I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

On Fri, 2 May 2008 23:34:53 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

Cut the existing wire in between two lights, so 1/2 of the lights
remain attached to the 600 watt transformer. Properly seal the cut
ends so they don't touch and are protected from moisture. You could
use 4 sealed direct burial wire nuts, for example. Then connect the
new transformer to the far end to power the other 1/2 of the lights.
Size the new transformer properly to handle the lights it is powering.
It may not be 300 watts, as all the lights may not be the same
wattage. Make sure you use heavy enough wire, and if you have a long
run from the transformer (say 50 feet or more) get a transformer with
taps so you can start with a slightly higher voltage to compensate for
loss in the long wire. The better low voltage transformers have
several taps for this purpose.

You can do this without cutting the wire if you get the phasing
correct, but if you separate into two groups, you eliminate any chance
of confusion now and in the future.

HTH,

Paul F.

wrote in message
...
I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

You don't specify the total connected wattage, but #12 is only good for 20
amps and a 600 watt transformer can handle up to 50 amps. You can't connect
another transformer to the existing wiring, but you can cut the existing
wiring in half as Paul Franklin suggested, and either connect the second
half to a new transformer, fed by a new underground line, or just run a new
underground line back to the 600 watt transformer, assuming it's large
enough

On May 3, 1:34*am, " wrote:
I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

Only some are not as bright, id say its a light not voltage issue, bad
connection, dirty lens, socket, bulb etc,

On May 3, 7:42�am, "RBM" wrote:
wrote in message

...

I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

You don't specify the total connected wattage, but #12 is only good for 20
amps and a 600 watt transformer can handle up to 50 amps. You can't connect
another transformer to the existing wiring, but you can cut the existing
wiring in half as Paul Franklin suggested, and either connect the second
half to a new transformer, fed by a new underground line, or just run a new
underground line back to the 600 watt transformer, assuming it's large
enough

sorry your confusing wattage of 2 different voltage ratings.

20 amps at 120 volts is 2500 watts.........

but ratings change at 12 volts........

in any case is it possible the lamps are older somehow?

try a new bulb in a dim location before rewiring.........

lamps dim over time, this may fix you up..

wrote in message
...
On May 3, 7:42?am, "RBM" wrote:
wrote in message

...

I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

You don't specify the total connected wattage, but #12 is only good for 20
amps and a 600 watt transformer can handle up to 50 amps. You can't
connect
another transformer to the existing wiring, but you can cut the existing
wiring in half as Paul Franklin suggested, and either connect the second
half to a new transformer, fed by a new underground line, or just run a
new
underground line back to the 600 watt transformer, assuming it's large
enough

sorry your confusing wattage of 2 different voltage ratings.



600 watts divided by 12 volts = 50 amps @ 12 volts. # 12 cable is 20 amp and
doesn't change with the voltage







20 amps at 120 volts is 2500 watts.........

but ratings change at 12 volts........

in any case is it possible the lamps are older somehow?

try a new bulb in a dim location before rewiring.........

lamps dim over time, this may fix you up..

wrote:
On May 3, 7:42�am, "RBM" wrote:

wrote in message

...


I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

You don't specify the total connected wattage, but #12 is only good for 20
amps and a 600 watt transformer can handle up to 50 amps. You can't connect
another transformer to the existing wiring, but you can cut the existing
wiring in half as Paul Franklin suggested, and either connect the second
half to a new transformer, fed by a new underground line, or just run a new
underground line back to the 600 watt transformer, assuming it's large
enough


sorry your confusing wattage of 2 different voltage ratings.

20 amps at 120 volts is 2500 watts.........

but ratings change at 12 volts........

in any case is it possible the lamps are older somehow?

try a new bulb in a dim location before rewiring.........

lamps dim over time, this may fix you up..



Hmmm,
I got rid of all that. Switched to solar power.

