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Garden Lighting
"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 |
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