A Menards supply is 4.5V, and an LED strip rated for 12-18V probably won't light up.

A Woodland Scenic power supply is 24V natively- too high for this strip. https://woodlandscenics.woodla....com/show/item/JP-PS

If using the hub, the FAQ advises against using 3rd party devices and notes this limitation:

What is the voltage for each Light Hub Port?

Again, the information you gave is slightly vague, we don't know 100% the exact details of the specific strips you bought, just a very generalized specification "They're 6 LED Adhesive 12-18 Volts."

This would imply that they have built in current limiting, and are designed around a source voltage of 12-18V.

We can look up the details of both power supplies you mentioned, but without model numbers- again there is some vagueness and guessing going on what you actually meant.

Again, in general Menards buildings plug and play are designed around a 4.5V supply system and the wall adapters they sell come in different current capacity, but all (to my knowledge) are 4.5V DC output.

Using a Woodland Scenic power supply and hub from the just plug series, it appears we have a source voltage of higher than we need, however an output basically is a current limited source, so it adjusts and limits the current to that level.

On face value, that might imply this strip maybe lights on a controlled current limited output from a Woodland scenics light hub- but that configuration is not "officially" supported. I don't think anything bad will happen, it just is a scenario of it works or it doesn't.

On the same online auction site, are sales for power supplies. Go back and look for one that puts out 12VDC at the minimum current you need.  Some are very small, the size of a pack of smokes, and are not very expensive.  Mean Well supplies are very good and don't put out RFI that can interfere with radios.  These units require an AC connection you have to hard wire to it, if you want an  ON/OFF switch, you will have to wire that in too, and this will be exposed, so you will have to protect that area to avoid getting across 115VAC.  Something as simple as a 4X4 metal electrical box, the size  for a pair of switches or outlets, will keep it safe  from kids and pets.  The cheapest way to wire the AC is to buy a $2 extension cord and cut off the socket end, strip back the insulation, tin the copper leads, or use crimp on lugs to hook to the supply.  If you want  ON/OFF, get one of those line cord switches where you cut one wire at a convenient spot for the switch, and screw it onto the cord where it makes electrical connections via two sharp pins that puncture the insulation and make contact.  Put it in the side of the line cord that is the 'Hot' side, this will be the one hooked to the smaller of the two plug blades.  Normally, the supply has an internal line fuse.  It is up to you if you want to use a 3 wire cord and hook up the ground, I use several of these units, and none are grounded, but they are also inaccessible and out of the way.

@Gene H posted:

Hi everyone, I ordered some Adhesive LED Strips in an online auction site. And wonder if they are ok to use with A Menards or Woodland  Scenic Power supply? They're 6 LED Adhesive 12-18 Volts.

Thanks in advance Gene

@Gene H posted:

Hi everyone, I ordered some Adhesive LED Strips in an online auction site. And wonder if they are ok to use with A Menards or Woodland  Scenic Power supply? They're 6 LED Adhesive 12-18 Volts.

Thanks in advance Gene

I buy light strips from Amazon. LED on a roll 24 v ac. I use them everywhere on my layout and in passenger cars. Best of all no converter needed. Best of all they are nice and dim at 16 v.

CT CAPETRONIX Warm White LED Strip Light,16.4 Feet 24 Volt LED Light Strip, 3000K Super Bright LED Tape Light, for Bedroom, Kitchen, Closet, Cabinet, Vanity Mirror, Indoor Only, (Dimmer Included)

Thank you, I'll check them out.

I want to thank everyone for their help.

I like to pair the 12V LED strips with my LED Lighting Regulator, that gives me flicker-free performance of the lighting, not to mention an adjustment pot so I can set the intensity to my desires.  They're also DCS compatible and won't affect the DCS track signal.

You'll find that bare LED strips without a capacitor buffer will demonstrate more flicker than incandescent bulbs as they have no thermal lag, when they lose power, the light go out in microseconds!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I like to pair the 12V LED strips with my LED Lighting Regulator, that gives me flicker-free performance of the lighting, not to mention an adjustment pot so I can set the intensity to my desires.  They're also DCS compatible and won't affect the DCS track signal.

You'll find that bare LED strips without a capacitor buffer will demonstrate more flicker than incandescent bulbs as they have no thermal lag, when they lose power, the light go out in microseconds!

Very true, I did forget to mention I add a cap to smooth out the dibs, my bad

@ThatGuy posted:

Very true, I did forget to mention I add a cap to smooth out the dibs, my bad

I don't see how a cap works without at least a diode to rectify to DC!  Better is obviously a bridge so you aren't creating a DC bias on the tracks with the half-wave rectification.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I don't see how a cap works without at least a diode to rectify to DC!  Better is obviously a bridge so you aren't creating a DC bias on the tracks with the half-wave rectification.

Correct John I did not spell out the whole process. I was just giving a general statement.

I’ve found that the LED options on Evans Design has everything I need. Yeah, you could build your own for slightly less, but why bother. The only issue I have with their products is that the shrink tubing isn’t always tight around the connections. I sometimes get out my heat gun to shrink it more. However if the connection comes apart (only happened once), they will replace it.