Platform and Street Lights

[port perran]

As you may know, electrics and I don't mix at all (it is a completely black hole as far as I'm concerned) but I'd like to install street & platform lights and also install (eventually) lights in buildings.
I had a set of street lights for Christmas but..........how do I wire them up to make them work ? What do I need ?
They are 12v ...........please respond in completely "non technical" terms !

[EtchedPixels]

LED or bulb lights ?

LED is slightly more complicated but not a lot.

[port perran]

Bulb.....I think.

[ozzie Bill.]

If you have any packaging, can you please post all the "tech" details as this will help in giving the answer. Bill.

[scotsoft]

A picture would help greatly 

cheers John.

[upnick]

Another idea  i  used with these  Ratio   lights .............   the  main   part of the  streetlamp  has had  brass  tube added with  SMD's   in  the  light part  on motor wind wire,   the light   over the  doors is  also an  SMD 

[port perran]

Here's the picture....

They came from Joe Kyte and all it says on the packet is 12v.
Can I just wire them to a battery or can I use a controller - if so do I need something complicated like a resistor ?

[scotsoft]

I am sure those are bulbs so all you need do is apply 12V for them to illuminate 

cheers John.

[Jerry Howlett]

Here's the picture....

They came from Joe Kyte and all it says on the packet is 12v.
Can I just wire them to a battery or can I use a controller - if so do I need something complicated like a resistor ?

I have emailed Joe kyte in the past and got a very rapid response if in doubt try him.

Jerry

[Oldun]

As 'most' controllers have a 16v fixed output, I have in the past used one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370865738133?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D370865738133%26_rdc%3D1

[weave]

Hi Port Perran,

Glad you posted this as am crap at electrics too and was thinking about getting some lights for platforms and a seafront promenade.

No offence to the guys who have answered but unless I'm getting it wrong, I'm still in the dark (literally). Don't want to answer for you but certainly for me, need a real 'idiot's guide' which is what I thought you asked for.

I'm a gardener and if someone asked about 'how to prune roses' I wouldn't answer 'buy some secateurs and prune them'.

Prob being unfair. Got man flu so bit tetchy. Happy Christmas everyone. Good luck with the lights and hope I can learn too.

Cheers weave

[port perran]

I'm glad I'm not alone because I too am none the wiser.
Is there (as Weave suggests) a guide to this.
I still have no real idea as to how to make the lights work I'm afraid (but thanks to those who have replied anyway).

[Agrippa]

It's basically the same as Xmas treelights with bulbs. One wire to the + and one to the -
and join the lights in a chain. (In series) . I can't remember the effect of several bulbs if they will give full brightness, forgotten the formula years ago but try a dry run on the bulbs with
crocodile clips to see the effect before fitting them to the layout. If you don't want to do
wiring you could always use fibre optics and only 1 bulb would be needed.

[NeMo]

I can't remember the effect of several bulbs if they will give full brightness, forgotten the formula years ago...

There's not really a formula as such. Just the fact that *when in series* each component shares the voltage equally assuming each component is identical. So if you have 16 volts:

• One bulb would get 16 Volts
• Two bulbs would get 8 Volts each
• Three bulbs would get 5.3 Volts each
• Four would get 4 Volts, and so on...

So as you add each bulb to the series, the bulbs get dimmer.

That's why Christmas tree bulbs (rated at 12 Volts) work off mains voltage (about 230-240 Volts). On their own, mains would blow them up (dramatically, I'd expect) but in groups of 20 per series, they're fine. That is, of course, why the whole chain of bulbs going out when one bulb is removed (or faulty) is a design feature, not a flaw!

Cheers, NeMo

[Leo1961]

Forgive the simplicity of the sketch below, but you did say keep it simple 








So you provide the 12 volt power supply from your controller if it has a spare one, or any 12 volt uncontrolled supply that you may have lying around ( e.g. old phone chargers etc ) and then with a simple on/off switch you can control the lights being illuminated or off.  If you want to experiment with different levels of bulb brightness then just replace the switch with a potentiometer from Maplins ( other electronic supply shops are available  ).

Can't think of how to make it any simpler, so good luck