@Potatoboy Yep, D Cell batteries – if they were AA batteries you’d find yourself replacing them far more frequently considering these are intended to stay on ~10 hours a day for 2 months on average.
@therealjrn If 3*1.5 = 4.5 volts, then that implies a USB 5 volt power supply could be used in it’s place. But that implies work, so it’s hard to ju$tify unless there is an economical adapter ready to go.
@cfg83@therealjrn I was thinking a USB 5V powerbank often sold here (weekly it seems, though if it’s been a while you might find they only work weakly)
@cfg83@therealjrn to avoid hacking up an old cable, you can buy adapters from the big A that end up in a red and black wire. Still a bit of work involved but not that bad. Often in 5- or 10-packs which would match this deal.
@johnnycakes@therealjrn Same here! I was all set to use these with my lithium ion rechargeable AA batteries…but nope, no way these are justifiable having to spend a bunch of money on D cells. I actually saw this reply when I came to see if there was a way I could mix and match color sets…
@johnnycakes@PooltoyWolf@therealjrn
They make a AA to D size adapter that might be worth using in this case. It’s basically a D sized hollow tube that the AA fits in the middle of. I’ve had pretty good luck using those. The key would be how much capacity is in your AA lithiums.
@chienfou@johnnycakes@therealjrn I have a few of those adapters (from here, ironically). As for capacity, they’re listed as 3,600 mWh (not mAh!), so pretty decent.
Requires (3) D batteries? The biggest problem with battery-powered lights that hang is longevity, not how fucking heavy the power supply is? The batteries alone will be ~1 lb. lmao
Anyone tempted to do this because they have either surplus or rechargeable AAs might want to look into these: https://a.co/d/7Wm7VbS (1 AA to D)
or these: https://a.co/d/7E0VvXr (3 AA to D)
At least you can reuse them for something later or finally get rid of those aging AAs on a timer Meh already suckered you into buying.
@dvermilion@Thinkerer
That’s about twice as expensive and waterproofing will be an issue. With the above item (3 AA to D) you’ll be able to just slide them in the waterproof case with minimal fuss.
Amazon: Energizer Alkaline Power D Batteries 12 Count $21
– and you’ll spend that every year these remain working.
(And that’ll only run four of the six sets)
If you have a Dollar Tree near you then you can get 6 3-pks. of D Batteries for just $9.00!! Just $1.50/pk. That’s enough to power all 6 sets of lights!!
@cfg83@MrGoodGuy In the old days at least, there were the Alkaline which were considered better, and the lower grade, often called things like Super Heavy Duty. I don’t have any recent info on power level comparison. Dollar Store is YMMV but based on recent discussions of Duracell, Energizer, and Amazon Basics brands, it seems those are all very YMMV too, Factories move around so hard to know what you are getting. They might have limited power, or even worse, be prone to “leaking” in your devices. In the old days I lost several Mag-Lites to the corrosion issue.
@MrGoodGuy Those are carbon zinc cells, almost a waste of money for anything but the lowest current draw devices…which these LED lights might actually qualify as, though alkalines will almost certainly still run them for longer.
The only things I really trust carbon zinc batteries in nowadays are very cheap LED flashlights and infrared remote controls.
@MrGoodGuy@pmarin Yeah, Duracell has been the worst for me over the years. I was in line at a MicroCenter, and I saw Duracell C size sulfating … IN THE PACKAGING!!! I wish I had taken a picture.
@robson I didn’t realize until it showed up, grrr… Anytime its not AA or AAA they should call that out. “heavy duty, mostly because of the D batteries”
That “photosensor” photo looks disturbingly like a detonator button. For safety, don’t decorate yourself with these and walk into a bank or mall or government building holding the photosensor.
Whole lotta $$$ or a buncha work Ugggh
Not even a fun hack, guess you could tie a few sets together and get a power pack just for it
Or go Solar w/Li-on or Li-po
@dahobbs9 Agree, I was thinking of buying and hacking with powerbanks. Think I still have some soldering skills. Then I looked at price again and thought I ain’t got time for this!
I bought two as a few years ago, my Dance School’s storefront studio had its electric unexpectedly “die” and I had to wait and lose revenue until my main circuit box was RESTORED & then Certified by an electrician. I was able to keep the music going with my CD playing battery-boomboxes, and brought some battery-powered Lanterns from home, but these might keep me ‘enlightened’ in an emergency, due to power-losing storms, etc. Since we have large wall mirrors I can string them along, and only pop the D batteries in when needed, they should work well for me in a pinch.
Not a bad price even with the D batteries “problem.” Plus battery powered string lights are the first to sell out every November/December with no restocking until next year.
@pmarin I’d have to agree with you. I don’t know if it’s just me, or I’m just being grumpy but some offers lately have been on the high side, this being one of them.
@pmarin@therealjrn I think you guys are just cheap (nothin’ wrong with that) – I was being challenged to sell these at $29.99 but held firm. These won’t be $18 (maybe for 4 they will)
@therealjrn@troy My offer still stands. Make a mixed pack at 6 for $18. Ok if that does not happen, then 4 for $18, but want to choose mix of color and whites.
