# Flicker Light Controller Made from Christmas Lights



## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

First step: What you will need to make this. Find a set of Christmas lights that has a control box on the end. Thrift stores and Yard sales are the best place. 










You will need a electrical outlet and a box to house it in










Step two: I will have to explain because I failed to take a picture 

1. There should be 5 wires coming from the controller.
2. Four of the wires will have a set of Christmas lights. Each wire will have a different color light
3. One wire will be the common wire and it wont have any lights connected to it
4. Take a wire and follow it till you come to the light. Cut the wire right below the light
5. Repeat step four till you cut all four sets of lights off
6. The last wire and at this point it should be the longest and not have any lights connected to it is the COMMON wire. Put a piece of tape on this wire (around it) so you can remember it is the common wire.

Step 3: You should end up with a controller and five wires (each one should be longer than the other) that look like this. In the picture you can see how I put tape on the common wire.










Step 4: (This step is just to keep everything neat You can by pass it if you want to.)

1. Cut the four light wires (not the common) and trim them to about the same length. Also trim the common wire but leave it longer so you don't get it mixed up with the four wires, also keep a piece of tape on it. 

2. You will only be using two of the wires that had lights on them ( not the common wire) so I put a piece of tape over the end and tape them together.

3. The wires will be loose so put pieces of tape around them starting at the controller and going up to the two wires you aren't using.......Confused yet? Don't worry it's easier than I'm making it sound. You will see in the next step.

Step 5: Putting it together

1. Put your wires through the hole in your electrical box . In this picture you can see how I used the tape in step 4.










2. Your electrical outlet will have screws on both sides of it...gold/brass and silver. Over the screws (on both sides brass & silver) there will be a tab. This tab connects both outlets (top & bottom) together. The silver screws will be the common side of the outlet.










3. On the brass screw side take a pair of pliers and break off the tab. Once you do that the top & bottom outlet will act independent of each other. DON'T do this to the silver side. This is a bad picture but this is what it should look like (picture below will show it more clearly)










4. Next strip off some of the wire from the ends of the wires. Take the two wires that had lights on them (not the common) and connect one to each of the brass color screws.










5. Take the common wire and connect it to EITHER of the SILVER screws. Since we left the tab on this side, one wire will act as the common for the top & bottom outlets.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

6. Tuck the wires in the box and connect the outlet to the box and you are ready to use it




























I'm using a indoor box for this tutorial....if you are using this outside use a outdoors electrical box (cost a few cents more but not much). The green screw on the outlet is the ground and it isn't used. You can also use a wire connector to keep your wires from pulling out of the electrical box.....or you can use tape.

Here is the reason I left the two unused light wires on the controller and tapped them up. You can turn this into a 4 way outlet where each outlet works independent of the other. (4 lights chasing). 










Total cost for my controller was $1.75. I got the lights at a yard sale for .50
Work time for me was 15 minutes....it will take longer the first time you make one. The first one I made was around 5 or 6 years ago and I believe it took around 1 hour but I didn't have pictures to follow 

I will post videos of the effects you can get with this.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Here is one effect you can get from this controller


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Here's another


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

A candle effect


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Great tutorial, Max! Very informative.
Nice video shots, too!


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## billman (May 1, 2006)

Excellent as always madmax!!!


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## Crunch (Oct 23, 2008)

Where do you find a controller like this?


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## Veckah (Apr 5, 2010)

Oh I am so going to have to try this one.


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## Terror Tom (Nov 3, 2008)

Wow. That looks great. Thanks for sharing.


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## kylet (Aug 24, 2009)

thanks for sharing. on my to-do list!


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## Otaku (Sep 10, 2004)

Very nice effect! Thanks for posting this, Madmax!


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## billman (May 1, 2006)

Big Lots is selling the light controller now for $10 in the xmas aisle!


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## erie_pa_halloween_guy (Mar 20, 2005)

Im sooo there!!!!! Thanks for the heads up billman


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## erie_pa_halloween_guy (Mar 20, 2005)

Son of a &^%$# the pix are gone and i got the controller now i have to figure it out by my self


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

I'll send MadMax a PM. Maybe he can fix it.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

It's back up....I changed the name of the album and it broke the link.

One quick note. With the controller that you get at Big Lot you can do a lot more than just flicker the lights. One of the greatest uses for that controller is for cross fading. One light goes out as one comes on. If you wire it for a 4 outlet box you can have 4 lights fading one after the other.

Look at the watt use on those controllers I think their limit is .85 amps or maybe one amp and keep in mind that you don't need to go over 100 watts on your light. A good rule of thumb and easier for me to remember.....1 amp = 100 watts, 2 amps = 200 watts and so on. I think it's really .85 amps so I rounded up, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong


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## erie_pa_halloween_guy (Mar 20, 2005)

Thanx max and dave you guys rock
Try this link here for conversions http://www.powerstream.com/Amps-Watts.htm


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

I redid my controller, by going through the side of the box....it makes it a little more neater and takes care of any loose wires and made a few with the 8 function light controller.

