diff --git a/src/Span.h b/src/Span.h
index e10c585..57eda29 100644
--- a/src/Span.h
+++ b/src/Span.h
@@ -529,4 +529,6 @@ namespace Characteristic {
   HapChar _CUSTOM_##NAME {#UUID,#NAME,(PERMS)(PERMISISONS),FORMAT,STATIC_RANGE}; \
   namespace Characteristic { struct NAME : SpanCharacteristic { NAME(FORMAT##_t val=DEFVAL, boolean nvsStore=false) : SpanCharacteristic {&_CUSTOM_##NAME} { init(val,nvsStore,(FORMAT##_t)MINVAL,(FORMAT##_t)MAXVAL); } }; }
 
-    
+#define CUSTOM_CHAR_STRING(NAME,UUID,PERMISISONS,DEFVAL) \
+  HapChar _CUSTOM_##NAME {#UUID,#NAME,(PERMS)(PERMISISONS),STRING,true}; \
+  namespace Characteristic { struct NAME : SpanCharacteristic { NAME(const char * val=DEFVAL, boolean nvsStore=false) : SpanCharacteristic {&_CUSTOM_##NAME} { init(val,nvsStore); } }; }
diff --git a/src/src.ino b/src/src.ino
index 671ca89..1aa3888 100644
--- a/src/src.ino
+++ b/src/src.ino
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@
 
 #include "HomeSpan.h"
 
-CUSTOM_CHAR(CustomActive, E863F10A-079E-48FF-8F27-9C2605A29F52, PR+EV, UINT16, 0, 0, 4800, false);
+#define STRING_t  const char *          // WORK-AROUND
+
+CUSTOM_CHAR(LightMode, AAAAAAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAA, PR, STRING, "ANY_VALUE", NULL, NULL, true);
+CUSTOM_CHAR_STRING(DarkMode, AAAAAAAA-BBBB-AAAA-AAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAA, PR, "MY_VALUE");
 
 void setup() {
  
@@ -45,7 +48,9 @@ void setup() {
 
     new Service::LightBulb();
       new Characteristic::On(0);
-      new Characteristic::CustomActive(1200);
+      new Characteristic::LightMode("HELLO");
+      new Characteristic::DarkMode();
+      new Characteristic::DarkMode("OVERRIDE");
       new Characteristic::Brightness(50);
       new Characteristic::Name("Light 1");
       new Characteristic::ColorTemperature();