I had the rechargeable AA batteries from the big A plus the converters for AA /3 = a D battery. And NOW I have amazing outdoor lights! Set on timer for sundown with the slow blinking on. They are perfect and a Best Buy from MEH thank you !!!
Specs
Product: 6-Pack: Bethlehem Lights Mini Faceted 17FT Battery LED String Lights
Model:
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$47.70 (for 6) at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Nov 20 - Monday, Nov 24
What a bright idea to sell them before the holiday!
@yakkoTDI You always see the light side of things Yak!
3 D cells?! I guess you could use the weighted end as a grappling hook. Pass.
@Potatoboy Yep, D Cell batteries – if they were AA batteries you’d find yourself replacing them far more frequently considering these are intended to stay on ~10 hours a day for 2 months on average.
Damn.
@therealjrn This comment prevented me from making a huge mistake
@johnnycakes Your welcome, but don’t let @Troy catch you not buying them!
@johnnycakes @therealjrn I’ll be watching!!
@therealjrn If 3*1.5 = 4.5 volts, then that implies a USB 5 volt power supply could be used in it’s place. But that implies work, so it’s hard to ju$tify unless there is an economical adapter ready to go.
@cfg83 @therealjrn I was thinking a USB 5V powerbank often sold here (weekly it seems, though if it’s been a while you might find they only work weakly)
@cfg83 @therealjrn to avoid hacking up an old cable, you can buy adapters from the big A that end up in a red and black wire. Still a bit of work involved but not that bad. Often in 5- or 10-packs which would match this deal.
@johnnycakes @therealjrn Same here! I was all set to use these with my lithium ion rechargeable AA batteries…but nope, no way these are justifiable having to spend a bunch of money on D cells. I actually saw this reply when I came to see if there was a way I could mix and match color sets…
@johnnycakes @PooltoyWolf @therealjrn
They make a AA to D size adapter that might be worth using in this case. It’s basically a D sized hollow tube that the AA fits in the middle of. I’ve had pretty good luck using those. The key would be how much capacity is in your AA lithiums.
@therealjrn D batteries?
/image a name I’ve not heard for some time
@cfg83 @pmarin @therealjrn – Ooh yeah! Connect a little phone battery pack thing to something like this https://www.amazon.com/EAHOSUCC-Single-Pigtail-Extension-Repair/dp/B0D8TQDH1B/ right?
@andymand @pmarin @therealjrn I would probably connect each wire to the appropriate “fake” D cell battery housing :
https://www.amazon.com/AEDIKO-Battery-Adapters-Holder-Converter/dp/B0CWNLG1P4/
@chienfou @johnnycakes @therealjrn I have a few of those adapters (from here, ironically). As for capacity, they’re listed as 3,600 mWh (not mAh!), so pretty decent.
@johnnycakes @PooltoyWolf @therealjrn where/what kind of Li-ion AAs did you get? The ones I saw on Amazon seemed kinda sketchy
@johnnycakes @thechilipepper0 @therealjrn The EGRPROMAX brand ones that come with an 8 AA USB-C charger. They’ve been great so far!
Requires (3) D batteries? The biggest problem with battery-powered lights that hang is longevity, not how fucking heavy the power supply is? The batteries alone will be ~1 lb. lmao
Anyone tempted to do this because they have either surplus or rechargeable AAs might want to look into these:
https://a.co/d/7Wm7VbS (1 AA to D)
or these:
https://a.co/d/7E0VvXr (3 AA to D)
At least you can reuse them for something later or finally get rid of those aging AAs on a timer Meh already suckered you into buying.
@dvermilion Or pick up a soldering iron:
https://www.amazon.com/LampVPath-Battery-Holder-Leads-Wires/dp/B07WRQ3XTJ
@Thinkerer Shit, for those you can just use electrical tape.
@dvermilion @Thinkerer or DUCT Tape the handy man’s secret weapon
@dvermilion @Thinkerer
That’s about twice as expensive and waterproofing will be an issue. With the above item (3 AA to D) you’ll be able to just slide them in the waterproof case with minimal fuss.
102 feet lined up.
That’s 51 people or 25.5 goats.
Or a single centipede with a stage prop.
/showme 25.5 goats lined up
@phendrick
/showme a centipede with 2 extra left feet
@mediocrebot No wonder education levels (and test scores) are falling. Even the bots can’t count properly. I see only 19 feet on a side.
@mediocrebot @phendrick 18 on the left, 17 on the right. The two rearmost appendages are not legs!
D cells will cost as much as the lights - what a dumb way to tout endless runtime.
I’d bet a small amount that these would run well (if not as long) on AAs - bonus if you have rechargeables.
I also found these on the 'Zon but there’s only 9 left (so buy 'em if you need 'em!):
(Pack of 12) 1AA to 1D Size Battery Adapter Case, AA to D Size Spacers, AA to Size D Battery Adapter Converter Case
https://www.amazon.com/LampVPath-Battery-Adapter-Spacers-Converter/dp/B09JLGS6DJ?
