This should be an easy one. I can’t find the info from official sources so I ask here. What is the voltage coming out of the “Just Plug” system from Woodland Scenics. I have a building with it installed and I have tried a 3.6v battery on it and nothing. I really don’t want to buy their system, but all my other lights are going to be 3V so…
This thread "on another network" might (or might not) help. The last post in the thread references 4.5 volts DC. On the other hand, a hobby shop spec for the "wall wart" lists the output of it at 24 volts AC. https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic...cs-just-plug-lighting-w-o-a-ws-light-port-hub
Yes, in my experience with the system the wall wart puts out 24V DC, the LEDs run on ~4.5V DC, and the various intermediate controllers and modules are what steps down the voltage from the former to the latter.
Expensive, yes? But if you stick to the system everything works without any surprises, and if you choose your own adventure a little high school Ohm's Law math and a few cents' worth of resistors keep everything working. I've certainly encountered worse systems in my years of finding ways to let the smoke out of electronics. LEDs are predictably low-voltage, so and I don't miss the game of "is this a 12V grain-of-wheat bulb or a 1.5V grain-of-wheat bulb?"
The just plug lights have a voltage drop resistor somewhere in the line so they can accept up to 24VDC but the lighting blocks where they plug into on the just plug system have variable resistors to drop the voltage even further. If you want to power off of 3V you have to bypass the resistor which I've done so I can wire directly to some of my accessory lighting decoders.
Hello Don't know if this helps but when I was visiting my local Menards Yesterday. I ran across a wall wart that was 4.5 volts DC output, according to the package. They had one that was one output for 7.99 or one that was 9.99 for 3 ports. I believe they use these to power their structures and the like. Just my two cents. Thanks Larry
I should also clarify some of what I said about the accessory lights having resistors. If the accessory directly terminates to a JST connector then the resistor is in the line somewhere but usually right at the JST plug where the shrink is. This is typical for buildings, just plug stick on lights and others. Street and wall lamps usually wire into a separately included connecter where you can gang two or three lights together. It is that connector where the resistor is contained and again usually under the shrink tube next to the JST plug.
Do you have Just Plug street light's or something? I have a small 2'x4' layout and really like their system, and bought things over time not all at once. But I guess a large layout it could get expensive, I have seen people splice into it though. I think Mike Fifer did? And I mean splice Just Plug light's into it, not another brand. I have one Hub and run 6 or 12 lights, and traffic light's with it and love it, but that's me.
I do have one now, but at the time I started this thread I didn’t. I went with the Evemodel for the little Christmas Layout. The Just Plug pieces I have collected will be used on my main layout once I start working on that.
I too did not want to buy their system. Have just the WS Depot which is a "Just Plug based lit structure. Prior to buying the Depot, hobby store mentioned the Just Plug system delivers 3V to the Structures. Currently use a 5.6k resistor as current limiter driven by 5V Arduino I/O pin. Brightness is sufficient enough for interior Depot's LED to shine thru its windows and onto the parking lot in all but bright environmental lighting conditions. Since having only the one, did not want to buy JST connectors, and rather than cutting the JST connector off, used male ends of DuPont connector which fits snugly. Previously to the final connection, one end of the current limit resistor fit nice in the JST too. Surprised that the 3.6VDC did not light structure. During early 2021 testing, with a 10k limiter, the WS Depot lit satisfactorily (brightness) with the following measured values. Vdepot=2.56V Vr = 2.44V with a measured or calculated current of 244uA flowing thru the series connection.
