how to power up props and lights

[Haunthunter]

I need help! Sorry about my ignorance but until now I have been powering things with extension cords and adapter which look to messy. I have been hearing about the vampire clips and the low voltage landscape cable to power things up. How do I do it?
I think I have a basic idea but not sure. I need to use a landscape power supply or ATX power supply right?, add the lanscape wire. Put it around the yard. Take the plug of the spotlights, floodlight etc, and cut them off and then connect them to a vampire clip and then the vampire clip to the landscape wire?. Where do I buy or how do I make the vampire clip?

[Dark Lord]

A "vampire clip" is use with low DC voltage wiring & bites into the neg & pos wires, this is not to be done with 110AC power lines.

Landscape power supplies are not going to run a lot of spot lights...there is a max draw that these landscape power supplies can only handle......Lites only.
& I would not use Vamp clips with a PC power supply.......asking for trouble.
either way you have wires running......AC or DC low voltage......

I would just go with the reg ac cords, use the brown or green & use a static prop (gravestone,leaves, etc) to hide adapters & wire junction messes.......

the only thing low voltage landscape is good for is easy landscape lighting & safety in wet scenarios.....

[Dead Things]

The first thing you need to do is determine what is the voltage of each of the items that you want to power. An ATX Power supply will have several legs, the most commonly used are 12VDC, 5VDC and 3.3VDC. Google "Hack computer power supply" and you should come up with something. Landscape power supplies are 12VAC. VAC and VDC don't mix. If you have the standard blue, green, red, amber floodlights or cfl bulbs, they are 110VAC and the ATX would not be able to power them. The same with your props. Solenoids can be 12VDC, 24VDC or 110VAC, same with motors, I have some that are 12VDC and some that are 110VAC.
The vampire clip is used in low voltage landscape lighting and Niblique used it to great effect in his LED Spotlight tutorial. http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=25530 It would not be something to use with high voltage (110VAC) items at all, you would be putting yourself and others in danger of electrocution.
You may also want to check out Darklore's sticky on Prop Control
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=19719

[Haunthunter]

So I am stuck with the green extensions cords? It would be mainly for floodlights and spotlights. I have decided not to put any moving prop in the front yard. Is there a cleaner way to do this?

[redg8r]

Is there a cleaner way to do this?

I use 110 AC green cords..... mowed my lawn for the last time 2 weeks ago and they blend in nicely :ninja: even with that damn streetlight mocking me. :D

[Haunthunter]

:) I just don't like to have cords on the pathway and my outlet is next to the front door and there is no way to pass it to the lawn area without going over the pathway. so I was hoping to stay away from the spider mess of cords :(

[psyko99]

You could take a garden spade and cut a shallow slit in the grass and embed the green extension cord in it. If you do it right it can't be seen and it does not permanently damage the lawn. It should only be done temporarily, not for a long term installation.

[Dead Things]

I too have to run an extension cord and a pneumatic line across my walkway. I cover them with a section of old carpet. You can also use a door mat to reduce tripping hazard.

[RoxyBlue]

What Dead Things said. You could probably also use black duct tape to cover any lines going across your pathway or secure the edges of any carpeting or mat used to cover them.

[Dead Things]

here is a vid of my power setup
http://youtu.be/MNGSKDMaHds

[Haunthunter]

Thank you for the video. I like you haunt setup