Connector tails for Christmas lights

ULMarc

Does anyone have a link for connector tails for Christmas lights? The kind of LED lights you'd buy in Home Store. I've tried the following but the fit isn't quite right and they won't push together.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BTF-LIGHTING-Plastics-Waterproof-connctor-Applicable/dp/B07DPLD38F/

I've been DIYing my own cable extensions for LED lights. But I'd like to make them a bit more configurable by making up extensions using these tails.

10-10-20

Do you mean the 2-pin header which fits onto the LED power-supplies? Never seen that for sale myself.

10-10-20

...and with that I think I found one...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Extension-Gcstnn-Connector-Waterproof/dp/B0CMQPV1GR/ref%3Dsr_1_16?crid=1A6ZL7M1KPAF9&keywords=christmas+lights+led+power+connection&qid=1701355528&s=lighting&sprefix=christmas+lights+led+power+connection%2Clighting%2C65&sr=1-16

Bit pricey though. Must be able to get cheaper online.

10-10-20

BTW, as you probably know, none of those LED lights or connectors are actually waterproof, they just don't use high enough voltage to cause rapid corrosion of the conductors in normal inland environments. Bring them out to a seaside location though and you'd be lucky to get one season out of them!

ULMarc

Thanks yeah. I have one of those ready made extensions that you linked, which i spliced to make a longer one for myself. But I was hoping to order a pack of tails as i generally need a length longer than what they're offering.

Plus, the ones I linked are actually quite nice as they've a good, stout tail. Which, when paired up with a similarly robust cable, would be great for running through the garden and avoiding voltage drop. Compared to the one supplied with the lights themselves.

I'm going to keep looking around myself. But, really, I was hoping someone would have a link to ones they know for certain are a fit, to save me wastefully trying them myself.

ULMarc

Hmm. looking at the specs of what you linked. At 13mm, they seem to be the same as what I have, and what I've tried. Maybe I need to man-up and force them a bit more than I'd like.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121438067#Comment_121438067

Maybe, or trim any left-over molding on the sides of the connectors. Tolerances aren't the strong-point of the low-cost manufacturers.

ULMarc

It does work but it's not fantastic.

The pin spacing is wider on the lights, so i've to pinch the pins together. Which is sort of ok. But the lights have a longer connector meaning 1) the contacts work, though they don't seat fully, 2) the O-ring fails to seat at all. I know you mentioned water not being a concern. But still, I'd like to set them up for as great longevity as possible.

I think it's as good as i can get though without randomly trying different options.

ULMarc

For anyone interested, I managed to put some extensions together and they're working great on 2 sets of lights in the garden. And the brightness of the lights is much better with the larger diameter wire. One of the extensions is the bones of 30 meters, the other is almost 20. Though, I really did have to wedge the connectors together. Still, they're demountable should anything become damaged.

The joins in the wire are soldered and then immersed in hot glue before shrink wrapping.

None of my local electrical factors stocked black 2-core flex. So I ordered the following from Screwfix. It's a good match to the connector tails. There's a flat version and a round version. I ensured I bought the round version of course.

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/time-2182y-black-2-core-0-75mm-flexible-cable-50m-drum/631fj