BatteryCharger
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have a shop in an industrial park where it gets very dark and lonely at night. There's been a meth problem recently. My shop is in dark corner with some woods behind it, a perfect target.
Anyway, I'm trying to add as much outdoor lighting as I can with the least watts possible. (It's already 3kw just to flip the light switch on!) In the outdoor areas I'd like to run low voltage 12v lines to power multiple lights. I have a "landscape" light setup at home with regular incan bulbs and a 12v AC transformer. I would like to use the same type of 12v AC outdoor transformer with a timer, to which I will attach some custom LED lights.
Is there any reason landscape lighting uses 12v AC instead of DC? Is it just because it's cheaper to make an AC transformer, and incan bulbs don't care...or is there some reason it's better for running power cables?
I'm either going to rectify the AC at the output and run 12v DC lines...or add the rectifier to the individual LEDs. Which would be better?
Anyway, I'm trying to add as much outdoor lighting as I can with the least watts possible. (It's already 3kw just to flip the light switch on!) In the outdoor areas I'd like to run low voltage 12v lines to power multiple lights. I have a "landscape" light setup at home with regular incan bulbs and a 12v AC transformer. I would like to use the same type of 12v AC outdoor transformer with a timer, to which I will attach some custom LED lights.
Is there any reason landscape lighting uses 12v AC instead of DC? Is it just because it's cheaper to make an AC transformer, and incan bulbs don't care...or is there some reason it's better for running power cables?
I'm either going to rectify the AC at the output and run 12v DC lines...or add the rectifier to the individual LEDs. Which would be better?