@Dirk I'm still drawing mine out to put package together, but looks like will be about 350' of single run. All trees are in direct line along back of property, so will just be making a run from garage in a single string. Estimated total of about 270watts. Will use 300watt transformer, multi-tap. Have you used the direct burial junction connector they have to tee off for each? Trying to plan it this way v. hub set up. Also, their 12/2 for this?
Not sure what "direct burial junction connector" is. I just used the soldered connections with the gooey wire-nuts for water resistance. They're buried, but only in the mulch, not the dirt. Except for the light's tails, all my wire is 12/2.
From VOLT's transformer page (
Low Voltage Transformers for Landscape Lighting | VOLT® Lighting)
"We recommend not exceeding 80% of the transformer's capacity."
80% of 300 = 240, so you're not only exceeding VOLT's recommendation, but you're not leaving any room for expansion. I'm pushing my transformer's 80%, and I now regret not getting a bigger one, because I'd like to add some more lights and I can't.
The 600W transformer is only $60 more. That'd cover your current plan and lots of expansion. I can almost guarantee that once you light up the yard, you'll get more lighting ideas.
Alternately, you could get a 300W and a 150 (or another 300W) and split your lights across them. This would allow you to have two circuits that you could use for a nice lighting effect. Say, all the tree lights on one line, and all the path lights on the other, or whatever. My VOLT lights are on one smart switch, the "bistro" lights along the fence are on a dimmer (just strings of white xmas LEDs), and then my pool light (which has multiple colors) is on a third. So I have lots of options:
When I add my second transformer, I'll split my VOLT lights. After adding a few more path lights, and some more up-lights, I'll separate the path lights from the tree lights.
If you're handy with electronics, you could do something like that with just one transformer, and a few smart switches:
- one smart switch would control the transformer,
- then other smart switches would control 120V relays.
Each relay could then control some portion of your yard lights, so that you could independently control any number of low-voltage branches. More options means more wire, of course, but that might help minimize voltage drop with the long run and all the lights you're planning. I'll draw you a little schematic to illustrate that if you're interested.
I tend to overcomplicate things, but I like options, especially when it comes to lighting. I have 12 lights (8 on dimmers) in my master suite alone! I have many moods.
Happy wife!
