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These looked simple enough to put on the layout but now I'm not so sure.

Will this work?

Connect (twist/solder) the 2 yellow wires together, same for the black wires then connect to a terminal strip and the terminal strip to a transformer (A/C power). All the wires  have to be extended to reach the terminal strip.

OR

Run 2 bus lines (yellow/black) {the wires on the poles are 2 yellow and 2 black} connect the yellow(red) wires  to the red and the black wires to the black, the bus lines connect to the power supply.  Plan to use 20 gauge stranded wire of 24 gauge solid, don't know which would be better, have some of each.

Instructions indicate the use of a Fastrack Accessory power wire, I have this but don't understand if all the poles will be connected to one power wire of will I need 18.

There are 18 poles to install.

Thanks for the information

Brent

 

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Terminal strips are good for when you need to get at all of the lights wiring from a single location. They may be helpful to organize things together or if you plan to move the poles around on your layout.

The bus wire approach seems more natural to me since the wiring arrangement is parallel rather than serial. You just daisy-chain from one to another.

The one fastrack power outlet can do the whole job but I wouldn't recommend using track power if it can be avoided. It would be better to use another AC transformer or accessory power if you've got it.

Why are there four wires from the poles? The instruction manual shows 2.

I had to connect about a dozen street lamps on the Eagle Scout layout project.

 I chose the bus approach. Two power sources wires under the run where needed. I then used tap splice connectors (suitcase connectors) to connect the lamps. The small tap splices are the easiest way to go.

This reduced my under the layout time. It still took a while. I was on my back on an automotive creeper.

The red is 22-18 awg. Shop around.

here is one vendor only for the product detail

I don't recommend daisy chaining because it will increase the power draw through the lamps closer to the power source.

Adding to the factory leads for longer length definitely helps.

The spaghetti can be tied up after the connections are made.

The lights won't care which color is commom (U) or hot (A) , just keep it the same for all.

 

 

Last edited by Moonman

What Carl said. The wires are colored so you can be sure to keep the hot and ground the same on each pole.  Two pair of wires cause there are two bulbs(grain of wheat, not led).  You decide which wires hook to hot and ground, just make it the same on each.  Don’t make it more complicated than it is.

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Last edited by TedW

Thanks everyone, appreciate all the help/comments.

May I ask another question?

The bottom cover that the poles snap to appear to have a "knock out area"  to run the wire out the bottom of the stand instead of the side. Looks like the wires have some shrink  wrap on them, may be easier just to drill a small hole on the side to put the wires under the layout.

Is this a  correct assumption?

 

Brent

BReece posted:

Thanks everyone, appreciate all the help/comments.

May I ask another question?

The bottom cover that the poles snap to appear to have a "knock out area"  to run the wire out the bottom of the stand instead of the side. Looks like the wires have some shrink  wrap on them, may be easier just to drill a small hole on the side to put the wires under the layout.

Is this a  correct assumption?

 

Brent

Yes, I agree.  Although I don’t think it’s a knockout, just an injection molding mark .  The two existing holes are for screwing that base piece to layout.  It may be possible to carefully pull the wires back through the side to allow install straight down through the base piece, then through layout decking.  Need to drill a hole through the middle of that base of course.

878E9598-47FD-4C3C-9C32-65B778212865

9C8B4D40-8DE4-4F36-A12E-65129CE4529C

 

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Last edited by TedW

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