Downlight number

[ericmark]

Not sure on that, a parabolic reflector is designed to cover an area with even light, as to a multifaceted reflector clearly spread will not be the same, and today we have neither, looking at the inside of this GU10 lamp, this one will clearly have a different spread. Add diffuser and the light spread will change yet again. As said, height matters my son had loads of height, and well spread out, but the LED down lights are no better to the 58 watt fluorescent they replaced, 12 x 5 watt, so same wattage as near as damn it, so much for LED being better, however in between the two had a 22 watt LED tube, and really that was good enough.

Often wondered what they would look like arranged as the great bear?

However, looking at too completely different things. The son's down light looked better than the fluorescent tube, even if both did the same thing, My kitchen counters have lights under the wall cupboards above them to light the counter, not the main ceiling lights.

So my living room, main light is not good enough to work on the dinning table, so we have an up-light we also have cabinet lights, and we select lights depending on what we are doing. And we use Google Nest Mini, so single voice command "Hey google turn off living room lights" turns them all off, does not matter if from lighting supply or sockets.

We have a dinning room, but never use it, we have a craft room, not used much, we have an office, rarely used, we do all in the living room, so the living room must be flexible. So sometimes just back-ground lighting wanted, when watching TV, other times some rather harsh lights are required, so we want a room where we can select lighting to suit what we are doing that day.

 

[SUNRAY]

I've just done a quick calculation and a 50º beam at 9ft without allowing for the approx 6ft offset should have given a usable illumination of a circle of 8' 4½".
To the eye the whole flag appeared to be lit, certainly not the surprisingly distinct circle something under 5ft showing in the pic.

 

[JohnW2]

I will have to disagree with you....

I think you are probably somewhat quibbling, given that I was merely making the general point that if one uses wide-beam-angle lamps/bulbs, one does not need all that many downlighters to produce fairly even illumination

No matter how wide the beam angle, unless a spot, the light landing on an object will always be brightest in the centre of the beam, nearest the source.

As eric has suggested, that may not be as true as you think, since reflectors are generally designed to produce fairly even illumination over the full 'light cone area' on a flat surface to which they are pointing. As eric says, that is particularly the case with parabolic reflectors but, like eric, I'm not quite sure of the situation with 'multi-faceted' ones.

The higher the ceiling, the less noticeable the effect. Working directly under the beam, you will be working in your own light, so then become reliant on reflected light, and the spread of beam of other down-lights in the area.

That's why one needs more than one, but not necessarily 'many'. In any event, it'snot really much different from the traditional pendant light (usually just one in the centre of a ceiling) - when, again, one would always be 'working in onne's own shadow' were it not for light reflected from walls and ceiling

For cosmetic effect, down lights work well, for practical use they are generally hopeless.

Some might even question the cosmetic/aesthetic desirability - but, if they are chosen and installed sensibly, I think they can be much better than 'hopeless' (albeit I personally don't have any!) !

 

[SUNRAY]

...

Some might even question the cosmetic/aesthetic desirability - but, if they are chosen and installed sensibly, I think they can be much better than 'hopeless' (albeit I personally don't have any!) !

Personally I agree with Harry, I have not yet encountered a space where I think downlighters have worked well. There always seem to be horrible shadows and gloomy patches. The fact that so many replace them fairly quickly or start adding incidental lighting where it wasn't used before tells me others have the same opinions .

 

[Murdochcat]

Personally I agree with Harry, I have not yet encountered a space where I think downlighters have worked well. There always seem to be horrible shadows and gloomy patches. The fact that so many replace them fairly quickly or start adding incidental lighting where it wasn't used before tells me others have the same opinions .

The main issues with downlights are

1. Too many on 1 switch and not dimmable
2. Not enough lights

 

[SUNRAY]

The main issues with downlights are

1. Too many on 1 switch and not dimmable
2. Not enough lights

In my opinion there are far too many of the horrible things

 

[JohnW2]

Personally I agree with Harry, I have not yet encountered a space where I think downlighters have worked well. There always seem to be horrible shadows and gloomy patches.

As I said, I've never personally had any, but I am constantly finding myself in rooms that do.

If you agree with Harry that downlights are always 'hopeless', what are you comparing with as a non-hopeless alternative - presumably not the traditional single pendant light in the centre of a ceiling?

 

[SUNRAY]

As I said, I've never personally had any, but I am constantly finding myself in rooms that do.

If you agree with Harry that downlights are always 'hopeless', what are you comparing with as a non-hopeless alternative - presumably not the traditional single pendant light in the centre of a ceiling?

Let's just say

I have not yet encountered a space where I think downlighters have worked well. There always seem to be horrible shadows and gloomy patches

A single pendant may not be ideal in some rooms but in my opinion, and it is my opinion, downlighters are not ideal in any room

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

designed to produce fairly even illumination over the full 'light cone area' on a flat surface

Which is the problem, you have bright direct light, and very little light reflected, to provide general illumination. Think what it like, working out doors in sunlight, very bright, but very dark, intense shadows, not at all easy to see what you are doing. Much better for actually seeing detail, is a bright, but overcast day.

 

[JohnW2]

A single pendant may not be ideal in some rooms but in my opinion, and it is my opinion, downlighters are not ideal in any room

I would have thought that a single pendant was very rarely going to be superior to downlighters. There will always be a least 'a few' (often far more!) of the latter, and several light sources spread around a ceiling is surely nearly always going to be better than a single, fairly central, source, isn't it?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I would have thought that a single pendant was very rarely going to be superior to downlighters. There will always be a least 'a few' (often far more!) of the latter, and several light sources spread around a ceiling is surely nearly always going to be better than a single, fairly central, source, isn't it?

A single pendant, is no better, likely even worse than downlighters, about OK for seeing where you are going, but useless for doing anything, rather like trying to see with the sun, on a bright day.

 

[JohnW2]

A single pendant, is no better, likely even worse than downlighters, about OK for seeing where you are going, but useless for doing anything, rather like trying to see with the sun, on a bright day.

Quite so -but it's essentially all that almost everyone had (at least, in domestic premises) for many decades.