Landscaping lighting

[sjz26]

Hello everyone - Looking for some help with identifying the right blend of components to control my landscaping lighting system. Currently I have 4 zones, powered by a Volt 300watt 12v/15v transformer. I would like to control each zone independently and grouped. My initial thought was to plug the transformer into a zwave outlet for on and off but that will limit my options. I would like to install something further downstream on the 12v lines if possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

[Pete]

Here went to multiple zones of LED lighting using old Landscaping 12 guage outdoor wires. Most of the lamps were less than a watt and many were 3 watts.

For power went to using a few of the MeanWell DIN mounted DC (dual fused outputs) power supplies and AC connected them to multiple 4X4 metal gang boxes in the basement and install automation switches in one 4X4 metal gang box.

I over did it on the power supplies for about 12 zones of LED lamps.

Note that 300 watt toroidal transformers uses AC power. You can purchase LED lamps that use both AC and DC. I started this way then went to just DC lamps (introduced polarity).

Yes with AC your voltage drops fast the further you go from the source of power. On the long runs with a 15VAC feed the other side would maybe have 11VAC or less.

With DC I hardly noticed the drop in voltage on a 300 foot wire. It was like .1VDC different.

Initially used 1000 watt toroidal multiple voltage transformers. I tried ZWave, UPB and it did not work as it kept throwing breakers then went to X10. When converting to LED went to using regular UPB automated switches (in relay mode).

I have pictures of my endeavor here somewhere.

I noticed a few months back that Amazon sells outdoor LED transformers which look identical to the old larger metal DC Toroidal types. Thinking they are $20 each and are 20 watts or so. You would need to provide an automated switch to this device.

To help you can:

1 - switch to LED lamps
2 - purchase the el cheapo $20 DC transformer (or 4 of them)
3 - use outdoor ZWave modules. They look like the old Black and Decker X10 outdoor modules.

Helped an old friend with his landscaping endeavor on a new home build. Here used one of those outdoor plastic containers with a seal on it. Inside put the DIN rail and 3 DIN DC power supplies, wired it to one power cord (old computer cord) and he used a little timer he purchased at a big box store for some $10. The MeanWell transformers are very industrial and meant to last a long time.

[vasrc]

Hello everyone - Looking for some help with identifying the right blend of components to control my landscaping lighting system. Currently I have 4 zones, powered by a Volt 300watt 12v/15v transformer. I would like to control each zone independently and grouped. My initial thought was to plug the transformer into a zwave outlet for on and off but that will limit my options. I would like to install something further downstream on the 12v lines if possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

I kept it easy. Mounted a water"proof" plastic Hoffman box next to the Volt supply and put Z-wave Linear 20A dry contact relay modules to switch the AC for each zone.

Z