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Most of the assemblies which we manufacture are brightly lit, which means they contain an array of electrical components.

While it's true that some of these can be obtained from your hardware store or local electricians' supplier, it's also true that the components shown here have been tested with our products, in some very harsh weather conditions, over many years. We know what works and what doesn't.

And some of the products listed in this category are rare and difficult to find. Others are unique -- you won't find them anywhere but here.

LAMP SOCKETS & LAMP CORD

Our screw-base Lamp Sockets are designed to be suspended from the wire to which they are mounted. They are water-resistant, but not sealed; that is, they survive rain storms by letting water run through the socket, rather than trying to seal it out. (This may sound odd, but it works. Sealed sockets inevitably leak, allowing water to build up and resulting in short circuits.) They can be quickly attached and detached from wire with simple tools, but once attached they are secure.

We stock sockets to fit three lamp base sizes. Candelabra is the size you might find in your night-light at home. Medium is the standard size you find in wall fixtures or lamps. Intermediate is less common (except in our world) and comes between those two. In general, C7 lamps fit Candelabra sockets and C9 lamps fit Intermediate sockets.

Lamp Sockets
SKU	Description
C7GP	Green C7 Socket and Cap		Our Economy line of sockets are easy to use, reliable and attractive. They are designed to be installed on SPT-1 lamp cord, but can also fit on a pair of 18AWG MTW wires. They consist of a body and a cap which has a clip on one side. The wire is laid into the groove in the base of the body, and the cap is fitted over it and then seated with a sharp tap. The cap only fits one way, and the clip indicates polarity. These sockets are installed at the factory using a stamping machine, but can be field-installed using a soft hammer. Color is Forest Green, except for C7WP.
C7WP	White C7 Socket and Cap
C9GP	Green C9 Socket and Cap
E12	Black Candelabra		Uses 18AWG wire	Our Heavy-Duty phenolic sockets are the best in the business. They are simple, rugged and durable, and resistant to shock, exposure and chemicals. They are designed to be mounted on paired MTW wires, but can also be installed on split lamp cord of appropriate gauge. The wires are laid in the two notches on the base of the socket, and the twist-top is turned 90°, trapping and piercing the wires. Color is black, except for E12W.
E12W	White Candelabra
E17	Black Intermediate		Uses 14AWG
E26	Black Medium		Uses 12AWG
E12N	Black Nylon Candelabra		Uses 16AWG	Our Nylon Sockets are a modern alternative to the traditional Heavy-Duty Phenolic sockets. They are more affordable, and they combine the same rugged durability with the machine-stamped, body & cap simplicity of the economy sockets. They're designed to be stamped on twisted-pair machine-tool wire, and they're easy to service and replace in the field.
E17N	Black Nylon Intermediate		Uses 14AWG
E26N	Black Nylon Medium

LAMPS

A word about lamp designations: Most lamps in the US are designated by a letter and a number. The letter refers to one of several standard lamp shapes. Of these, "C" designates the familiar tapered shape of a night light bulb. The number refers to the diameter of the lamp in eighths of an inch. So, C7 is a nightlight-style lamp that is 7/8" in diameter, C9 is 1-1/8" in diameter. These lamps are packaged in boxes of 25.

Both C7 & C9 lamps produce roughly the same candlepower. So why use two sizes? Because of the way they look. C7s are small and unobtrusive, and are generally used on silhouettes and smaller ornaments. C9s are used on larger ornaments and units that have a lot of garland--their larger physical size makes them more visible among the foliage.

C7 lamps fit Candelabra sockets, and C9 lamps fit Intermediate sockets.

Medium-Base Lamps These lamps have the same type of base as most of the screw-in bulbs in your home. Medium-base lamps, with a couple of exceptions, are not used in our ornaments. Rather, they are used almost exclusively in bulk wiring to outline and highlight buildings, trees, etc.
SKU	Description
11S14C	Clear		These 11-watt lamps are referred to generally as "medium-base decorative bulbs". They are 1-3/4" in diameter and spherical, tapering toward the base.
11S14A	Amber
11S14B	Blue
11S14G	Green
11S14R	Red
ST45WW-LED	Warm White		This is an LED version of the Medium-Bse Decorative Bulb.
25A19C	Clear		These 25-watt lamps are the same shape as the standard light bulbs in all of our homes. They are used in bulk wiring where very high visibility is desired.
25A19A	Amber
25A19B	Blue
25A19G	Green
25A19R	Red
40F15A	Amber		Known as Flame Bulbs, these 40-watt lamps are sculpted to look like a tongue of flame. They are generally used to simulate candle flames in candle wreaths.
F15A-LED			This is an LED version of the 40F15A incandescent Flame Bulb. Visually, it's hard to tell the difference between them.