RBM wrote:
wrote in message
...
I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

You don't specify the total connected wattage, but #12 is only good for 20
amps and a 600 watt transformer can handle up to 50 amps. You can't connect
another transformer to the existing wiring, but you can cut the existing
wiring in half as Paul Franklin suggested, and either connect the second
half to a new transformer, fed by a new underground line, or just run a new
underground line back to the 600 watt transformer, assuming it's large
enough
As the OP came from googlegroups (which
is filtered out) I only saw it quoted in
another reply. Depending on the number
of lamps, length of cable and wattage
(current) of each bulb, voltage drops do
occur as you go down the line. These
lamps gobble quite a bit of power. You
can solve the problem by using lower
wattage lamps and/or heavier wire. You
need to do the arithmetic of adding up
the wattage of each lamp to see if it
comes under the 600 watts the transformer
provides. But, as someone replied, 600
watt is 50 amps. If you are using all
600 watts, you need huge wires (8 gauge
or larger) to carry that load, or you need
to split the load. In all, we need more
info as to the number of lamps, wattage and
cable lengths.

I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Remove the first light and measure the voltage there. Then remove the last
light and measure the voltage there. If there is not much difference (say
less than 0.5V), it's not worth repairing. If the difference is greater than
2V, then you may want to do something.

Several solutions come to mind: replace the brighter bulbs with lower
wattage bulbs, or replace all of them with LED based bulbs -- saves you
electric cost too.

If the transformer is on one side of your driverway and the lights are on
the other side, then rewire the lights on the other side into a star network
instead of a bus network. But you'd be running a lot of wires. A compromise
is to group several lights into one group, and link each group using a star
connection. Use thicker wires for longer run.

Assuming your lights run on AC, you could insert a transformer before the
last few lights to raise the voltage a little. Let's say the voltage dropped
to 9V near the end, if you could find a transformer to raise 9V to 12V, then
it should help. But that is not a common part. A more likely part is a 120V
input to 9V and 12V output transformer. You could leave the 120V unused and
use the two outputs as a 9V to 12V transformer. Actually due to transformer
loss, you will get less than 12V this way. So perhaps use a 120V to 9V, 13V.
Then you have to figure out how to waterproof your transformer if it sits in
the soil.

If you are already exceeding the amp rating of the wires under your
driveway, then reducing the bulb wattage is the only safe solution.

On 5/3/2008 9:27 AM peter spake thus:

Assuming your lights run on AC, you could insert a transformer before the
last few lights to raise the voltage a little. Let's say the voltage dropped
to 9V near the end, if you could find a transformer to raise 9V to 12V, then
it should help. But that is not a common part.

"Not a common part"? I don't even know of anyone who makes such a thing
(you're basically talking about a 1:1.3 step-up transformer, which so
far as I know don't even exist, except perhaps in "Maybe-Land").

Anyhow, there are other solutions, as others have posted here.


--
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute
conversation with the average voter.

- Attributed to Winston Churchill

On Sat, 03 May 2008 10:11:31 -0700, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 5/3/2008 9:27 AM peter spake thus:

Assuming your lights run on AC, you could insert a transformer before the
last few lights to raise the voltage a little. Let's say the voltage dropped
to 9V near the end, if you could find a transformer to raise 9V to 12V, then
it should help. But that is not a common part.

"Not a common part"? I don't even know of anyone who makes such a thing
(you're basically talking about a 1:1.3 step-up transformer, which so
far as I know don't even exist, except perhaps in "Maybe-Land").

Anyhow, there are other solutions, as others have posted here.


http://www.phaseconverter.com/spbtransformer.html

There has been some very good advice given here on this question. But, if
there are no bad sockets or connections, and if the bulbs themselves aren't
defective, then I think the simple solution to this problem is to simply
install a very simple, low-cost booster transformer at the end of the line
(or at the point where the voltage gets too low). See the link with the
attachment. These small transformers are used when the voltage drop is too
low at the end of a 12 volt line. If the voltage is say, 9 volts at the
end of the line, this unit will boost it back up to 12 volts.

I am quite sure that Intermatic makes these as well.

James

The total wattage of all the lights combined is about 380W. I think
the contractor stringed them all on a single 12-2 wire. So the ones
furthest away from the transformer is pretty dim. The ones closest to
the transformer are pretty bright.

The total length of the cable is about 100'.

