 Fairy Lights |
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 16 May 2003, 6:52 PM
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#1
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 Longstanding Member  Group: Moderators Posts: 563 Joined: 10-January 03 From: London UK Member No.: 42  |
Does anyone know where I can get fairy lights quickly and cheaply at this time of year?? I managed to find some in Habitat for £20 a pop, which is rather more than I wan't to spend as I need about 4 sets of 50 bulbs.
Also, more out of interest than anything else, what do people think about dimming those twinkling fairy lights? |
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16 May 2003, 7:49 PM
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#2
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 Fulltime BR Crew: Group: Moderator In Absence Posts: 345 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Carlisle, Cumbria Member No.: 23 Best |
Well, I've managed to get them in Woolworths in July before - they weren't on sale on the shopfloor, but had already started storing stock upstairs for Christmas! Even if they're not in a branch, phone head office, because you can bet they'll already have them piling up in a distribution centre somewhere. If they can't give you a few boxes out of their well-packed stock, they might lead you to a kindly supplier... I guess you could do the same for Argos, BHS, B&Q and Homebase head offices...
Good luck! |
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16 May 2003, 11:07 PM
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#3
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 welcome to my tea dance Group: Members Posts: 1,338 Joined: 31-January 03 From: By the cross Member No.: 79 |
our local wilkinsons is selling em, for putting inside your garden parasole
-------------------- More pies in the roadie please
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17 May 2003, 7:19 AM
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#4
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Settling in: Group: Members Posts: 49 Joined: 30-January 03 Member No.: 71 |
When I needed some for a production of a Midsummer Night's Dream a few years ago (open-air during midsummer) I got them from our local council. They usually have stuff like that stashed away somewhere, its just a question of finding out who to ask. Good luck.
-------------------- Spock
"If a person feels he can't communicate, the least he can do is shut up about it." Tom Lehrer |
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17 May 2003, 10:12 AM
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#5
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Regular Member Group: Members Posts: 119 Joined: 4-February 03 From: London Member No.: 137 |
Never used these guys, but they do have a range of fairy lights available online.....
Noma Direct - Christmas Lighting Products Looking quickly alot of the products were out of stock, but you might find what you want. I've dimmed static fairy lights before, but you will probably need a load light of some kind in parallel, to offer the dimmer something to get its teeth into (very technical explanation!). To get them to twinkle you obviously just chase circuits using the desk. I've used percelli type fairy lights where each bulb twinkles, and I think the whole set could only be switched on and off using a relay rack (rather then a dimmer). -------------------- |
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17 May 2003, 10:25 AM
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#6
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 They call me Mr Administrator, Sir! Group: Admin Posts: 1,712 Joined: 26-December 02 From: South Wales, UK Member No.: 2 |
QUOTE (Piers Shepperd @ 17 May 2003, 11:12 AM) I've dimmed static fairy lights before, but you will probably need a load light of some kind in parallel, to offer the dimmer something to get its teeth into (very technical explanation!). Every time I've done this, I havent needed a load lamp. Act 6, LD90, Alphapack and some small Pulsar dimmers, from memory. It depends on the age of your dimmers - old Tempus racks needed load lamps when we plugged in our (transformered) Pinspots. -------------------- |
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17 May 2003, 12:13 PM
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#7
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Longstanding Member Group: Moderators Posts: 514 Joined: 10-January 03 From: London Member No.: 47 |
Any decent electrical wholesaler should have them and Ryness usually do as well.
Not sure about dimming them, but I do know that with the twinkling ones there is often a slight delay from when they are turned on before they start to twinkle. -------------------- Traveling Artist Alison Neville - http://www.alisonneville.co.uk/
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19 May 2003, 7:45 AM
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#8
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Regular Member Group: Company Rep Posts: 183 Joined: 30-January 03 From: High Wycombe Member No.: 67 AC Lighting Rep |
Contact me off the forum, I can help
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20 May 2003, 12:05 PM
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#9
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Settling in: Group: Moderator In Absence Posts: 71 Joined: 20-January 03 Member No.: 60 |
Stage Electrics do 3 different types in white or colour....pg 254. No idea of prices I'm afraid but might be worth giving them a ring.......
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6 Dec 2005, 12:46 PM
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#10
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Longterm BR Crew: Group: Members Posts: 410 Joined: 6-August 04 Member No.: 1,154 |
hi,
anybody got any more suggestions where to get fairy lights from at the moment.. I need about 5 lengths of around 30-40ft.. all white.. thanks chris -------------------- www.lumatech.co.uk Suppliers of flightcases, cable protection and other related products.
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6 Dec 2005, 12:50 PM
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#11
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They call me Mr Administrator, Sir! Group: Admin Posts: 1,712 Joined: 26-December 02 From: South Wales, UK Member No.: 2 |
Try Hypervalue, if you have one near you... they had sets from £2 last time I was in there. Obviously you get what you pay for, but if quantity is the issue...
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6 Dec 2005, 1:09 PM
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#12
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 Longstanding Member Group: Members Posts: 547 Joined: 24-February 05 From: Northern Ireland (back from USA) Member No.: 1,782 100,000th Poster |
B&Q have a reasonable selection for low cost.
The best offer they had was 100 open white (not fancy holder) for £4. Though they were out of stock so perhaps this is one of the 'low volume promotions' that companies do to get people to arrive at the shop (and then buy something more expensive when they discover the low volume option has all gone already). Amusingly they were selling 4 spare lamps for this set for £1.  Just buy a second set and have 100 spare lamps and a spare set of holders too for £3 more! Argos have two nice sets of 20 LEDs driven from 3AA batteries for £10 (one white set one blue set). Worth it just for the LEDs alone. The LEDs are all wired in parallel though so thoigh I don't know how long they will last. Edit: Correction to price |
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6 Dec 2005, 1:41 PM
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#13
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 Settling in: Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 14-February 05 From: Cambridge, UK Member No.: 1,695 |
Try ChristmasTime UK. I got a string of 300 white twinklers for just under £40 a couple of years ago. Fast delivery too!
Hth, Pete 
-------------------- AV, Drama & Music Technician
University of Cambridge, UK |
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6 Dec 2005, 2:40 PM
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#14
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Longterm BR Crew: Group: Members Posts: 410 Joined: 6-August 04 Member No.: 1,154 |
QUOTE Try ChristmasTime UK. I got a string of 300 white twinklers for just under £40 a couple of years ago. Fast delivery too! Hth, Pete excelent.. better than I was looking for.. 200 bulbs spread over 50m of wire.. £18 thanks! chris -------------------- www.lumatech.co.uk Suppliers of flightcases, cable protection and other related products.
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6 Dec 2005, 4:56 PM
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#15
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Recent Member Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 3,644 |
Last year we hung them around the auditorium got loads from wilco's
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