Also known as running lights or animated lights, Chasing Christmas lights are basically strings of lights where the bulbs flash on and off in a sequence and thus create the illusion of lights chasing each other along the string. This ‘chasing’ effect has gained immense popularity among the masses throughout the world as it adds to the moving and dynamic nature of the festive displays.
Understanding Chasing Christmas Lights
Unlike Chasing Christmas lights, Regular static lights tend to follow a simple pattern i.e. – they either flash or stay on continuously without making any changes in their movement or color and this is what sets them apart from their flashy counterpart. As obvious from its name, Chasing Christmas lights makes it look like the lights attached to its strings are chasing each other in a sequence. This is achieved by making the bulbs on the string turn on and off in a very specific order. Attached to the lights is a small controller that controls the sequence of the lights.
How Do They Work?
Ever heard of the term ‘multiplexing’? Yeah, I know this term sounds fancy but believe me there is nothing fancy about it. It is a process that allows multiple signals to be transmitted over a single line. Once one section of the string receives current from the controller, the lights attached to that specific section turn on. After a gap of a few seconds, the controller channels the current to the next part of the string while cutting off power to the previous lights, which causing them to turn off. The chasing effect is the direct outcome of this rapid on-off sequence.
However, you can control how fast you want this sequence to be. Most Chasing Christmas lights that are available in the market come fitted with adjustable speeds. That means, you can make necessary changes in it to suit your needs. You can speed up the on-off sequence to get a dynamic display; you can also dial it down to create a calm, festive atmosphere. Basically, at the end, it all boils down to your preference. Some newer models of Chasing Christmas lights allow you control the on-ff sequence by using their smartphone app.
How to Install and Use Chasing Christmas Lights
Setting up Chasing Christmas lights is not anything different from setting up regular string lights and there is no string attached to it. However, it would be better if you pay some attention to its controller. It makes sense to place the controller somewhere it is easy to access if you want to make changes in its display or sequence. One more thing, just make sure that the Chasing Christmas lights are designed for outdoor use because if they are labeled as indoor-only, they would have a hard time holding up against extreme weather like torrential rain or extreme snowfall.
Conclusion
Considered to be an upgrade, Chasing Christmas lights are designed to spice up your otherwise boring Christmas display. They allow you to add more flair to your Christmas decoration. They also bring with them more option to customize the decoration of your house the way you like.
With the ability to change settings and control the light patterns, they bring more customization and fun to your decorations
