Ok will the new modular layout well under way I’ve been holding off on wiring up the buildings. On my last layout I just run all accessories to a block terminal and run that to a 80 watt transformer. But now with building, Miller engineerinn billboards I’m a Curious I there is a certain way I should wire it all up.
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Why not ask Miller Engineering? They should be able to help you out.
Miller has had a lot of variations of lights. Aside from not skipping ballasts or other needed regulation, or DC +polarity only, no ac , etc... no "special way" I've heard of.
You should add an accessory buss to your mudules
What we found was that a lot of the newer accessories have their own power supplies. This animation module has several accessories that required 120 volt plug strips, (2), for the wall wart transformers, included with the accessories. The backhoe is animated.
Backside/underside of the module.
Red, White, Blue, Black are (4) track circuits, Note the speakers part of the Crabby Matt's dinner.
All the millers take 4.5 vdc. I run a regulated buss of 4.5 vdc for the signs.
cjack: not quite. some are 3V - i have 3 of the 3V ones along with 10 of the 4.5V. but you are correct for the most part - the 'bigger' ones are all 4.5
Oh thanks. Didn't know that. I take it those are like window signs, etc?
cjack posted:Oh thanks. Didn't know that. I take it those are like window signs, etc?
not sure if it's only window signs that are 3v - the only ones that I have which are 3V are window signs though. sorry i don't know the full answer
I also like their #4804 converter module for only $12.95.
With it, you can use track power or any AC or DC input power from 5 - 17 volts and it will output the correct voltage for up to 6 of their signs - almost a no-brainer.
Thank you all for the help, sadly words are not strong point. What I should have said before is how are you all powering all of your accessories.
Presumably in you original post, when you say wiring buildings, you're talking about lighting. If this is a new layout, and if by modular one can infer that size matters (a bit a least)...then I'd go with DC. This photo recycled from an earlier OGR thread contrasts the size and weight of a 100W AC-output brick vs. a 90W DC-output brick.
DC bricks can be had for about 10 cents per Watt (or less). The 90 Watt DC brick is less than $10 shipped - and has a selector switch to set the DC output voltage. Then, use $1 DC-to-DC converter modules to convert to whatever DC lighting voltage you need. 12V DC for LED lighting strips, 4.5V DC for Menards, Lemax, Miller, and so on.
Attachments
I use a variety of ways and voltages from 3v-18v. 3vdc+3vDC½wave) from 5vac, 4v ½wave from 5vac, 9vdc from 11-12vac. 12vdc from 15vac. 17v ½wave from 18vac
AC is rectified to uncapped DC with a bridge rectifier or sometimes "half wave DC" with a small diode or two in series on the circuit.
I'd run a 5v ac and 12v, 14v, or 18v accessory buses and step down voltage &/or convert to DC at each module as needed. That would be pretty universal.