Question on Menards O-gauge building power adaptors

Paul,

Each feed wire is about 30" long but you can simply cut, and splice to make them any length you'd like.

I hope that helps!
-Mark the Menards Train Guy

And the barrel connector is available on ebay to make connections as long as need with some 22AWG 2 strand wire.  

For 99 cents and up (free shipping) there are splitter cables or extension cables in varying lengths.  Then you don't have to strip wires, solder, whatever...

This is a little confusing...from the Menards buildings - some require adaptor #4002 or 4005, while some require 4005 or 4006. I don't see the 4002 for sale anymore, only 4005 and 4006.

I already have one 4002 (3 wire) and one 4005 (1-wire).

There must be a reason why some buildings say use or another adaptor, but not the 3rd?

4002 is obsolete.  The 3-output 4002 had an unregulated output voltage as reported in several OGR threads.  It was replaced by the 3-output 4006 (4.5V DC 2000 mA, $9.99). 

The single-output 4005 (4.5V DC, 1000 mA, $7.99).

One would think Menards would provide some guidance on the mA requirements for different buildings.  If a 3-output 2000 mA adapter is meant to power 3 buildings, does that mean each building is about 650 mA?  It would seem some buildings would require more mA than others.

From an earlier thread:

Thanks Stan for the heads up on 4002. I will ask Menards if I can get a credit for the one I bought.

FWIW, I contacted Menards today and a polite man told me using the older 4002 adaptor - the one with unregulated voltage output, is fine and will not harm the electronics. What exactly does unregulated mean - that voltage and/or amps are not regulated in output from adaptor, or what?

Menards posted:

Paul,

Each feed wire is about 30" long but you can simply cut, and splice to make them any length you'd like.

I hope that helps!
-Mark the Menards Train Guy

Is 22AWG the appropriate wire to use when splicing it?

Panther97 posted:

Is 22AWG the appropriate wire to use when splicing it?

No electrical engineer here.....but that's what I'd use. We are talking under 6 volts and LED's do not draw huge AMPs.....not like we are powering 100's of LED's. 

Paul Kallus posted:

...What exactly does unregulated mean - ...?

Many people were checking the voltage output of the unregulated units and found to their horror that they were putting out ~18 volts sometimes and were refraining from using them. That was, however, with no load. When connected to a load within their specified range, the output is very close to that stated in the specifications. The open circuit voltage reading can be very misleading on an unregulated power supply.

Thanks, Rob.

Hi Guys - I just bought Herman's Sauerkraut Factory at Menards and on the back of the box it stated it uses #289-4005 or #289-4006 4.5V AC adapter.  I saw an adapter at Lowe's - it was one adapter with 3 plugs ($15.99 less any Christmas discount) - good deal.

Paul