If I use a AT computer power supply or an ATX computer power supply, how do I hook my Building wires to it? Is there any tutorials that would help me found on the internet and where?
I would take a voltmeter to the various outputs, and see what voltages are available. 12 volts would be the ideal voltage, simply because most of the available bulbs are 12 volts.
I don’t know of any tutorials but here’s what I do with mine. I’m assuming your lights are 12v-16v. I connect my structure wires to the four-wire plugs that were used to power the computers disk drives (this includes the hard drives). Looking at the plug so that the holes in it are pointing upward and the yellow wire is on the left the approximate voltage of the wires is as follows. Yellow = 12v+, 1st black = 5v-, 2nd black = 12v-, red = 5v+. Almost all my structure lights are of the 16v variety, only two of my structures take 5 volts. I have the 16 volt lights connected to the yellow and 2nd black wires (12v+ and 12v-) and the 5 volt light sets are connected to the red and 1st black wires (5v+ and 5v-). Right now I have 22 structures connected to two plugs, sixteen on one and six on the other and it’s not even starting to strain. The supply I’m using is in the low range, about 200 watts. It’s been running my layout lights for over ten years.
With the AT power supply you don’t need to put a load on it to have it work, just turn it on and forget it. The ATX power supply needs a load on it or it will turn off after a few seconds.
please check the “Electronics and DCC Forum” as this subject belong there. I my self have posted in the said forum about just this subject. Just search and ye shall find.
Never mind.
This might help. It’s a link to Rob Paisely’s site, specifically to a discussion on how to use an AT supply.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/ATpsu.html
Mike Tennent