the strangest electrical issue (ideas please)

**menacer** · 27-06-2011 09:02 PM

so am trying to extend the wires on a set of neons (between tube and tranformer box) but when i do tube only partially lights up. tried speaker wire as it is similar to wire used by manufacturer and tried heavy gauge wire incase its a voltage drop issue... to cut a long story short... have tried lots of different things but everytime i extend wires same problem with no logical reason for it not to work thought id see if anyone has had this sort of problem before. any ideas would be appriciated as im about out...
thanks

**trism** · 27-06-2011 09:05 PM

How are you joining the wires?

Sent from my custard cannon like Peter North.

**menacer** · 27-06-2011 10:00 PM

solder...
have done more than my fair share of wiring so the joins are quite decent.

**ICACHA** · 29-06-2011 03:28 PM

have you actually tried wire that is meant for 12VDC rather than something thats meant for VAC? you got to know the current the original wire is rated at so you can get the same rating...

**redefine** · 29-06-2011 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by ICACHA

have you actually tried wire that is meant for 12VDC rather than something thats meant for VAC? you got to know the current the original wire is rated at so you can get the same rating...

shouldnt matter, copper is copper. only difference it makes is thicker has less voltage drop.

**xclusive_eg8** · 29-06-2011 05:19 PM

are both wires being extended?? sure your connecting to correctly end to end?? maybe test voltage & current where you cut of the tube, then add your extension wire then test again... you might see the decrease then, neons use very very little power so in this rare case there might be quite a loss in voltage or current, but highly doubt it.

**ICACHA** · 30-06-2011 04:51 AM

Originally Posted by redefine

shouldnt matter, copper is copper. only difference it makes is thicker has less voltage drop.

really? show me where it says that please, i'd love to read it for myself

**menacer** · 30-06-2011 09:35 PM

tried 3 different types of wire everything from heavy gauge to speaker wire... also all connections are good... did voltage and current test with and without extension and theres no drop.... turns out its because i was only extending one light from each transformer box. run the 2 extended ones from the one box and all's good...