diy Xmas lights connectors? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: IsmAvatar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 05:11:10 pm
content: I've been hacking (and repairing) my Chrismas lights with much success lately, and now would like to string some of them together along the driveway (the power supply can handle it).I'd like to be able to plug/unplug sections for when i take them down, so i don't just have a tangled mess. So I'm looking for some kind of plug or connector, but don't have any experience in that department aside from splicing jst connectors onto indoor projects. So i figured I'd ask the Internet for advice. Google seems to only want to give me butt connectors, which aren't exactly pluggable last i checked.So here's what I'm looking for, more or less:Pluggable/unpluggable connectorsCan handle 100 volts, but probably not more than 1 amp2 pin, but if you know of 3- or 4-pin options, might be useful for future projectsOutdoor-friendly (rain is a factor, but it won't be submerged like in a pond)Doesn't cost more than the Xmas lights themselves if i buy,say, 10 of them... (if it's something i can find on DigiKey, i can save on shipping by adding it to my next orderI did find some crimp spade connectors which slide into plastic housing, and that seems promising, but not sure how water resistant that would be. I've also stumbled across wire seals which seem cheap, but no clue how to use them or if they're just for special glands.Also, any help with the terminology would probably help a lot too, since my searches keep yielding subpar results.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 05:29:28 pm
content: If these are AC mains light strings you *MUST* use proper mains connectors rated for exterior use. Anything else is a massive public liability issue, and if anything catches fire or anyone gets injured, your homeowners insurance will probably deny coverage leaving you in *DEEP* legal doo-doo!For cheaply connecting low voltage strings (under 50V), you could use crimp-on fully insulated automotive bullet connectors, crimped with a smear of silicone dielectric grease on the wire end, and mated with the same grease filling the female one to weatherproof them. Be careful of polarity - I advise fitting them so the female connector is on the positive side of the supply and male on the positive side of the load, and visa versa for the negative side. (i.e so current always flows from female to male.)

author: IsmAvatar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 05:45:39 pm
content: They are DC, so mains is not an issue, but good that you pointed it out.I didn't think of dialectric grease, that's a good idea. Cheap, easy to reapply.What about a housing for the bullet connectors so the two pins are kept together as a unit? Or is that part of the "fully insulated" term?

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 26, 2021, 05:54:41 pm
content: You wanted cheap. If you go up to automotive connectors in housings with O-ring seals and individual wire glands, it gets rather $expen$ive$. Also, the bullet connectors have fairly high insertion and disconnection forces so although you could probably 3D print shells to go over them, it wouldn't be a great idea. If you only need two pin connections, fitting male and female as I described prevents mixups. If you need more get cable markers, e.g:https://www.amazon.com/outstanding-200PCS-Plastic-Identification-Colorful/dp/B07SBZRSKF/so you only have to match up the colors.