mm wrote:
On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 20:54:34 -0500, "James" no
wrote:
Thanks for the replies.
More info: The wire size is 12 gauge, and the lengths are only 50 ft
each.
I will not be experimenting with bulbs..... the criteria is 6 50 watt
bulbs. Three bulbs on each 150 watt tap.
Yes, I do realize that loading a 300 watt transformer rated for 300 watts
is ok. Otherwise, why would it have a rating, right ?
His point was the opposite. That a low-quality transformer (or just
about anything) shouldn't be run at the limit of its rating.
It has a rating partly to get people to buy it, so there is an
incentive to make it sound better than it is. Sort of like AMD cpu's
for home computers have higher speeds attributed to them by AMD than
do Intel cpu's of the same speed. Intel sells on reputation. AMD had
to have a way to compete, so it exagerates its speed. (I know they
have a reasonable rationale for doing so, but the result is still that
the smae speed cpu is given a higher number by AMD.) Of course there
are no safety concerns.
I don't think that analogy is reasonable. AMD CPUs actually delivered
substantial gains in processing performance for equivalent clock speeds.
There was no "smoke and mirrors" and you actually got the performance
they advertised.
A poorly made transformer is simply a poorly made transformer. The
higher rating makes it sound better but is totally meaningless.
It sounds like what you are saying is that at least on fairly short runs,
the voltage drop is not that great, especially if the runs are short. Is
that the consensus ??
Definitely. You could leafve coiled 50 or 100 feet of cable, and
connect one end to power and another to 150 watt lightbulb, or 3 50's
and use an AC voltmeter to measure the voltage on the same conductor
from the one end of the 50 feet to the other, and it will be
minuscule. Maybe an AC meter wouldn't do it. I'm confused. But
there is some way to measure it. 
Thanks again for all the comments. Keep them coming !!
--James--