@MrGoodGuy I’ll finally be able to 'justify" my 3d printer splurges and can now print adapters instead of just a bunch of toys for myself
Amazon: Energizer Alkaline Power D Batteries 12 Count $21
– and you’ll spend that every year these remain working.
(And that’ll only run four of the six sets)
@JohnQ118 — $15.29 for 24 with Subscribe & Save 40% discount for AmazonBasics brand (just cancel your S&S the next day if you don’t want 'em again
If you have a Dollar Tree near you then you can get 6 3-pks. of D Batteries for just $9.00!! Just $1.50/pk. That’s enough to power all 6 sets of lights!!
@MrGoodGuy
FIFTY
@cfg83 @MrGoodGuy In the old days at least, there were the Alkaline which were considered better, and the lower grade, often called things like Super Heavy Duty. I don’t have any recent info on power level comparison. Dollar Store is YMMV but based on recent discussions of Duracell, Energizer, and Amazon Basics brands, it seems those are all very YMMV too, Factories move around so hard to know what you are getting. They might have limited power, or even worse, be prone to “leaking” in your devices. In the old days I lost several Mag-Lites to the corrosion issue.
@MrGoodGuy Those are carbon zinc cells, almost a waste of money for anything but the lowest current draw devices…which these LED lights might actually qualify as, though alkalines will almost certainly still run them for longer.
The only things I really trust carbon zinc batteries in nowadays are very cheap LED flashlights and infrared remote controls.
@cfg83 @MrGoodGuy
From the original ROBOCOP!
@MrGoodGuy @pmarin Yeah, Duracell has been the worst for me over the years. I was in line at a MicroCenter, and I saw Duracell C size sulfating … IN THE PACKAGING!!! I wish I had taken a picture.
It took awhile to figure out the cultural relevance, but this is a scene from a little-known film, “AT&T, The OTHER Extra-Terrestrial” …
@cfg83 Stranger Things have happened.
Was momentarily excited about these, until I realized I’d need 18 f’ing D batteries! No thanks…
@robson In the tradition of Meh, it should come with one set of D cell batteries, expiring next Tuesday. Some may even still work.
@robson agree the D’s are a bit much. But I like being able to put where there is no power
@robson I didn’t realize until it showed up, grrr… Anytime its not AA or AAA they should call that out. “heavy duty, mostly because of the D batteries”
@devores You mean like this?
@yakkoTDI yeah buried in the boring specs… should be on the first page with “battery powered (D = boo)” imo
That “photosensor” photo looks disturbingly like a detonator button. For safety, don’t decorate yourself with these and walk into a bank or mall or government building holding the photosensor.
@pmarin okay, okay. “For safety,” I won’t do that.
“D” Cells
$$$$$$$
Whole lotta $$$ or a buncha work Ugggh
Not even a fun hack, guess you could tie a few sets together and get a power pack just for it
Or go Solar w/Li-on or Li-po
PASS until they’re too cheap to pass on
@dahobbs9 Agree, I was thinking of buying and hacking with powerbanks. Think I still have some soldering skills. Then I looked at price again and thought I ain’t got time for this!
Why some of us can’t have nice Christmas decoration things
Pass! Enjoyed the write-up, though!
I bought two as a few years ago, my Dance School’s storefront studio had its electric unexpectedly “die” and I had to wait and lose revenue until my main circuit box was RESTORED & then Certified by an electrician. I was able to keep the music going with my CD playing battery-boomboxes, and brought some battery-powered Lanterns from home, but these might keep me ‘enlightened’ in an emergency, due to power-losing storms, etc. Since we have large wall mirrors I can string them along, and only pop the D batteries in when needed, they should work well for me in a pinch.
Not a bad price even with the D batteries “problem.” Plus battery powered string lights are the first to sell out every November/December with no restocking until next year.
There is no reason I want this. Already ordered USB-C to power pigtail adapters. Wish I could get a mix of white & color. Talk me out of it!
@pmarin Well, you already have the adapters…
So, there’s that.
@therealjrn true. And they are still available. I’d buy for $18.
@pmarin I’d have to agree with you. I don’t know if it’s just me, or I’m just being grumpy but some offers lately have been on the high side, this being one of them.
@pmarin @therealjrn I think you guys are just cheap
(nothin’ wrong with that) – I was being challenged to sell these at $29.99 but held firm. These won’t be $18 (maybe for 4 they will)
@pmarin @troy
/giphy shocked
@therealjrn @troy My offer still stands. Make a mixed pack at 6 for $18. Ok if that does not happen, then 4 for $18, but want to choose mix of color and whites.
I had the rechargeable AA batteries from the big A plus the converters for AA /3 = a D battery. And NOW I have amazing outdoor lights! Set on timer for sundown with the slow blinking on. They are perfect and a Best Buy from MEH thank you !!!