Cyberlights on 110V?

It's really a case of electrical code and experience rather than fear-mongering.

One critical fact you're missing is that standard circuit breakers are only rated to hold 80% of their rating with a continuous load. That means a 15-amp breaker can only supply 12 amps continuously. Drawing more than 12 amps for a few minutes is usually fine. But you can end up with nuisance trips when you're running the load for an hour or more.

Let's assume that a 1200-watt fixture is drawing 1400 watts from the electrical service after you account for ballast losses and motor power. A 15A/120V service derated to 80% can nominally supply 1440 watts. If the step-up transformer is 95% efficient, you've gone over the limit.

So, you're already in a precarious situation.

Now, consider the standard wall outlet (which is what it sounds like Chris wants to use). Let's take a 15-amp wall outlet that's 250 feet from the electrical panel. If you're lucky it's 14-gauge wire (If it was a crummy install from the '60s it may be 16 gauge, or even worse aluminum wire). 500 feet of 14-gauge (250 for the hot, 250 for the neutral) is about 1.2 ohms. From Ohm's law, this gives you about 14 volts of voltage drop. If your electrical service started out at 120 volts, it's now down to 105. If it was 112 or 115 to start with it could be 're drawing even more current through the circuit breaker.

Standard residential/commercial outlets just aren't intended for this kind of high-power use.

Finally, think about the electrical systems often found it old school buildings, clubs, etc. The in-wall wiring can be 50 years old or more. A heavy load will exacerbate any problems that are already there. Every loose connection and rat-chewn wire will be that much closer to over-heating or burning out.

Yes, sometimes it will work. It sounds like you (Tim) have had good experiences with using step-up transformers for larger fixtures. But there can be problems, and it's definitely not something I'd recommend to someone just starting out.

(Just be be clear: I am *not* a licensed electrician and cannot give advice for any particular jurisdiction. I'm speaking strictly from my own personal experience and knowledge. Electrical codes vary widely across the country/world.)

It's really a case of electrical code and experience rather than fear-mongering.

One critical fact you're missing is that standard circuit breakers are only rated to hold 80% of their rating with a continuous load. That means a 15-amp breaker can only supply 12 amps continuously. Drawing more than 12 amps for a few minutes is usually fine. But you can end up with nuisance trips when you're running the load for an hour or more.

Let's assume that a 1200-watt fixture is drawing 1400 watts from the electrical service after you account for ballast losses and motor power. A 15A/120V service derated to 80% can nominally supply 1440 watts. If the step-up transformer is 95% efficient, you've gone over the limit.

So, you're already in a precarious situation.

Now, consider the standard wall outlet (which is what it sounds like Chris wants to use). Let's take a 15-amp wall outlet that's 250 feet from the electrical panel. If you're lucky it's 14-gauge wire (If it was a crummy install from the '60s it may be 16 gauge, or even worse aluminum wire). 500 feet of 14-gauge (250 for the hot, 250 for the neutral) is about 1.2 ohms. From Ohm's law, this gives you about 14 volts of voltage drop. If your electrical service started out at 120 volts, it's now down to 105. If it was 112 or 115 to start with it could be 're drawing even more current through the circuit breaker.

Standard residential/commercial outlets just aren't intended for this kind of high-power use.

Finally, think about the electrical systems often found it old school buildings, clubs, etc. The in-wall wiring can be 50 years old or more. A heavy load will exacerbate any problems that are already there. Every loose connection and rat-chewn wire will be that much closer to over-heating or burning out.

Yes, sometimes it will work. It sounds like you (Tim) have had good experiences with using step-up transformers for larger fixtures. But there can be problems, and it's definitely not something I'd recommend to someone just starting out.

(Just be be clear: I am *not* a licensed electrician and cannot give advice for any particular jurisdiction. I'm speaking strictly from my own personal experience and knowledge. Electrical codes vary widely across the country/world.)