How to Connect Christmas Lights to a Car Battery
- Purchase a strand of LED Christmas lights rather than incandescent. The lights will last longer and use less battery power.
- Look at the base of the bulb closest to the end of the strand. ...
- Disconnect your car battery before you attempt to connect the light's wires. ...
How to connect led Christmas lights to a car battery?
Attach the negative side of the LED light to the negative side, and then bring the negative battery wire back to its original position. Make sure both are connected well, and tighten the screw. This will reconnect your car battery as well as connect your Christmas lights. When you turn the car on, the LED lights should turn on, as well.
Can Christmas lights run off batteries?
Way back in the 1990s this page showed readers how to re-wire Christmas lights to run off batteries, since battery-powered Xmas lights were extremely rare. The article also turned readers on to LED Xmas lights, which were new and extremely rare at the time.
Is it legal to put Christmas lights on your car?
While installing car Christmas lights is only legal for certain events and situations, you can still spread some holiday cheer on the roads. There are a few other ways to dress up your vehicle that don’t involve. Here are some ideas you can consider:
Where can I buy battery-based Christmas lights?
Now you can just head to Home Depot, Target, Amazon , or Christmas Lights Etc. and buy a set off the shelf that runs on three AA batteries for about $9. Problem solved. So the widespread availability of battery Christmas lights has made my page a bit less special, but I've still got some helpful info here for you.
How do I power Christmas lights on my car?
1:252:51How to: Christmas Lights On Your Car or Truck - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTurn on the lights all you have to do is hold down this button for the power inverter. Some powerMoreTurn on the lights all you have to do is hold down this button for the power inverter. Some power inverters operate differently. And the lights turn on it's kind of hard to see during the daytime.
How do you connect Christmas lights to a 12 volt battery?
1:0310:13Convert holiday lights to run on 12 volts D.C. (PART 1) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo on this strand of Lights what I did is they just took a normal automotive bulb. And I broke outMoreSo on this strand of Lights what I did is they just took a normal automotive bulb. And I broke out the glass. And then I soldered the wires one to the side here and one to that lead. There. So here's
How do you hardwire Christmas lights to a car?
0:342:01EASIEST way to install christmas lights on ANY vehicle - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt through my fender. And then through the side by the door. And then it's ran up my dash. For thatMoreIt through my fender. And then through the side by the door. And then it's ran up my dash. For that is just keep your power cord over plug it into your cigarette lighter. And then bring it up here.
How do I connect lights to a car battery?
Just connect the positive terminal of the battery with one electrical contact of your light bulb and the negative terminal with the other electrical contact of the bulb. Many bulbs have one electrical contact with screw threads on it, with the other contact as a round dot on the end of the base.
What size power inverter do I need to run Christmas lights?
Many folks use inverters ranging from 150 watts to 1,500 watts. To figure out how big your inverter should be, first find out how much wattage your car's cigarette lighter can handle by multiplying voltage by amps (Volts x Amps = Watts). Add up the total wattage your Christmas lights will be using.
How much voltage do Christmas lights use?
Common is a set of 60 (2 volts per bulb), but white LED sets use two circuits of 30 (4 volts per bulb).
How do you run LED Christmas lights off a battery?
You connect a 12V battery to the inverter, and then just plug your Christmas lights into the standard AC outlet on the inverter. It's like a mini-power plant. You might choose to go this route if you already have a ton of regular (AC plug) Xmas lights and you don't want to buy all-new battery-powered lights.
How do I convert a plug in device to battery operated?
Open up the device, plug it in (on a gfi to be safe), use a voltmeter and make your way back from the power input until you find low voltage dc. Now you can use a battery to power it. A 9v battery should work if the internals are operating between 6 and 12 volts.
How can I turn on Christmas lights without an outlet?
7 Best Christmas Light Options Without an Outlet!Use Extension Cords.Give Solar Lights a Chance!Use Battery Operated Lights.Bluetooth Lights Are an Option.Don't Forget Rechargeable Lights.Use USB Lights.Give Light Socket Adapters a Go.
Can I connect 12v LED to car battery?
Answering your question: you can't use a 12v battery to power a 12v led strip directly. a fully charged lead acid will have 13.8v which will burn out your led strip if you are doing so. You don't need a current limited device.
How do you connect LED lights to 12v car battery?
Pull the LED power wire to the positive post on the battery. Bring closer (but not touch it) a second wire, next to the negative terminal – the ground wire of the LED. Next, use electrical pliers to strip off the insulation from both ends of the wire. LEDs have two leads, with one longer than the other.
Can you run a light bulb off a battery?
Just like a flashlight runs on batteries, you can connect a battery to a small light fixture or bulb to light it up. Follow the instructions below to learn how to make a battery-powered light bulb.
DIY Car Christmas Lights
Of course, we’ve all seen the occasional vehicle driving down the highway with a Christmas wreath wired to the front grill:
An Inverter Enables You To Use Household Christmas Lights On (Or In) Your Car
Simply buy a 12v DC inverter. It’s an electronic device that changes 12v DC electricity to 110v AC electricity.
CAUTION: Things To Remember When Stringing Lights On A Car
You’re dealing with 110v AC household current — it will harm or even kill you if not handled properly.
Other Fun Ways To Decorate Your Car For Christmas
When it comes to adding Christmas car decorations, maybe a less-is-more decorating approach is what you’re after.
Running Christmas lights off batteries (DC power)
This page was the original hook-up on the web for battery Christmas lights!
Sources for battery LED Xmas lights
Except as noted, the products at all of the shops below take only household batteries (like three AA's), and aren't wired for 12V, for those who want to use a 12V battery pack.
Use LED lights!
I can't emphasize this enough: Use LED lights when running your lights off batteries! They use 90-98% less electricity than standard lights, and you'll get around sixteen times the battery life. Instead of 15 minutes with old-school lights, you'll get four hours with LED's.
What kind of batteries to use
Most LED strands wired for batteries take three AA batteries. In my experience, rechargeable NiMH work just fine and give great runtime, despite their initial lower voltage than alkalines, so I recommend (and use) NiMH.
Running a 120V AC Xmas lights off batteries
If you don't want to buy a battery-powered set, there are two ways to run your normal (120V AC) Xmas lights off batteries.
All Christmas lights are made in China
If you wanted to buy "Made in USA" lighting strands, you can't. They don't exist. And even if you could find a brand that was assembled in the U.S., the LED bulbs themselves would certainly be manufactured in China. I don't like supporting Chinese slave labor, so I try to buy all my stuff second-hand on eBay and at thrift stores.
Beware of lead in the wires
Christmas light wiring contains lead. Some sources say that all electrical cords have lead.
Step 1: Stuff
There aren't many things you need for this. Just a set of LED Christmas lights, two AA batteries, and a battery case that you can connect to the Christmas lights. A pair of scissors might help too, as well as duct tape or heat shrink tubing.
Step 2: What to Do
Cut off the plug and strip about an inch or less of the insulation stuff off the wire. Then connect the wires to the battery case by either soldering them or twisting them together. If you twist them together use duct tape to put tape around both of the wires separately and then put tape around both of them.
Step 3: All Done :D
Think of all the possibilities for these lights! :D Just a word of warning, once you cut off the plug do not connect the lights to it again and try plugging it in. My mom told me that
