Questions about Cable:
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Q. How far can I run a low voltage cable from a transformer to a garden lighting product?
A.
Cable loses voltage according to its length and the number & size of lamps you connect to it. Check Voltage Drop Chart to see how far each size cable can run, and work with-in the limits of the cable. The maximum distance to run a 50W lamp on a 10mm cable is 164m. To run 2x50W lamps the maximum distance is 82m.Q. How many low voltage garden lighting products can I connect to one cable?
A. Adding too many lights onto one cable increases cable voltage drop and reduces the distance the cable can be run before the loss of voltage dims the garden lighting products too much. When selecting the cable always check the distance the cable is to run against the Voltage Drop Chart and specify an appropriate cable size. You are more limited by the size of the transformer than the cable connected to it. A 300W transformer will only supply 300W of power, so whether that is distributed to 3x100W lamps or 30x10W lamps is for you to decide.
Voltage drop chart
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Load in Watts |
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Maximum Cable lenght 4mm cable |
Maximum Cable lenght 6mm cable |
Maximium Cable lenght 10mm cable |
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50w 100w 150w 200w 250w 300w |
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66 33 22 16 13 11 |
102 50 34 24 20 16 |
164 82 54 40 32 26 |
Q. How can I get the cable under an existing path?
A. To get the wire under the path without disturbing the path, use a hose and hard piece of pipe. Dig a hole either side of the path. Fit the hose to the pipe and turn the hose on full. Ram the pipe under the path, moving it back and forth so that the water from the hose and the ramming of the pipe will force the pipe through to the other side, making a hole for the cable. Remove the pipe and thread the cable through.