You're welcome!

Only to initially start the process...im by no means and electrical expert btw lol, just trying to explain a little bit of theory on how it works. "basically": The starter acts as a timed switch to allow a larger amount of current flow through the gases inside the fluorescent tube to initiate illumination...once the "arc" between the filaments is created, the current follows the lesser path of resistance and the starter is no longer needed...from there the ballast regulates the current. There are a few really good videos across KZfaq that do a far better job of explaining the theory than I...they also have interactive visuals to help :)

If there isn’t enough power in the circuit, the starter isn’t able to make an arc from the heat. (More amperage equals more heat in smaller wires, such as the wires inside the starter.)

Add a christmas light in parallel to the light circuit. You can tape the bulb if you like. It will add the necessary load to get the starter to trigger.

Its my buddies band from Chicago called "The Ugly" they do have their stuff for sale! check them out facebook.com/theuglypsychos/

That is actually a good question, i haven't thought to try. Theoretically it SHOULD work, but it also depends on the wattage-draw of the bulb/bulbs. Being all on a single string they will all blink at the same time, so you may need more than one circuit of them going to get the effect you want. What I'd suggest doing is using a strand of red or orange lights like you are talking about as a base color...and then picking up one of the "fire and ice" RRO (Red & Orange) projector lights from home depot. That will give you more of a "movement" effect than just a flicker. Hope this helps! :)

Monster Tutorials has a great video on You Tube regarding making a faux Halloween fire complete with a cauldron. In his case he uses LED halloween string lights but they do not blink so I wanted some sort of blinking lights more on the order of a fire. I do have the Gemmy Fire and Ice kaleidoscope so will try it. Thanks again for the prompt response. Halloween is just around the corner and need to get working.

I know the exact video you're talking about! if you do use the Gemmy projector i think it should fill the whole space with light alright...maybe paint the inside of the enclosure white to help reflect all of the light it can for the edges. If all else...a pack of the starters is only a couple bucks, couldnt hurt to try it with the light strings...just practice good safety measures :) you bet, and you know it! haha

It will work either way...however I personally splice into the live side. In theory any switch/relay should be the side under power at all times and then get "grounded" through whatever is being powered to complete the circuit.

The projectors lights are all LED, so the "flicker" technique will not work on them at all. You can only use them on incandescent bulbs. They do sell LED "flicker controllers" but they are pricey, and do not generate a random effect but more of a constant on/off pattern. For what you are wanting specifically you may want to try the flame effect bulbs if the Gemmy lights arent enough for ya.

I apologize for posting earlier, I found out after looking online that the Gemmy's were LED lights.

haha no worries it happens to all of us :P

that is interesting...id say try a higher wattage bulb...i use 40-60 watt bulbs generally...if its not drawing enough power it may not be triggering the circuit to "turn off". :)

@@EvilOliveProductions awesome thanks for quick replyyy

@@CrazyJames youre very welcome! ya caught me at a good time..."post-haunt-decompression" time lol

@@EvilOliveProductions ha, you were right it worked, i used a 100w bulb and worked perf, 25w didnt work thanksss againn

@@CrazyJames GREAT!!! you are very welcome, happy haunting!! :)

I had trouble with my solder as well! Glad to know it wasn't just my stuff. I ended up just giving the wires a good "twist job" around the posts and heat shrinking them. I'm not sure what they coated the terminals with...but it fought of 2 kinds of flux, as well as resin core solder that I had laying around!

Thanks for the reply I'll let you know if figure it out.

Thanks!!

I use either 12 or 14 gauge stranded wire...you can also use solid wire. I wouldn't recommend going any thinner than 14 gauge just because you'll be running 120v through it :)

hmmm. honestly ive always had each bulb on its own circuit with these...im not sure what the max would be for a strand like that. if it wasn't a "haunt night" id do some experimenting in the garage. best thing i can suggest is to try it on a bench first. they are only about $1 each so worst thing that could happen is it could pop in the first 5 minutes you plug it in. if it makes it to 15 minutes id say you should be good...but keep a few extra on hand if you plan on running it several hours to swap out in case they do eventually burn out. and i wouldnt go any higher than that single strand of 240 on a single one just to play it safe if it DOES work. Personally id recommend keeping it as low as possible (around 60), but as haunters, its in our nature to push the limits of things haha :P

Its best to run each bulb off its own starter...as then the flicker will be more random amongst them. Also, if a starter burns out you wont lose all your lights. AND..im actually not 100% how many bulbs you'd be able to run off a single starter, between the combined wattages and the effective wattage of the starter im sure there is formula for it to keep it working efficiently that im unaware of. But i will see if i can test that theory out soon, or someone else may comment the answer as well. GREAT QUESTION!!!!

Thanks! I picked these up at a garage sale...however they do have similar ones at home depot, lowes, and menards. Im also sure ebay would be another good place to check out ;)

Thank you for the fast reply! I've looked everywhere for that style. Even thought of just making it myself. Nonetheless, your flicker style works like a champ! I want to try a lower watt bulb in a series and see how long it lasts. Have you ever tried that?

Im actually planning to eventually make a resin mold of a style like that to sell...so stay tuned in the next few months for that! and thanks! my personal experience has been that lower wattage bulbs tend to make the starters last a little longer, as less power is needed; therefore less durational strain on the armature...however the lower wattage bulbs dont seem to "flicker" as well. however with so many different styles of bulbs your mileage may vary, not to mention every starter is different. play around with it and see what works best, feel free to share your findings as well :)

HA! Sign me up! I'll be buying up your first batch!

aaaaand theres the motivation i needed haha ;)

No. You can use them over several days. I build extension cords using the starter and a cheap dimmer. I can plug any incandescent bulb into it and control the flicker rate.

That is a good question. You should be able to as long as they are of the incandescent kind. They will however all flicker at the same rate...so unless thats what youre going for i would avoid daisy chaining multiple strands together.

Buy some C7 flasher bulbs. I know I’m 3 years late but they are what I use.

The intro song is "Down in the Basement" by my friends The Ugly. facebook.com/theuglypsychos/?fref=ts Enjoy! :)

Thanks

Garage/Yard sales are where I found mine, however if you don't mind "paying a premium", they do have them at menards/home depot. I'm sure they have them online as well. I've actually considered making resin duplicates...but haven't gotten around to it yet.