Found these at Lowe’s for the Christmas Layout

There are rechargeable AA batteries available.

Andrew

falconservice posted:

There are rechargeable AA batteries available.

Andrew

Thanks for the hot tip! 

Check out the ones at Target. They run on USB.

Scott Smith

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

I’ll check that out....we just got a brand new harbor freight this last month or so.....thanks!.........Pat

harmonyards posted:

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

I’ll check that out....we just got a brand new harbor freight this last month or so.....thanks!.........Pat

I am guessing that you have a 2-AA battery holder, hence the 3 volts -

Evans sells the batteries for only a $1 each on the switch page - that may be easier

Moonman posted:

harmonyards posted:

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

I’ll check that out....we just got a brand new harbor freight this last month or so.....thanks!.........Pat

I am guessing that you have a 2-AA battery holder, hence the 3 volts -

Evans sells the batteries for only a $1 each on the switch page - that may be easier

Yes sir, 3V .....I’m gonna go back to Lowe’s today and see if I can snag a few more of those trees, .....I like your idea, so I’m gonna run with it!......thanks.....Pat

Im curious as to iff you could cut off the battery box, and wire in a 3V jack plug, that would accept the 3V plugs found on most "old" style Dept56 accy transformers? if so this would be a great option to pick up and convert to hardwired.

Found the same deal at the Suffolk store. Couldn't resist for $7.50.

MTHPRRGURU posted:

Im curious as to iff you could cut off the battery box, and wire in a 3V jack plug, that would accept the 3V plugs found on most "old" style Dept56 accy transformers? if so this would be a great option to pick up and convert to hardwired.

Are those AC or DC? These must be DC with batteries. Trees look nice!

BobbyD posted:

MTHPRRGURU posted:

Im curious as to iff you could cut off the battery box, and wire in a 3V jack plug, that would accept the 3V plugs found on most "old" style Dept56 accy transformers? if so this would be a great option to pick up and convert to hardwired.

Are those AC or DC? These must be DC with batteries. Trees look nice!

They are the DC converters that Dept56/lemax makes to plug their Battery/Hard wired accesories into. So i dont see an issue with using this idea.

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

Really?  A CR2032 is good for maybe 200ma/hr before the voltage goes below 2V, which no longer lights the LED's.  Assuming the LED's only draw 10ma (probably a lot more), they'd last 20 hours, not exactly all of December.

This is probably a post-dated posting, you meant it to be on December 31th so the statement would be true, right?

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

Really?  A CR2032 is good for maybe 200ma/hr before the voltage goes below 2V, which no longer lights the LED's.  Assuming the LED's only draw 10ma (probably a lot more), they'd last 20 hours, not exactly all of December.

This is probably a post-dated posting, you meant it to be on December 31th so the statement would be true, right?

Good thing I didn’t buy those parts yet.....that’d be a bummer.... ......Pat

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

Really?  A CR2032 is good for maybe 200ma/hr before the voltage goes below 2V, which no longer lights the LED's.  Assuming the LED's only draw 10ma (probably a lot more), they'd last 20 hours, not exactly all of December.

This is probably a post-dated posting, you meant it to be on December 31th so the statement would be true, right?

LOL! So true. I purchased one this past Sunday to place with the around the tree train.  I just looked this am and with 2 new AA  the greens and yellows are already dimming.

I don't know what I was thinking, perhaps, I wasn't. 

I suppose I'll be playing manual on/off or making a power supply. I am not really into more plugs for the around the tree train. 

harmonyards posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

Really?  A CR2032 is good for maybe 200ma/hr before the voltage goes below 2V, which no longer lights the LED's.  Assuming the LED's only draw 10ma (probably a lot more), they'd last 20 hours, not exactly all of December.

This is probably a post-dated posting, you meant it to be on December 31th so the statement would be true, right?

Good thing I didn’t buy those parts yet.....that’d be a bummer.... ......Pat

Sorry, Pat. 

Well, It has been almost 72 hours on the 2 AA's. I hid the battery box under a house, so I didn't want to play manual games. 

I will probably check the draw and build a power supply to convert transformer AC. I have the house it is next to on 14v AC off of a Z1000 brick AC terminals.

Moonman posted:

harmonyards posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Moonman posted:

Good find! 

You could adapt the batter holder to this 3V coin cell holder with switch. Harbor freight has these batteries for a low price. That should run the trees for all of December without turning them off. 

Really?  A CR2032 is good for maybe 200ma/hr before the voltage goes below 2V, which no longer lights the LED's.  Assuming the LED's only draw 10ma (probably a lot more), they'd last 20 hours, not exactly all of December.

This is probably a post-dated posting, you meant it to be on December 31th so the statement would be true, right?

Good thing I didn’t buy those parts yet.....that’d be a bummer.... ......Pat

Sorry, Pat. 

Well, It has been almost 72 hours on the 2 AA's. I hid the battery box under a house, so I didn't want to play manual games. 

I will probably check the draw and build a power supply to convert transformer AC. I have the house it is next to on 14v AC off of a Z1000 brick AC terminals.

 

No worries, .....I’m sure we’ll all come up with something to each his own...

A typical alkaline AA battery is good for about 2 to 3 amp hours, depending on the brand, age, quality, etc.  Powering a 20ma LED setup, they're good for around 100 to 150 hours.

Wow, this is nice. I think I will have to take a look.

With many of the battery operated items inside the battery box by the off on switch you will find a resistor. If you cut off the wires to use external power at 3V make sure to open the battery box and remove the resistor and install it inline with the wire. If not your tree lights will be nice and bright for a very short time....

Don't ask me how I know this..

MTHPRRGURU posted:

BobbyD posted:

MTHPRRGURU posted:

Im curious as to iff you could cut off the battery box, and wire in a 3V jack plug, that would accept the 3V plugs found on most "old" style Dept56 accy transformers? if so this would be a great option to pick up and convert to hardwired.

Are those AC or DC? These must be DC with batteries. Trees look nice!

They are the DC converters that Dept56/lemax makes to plug their Battery/Hard wired accesories into. So i dont see an issue with using this idea.

If they are DC converters or power packs you should be ok. Transformer would probably still be AC.

Keep an eye out for the 3v Lemax (or private label brand) ac/dc multi unit plug in power supply adapters that you can connect/splice into these trees.  Often these units are marked down or blown out (70 - 90% off) at Lowes, Michael's or Walmart.

There are also 4.5v Lemax type adapters for those 3 AA or AAA powered lights.