Dimming control packs?

[333rocky333]

Lutron grafix eye dimmers are one of the best.
With a 4 zone you can set 16 scenes with the right controller.
I would also recomend the ones made by Mode Lighting.

 

[andyfr]

Thanks for that, they look interesting. A few questions though, what degree of spot/flood are they? We have found that 40 to 50 degrees are okay.

Can you get the bulbs in a cool white light? We have the MR16 50 watt lights and love the bright white light they give off. I know a lot of them have a warm white but that would be no good.

 

[andyfr]

Lutron grafix eye dimmers are one of the best.
With a 4 zone you can set 16 scenes with the right controller.
I would also recomend the ones made by Mode Lighting.

Thanks for that, I will have a look.

 

[333rocky333]

I realise you don't like downlights but we do, we like the flood type downlights which give broad pools of bright cool white light, now if there are fittings other than GU10 which can achieve this then that's great!

Check out the Philips Econic led, not cheap mind.

 

[andyfr]

Check out the Philips Econic led, not cheap mind.

I saw the 9 watt version (3x3 watt) and it was very impressive but as you say, not cheap at around £30.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

why 900mm?

Because if you use shorter ones they'll be too high up. With tall ones the top shelf will be high, so you'd only put things on there that were infrequently needed, but the rest will be at a conventional height.

why 50mm?

Seems about right for an illuminated strip.

Is perspex not available in any size?

It is, but the idea is to have a strip of light up there, not something that looks like a window.

And it'd look bad anyway, all that selant around it etc.

Who said anything about sealant?

BTW, ban, in case you hadn't realised, andyFR was the one a couple of month ago (i think) who came on, having seen a downlight salesman, masquerading as a lighting designer.

Was he?

Oh well - can't say I didn't try and cure him of his craziness.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

we like the flood type downlights which give broad pools of bright cool white light, now if there are fittings other than GU10 which can achieve this then that's great!

Almost anything other than GU10 can do that.

In fact, about the only ones that can't are GU10s....

 

[andyfr]

Almost anything other than GU10 can do that.

In fact, about the only ones that can't are GU10s....

Okay... but the MR16s we are used to do exactly what we want and I thought the GU10s were the mains equivalent.

So if we exclude GU10 and MR16 fittings what others can give a 40 to 50 degree angle of light suitable for using cool white bulbs equal to the MR16 50 watt? We would also like to have some which can be angled if possible.

What are your thoughts on the dimming systems?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Okay... but the MR16s we are used to do exactly what we want and I thought the GU10s were the mains equivalent.

They are - apologies for lazily slipping into the common mistake of conflating base design and envelope shape. LV MR16 lamps come with GU10 bases, and ELV ones come with GU5.3 bases.

So if we exclude GU10 and MR16 fittings what others can give a 40 to 50 degree angle of light suitable for using cool white bulbs equal to the MR16 50 watt?

This is getting pointless.

My position is that the beam characteristics of MR16 lamps, whether LV or ELV, GU10 or GU5.3, are undesirable, and the same characteristics should not be sought in other lamps.

What are your thoughts on the dimming systems?

You probably don't want to know that, either....

 

[333rocky333]

Okay... but the MR16s we are used to do exactly what we want and I thought the GU10s were the mains equivalent.

I would stick with the MR16 12 volt for now over the GU10 240volt.
Use philips masterline bulbs, the 50watt has been replaced by a 30 watt version and is just as good, these are what are generally used in shops.
Soon there will be better lamps to fit the same fittings

 

[Russtavo]

What's the name of the lighting control system, is it Hamilton Digital Mercury by any chance?

Also you should check out this thread:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/home...d-dimmable-led-downlighters-wise-foolish.html

 

[andyfr]

Yes it is the Hamilton one, is it a good system?

 

[Steve]

ok, andy, to clear things up, a wee comparison for you:

GU10/MR16/halogen in general:

very warm white (12v slightly cooler)
narrow beam (even the flood ones)
quality lamps expensive
very inefficient

CFL fittings (of any variety):

clean, white light, available in various colour temps (from daylight (6400k) to very warm white (2700k)). Daylight isnt to everyones taste. I have a very cool 6000k PL lamp in my desk lamp, and it is very "bluey" compared to when I have the halogen ceiling light on. I have some 2700k CFLs, even they look cool compared to halogen, but this may be "percieved" coolness due to their ability to spread light much better than halogen. I digress . .

wide, flood beam.
all lamps same - no particular quality variances. only a couple of quid each
very efficient.

Out of interest, I had a 20w halogen desk lamp (with a little capsule lamp). It blew so i replaced the light with the CFL one (the ahlogen one was 10+ years old, and only cost me £10). The CFL one, at 11w, produces about twice as much light. No competition.

 

[RF Lighting]

Halogen is the nicer light though.

 

[andyfr]

Halogen is the nicer light though.

I agree! Maybe LEDs will be better than the CFLs in the future? This is really getting to be a nightmare, all we want to do is have the same colour/brightness/beam angle as the 50watt MR16s in a low energy bulb.