Flicker light controller 










This is more like the type they sell at Big Lots (not the same but the same functions) and has 8 functions





























a short vid of most of the other functions

PICT0068 - YouTube


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Madmax, those newer boxes you made look excellent!
Nice videos, too.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Thanks Dave I decided to change to a plastic box because it's cheaper on shipping cost (I sold a few for $20 plus shipping) and they just look better painted. 

I forgot this video of a swirl type bulb flickering

swirl light flicker - YouTube


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## billman (May 1, 2006)

WOW!! that CFL looks cool! Does it hold up well to all that flickering?


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Is that video just the one CFL light flickering?
Looks wild!!


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

billman I left it on for around 1 1/2 hours while I was out today and it didn't seem to hurt the CFL.

Dave the video is one CFL, I was using the flicker controller with the adjustable speed control and not the 8 function controller. I did notice if you plug in two lights, one CFL and any other type of blub. It doesn't flicker like it should.


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## dacostasr (Jul 6, 2006)

Very COOL!! Added to my list of things to do.

Thanks for sharing.

Dennis


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## One eyed Mick (Feb 19, 2008)

Great idea and even better videos!

Thanks for sharing.....!!!


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## mmxvi (Oct 18, 2009)

Awesome tutorial, but I have a few questions:

In order to have four outlets working, the common must be wired to the second outlet with another wire, correct?

Also, the Big Lots controller is .6 amps, with 16 functions, and only four wires coming out of the controller (common wire and then 3 wires for the 3 color lights).
Using this controller, can only 3 independent outlets be achieved?


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

mmxvi said:


> Awesome tutorial, but I have a few questions:
> 
> In order to have four outlets working, the common must be wired to the second outlet with another wire, correct?
> 
> ...


Yes & yes....Some controllers have 4 wires and some have three. Just put a jumper wire from one common side of the outlet to the other outlets common. With a .6amp controller be careful not to use too many watts or you will blow the fuse. I had two with 3 amps and 7 others with 1.8 amps and 10 more with 1amp. Anytime I see them at the thrift store or a yard sale I pick them up and usually for $1.00 or less

mic214 & dacostasr thinks for the comments


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## mmxvi (Oct 18, 2009)

Just wanted to say thanks again for the tutorial- I used the set-up to light my pumpkins, putting all 3 lights inside.
It gives a super-realistic candle flame look. I dislike using battery operated lights and this is perfect.
I highly recommend this set-up to everyone.

Side note: I needed to make another light set-up.
Stopped at a garage sale this weekend and picked-up a set of lights with a dial controller;
lights were never used, brand new, for $1. Cannot beat that.


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## JeffHaas (Aug 26, 2008)

Hey, just popped over here from the e-firecrackers thread. What happened to the videos?


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## HalloweenDan (Sep 6, 2007)

Videos are gone


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

HalloweenDan said:


> Videos are gone


I put most of the vids back up


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## scarymother (Aug 10, 2006)

madmax said:


> I put most of the vids back up


Only the flicker CFL is up.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

scarymother said:


> Only the flicker CFL is up.


Look on the first and second pages of this thread....I replace those vids.


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## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

looks so cool thanks for the info and vids


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## rnmully (Dec 30, 2009)

Finally re-found this thread. Has anyone tried using this on a small motor like those in an animated deer. I am looking to add some random movement to a skeleton fiddle player and wondered if this type of controller would work.


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## greaseballs80 (Sep 25, 2009)

Looks like a Spammer!


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## rnmully (Dec 30, 2009)

I am confused. Twice now in less than a week after posting a comment or question the next response seems to allude to the fact that I am a spammer. Don't get it. I have posted many times over the past year or so and not sure what is being implied but it is unfounded and I just would like to know what it means.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

rnmully said:


> I am confused. Twice now in less than a week after posting a comment or question the next response seems to allude to the fact that I am a spammer. Don't get it. I have posted many times over the past year or so and not sure what is being implied but it is unfounded and I just would like to know what it means.



I used it with AC solenoid valves and you can use it with relays but you need to be careful on how many watts you draw...too many and it will blow the controller. It might be OK to run a motor but the load could be too much.

I don't think the deer motor would be a good motor to use with this because when power is cut and then returns the deer motor will reverse itself


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## rnmully (Dec 30, 2009)

Thanks madmax, I will see what old ones I have laying around to test with.


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## greaseballs80 (Sep 25, 2009)

I was referring to a spammer that registered under the screen name "YangPeter" and posted in about 10 different threads about escorts, including this one. No worries, it was reported & cleaned up by a mod/or admin before you posted apparently


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## Xane (Oct 13, 2010)

You really shouldn't post a reply to a spammer, just report it. The mods here are very quick to get rid of them, several times I've seen the poster deleted *while* I was in the process of reporting it. Posting the same reply in ten threads just confuses people once the originals are gone.


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## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

*Anyone know of a cheap 4 wire Christmas controller? vs. 3 wire Big Lots one*

The Big Lots $12.50 Christmas light controller being sold right now has only 3 groups of lights. Any 4 wire ones out there available from local stores? Or secondarily, online?

Also don't like that the Big Lots one seems, for many of the 16 choices, cycles through each pattern several times, each at an accelerated speed. Boo to that. :-( Prefer a single speed.


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