Menards vdc 4.5

From the Woodland Scenics website. their power supply (wall wart) is rated 24 volts DC output:

JP5772 - Power Supply UK -
INPUT: 230VAC, 50Hz
OUTPUT to light hubs: 24VDC, 1000mA  The Light Hub output would have to be measured with a volt meter to see the voltage output to lights.

If the output to Woodland Scenics lights is 24VDC I would not connect Menard's lights to the same place.

The Menard's lighting power supply puts out 4.5 volts DC output Menard's lights are rated for 4.5 volts DC. 

wow Susan, im more confused now then i was before i put this on the forum ?? The question is will a building made by benards 4/5dc work thru  (Just PLug by woodland scenics ????

Susan is pointing out that the “Just Plug” output is 24 volts while the Menard’s buildings are 4.5 volts.  So the answer is no.  You could use a buck converter to bring the 24vdc down to 4.5vdc.

Menards has their own power supplies 4.5 volt, a single cord or a triple cord power supply is available at Menards $8 to $10. If you use any thing that puts out higher voltage, you’ll burn out the light quickly. DC current is direct current, AC is alternating current.  You do not want AC. Good luck, Menards makes some nice buildings. 

Ok , good , i think im getting somewhere now, i understand that menards is vdc4.5 and that woodland scenics is also vdc power only 24 v. but also that woodland scenics  JUst plug allows you to reduce down the voltage with there  out put box that they use to distribute the power to the individual houses . Am i correct with this ?

also to leapinlarry, not sure where the ac power you mentioned came from. arent  both menard and woodland scenics both vdc ,thanks

Pete: I have some Woodland Scenics buildings that I got for Christmas. I looked into their distribution system (the Just Plug style output box) which allows hookup to individual LEDs and structures. As you said the brightness can be adjusted from the control box. But this is NOT compatible with the Menards buildings, at least as far as I know.

If you've got a Digital Multimeter (Ohm-meter), find out what voltage you are getting from the Woodland Scenics distribution box for the individual connections. They may turn out to be in a usable range of values. Then again, it may put out Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to vary the brightness. That makes it tricky.

Thanks Leo, that makes sense, i will give it a try to see.

Hey, thanks for that discussion. Great stuff. I have numerous Woodland Scenic builds and some Menards building. In the course of redesigning my layout, I was thinking about the same issue. You solved it before I got started. Thank you. It’s great to connect with experts who know what they’re doing.

Here’s a few pictures for thought, the 4.5 adapter with three extensions. I recommend using the proper equipment for all electrical applications. This was a great Question, great responses. Good luck. 

From the FAQ for Woodland Scenics Light Hub:

Repeating what others have said, Menards buildings are not compatible with the WS Light Hub.  Yes, there are some circumstances or special situations where a particular Menards building might work but then it becomes an exercise of threading the needle.

If curious about what's under-the-hood of a Light Hub, see this OGR thread.