2 color single bulbs LED- Fun little project I did this season

[denverstone]

I might be late to the party, maybe you guys already are doing this but thought I would share anyway......So last year was my first introduction to all of this flashy blinky stuff....... I had seen YouTube videos but the spark didn't really light until I saw a few local shows live.  Anyway.... when the after Christmas sales got going I bought all the LEDs I could find.  I picked up a few boxes (7) of these remote control 2 color LED lights (70ct etc).
The lights have two LEDs per single bulb. When the button on the remote is pushed the button they change from white to blue.  My plan was to figure out a way to control each color as a separate channel. I hooked up an oscilloscope and found out that basically all the built in controller was doing was clipping the positive side of the AC wave for blue and clipping the negative side of the AC wave for white.   I ended up using just two diodes soldered in opposite directions on the "hot side" of the power wire.  I tied the commons together and broke out each hot side of two vampire plugs and tied one to each diode giving me control of each color separate. 

Unfortunately I had some issues I was unable to resolve with my either dongle so I did not get my show up for this year but I did manually change colors from white to blue and it seems to work out nicely, but I do not know how well they dim.

Just thought I would share. I am considering looking into building some C9 style bulbs using this technique to line the yard with but this coming year I am going first to fix my fussy ED and look into acquiring some smart and dumb strings so that should take care of my color changing needs but this was fun anyway.....

[jstevens]

I saw those at a Wal-Mart I visited early December 26.  I left them there, since I wasn't that interested in the two color units.

The effect can be done by simply connecting the LEDs in reverse polarity to each other, so that they only light when current flows through in the forward direction; the current is blocked for the other LED.  Change the polarity of the current applied, and the first LED blocks while the second, in reverse polarity to the first, now lights with current flowing through it.

A bit more complex string available from the same vendor is being discussed here.  The final resolution may be applicable to what you're doing.

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