# LED Traffic Control Lights: Da. LED Christmas Lights? Nyet. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-traffic-control-lights-da-led-christmas-lights-nyet/428505 "2007-12-02T01:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-traffic-control-lights-da-led-christmas-lights-nyet/428505/1 "2007-12-02T01:20:23Z")
Nice try, though. They’re bluish and pale and _just not right_. I use the traditional C7 lights. [These.](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000TZSSXM/sr=8-18/qid=1196558100/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi&qid=1196558100&sr=8-18) I use only red, blue, and green (in clusters). These are the lights of my childhood. I don’t use clear glass. I don’t use minis. I hate flashing lights. Just plain, traditional lights. LED lights, I know, use just a fraction of the energy, but until they mimic my favorite kind 100%, I will not buy them. There are some LED lights that mimic that retro look…anyone use them? How do they look? My local stores don’t carry them yet…they only carry the ugly kind. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-traffic-control-lights-da-led-christmas-lights-nyet/428505/2 "2007-12-02T01:25:18Z")
Blue and white LED lights can look really harsh and yucky, especially when they’re trying to emulate traditional ones - but they do have their uses - I think they can look good on things other than trees - such as those great big garlands you see in shopping centres. I only use white incandescent lights for the tree (it’s just the way things are done in this village - all of the municipal decorations are plain white incandescent and it does look really nice and old fashioned. I have a string of red, green, yellow and orange LED lights that looks very nice and christmassy - nothing wrong with LEDs in those colours at all. I use those around the front window. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-traffic-control-lights-da-led-christmas-lights-nyet/428505/3 "2007-12-02T01:37:00Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I only use white incandescent lights for the tree (it’s just the way things are done in this village - all of the municipal decorations are plain white incandescent and it does look really nice and old fashioned. [/QUOTE] I do like all white lights on a tree. I agree that it has a nice old fashioned look and also is really classy. I’ll amend my post and say that I only have outdoor lights. I decorate the house and bushes. I’m an atheist and can’t stand Christmas, but I _love_ lights! I call them, tongue planted firmly in cheek, my “winter solstice lights.” Look where I live and you’ll see another reason why I like to have lights outside. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-traffic-control-lights-da-led-christmas-lights-nyet/428505/4 "2007-12-02T02:25:40Z")
Check out the Rockefeller Center Tree, It is suppose to be LED lights this year and it looks great. So in the next few years, good looking LED Xmas lights should become available. [Video from NBC available here.](http://www.wnbc.com/videostream/christmastree/14573999/detail.html)