I will be installing 20 18W low voltage recessed ambient lighting in stone posts along a 700 foot long driveway. The end of the driveway will have a low voltage gate operator calling for 14 gauge direct burial wiring to backup and charge its own 12 volt battery. Should I consider a loop, or multiple wires, and what size transformer should I acquire?ThanksJay

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You should be considering running 120 volt power using 12/2 UF OR 10/2 UF CABLE out to your gate operator so that you can install a 12 volt transformer at both ends of the installation.  That way you can use the same ditch to run both sets of wires and still maintain your voltage on the low voltage system.  And yes, run a loop system on both transformers using 10/2 LANDSCAPE CABLE.  Another option is to use a MULTI-TAP TRANSFORMER that allows you to bump up the voltage to offset the effects of voltage drop.  Check out our DESIGNING LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING SYSTEMS information page for more assistance on the effects of voltage drop.

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