# Twinkling Classic Xmas Strands

**URL:** <https://forum.electromage.com/t/twinkling-classic-xmas-strands/986>\
**Category:** Patterns and Code\
**Created:** [February 12, 2021, 8:52am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/twinkling-classic-xmas-strands/986 "2021-02-12T08:52:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jeff](https://forum.electromage.com/user_avatar/forum.electromage.com/jeff/32/3473_2.png) [@jeff](https://forum.electromage.com/u/jeff)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 8:52am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/twinkling-classic-xmas-strands/986/1 "2021-02-12T08:52:04Z")

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I got some nice WS2812s on a strand ([PixelLights](http://mypixellights.com/) / ROK LED) from @mnielsen for this holiday season, and found that I wanted a fairly specific thing: I wanted to be able to emulate several classic kinds of Christmas light strand looks, as well as add variable amounts of twinkling.

[/uploads/default/original/1X/cb1941f88627d2ff1961b6384ee6f277cf616924.mp4](https://forum.electromage.com/uploads/default/original/1X/cb1941f88627d2ff1961b6384ee6f277cf616924.mp4)

Here’s the newest gen - you can get a sense of how they push into gutters:

 ![rokpixel-1024x768-1](https://forum.electromage.com/uploads/default/original/1X/9d34ebb80e1e6d85382a48202a9e94bd86fcb04a.jpeg)

I uploaded the pattern called “Twinkling Classic Xmas Strands” to [the pattern library](https://electromage.com/patterns/). It definitely looks best on a strand, and is a very different effect on a closely-spaced strip or matrix.

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**Author:** ![zranger1](https://forum.electromage.com/user_avatar/forum.electromage.com/zranger1/32/301_2.png) [@zranger1](https://forum.electromage.com/u/zranger1)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/twinkling-classic-xmas-strands/986/2 "2021-02-12T22:51:05Z")

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Love the “faded” looking palette! Now I _almost_ regret giving all the old lights away over the years as LED strands got better and cheaper.

Our oldest lights used special thermal switching bulbs installed at intervals in the strand to sort of “twinkle” segments. In retrospect, it was an awfully odd looking techology. It really did look exactly like what it was - an intermittent short.