# Lemax Lights Adapter type ?????



## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

Ok guys like I said No money so I dug around some more and found this! 










I don't have the adapter but they work with 2 AAs. 
The Lemax says DC in 3V. 



















So will this phone charger work if I wire it up to the little plug I found? It says 5V output. 
Will it fry the string of lights? 
Can I add wire and extend this string to reach buildings, tunnels etc..
I am going to go look through more Xmas stuff and find the other battery powered string I have a few still new from last year. A few of the are the LED type. These don't have a plug for an adapter but I am willing to sacrafice them and try and wire them to some sort of power source. 
The ones pictured above aren't too bright but that would be OK for building interiors. 

Thanks in advance (again) for any help. Please don't let me make you nuts T-Man! :laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Obviously, those will work, and you could extend the wires just splicing them 1:1 with the existing set of lights. The 5V will do the trick, find a wall-wart with a matching plug. I keep all the old chargers for things when they die, then I have an assortment to dig through when an application like this comes up.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

WOW! :thumbsup: How cool is that
I love it when a plan comes together 
Bob


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

OK wired the power pack direct inside it and it works but I think they are too dim for inside buildings. I was messing with XMas lights. Shortened up a string and it got REALLY BRIGHT! For about 20 minutes. Then they were done. :laugh::laugh:


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Uh-oh.....T-Man where are you? Calling T-Man....Calling T-Man....
Sheeeeeeze, that's EXACTLY why I buy the store-bought stuff! I've fried way too many gizmos over the years 
Hang in there, we'll get you lit 
Bob


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Rule #1 in electronics is if you let the smoke out it's not good!:dunno:
Yea LED's in an arrangement like that are very susceptible to disaster when you change voltage and amperage!:knock_teeth_out:
Do you need some electronic intervention???:sly:
Someone to hook you up???:smokin:
I don't have any white LED's so box up a handful of flashlight's and send them to me, I'll do some magic and set them up for you and even include the power supply for them!!!


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

PM headed your way Sean!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I guess I am too late.

The Lemax is decorative stuff and not good for buildings interior lighting. The Xmas replacement bulbs at 2.5 volts should work fine for buildings.
Now sting lighting can be a strange animal they are wired in sets and you need to figure out what sets. That is why I suggested 8 bulbs in a string.

Many options exists and you start with a certain bulb and what you want to power it with.

If you find a string of lights in the neighbors garbage get it!


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

T-Man said:


> I guess I am too late.
> 
> The Lemax is decorative stuff and not good for buildings interior lighting. The Xmas replacement bulbs at 2.5 volts should work fine for buildings.
> Now sting lighting can be a strange animal they are wired in sets and you need to figure out what sets. That is why I suggested 8 bulbs in a string.
> ...


Yea Tman they aren't bright enough. hwell:

The XMas lights were standard WalMart type mini lights. I used 20 wired in series and they were bright then died after a few hours. 
So try 8 on a plug? 
I have many extra strings of Xmas lights I can scrap! :thumbsup::laugh:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

8 on the acc power terminals on your transformer. Not wall plug.

You may have had 20 on a string but no way to know how they were wired up. They have three wires just to confuse you.
What transformer do you have?


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

T-Man said:


> 8 on the acc power terminals on your transformer. Not wall plug.
> 
> You may have had 20 on a string but no way to know how they were wired up. They have three wires just to confuse you.
> What transformer do you have?


OK TMan I will try 8 on the ACC side of a TYCO power pack. :thumbsup: 

On the others I removed the 3rd wire and just did a basic "Series" type wiring. So it might have worked on a transformer huh? 
OK i have more I can burn out. :laugh: 

At first I searched through all of them looking for a single end not a end-to-end type with the 3rd wire. So I just cut it out.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Burning out is half the fun,

Those mini lights use 2.5 volts 8 of them in series is 20 volts. These work on AC current I hope we are not discussing mini mini lights but the standard two lead bulb that fits in a plastic holder and jams into the string lighting.

Test it out, then you can add wire and use one or two bulbs in a building.

I used LEDS in a tin station and needed eight of them. This way you get more light from a common source.

Give it some time, it will make sense.

Today it's volt output at 20 plus voltage required. 8 bulbs at 2.5 volts in series need 20 volts. If you want to dim them use the DC side of the transformer! Experiment!!!!!!!!


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

OK TMan! I think I got it!  

So any more than eight and it will dim the string?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Bravo!!!!:appl::appl::appl::appl:

Yes one more will dim, but it will extend the bulb life.


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

T-Man said:


> Bravo!!!!:appl::appl::appl::appl:
> 
> Yes one more will dim, but it will extend the bulb life.


Excellent! Thank for the help T-Man:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: 

Looks like I have a use for the 3 little toy transformers I have been saving.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

T-Man said:


> 8 on the acc power terminals on your transformer. Not wall plug.


Now why did you go and tell him that, It would have been much better on 120V. Cooked hair and all!:laugh::laugh::laugh:
CP,your in good hands with the T-Man at the wheel!:thumbsup:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Lesson Two

They are incandescent lights and they get hot. So don't melt any plastic.
One added light may run cooler too!

Burning. melting, ......All in a day of trains!


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