I have some 10 light strands of street lamps that are made to plug into 120 volt house wiring. Each bulb is rated at 12 volts and they’re currently wired in series.
I have taken the strands apart to get the spacing I want and I’m going to power them with 24 volts DC. Should I wire the lamps as two in series off of a parallel feed or should I run three in series connected to my parallel feed to keep from over powering the bulbs?
I hope that clear.
Why waste DC current, and why 24 volts ?
Why not just use a simple 12v or less transformer…or an old cheap B’mann (Or other make) starter set power pack…then you could hang on a good number of 12 volt lights without worrying about series wiring, or too high a voltage…just use low voltage garden wire and bury it …tapping off it anywhere you want a light…in fact, you could probably use an old low voltage garden lighting power supply…
If I wanted the bulbs to be as bright as before, I’d wire 2 in series across the the 24VDC supply.
Walt
Fr Fred 24 volts only because of my current power supply. Didn’t think about the B’mann stuff.
Walt, not necessary to be as bright . I’m modeling the 40’s / 50’s era.so yellowish could be good. I can dial down the power if only two, but don’t want to burn them out to soon
Fred’s suggestion for an old 12 volt power supply is a good idea and cheap also. If you wire the lights all in parallel and then use the control knob to reduce the voltage to around 10-11 volts the lamps should be plenty bright enough and will probably outlast you. I’ve been using an old Marnold 4-1/2 amp, 12 volt power supply that’s at least 40 years old when I hook up the lighting on the POC.
Richard ,
That reminds me of an old idea used by a lot of servicemen .
Use aircraft panel lighting bulbs (28v) and run them off the 12v in car .
Also useful when running a layout at 3-20v .
I think someone on this site is bound to know where to get them .
Mike M
Is it still sunny in Oregon , Richard ?
Mike Morgan said:
Richard , That reminds me of an old idea used by a lot of servicemen . Use aircraft panel lighting bulbs (28v) and run them off the 12v in car . Also useful when running a layout at 3-20v . I think someone on this site is bound to know where to get them .Mike M
Is it still sunny in Oregon , Richard ?
I caught a glimpse of a couple of rays shining through just last week!
Another storm due in on Sunday to clear the air a bit also.
I also notice a lot of the current “Throw away society” change their garden lighting like they do their fadish underwear. The lights are the first thing to fail (Usually). The power supply is usually still functional.
So…watch for your neigbours throwing out those power supplys…besides you like I, probably have a couple that are already in use, but not using their full capacity.
Tap into them, or reserect the old ones in your junk bin.
One great thing about some of them. They have timers, and other devices built into them, that turn the lights on after dark, and off whenever you want .
Just check the voltage that they put out, and go from there…now to find the instruction sheet to tell me how to set them…it’s been a while…!!!
Mike didn’t know about aircraft bulbs,I’ll keep them in mind
Gentlemen thank you for waking me up A little of that CRS was acting on me as far as the B’mann packs and outdoor light power sources to use. Makes it a whole lot simpler
I’ve used the Malibu transformers for years and they work great and hold up well. I also use their heavy wire.
Jerry Barnes said:Jerry,
I've used the Malibu transformers for years and they work great and hold up well. I also use their heavy wire.
What do you mean “for years”? I am actually kind of dissapointed by their longevity. I don’t think they last that long. I use 3 of them and actually I’m looking at a way to replace them with something more industrial. Usually the timer is what goes out.
Ric;
If the timer goes on one of those power supplies, as one I have did; just buy a cheap outdoor timer and use it as the timer for the power supply. It works for me.
Fred and All,
I am using those outdoor timers. I’m looking at cleaning up the whole system with a better power supply and better wire connections. Its all been in for about 12 years and it just needs maintenance. I’ve never been happy with the wire connections of those Malibu lights. Has anyone used a smal terminal block for such connections?