Rope Light Power Supply

[DIYC]

Hi,

 

Having googled for a solution to a problem I came across an earlier post (see below) and was hoping you could help?

(The original post didn't really seem to have a resolution).

 

http://www.blue-room.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=18802

 

I have some rope lights running around the roof of my conservatory.

I'm not 100% sure if they're LED or not - if it makes a difference, they are clear bulbs.

Currently they are plugged into a normal socket at ankle height.

There is a cable from the plug to a control box and a cable from the control box to the beginning of the rope lights.

 

I am trying to pet proof this installation so I'm looking to conceal the two lengths of cable in trunking.

 

Whilst I'm at it, similar to the previous post, I'm not really interested in the lights flashing or fading etc etc - I just want them to be permanently on or off according to a switch. Currently these lights default to the random pattern when you first switch them on.

 

Therefore, I'd like to remove the control box and replace it with a (fused) switch.

Ideally any transformer I might need could be housed in a surface mounted patress with a blank plate over it with the cable from the patress to the start of the rope light inside some trunking.

 

As with the previous post though, I'm not sure what power supply these lights actually need?

 

I've taken the top of the plug and can confirm there's no earth.

I've also cut the cable between the control box and the lights.

It's a 3 core 1.0mm sq. with blue, brown and black wires inside.

 

By the plug is a label that says:

Chain rating: 240V~50Hz (Max 163.8W)

Lamp rating: non-replaceable 360x6.5V 0.455W

 

and on the control box itself it says:

220-240V 50Hz 2x0.4A

 

Having read that previous post I wish I could tell you exactly what each pattern did - however, I'm quite a logical person and I'm guessing that there are 2 lives (0.4a) which effectively means there are 2 sets of lights in the rope - which is how you can make them dance?

 

Can anyone tell me what power supply I need to replace the control box altogether?

 

(Other than the similarities I've listed here please don't take anything else from that previous post - my lights don't mention ohmes or any figures like that?).

 

 

I appreciate this doesn't really have anything with 'back stage' but I would really appreciate any advice I can get!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

C.

[KevinE]

You'll have to prise open the existing box and take a peek inside first. Rope lights for the domestic market come in all manner of shapes, sizes, voltages and ways of working, so there's no hard fast rule as to how they work.

[djandydee]

I think in this case there are two circuits with several groups of 40x 6v lamps in series. One circuit has 4 the other circuit has 5 sets of 40. They are wired to take 230/240 directly. Circuit 1 Live is brown, circuit 2 live is black and the common neutral is blue.

[KevinE]

SOrry about the superfluous comment earlier, only the first few lines of your original post appeared in my browser till tonight...!!