You mentioned that I may be able to attach another transformer at the
far end of the run, but I just need to make sure I connect the
positive polarity side of the wire to the positive side of the new
transformer, and ditto for the negative side. But there was another
person who mentioned that I should not do this.

I do have a spare 300W transformer that I can use on the far end, but
I just like to make sure it would not cause a fire hazard by having 2
transformers powering the same circuit.

wrote in message
...
The total wattage of all the lights combined is about 380W. I think
the contractor stringed them all on a single 12-2 wire. So the ones
furthest away from the transformer is pretty dim. The ones closest to
the transformer are pretty bright.

The total length of the cable is about 100'.

You mentioned that I may be able to attach another transformer at the
far end of the run, but I just need to make sure I connect the
positive polarity side of the wire to the positive side of the new
transformer, and ditto for the negative side. But there was another
person who mentioned that I should not do this.

I do have a spare 300W transformer that I can use on the far end, but
I just like to make sure it would not cause a fire hazard by having 2
transformers powering the same circuit.

You have 380 watts on a 600 watt transformer. You don't need another
transformer, you need to increase the conductor size feeding the lights or
split the lights between two separate cables, both coming from the same
transformer. You cannot connect a second transformer to the low voltage side
of the existing transformer, if that's what you had in mind. Tough as it may
be, you need to run another cable and split the circuit

What was said below is very true, but isn't it possible that it would be
much less work by adding a booster transformer at or near the far-end ?

James

--------------------------------

You have 380 watts on a 600 watt transformer. You don't need another
transformer, you need to increase the conductor size feeding the lights or
split the lights between two separate cables, both coming from the same
transformer. You cannot connect a second transformer to the low voltage side
of the existing transformer, if that's what you had in mind. Tough as it may
be, you need to run another cable and split the circuit

"James" wrote in message
news
What was said below is very true, but isn't it possible that it would be
much less work by adding a booster transformer at or near the far-end ?

James

The problem he has, is that he's pulling approximately 32 amps through a
cable rated at 20 amps. Even if the buck-boost that you linked to would
work, it would just be helping to cook the existing undersized wire

--------------------------------

You have 380 watts on a 600 watt transformer. You don't need another
transformer, you need to increase the conductor size feeding the lights or
split the lights between two separate cables, both coming from the same
transformer. You cannot connect a second transformer to the low voltage
side
of the existing transformer, if that's what you had in mind. Tough as it
may
be, you need to run another cable and split the circuit

On May 3, 4:16�pm, "RBM" wrote:
"James" wrote in message

news
What was said below is very true, but isn't it possible that it would be
much less work by adding a booster transformer at or near the far-end ?

James

The problem he has, is that he's pulling approximately 32 amps through a
cable rated at 20 amps. Even if the buck-boost that you linked to would
work, it would just be helping to cook the existing undersized wire





--------------------------------

You have 380 watts on a 600 watt transformer. You don't need another
transformer, you need to increase the conductor size feeding the lights or
split the lights between two separate cables, both coming from the same
transformer. You cannot connect a second transformer to the low voltage
side
of the existing transformer, if that's what you had in mind. Tough as it
may
be, you need to run another cable and split the circuit- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

could try tapping line as it crossed driveway and running a cable to
the other end tapping it into the circuit there.

this should elminate much of the voltage drop.

he can also add a extra transformer but it should be on the same
breaker the first transformer is, in case a breaker trips.

and should be in phase.

connect and try both ways after dark.

the one thatr looks best is in phase. out of phase will decrease
briteness

I would convewrt everything to LED lamps, savepower save money, save
having to change this

wrote:

On May 3, 7:42�am, "RBM" wrote:

wrote in message

...


I got a 600W Malibu low voltage transformer powering my landscape
lights. But some of the lights further from the transformer are not as
bright. I only have a single 12 gauge wire with all the lights
attached on it.

Can I attach another 300W transformer at the far end of the wire so
that the lights there will be brighter?

I cannot really run another wire from the 600W transformer, since much
of the wire run under concrete pathways and also my driveway.

