Blown Big W transformer.

cleevesinoz

newbie here
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Messages
24
Location
Huntingdale
Last night I had 16 Big W lights sets blow !!!!!!!
After testing this morning the 16 sets of lights work but the plug in transformer doesn't,
Any Ideas to what may have caused it as other lights on the same channel still work.
My problem now is there is no way to replace the transformer without buying new lights so is thhere a way I can fix them without buying new lights.


Thanks
 

cleevesinoz

newbie here
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Jan 11, 2011
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24
Location
Huntingdale
Am using LOR but set the lights only for on/off and all worked fine last year and for the first week this year
 

David_AVD

Grandpa Elf
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If they are the newer style lightweight (switchmode) plugpacks they probably won't like being switched on and off all the time.

If they are the old style heavy (iron core) plugpacks you can get away with switching as long as it's not super rapid.

I'm not sure why the older style ones would have died if you didn't dim them.

I threw away most of my Big W transformers, but should still have some in a box somewhere. It's likely that other membes also have a bunch of them laying about collecting dust.
 

Habbosrus

Back again
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Dec 5, 2012
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Swansea, NSW
I have a few of the transformers. They're yours if you want them. You'd be better off doing as David suggested and getting a dc controller, wouldn't you?
 

gerry

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Dec 19, 2012
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Surrey Hills,Melbourne
I too have a few transformers that I have removed . Not sure about the specs, but I can check. U can have them - I can look for them if u wish.
 

Beacy

It's so much better on the dark side
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Jun 10, 2010
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Hate to say it but maybe its time to ditch the dangerous 240V LOR that fry people and buy a DC board off Alan (AAH) .... (I bought the last of David's) and your problems will be solved .... may work out a cheaper option too and will allow for cheaper and eqasier expanion in the future
 

uppitt

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Dec 21, 2010
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I probably have some spare transformers as well, as I normally join 2 strings (400 LEDs) off the one transformer. They just will be a little bulky to ship, but yours if you pay for postage.


David, why can't you use the MFC if you go with a 30V transformer? This was something I was thinking of doing, but still using the same cabling with the MFC.


Tim
 

David_AVD

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uppitt said:
David, why can't you use the MFC if you go with a 30V transformer? This was something I was thinking of doing, but still using the same cabling with the MFC.

You certainly could use the existing strings and MFCs with a 24V AC transformer. In fact that's exactly what I used to do before I switched to computer controlled lights.

My comment was that you can't use a 30V DC power supply with the MFCs. The reason is they require AC power as they derive the timing from the 50Hz mains frequency. If you feed them DC they just sit there doing nothing.
 
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