When I put an 88-watt transformer on it, the first light was dim, the second
was even dimmer, and the third and fourth were not even lit. Thinking it was
an under powered transformer, I tried a 200-watt transformer. The results
were the same.
What can I do?
I'm using these lights as accent lighting under eaves in the front of my
house. I ran the wire just inside the attic and would rather not "re-wire",
unless that is the only way to get the lights to work properly.
Someone mentioned that I may not have enough load on the system and to add
more load (read: more lights). I can't add more lights because of the
purpose of these lights.
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
--
J. Les Gainous
email: mailto:lesgainous@UN_SPAM_earthlink_A_B_C_.net
web: http://home.earthlink.net/~lesgainous
(remove the "UN_SPAM_" and "_A_B_C_" from my email address to send to me
directly)
KenKM wrote in message <19990531220907...@ng-bd1.aol.com>...
>You may have a short or 'partial short' somewhere after the second light.
Does
>the transformer get unusually warm? This condition is dropping the voltage
>because of the unusually large current draw.
>Whoever told you to add more load is just plain wrong.
Ken
>Actually, yes, the transformer does get a bit warm. Is that an indication of
>a short?
>
You can check for a short in your cable by disconnecting it from the
transformer and attaching the leads of an ohmmter to the free ends of
the cable. It should read zero (infinity) or close to it. If the
needle jumps appreciably, it indicates a short somewhere along the
cable which feeds the individual lights. If this is the case, replace
the cable.
>Actually, yes, the transformer does get a bit warm. Is that an indication of
>a short?
>
Sorry. I forgot to mention in my post that you must take the bulbs
out before you make the test or it won't be accurate.
The 88W transformer is better than the 200W, for this application.
"J. Les Gainous" wrote:
>
> I have 60 feet of 16-gauge low-voltage wire (using Malibu lighting). The
> distance from the transformer to the first of four lights is 30 feet. These
> lights are 7-watt bulbs each. The distance from that first light to the
> fourth light is 30 feet, as well.
>
> When I put an 88-watt transformer on it, the first light was dim, the second
> was even dimmer, and the third and fourth were not even lit. Thinking it was
> an under powered transformer, I tried a 200-watt transformer. The results
> were the same.
>
> What can I do?
>
> I'm using these lights as accent lighting under eaves in the front of my
> house. I ran the wire just inside the attic and would rather not "re-wire",
> unless that is the only way to get the lights to work properly.
>
> Someone mentioned that I may not have enough load on the system and to add
> more load (read: more lights). I can't add more lights because of the
> purpose of these lights.
>
> Any help would be appreciated!
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> J. Les Gainous
> email: mailto:lesgainous@UN_SPAM_earthlink_A_B_C_.net
> web: http://home.earthlink.net/~lesgainous
> (remove the "UN_SPAM_" and "_A_B_C_" from my email address to send to me
> directly)
--
--------------------------------------------------
Terry Neafie
Account Support Engineer Milwaukee WI
sgi Inc. PHONE: 414.827.4661
nea...@sgi.com VNET: 645.1450
www.sgi.com FAX: 414.827.4662
--------------------------------------------------
I had the very end of the wires (opposite the transformer) connected to each
other. Not knowing any better, I simply stripped them and twisted them
together and wrapped electrical tape around the twist. When I cut the end
cleanly (and re-wrapped) without the two wires connected, the lights lit up
nice and bright!
I thought the the lights wouldn't work, period, when the two ends connected?
Kinda odd that the first two worked (albeit very dimly).
Oh well, good thing I didn't blow the circuit breakers (or even worse...)!
Thanks everyone for your help and insight!
--
Les
J. Les Gainous wrote in message <7iv7jq$n3k$1...@oak.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
Ken
J. Les -- did you do that test yet???
--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from hanc...@nospamhome.com
Home Page: http://members.home.net/hancockr
J. Les Gainous <lesgainous@UN_SPAM_earthlink_A_B_C_.net> wrote in message
news:7j505a$q5v$1...@ash.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Glad you're all set.
Ken
>Yes, I figured it out. I'm an idiot when it come to electricity! <sheepish
>grin>
*snip*
>Oh well, good thing I didn't blow the circuit breakers (or even worse...)!
I can tell you never had a model train when you were a kid... (:
that's where I learned all about electricity and circuits and stuff--
and how you never hooked the track to the Base Post and the 15 Volt
Post-- but always to the Base Post and the 7-15 Volt Post.
The nice thing about low voltage systems is that they're low voltage--
you'd probably have to work to do a lot of damage or shock yourself.
If I remember how it goes:
You always hire the experienced person because they won't make
mistakes.
You only get experience by making misteaks. (;
--Paul E Musselman
Pau...@ix.netcom.nospam.com