Thanks

You don't specify the total connected wattage, but #12 is only good for 20
amps and a 600 watt transformer can handle up to 50 amps. You can't connect
another transformer to the existing wiring, but you can cut the existing
wiring in half as Paul Franklin suggested, and either connect the second
half to a new transformer, fed by a new underground line, or just run a new
underground line back to the 600 watt transformer, assuming it's large
enough


sorry your confusing wattage of 2 different voltage ratings.

20 amps at 120 volts is 2500 watts.........

but ratings change at 12 volts........

20 amps is/are still 20 amps


in any case is it possible the lamps are older somehow?

try a new bulb in a dim location before rewiring.........

lamps dim over time, this may fix you up..





--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

metspitzer wrote:

On Sat, 03 May 2008 10:11:31 -0700, David Nebenzahl
wrote:


On 5/3/2008 9:27 AM peter spake thus:


Assuming your lights run on AC, you could insert a transformer before the
last few lights to raise the voltage a little. Let's say the voltage dropped
to 9V near the end, if you could find a transformer to raise 9V to 12V, then
it should help. But that is not a common part.

"Not a common part"? I don't even know of anyone who makes such a thing
(you're basically talking about a 1:1.3 step-up transformer, which so
far as I know don't even exist, except perhaps in "Maybe-Land").

Anyhow, there are other solutions, as others have posted here.



http://www.phaseconverter.com/spbtransformer.html

That would require a primary feed on the "wrong" side of the driveway.

I thought the poster who proposed use of a transformer meant a step-up
arrangement which, as another poster has already pointed out, would
further load already overloaded wiring.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

wrote:

The total wattage of all the lights combined is about 380W. I think
the contractor stringed them all on a single 12-2 wire. So the ones
furthest away from the transformer is pretty dim. The ones closest to
the transformer are pretty bright.

The total length of the cable is about 100'.

You mentioned that I may be able to attach another transformer at the
far end of the run, but I just need to make sure I connect the
positive polarity side of the wire to the positive side of the new
transformer, and ditto for the negative side. But there was another
person who mentioned that I should not do this.

I do have a spare 300W transformer that I can use on the far end, but
I just like to make sure it would not cause a fire hazard by having 2
transformers powering the same circuit.

If you have 120V at the far end, just split the wire. I thought the
whole point of the exercise was that a driveway separated the lights
from the source of power.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

Thank you all for your input.

I spent the morning today tracing the buried wires and found the
junction where the single wire coming from the 600W transformer is
split into different branches running to different areas of the yard.
This junction is on the other side of the driveway from where the 600W
transformer is located.

I think I have found a good place to relocate the 600W transformer so
that it will be on the same side of the driveway as where this
junction is. My plan now is to run two 8 guage wires from the
relocated 600W transformer to this junction. Then let the existing
buried 12 gauge wires run from there to each spot. It will be hard for
me to change out the 12 gauge wires after the junction, since they
cross walkways and etc. But from the transformer to this junction, I
have a clear path... which is great news!
The two 8 gauge wires will each handle 1/2 the yard. The total length
of each leg is about 40' from transformer to the junction (8 gauge),
and then another 40' from junction to each spot (12 gauge). Most of
the light fixtures are after the junction.

By the way, I used my voltage meter to measure the voltage drop across
the 2 wires coming out from the transformer. I had expected to see 12V
across them, but I dont detect a voltage drop. But somehow it
works...
How do you measure the voltage at each spot of the run if I cannot
even detect a voltage drop across the 2 wires at the transformer?
Thanks for any tips....

wrote in message
...
Thank you all for your input.

I spent the morning today tracing the buried wires and found the
junction where the single wire coming from the 600W transformer is
split into different branches running to different areas of the yard.
This junction is on the other side of the driveway from where the 600W
transformer is located.

I think I have found a good place to relocate the 600W transformer so
that it will be on the same side of the driveway as where this
junction is. My plan now is to run two 8 guage wires from the
relocated 600W transformer to this junction. Then let the existing
buried 12 gauge wires run from there to each spot. It will be hard for
me to change out the 12 gauge wires after the junction, since they
cross walkways and etc. But from the transformer to this junction, I
have a clear path... which is great news!
The two 8 gauge wires will each handle 1/2 the yard. The total length
of each leg is about 40' from transformer to the junction (8 gauge),
and then another 40' from junction to each spot (12 gauge). Most of
the light fixtures are after the junction.

