Post #440,269
11/4/21 2:18:52 PM
11/4/21 2:18:52 PM
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Track lights that are not track lights, what are they?
I've got several light fixtures in my ceiling that run the length of the room. They are essentially two rails that the lights attach to by sliding around them via a plastic connector. I assume there's contacts inside that plastic connector. I would call them track lights but that's not a track, it's two metal rails about 3 in apart.
I assume one's live and the other's ground. I'd like to actually know without touching it while it's turned on. No idea where my various electrical testing gear is right now.
Has anyone seen this kind of lights and can tell me what they are?
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Post #440,270
11/4/21 4:21:44 PM
11/4/21 4:21:44 PM
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Cable lighting?
https://www.ylighting.com/cable-lighting/Apparently it uses low voltage (high current) bulbs, so there's likely a transformer somewhere (to step down 120V AC to whatever it uses). HTH a little. Cheers, Scott.
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Post #440,276
11/4/21 9:40:26 PM
11/4/21 9:40:26 PM
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Yep, looks like that
I wanted to know how dangerous it was. If I accidentally grabbed both of them while live would it kill me?
My goal was to simply use those rails to clamp a couple of clamp lamps onto it.
I duct taped around the rails before I clamped the lamps to it.
In the lamps there are two 150 watt totally dark infrared heat emitters. They're for reptile tanks.
M is hot flashing. M want the room cold. With a fan flowing over her. I get a bit of sidewash from that fan.
I needed personal heating that did not affect her. I also wanted something that would heat my grow room in spot locations. So I bought a few of these clamp lamps and heat emitters.
It is very odd to be cold sitting one foot to the left. Then move back to my location and immediately feel gentle warmth.
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Post #440,277
11/4/21 9:53:31 PM
11/4/21 9:53:31 PM
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All I see is that it's "low voltage"
It looks like it's probably either 12V or 24V. It won't kill you. (I got shocked by 120V AC as a kid - not pleasant, but not deadly.) https://www.ylighting.com/blog/choose-cable-lighting/But it would be good to check when you get a chance. 75 W bulbs seem to be common on such systems, so a heat lamp might be problematic (they're often 250W, 120V bulbs). If you're just hanging other normal light fixtures from one of the cables via insulated clamps, you should be Ok. But it's always best to unplug such things if it's not being used as intended. HTH a little. Cheers, Scott.
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Post #440,278
11/4/21 10:38:05 PM
11/4/21 10:38:33 PM
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"I got shocked by 120V AC as a kid"
Just once? You must have lived a sheltered life - not played with electricity?
Worst shock I've had was over 450v but it was DC (from equipment that was turned off and unplugged).
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Post #440,281
11/5/21 8:50:12 AM
11/5/21 8:50:12 AM
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I got 330 once at work
All day every time I touched the door on the lower fridge it felt like it was vibrating. Is already told the boss I thought the compressor was going.
Halfway through my shift I had my hand on the steel table next to the fridge when I opened it. It knocked me back pretty hard and I couldn't feel my hands for a minute.
Turns out the cord for the grill, which was on the steel table, had a short right at the outlet. Same outlet the fridge was in.
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Post #440,283
11/5/21 12:40:51 PM
11/5/21 12:40:51 PM
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I've had the usual kisses and love taps from electrical gear at home.
Never at work, though.
3-phase with a 400A main fuse tends to make you ded if you fuck around and find out.
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Post #440,284
11/5/21 12:43:45 PM
11/5/21 12:43:45 PM
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Yeah, I got lucky
Both hands were open when I completed the circuit. If I'd been holding anything I'd have probably clenched on it pretty hard.
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Post #440,286
11/5/21 11:07:19 PM
11/5/21 11:07:19 PM
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Shocking by AC is bad.
I've heard AC voltages keep you from snapping your hand away while DC voltages trigger you to snap your hand away.
I once got zapped by a black and white CRT I was trying to replace. That CRT ran at 17K volts when on. The TV was unplugged, but the CRT was not fully discharged. I was holding a screw driver and instinctively tossed it across the room when I got zapped. It's not a mistake you make more than once! :) Alex
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
-- Isaac Asimov
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Post #440,287
11/6/21 3:56:46 PM
11/6/21 3:56:46 PM
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That's back to front, and why we switched from DC to AC.
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Post #440,294
11/9/21 2:15:24 AM
11/9/21 2:15:24 AM
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"What's this little hole inside Daddy's workshop refrigerator?"
Aha, that's where the lightbulb is supposed to be.
Did a little dance until I got my finger out of it. --
Christian R. Conrad
The Man Who Apparently Still Knows Fucking EverythingMail: Same username as at the top left of this post, at iki.fi
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Post #440,279
11/5/21 1:05:04 AM
11/5/21 1:05:04 AM
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Merely using the rails for clamps
Totally separate wiring for the heat emitters. The conduit to hide the wires will show up tomorrow.
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Post #440,288
11/6/21 7:07:28 PM
11/6/21 7:22:23 PM
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Holy s***, you people are dangerous
Many years ago I was stupid enough to wire my own house. Not that I was running any wires, just I was replacing controls to allow for dimmable lights. And I was a moron. None of the directions match the colors of my wires so I just winged it. It seemed to work but I was not sure.
This time around I will bring an electrician in. I won't do it stupidly.
Right now I can see where I want additional lights and additional heat lamps. I want a heat lamp over the shower downstairs because no matter how beautiful it is with those tiles it's on an outside wall and it f****** freezes.
I have the heat lamps over my bed in the bedroom. They fit with the rails on the lights already there but they are ugly. I have to figure out how to put a fixture in.
Edited by crazy
Nov. 6, 2021, 07:11:15 PM EDT
Edited by crazy
Nov. 6, 2021, 07:22:23 PM EDT
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