What sort of tree mounted hub would you recommend for 4 low voltage LED pendant lights hanging from the branches of a single tree (about 16 ft. up)? Also, the pendants come with 18 gauge copper wiring. Can I connect this wire directly to the above hub if the 18 gauge wire runs are short (less than 10 ft.)? Thanks!
I use a coated, flat, round 4", sealable, outside connection box (Home Depot, Lowe's), and plug the holes with duct seal (electrician's putty) to keep the bugs out. Since squirrels are a real problem here - they will destroy wires - I use 3/8" metal conduit where I can, for the wires. It is available in black. If you look around on the internet, there are a number of articles that say that stranded low voltage 18ga wire is OK for 10 amps up to 50'. That's 120 watts at 12v. There's no way I would put that much current through !8ga wire, but a couple of amps, say 2a x 12v = 24watts, gives a lot of headroom, and as long as you're using LED bulbs, that could be as many as 5 4w bulbs. (Sorry about the weird looking math, but always allow an extra 15% when you add up the wattage - another conversation for another six pack.) I'm no expert, but I look into this frequently, check with my best bud, who is an electrical engineer, and err on the side of caution.
Thanks Lumiscape! That is a lot of helpful information. Do you screw the flat 4" box to the tree trunk? Thanks again.
Long delay answering, sorry, but yes, I use a screw that will penetrate through the bark and grab some trunk. If you don't put a standoff spacer, it will eventually get lost in the bark, but that will take a long time.