LED Mini-Lights Mini-lights have been around for a long time, but in commercial installations they've always involved a compromise - on the one hand they're relatively cheap and easy to install, but on the other you never know how long their incandescent lamps are going to last. And "mini" as they are, they consume a surprising number of amps. LED mini-lights solve all this. They use very little current and they last many times longer than their incandescent cousins. VDC stocks 3 types of LED mini-lights. All come in 50-light sets with 6" spacing, and they can be daisy-chained to achieve the desired length / number of lamps.
Type	Colors	Description
5MM Wide Angle	5-Multi-Color, Warm White, Cool White	The shape of the lamp casing creates a simple lens, which means that this type is slightly directional. This can create a pleasing effect, especially when there is movement involved. These lamps are permanent and are not field-replaceable.
C6 Strawberry	Warm White	At 3/4" dia, this is the largest of the three types. These are best suited for applications where high visibility is desired, particularly when used with garland. These lamps are field-replaceable.
M5 Mini-Ice		These lamps are slim and elegant. Their shape gives them the effect of being little "slivers" of light. These lamps are field-replaceable.

BULK WIRING

Bulk wiring consists of two conductors with sockets installed at specified intervals. We stock three types of bulk wiring, Economy, Heavy Duty, and Heavy Duty Nylon. Economy wiring is meant to be affordable and works well for many applications such as building small ornaments or decorating smaller buildings. Heavy Duty wiring is longer-lasting, can handle heavier wattage loads, and is physically stronger and more durable. Heavy Duty Nylon utilizes our new HD Nylon sockets to combine the affordability of Economy wiring with the ruggedness of Heavy Duty wiring.

Either type of bulk wiring can be ordered in any length. However, the useful length of each strand of lights is limited by wire gauge, socket spacing and lamp wattage. Maximum strand length is calculated based on 90% of full load amperage. (See respective charts below.) Polarized, rubber-jacketed, attach-on plugs can be installed on pre-cut strands at no charge, and also, depending on wattage load, female connectors as well. Heavy-duty plugs and connectors are also available.

Standard spacings for bulk wiring are listed in the chart below.  Other variations can be custom-built at the factory on request.

Bulk Wiring Type	AWG	Sockets	Standard Spacing	Description
Economy	18	C7GP, C7WP	6, 9, 12, 15	Economy Bulk Wiring uses 18AWG SPT1-1 lamp cord with Economy lamp sockets machine-stamped at specified intervals. It comes in lengths up to 1000' spools and is available with either Candelabra or Intermediate sockets. The candelabra size comes in two colors, white and forest green. The intermediate size is available only in forest green.
		C9GP	12, 15, 18, 24
Heavy-Duty	18	E12	6, 12, 15, 18, 24	Heavy-Duty Bulk Wiring is made using 12, 14 or 18AWG, UV-resistant machine-tool wire in two shades of forest green. (The light green wire is the neutral wire, the dark green is the hot.) Black phenolic sockets are installed by hand at specified intervals, and the entire assembly is fully tested. There are three lamp socket sizes available; Candelabra, Intermediate and Medium. HD wiring is packaged in lengths up to 1000' continuous lengths with color-coded markers every 50' and 100'.
	14	E17
	12	E26	18, 24, 36
Heavy-Duty Nylon	16	E12N	12, 15	Heavy-Duty Nylon Bulk Wiring is made using our new HD Nylon sockets. These are machine-stamped onto twisted-pair, black, heavy-insulated MTW wire. This type of wiring combines the cost-effectiveness & field-serviceability of Economy wiring with the ruggedness and durability of HD wiring.
	14	E17N
		E26N	24