Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!winnie!zach!dcs60222
From: dcs60222@zach.fit.edu ( ENRIQUEZ)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Transformer Help needed...
Message-ID: <633@winnie.fit.edu>
Date: 13 Oct 89 14:58:28 GMT
References: <616@winnie.fit.edu> <3297@mit-caf.MIT.EDU> <631@winnie.fit.edu> <3303@mit-caf.MIT.EDU>
Sender: usenet@winnie.fit.edu
Reply-To: dcs60222@zach.UUCP ( ENRIQUEZ)
Organization: Florida Institute of Technology, ACS, Melbourne, FL
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In article <3303@mit-caf.MIT.EDU> ankleand@mit-caf.UUCP (Andrew Karanicolas) writes:
>The problem you have seems to be coming down to an issue of cost vs.
>safety.  The reason I said the solution to the problem was easy was
>because the use of a single large transformer will do the job.  It
>is unfortunate that such a transformer is a costly item; if I recall,
>the focus of the problem originally was how to avoid this cost. 

Yes, that was the focus of the original problem.  It seemed to me to
be a waste to have to junk the smaller transformer to buy a larger one.
Since I don't know how to resell this type of thing, I was hoping to
save a few $$ AND learn a little about basic transformer operation.


>What triggered my reaction to your last posting was the
>comment about relying on "heaven" that nothing goes wrong.  I'm sure
>that there was jest in this. However, for electrical wiring that uses
>AC mains, you should be fairly serious about what you are doing.

Agreed!  It was in jest, and I probably should not have been so flippent
in my remarks.  You know, this problem IS trivial, and I probably should
not have wasted net bandwidth posting it.  I have since talked to professors
here at school and have recieved good information (and references). 

>There have been other people on sci.electronics talking about how they
>deal with AC mains and I did not agree with their methods regarding
>safety and practicality in home (or other) environments; this is my opinion.
>
>What is the rating of each of the transformers proposed earlier?
>750W each or is 750W the total rating.
>-- 
>   ===================================================================
>   Andrew Karanicolas                      MIT Microsystems Laboratory
>   ankleand@caf.mit.edu		         MIT EECS  Cambridge, MA 02139
>   ===================================================================

To better define the problem, they are rated at 750w each.  Since there
are 25 20w bulbs, the transformer SHOULD drive the lamps.  This is why
we moved the transformer closer, thinking path resistance might be stealing
wattage.  My real question now is:

   Can 12-gauge wire handle that type of current?

   Again, thanks...

   mark enriquez   dcs60222@zach.uucp