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Need Help Wiring Model Railroad Street Lights
Michael asks:
“Hi everyone. I have a model car display that I purchased HO scale Lionel streetlights to add some ambience. I am not a train guy or an electricity guy. The lights ask for 6 -18v DC power supply (they also come with resisters). My question is there a way to use a phone charger (says up to 3A) and its cable (stripped to individual wires) to power these lights? I already tried once, hooking the black-to-black and red-to-red wires for one light (no resistors), and plugging it in did nothing. Is this a fool’s approach that just will not work? Thanks for any advice.”
Disclaimer: Any answers or suggestions submitted by others are comments only, and any matters relating to electricity should always be checked by experts with qualifications in matters relating to electricity.
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It’s unlikely that a phone charger will work. You say that the lights ask for 6-18 volts and most phone chargers only put out 5 volts. Technically, you could use a 9 volt battery, with resistors to adjust the brightness, to power a few lights. (I can’t say how many since I don’t know what power they each draw.) Other than that, power supplies are easily available online.