12v E10 filament indicator bulbs not working...

[ben_D]

Hi,
I am working on a theatre project. The show requires 10 E10 filament bulbs to be mounted on the set and dimmed throughout the show. I wired 10 bulbs in parallel at short distances to a transformer then powered them from standard 240v socket they all worked fine. However, when I mounted the bulbs throughout the set and tried to power them, only the first one or two lit up and then began fading. The distances between the lamps was at least a meter.

I'm stuck as to what to do now? Is it voltage drop over longer runs? The minimum rated power output of the transformer is 10w which could be the issue but then how did the lights work on the shorter chain I tested?

Any ideas??

Thanks

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

How thin is the wire you're using?, and how long the run.

 

[ben_D]

The cable is .75 flex. The run from the transformer to the first lamp is about a foot but the distances between each fitting varies from a meter to two meters.

 

[ben_D]

Would wiring in series make a difference?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Would wiring in series make a difference?

Have you wired them in series now?, that would seriously make a difference, they MUST be in parallel.

 

[ben_D]

No, they are in parallel.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Assuming the same transformer, and the wiring all making good contact, then it MUST work as it did before.

Do you have access to a multimeter? - if so measure the voltage across the bulbs, then measure the output voltage of the transformer actually on it's pins.