working again?

How do I wrap an outdoor deciduous tree with Christmas lights safely?

hlkljgk — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:47:20 -0800

I am looking to wrap a 12' dogwood's trunk and branches to get an effect similar to this. But if a max of 3 strands of 100 mini lights connected end to end is the recommendation for safety, how would I configure it? Thanks, Heather

why yes, I do intend to wear them.

Lucinda — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:23:28 -0800

Looking for battery operated Christmas/LED lights with the smallest possible battery pack. I have found ones that run on three AAA batteries but am hoping for smaller. Watch batteries would be perfect.

How much money does forgetfulness waste?

KateHasQuestions — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:18:15 -0800

How much money does carelessness and forgetfulness waste? When I forget to turn off lights, how much more am I paying for electricity? When I forget to turn the light off when I go to work for the day, or forget to turn the AC off when I leave for the day, how much does each day/each light cost me? What about leaving the computer on overnight vs. turning it off?

Yea, I know it's also bad for the environment to waste energy, and I usually remember.. but wondering how much money I'm wasting... is it worth putting post-it notes on all the doors to remind me to turn off all the lights as I leave?

Switching off Traffic Lights

SarahM — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:21:19 -0800

I'd like to ask a relatively simple question – what would happen if we switched of traffic lights when we didn't really need them? I'd like to know from an environmental aspect what effect turning off the nations traffic lights would have towards saving electricity and reducing emissions. From a social point of view could the nation's road users manage with such a change? And from a technical innovation view point – could it and should it happen and if so how?

Where can I purchase AC 110V-35W bulbs?

bostonhill — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:01:23 -0800

Where can I purchase 6400k AC 110V-35W bulbs? I bought lights+umbrella for my photographing needs and one of the bulbs *AC 110V-35W* that came with it easily broke. I want to buy a replacement but cannot seem to find these bulbs anywhere on the net.

The only info I have on them is 6400k - AC 110V-35W bulb

Flickering lights in peripheral vision

Raichle — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:00:10 -0800

Why do lights flicker in my peripheral vision? I've noticed in recent years that lights will appear to turn on and off in my peripheral vision and it's becoming more and more frequent. I'm a 28 year old female with no health problems and no medical insurance. I'll have insurance in about a month and will go to a doctor then, but I am wondering if this is something I should be really concerned about. I used to think they were "visual migraines" but haven't found a description of one that fits this.

In addition to the freakiness of it, it's really annoying cause I can never tell if it's really happening or just me. I constantly have to ask people if they are seeing the same thing. Usually they aren't.

Please help me decide when I should go to the doctor about my eyes?

fan_of_all_things_small — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:19:19 -0800

Please help me decide when I should go to the doctor about my eyes? I am asking this question not because I don't have a doctor, but because I would like to determine how severe this problem might be before I do something crazy like call a doctor in the middle of the night, as it is currently the middle of the night in my time zone.

You know those weird squiggly lights you get in your eyes if you stand up too quickly? For the last few days, and only late at night for some reason, I've been getting those lights near the sides of my eyes if I do something like stand up from a sitting position, turn around quickly, or after I climb up the stairs, but generally from only slightly physically demanding actions.

I've had no other symptoms, no headaches or anything like that. About a week ago I started a low carb diet in where I try to keep around 20 grams a day of carbs, and I'm wondering if that might be what's causing it. I'm also exercising regularly and feeling no ill effects there.

So what's with the lights? Has anyone else experienced something like this? Is it cause for an immediate doctor's visit or do you think I can wait it out until it's convenient for me to go in a few more days? Thanks for any advice.

Help me identify some mysterious lights

le morte de bea arthur — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:25:44 -0800

Help me identify a UFO (in the proper sense), seen in Devon, UK a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago (Friday 16th May at around 11pm to be precise) I was driving along the A30, on my way to Cornwall with Mrs Bea and the little'un, having just left the M5 motorway. I suppose that would put us somewhere between Exeter and Okehampton, if anyone is familiar with the geography.

Anyway, we couldn't help but notice something rather strange. Beginning some distance to the right of the road, and curving up and across the road, was a clearly-defined arc of reddish lights. Just off the top of my head, I would estimate that the arc began somewhere about 50m to the right-hand side of the road and curved up in a quarter-circle to a point about 100m above the road; there were approximately fifteen to twenty lights spaced fairly regularly along this arc, each about as bright as a car tail light. The colour was a sort of reddish-orange. The scale of the curve became apparent as we drove towards and then under it - it was quite an impressive sight.

What I found puzzling (then and subsequently) is that this is a road which runs through a relatively sparsely-inhabited rural area. What few buildings there are along the route are mostly farms and small villages. Driving back two days later in daylight I could see no sign of any structure nearly tall enough to have supported the lights. And there was no sign of any construction work (e.g. a crane) or any sort of art installation.

So what did we see?