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Is your low voltage mono rail system UL
listed?
Yes, it is UL & CUL listed.
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What material is the rail made of?
Solorail Monorail is composed of two copper conductors
separated by a plastic insulator.
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How does power enter the Monorail?
Through a power feed adapter. A power feed
adapter is a two-piece assembly that clamps
around the rail and energizes conductors.
It is included in all surface mount transformers.
Powers feed canopies cover a junction box
and are used with remote transformers. There
are wall mount, cable mount and ceiling mount
canopies. The power feed also provides a point
of support for the rail, and can be placed
at any point along the rail
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What components do I need for a complete
Solorail Monorail system?
The basic components of a Solorail Monorail system
are:
- the rail itself
- a transformer
- rail support (standoff)– two per
4' section, three per 8', every
36" for longer runs.
- fixtures
Please consult our catalog or worksheet.
- What is the capacity of Monorail?
Mono rail is rated at 25 amps: this means a
12 volt system has a maximum capacity of 300
watts.
A 24 volt system has a 600 watt maximum capacity.
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What if I need more wattage?
You can use more than one power feed. Utilizing
multiple power feeds between non-conductive
"I" connectors give the appearance
of one continuous run. Each section can then
have up to 300W at 12V (or 600W at 24V).
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How long can I make a Solorail Monorail system?
A system can be any Length. There are two
considerations, capacity and voltage drop.
In terms of capacity it can have as many power
feeds as is necessary to support the wattage.
In terms of voltage it is limited to the distance
power can travel through the rail. Consult
the voltage drop Table for specifics.
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When powering from a remote transformer,
what gauge of wire should I use between the
transformer and the power feed?
A minimum 10 AWG wire should be used. Heavier
gauge wire is needed if the transformer is
distant from the power feed. Consult the voltage
drop Table in our catalog.
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When I installed a dimmer on my Solorail Monorail System, the transformer started to buzz, what
can I do about it?
When dimming a transformer, a buzzing noise
may result which may be objectionable if used
in certain applications.
Dimmer manufacturers require that a compatible
dimmer type be used for the transformer type
(i.e. an electronic low voltage dimmer with
an electronic transformer, low voltage magnetic
dimmer with a magnetic transformer). WAC electronic
transformers can generally be dimmed using
a standard incandescent dimmer.
We've also included a de-buzzing coil
with all of our surface mounted magnetic Solorail Monorail transformers.
To further reduce buzzing with the magnetic
transformers (surface mount or remote) a de-buzzing
coil may be added in-line between the dimmer
and the transformer.
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How does the Solorail Monorail attach to the ceiling?
Rail can be attached by rigid standoffs available
in various Lengths, by cable, T-bar clip,
or sloped ceiling adapters.
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Are the rigid standoffs field cuttable?
Yes the standoffs may be easily cut to custom
Lengths. The standard sizes range from 3"
to 5 3/4" and additional rods are
available to 48".
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Can I get longer standoffs?
Longer standoffs are accomplished by using
a coupler to join two rods together.
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Can I field cut the Monorail?
Yes, the mono rail can be cut to any desired
Length. Additional end-caps may be purchased.
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What are the different ways to attach fixtures
to the Monorail?
Rail mounted, quick connect heads, quick connect
cable hung pendants.
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What is a ‘Quick Connect'?
The Quick Connect is means of securing fixtures
to Solorail Monorail that completes electrical and
mechanical connection in one step, once the
female adapter is installed on the rail, then
the fixture screws into the adapter without
the use of any tools. The quick connect feature
allows fixtures to be used in other locations,
such as monopoint and multipoint and conventional
line volt track.
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Is your Quick Connect compatible with other
systems?
Yes, our Quick Connect male end will fit into
other manufacturers similar ‘quick'
adapters. Please contact the factory for details
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Can we install the quick connect fixtures
while the rail is powered?
Absolutely not, every instruction starts off
with the words "Turn off power".
It would be easy to inadvertently create a
short, which can ruin a power supply
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Can
we order rail in pre-curved sections?
No: Mono rail is shipped in straight tubes
and is easily bent in the field. For the cleanest
and smoothest bend, work rail over a round
object. Work to progressively smaller radiuses.
Minimum radius is 15".
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How about the fixtures? Can they be field
cut?
The fixtures on rods have socket wires running
through the centers and can not be cut..
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Can the pendant socket sets be field shortened?
Yes socket sets are supplied in 6 foot Lengths
and may be cut to a desired Length, follow
the detailed
instructions supplied with the socket.
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Can sockets be ordered in longer than 6-foot
Lengths?
A six-foot drop is the maximum Length, a longer
wire would result in significant voltage drop.
Minimum radius 15"
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Your surface mount transformers seem heavy.
Can it be attached to a standard junction
box?
They are designed to go on 4" junction
boxes, but the box must be braced securely
to the joists to support the weight of the
transformer.
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Do you have a kit that comes with all the
basic components?
Yes we have kits for basic systems that include
everything you need, except fixtures and shades.
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How do I know whether to go with a 12 or
24 volt system?
This isn't an easy question to answer,
please read the following scenario:
Project: You are the counter person at a lighting
showroom. Your customer would like to use
a rail system in their kitchen. They need
6 spotlights and three pendants over an island.
It will be a 15-foot run. Where do you begin
to plan out this system?
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The thought process is essentially this:
- How many watts will all the fixtures
total?
- How long of a run?
- Given the run Length and wattage load,
which power supply makes more sense - the
12 or the 24-volt?
- Given the maximum 300 watts for 12 volts
and 600watts for 24volts, which power supply
makes more sense?
For example, if all the fixtures in the above
scenario are 50 watt, you'll be working
with a total of 450 watts. A 12-volt system
could be considered because the run is 15
feet. However, due to its' maximum wattage
of not more than 300 watts per run, this rail
would have to be divided into two separate
runs with two power feed sources.
Here, a 24-volt system may make better sense.
The maximum wattage is now 600 and only one
power feed is necessary. This will give a
cleaner look. The homeowner has to be made
aware that it's a 24-volt system and
that replacement lamps are not as common as
12 vo Light
Once you determine the voltage of the system
the next step is to select a transformer.
This will involve practical and aesthetic
considerations. Surface mount or remote? Magnetic
or electronic?
If the customer chooses to surface mount,
you can use the 24-volt, 600-watt magnetic
transformer. If they chose to remote the transformer,
you could use the remote style transformer
of exactly the same value. Keep in mind that
you will have to add a power feed canopy to
your parts list because the surface mount
unit has it built in.
Let's develop a parts list for the
above system with a remote transformer:
1. Six quick connect style spot lights*
QF-194
2. Six shades* G116
3. Six MR16 lamps 24V, 50 W** MR16-EXN-24V-G
4. Three pendant sockets*** G501
5. Three pendant shades* G513
6. Nine quick connect adapters LM-QADP
7. Two 8ft mono rails LM-T8
8. One "I" connector LM-I
9. One power feed canopy LM-CPC
10. Approximately five ceiling standoffs
LM-X3
11. One remote 24V, 600W transformer SRT-600M-12/24V
* For example.
**Use glass covered lamp
***Supplied with a lamp.
Rail Finishes