By the way, I used my voltage meter to measure the voltage drop across
the 2 wires coming out from the transformer. I had expected to see 12V
across them, but I dont detect a voltage drop. But somehow it
works...
How do you measure the voltage at each spot of the run if I cannot
even detect a voltage drop across the 2 wires at the transformer?
Thanks for any tips....

Use a volt meter. You shouldn't have any drop at the transformer, but with
the lights on, testing across the two conductors, you should get drop the
farther away from the transformer you go

I think I have found a good place to relocate the 600W transformer so
that it will be on the same side of the driveway as where this
junction is. My plan now is to run two 8 guage wires from the
relocated 600W transformer to this junction. Then let the existing
buried 12 gauge wires run from there to each spot. It will be hard for
me to change out the 12 gauge wires after the junction, since they
cross walkways and etc. But from the transformer to this junction, I
have a clear path... which is great news!

Bad news. If you merely shorten the distance from the transformer to the
junction, without changing the wiring after the junctions, this would
brighten all the lamps, so the downstream lamps will still be dimmer than
the closer one. Nevertheless, it is a safety improvement to change out the
overloaded 12 gauge wires. Perhaps your contractor would do this for free if
you could convince him the wires are overloaded. Is he even a licensed
electrician?

By the way, I used my voltage meter to measure the voltage drop across
the 2 wires coming out from the transformer. I had expected to see 12V
across them, but I dont detect a voltage drop. But somehow it
works...

You wouldn't happened to be using a DC meter to measure AC voltage?
"voltage drop" means a voltage on the same wire at the two ends, not the
output of a transformer. The output of the transformer should be 12V, and
the voltage drop on the wire from the transformer to the junction would
probably be less than 1V on each leg.

The two 8 gauge wires will each handle 1/2 the yard. The total length
of each leg is about 40' from transformer to the junction (8 gauge),
and then another 40' from junction to each spot (12 gauge). Most of
the light fixtures are after the junction.

So some of the light fixtures are before the junction?? By definition there
has to be a junction for the light to connect to.

How do you measure the voltage at each spot of the run if I cannot
even detect a voltage drop across the 2 wires at the transformer?
Thanks for any tips....

Home depot may have free classes in electrical wiring. You can then show the
instructor your wiring plan and get his blessing.

Stormin Mormon wrote:
Do the transformers supply AC or DC for the 12 volt power?

That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. Provision of DC requires what I would
call a power supply, rather than a transformer.

Rarely would one go to the trouble to provide DC for lighting -- what's
the benefit?

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

CJT wrote:
Stormin Mormon wrote:

Do the transformers supply AC or DC for the 12 volt power?

That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. Provision of DC requires what I would
call a power supply, rather than a transformer.

Rarely would one go to the trouble to provide DC for lighting -- what's
the benefit?

Hmmm,
DC? Forgot about Edison vs. Tesla?

Tony Hwang wrote:
....
Hmmm,
DC? Forgot about Edison vs. Tesla?

Hmmm...trying to recall who "won"...

--

On Sun, 04 May 2008 14:18:38 GMT, CJT wrote:

Stormin Mormon wrote:
Do the transformers supply AC or DC for the 12 volt power?

That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. Provision of DC requires what I would
call a power supply, rather than a transformer.

On this page it is clearly labeled DC Transformer:
http://www.pegasusassociates.com/Ele...ansformer.html

Rarely would one go to the trouble to provide DC for lighting -- what's
the benefit?

Less voltage drop over long distances and reduces radiated RFI.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

Don Wiss wrote:
On Sun, 04 May 2008 10:21:56 -0500, dpb wrote:

Tony Hwang wrote:
...
Hmmm,
DC? Forgot about Edison vs. Tesla?
Hmmm...trying to recall who "won"...

Tesla won. You can read about it he
....

