"Sacha" wrote in message
o.uk...
Babberney8/4/04 3:30

On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 17:00:27 +0100, "Ben Blackmore"
wrote:

Hi,

I'm looking for some garden lighting, I like the look of those small
rock
lights, as they can be hidden amongst the flowers, however they are
only
12v, and can only be placed 3-4m from the transformer, and you can't
daisy
chain them together.

I think I need something higher voltage, maybe just standard 240v with
no
transformer. A set of 5 or 6 smallish ground lights, that can be daisy
chained around the garden (20m). It would also be good if it was
possible to
install multi coloured bulbs as well, (as the rock lights only support
10w
halogen, and coloured halogen are 30w).

Anyone know of anything simular to this?

Cheers

Ben

I agree with Jim. if you get the right transformer, you can have a
nice array of lights in series over a much greater distance than you
have suggested. You might have to look beyond the home despot for
pro-quality stuff (or maybe not--I haven't messed with the stuff they
have, since it always seems to be broken when I see it at others'
houses), but you can do it. I've had good success with Vista brand
products (I have no connection with them other than being a customer).

I think using AC to run garden lights is a waste of juice, an eyesore,
a maintenance nightmare, and a safety risk. 12V is safe, easy,
unobtrusive, and efficient. I also prefer the spotlight/ambient light
effect more than the floods you usually see in AC systems, but that's
me.


Look, I'm really sorry to rain on anyone's parade but perhaps you might
ask
yourselves if you really *want* garden lighting?

Sure. Had it at the old house. Loved it. Gonna put some in here too.

Why?

For the same reason that people grow ornamental plants. For the enjoyment
of the view.

What will you do with
it?

Enhance the appearance of the garden at night.

Will you actually sit at the window and turn off the telly and look out
at our night-illuminated garden?

No. I shall grab a beer, sit on the patio and enjoy the thing. Done well
the whole thing is quite magical.

This country has (IIRC) the highest light pollution in the world
proportionately speaking.

Sorry, hadn't noticed that the original message had been posted to the UK
group.

I can understand garden lighting when you're
using a deck or terrace for a party but to light plants at night? WHY?
Can't you look at them in the day time?

I don't know about other people but the day time is when I work in the
garden. Who can sit still during the day? There is always something that
needs doing.

If you live in the boondocks and need to light the path to the house -
maybe
install something that comes on as you approach it and goes off rapidly as
you enter the house.
So - FWIW, you may want to consider less light pollution and more sitting
outside in the soft darkness of a summer's night looking at the *stars*
which will not have been blanked out by a something-or-other lighting your
Skimmia or bamboo and all those of all your neighbours. Just a teensy
thought....

Please. A string of low voltage lighting typically casts the same amount of
total light as a single 40 watt lightbulb. We are, after all, talking about
little 4 and 8 watt bulbs. So tell me, do you make a habit of drawing
blackout curtains on your windows when you have the lights on in the house?
You should if you're concerned about light pollution since your unshielded
indoor lighting causes a great deal more of it than low voltage outdoor
lighting.

A newcomer to this village tried to get street lighting installed once -
not
a shrewd move. I think he moved quite soon after that. ;-)
On many winter and summer nights we go outside to look at the stars and
even
with the very faint loom of Torquay some miles away we can actually *see*
them.

Different strokes ...

It's another world, a magic, a revelation. And all our plants are
still there next morning, in the *day*light.

Different preferences in "magic" ...

Jim