The Official "Say Anything" Thread

[Stella]

Finally feeling like summer.  Not too hot, not too cold... juuuust right! 


So where are my electrical / wiring experts?   YouTube and Google have failed me.

I have string lights that I need to shorten.  4 wires. 
Found 2 and 3 wire "ways to shorten string lights" online but nothing for lights that are 4 wire strands.

Anyone?

[ducpainter]

Black to black...etcetera

[Stella]

That's the problem that I failed to mention.  The strands are just the copper wire encased with white insulation.  No black, no red...

[Randimus Maximus]

No help here, Stella.  I couldn't figure out how to install smart switches at my place down here. 

Another sweltering day down here.  93* with a heat index of 117*. Randimus does like this.

Start heading up to CO tomorrow for the hike on Saturday.

[ducpainter]

morning

Sorry no help P.

[Howie]

Good morning

Maybe trace the wires with an ohmmeter??? 

[ungeheuer]

what Howie said.

[Duck-Stew]

+1 to the above.  Make a diagonal slice into the insulation and “trace” them with an ohm meter to determine which is which. Cut & splice accordingly.

Thanks Stella, again.  Feels so good to begin to slow the necessity for work down a bit.

G'night all

[Stella]

Oh my ohmmeter?

Sure, why not buy a new toy.   

There's even a YouTube "how to use an ohm meter for dummies". 


(Although replacing the now cut string with another full set I have in a box might be the easy / temporary fix.)

[ungeheuer]

Oh my ohmmeter?

Sure, why not buy a new toy.   

There's even a YouTube "how to use an ohm meter for dummies". 


(Although replacing the now cut string with another full set I have in a box might be the easy / temporary fix.)

Able to borrow a multimeter from somebody?  Set it to ohms range (you're testing for continuity the "beep" setting is handy).  Touch the two probes of the meter together and you should hear "beep".  Do as described by Duck-Stew, trim the insulation on your wires beyond or close to your intended cut points and then test each of the 4 wires for continuity: The multimeter will beep when you apply both probes at different points along the same wire but will not beep if it's not the same wire.  Label each wire at both cut points, snip, shorten, rejoin. 

[ungeheuer]

(Although replacing the now cut string with another full set I have in a box might be the easy / temporary fix.)

Oh.. wait.  All four wires are already severed?

Forget the ohmmeter.

[ducpainter]

morning

[Popeye the Sailor]

Morning.

[Howie]

Good morning

[Duck-Stew]

Good….  whatever.