Hmmm...score zero for sarcasm, I guess...

--

On Sun, 04 May 2008 10:21:56 -0500, dpb wrote:

Tony Hwang wrote:
...
Hmmm,
DC? Forgot about Edison vs. Tesla?

Hmmm...trying to recall who "won"...

Tesla won. You can read about it he
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Currents

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

CJT wrote:
....
That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. ...

Unless, of course, input is DC...

--

"dpb" wrote in message ...
Don Wiss wrote:
On Sun, 04 May 2008 10:21:56 -0500, dpb wrote:

Tony Hwang wrote:
...
Hmmm,
DC? Forgot about Edison vs. Tesla?
Hmmm...trying to recall who "won"...

Tesla won. You can read about it he
...

Hmmm...score zero for sarcasm, I guess...

Seems to me, Tesla won the first round, but when you compare their backers,
Westinghouse and General Electric, Edison won the war

--

RBM wrote:
"dpb" wrote in message ...
Don Wiss wrote:
On Sun, 04 May 2008 10:21:56 -0500, dpb wrote:

Tony Hwang wrote:
...
Hmmm,
DC? Forgot about Edison vs. Tesla?
Hmmm...trying to recall who "won"...
Tesla won. You can read about it he
...

Hmmm...score zero for sarcasm, I guess...

Seems to me, Tesla won the first round, but when you compare their backers,
Westinghouse and General Electric, Edison won the war

The technology of DC vis a vis AC for power distribution was the
question, not the future state of pioneering companies, though...

--

Tony Hwang wrote:

CJT wrote:

Stormin Mormon wrote:

Do the transformers supply AC or DC for the 12 volt power?

That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. Provision of DC requires what I would
call a power supply, rather than a transformer.

Rarely would one go to the trouble to provide DC for lighting -- what's
the benefit?

Hmmm,
DC? Forgot about Edison vs. Tesla?

No, but that was settled some time ago.

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Don Wiss wrote:

On Sun, 04 May 2008 14:18:38 GMT, CJT wrote:


Stormin Mormon wrote:

Do the transformers supply AC or DC for the 12 volt power?


That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. Provision of DC requires what I would
call a power supply, rather than a transformer.


On this page it is clearly labeled DC Transformer:
http://www.pegasusassociates.com/Ele...ansformer.html


That doesn't make it right.

Rarely would one go to the trouble to provide DC for lighting -- what's
the benefit?


Less voltage drop over long distances and reduces radiated RFI.


Maybe in a long haul high voltage transmission lines there might be a
significant difference, but not in Malibu lighting. That's like citing
skin effect in household wiring.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).


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dpb wrote:

CJT wrote:
...

That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. ...


Unless, of course, input is DC...

--

Good point. Then it will provide smoke.

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On 5/5/2008 6:50 AM Stormin Mormon spake thus:

Pulsating DC goes through a transformer.

But it would emerge (at the secondary) as (sorta) AC, strangely enough.
So it is essentially AC (a degenerate case, only half the wave). Real DC
cannot "go through" a transformer.


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conversation with the average voter.

- Attributed to Winston Churchill

On Mon, 5 May 2008 09:48:49 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

The benefit of providing DC for lighting, is that you can feed DC from both
ends of the wire.


AC should do this is wall as DC, it's just the phase (rather than
polarity) you have to pay attention to. I know I have seen circuits
with multiple AC sources connected together.

Of course transformer delivers AC, but I didn't feel like asking "does the
module containtaing a transformer have a rectification circuit, so that it
would provide DC, or is it simple secondary winding, providing 60 hertz AC
low voltage output"?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"CJT" wrote in message
...
Stormin Mormon wrote:
Do the transformers supply AC or DC for the 12 volt power?

That seems an odd way to pose such a question. A transformer without
more will _always_ provide AC. Provision of DC requires what I would
call a power supply, rather than a transformer.

Rarely would one go to the trouble to provide DC for lighting -- what's
the benefit?
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Unlike biological evolution. 'intelligent design' is
not a genuine scientific theory and, therefore, has
no place in the curriculum of our nation's public
school classes." -- Ted Kennedy