I have a big lighting project for a homeowner who wants to light up her 200 year old trees. I'm wanting to find a website that has the examples of the different colours of light so I can let her see the difference. Preferably a
landscaping site, but as of yet I've not found a good one. Anyone know of one. I've typed in HPS light and different combinations, but haven't seen any good examples as of yet. I know they gotta be out there. Thanks for your help. Steve...
The following link is to web page on GE's website. It is a virtural light booth they use in instructing lighting design. I was there a few years ago and got some excellent training there.
GE Color Booth You can do virtual side by side comparision with different light. It is not as good as the actual booth they use but it does a good job. I hope this helps you
Typically HPS is not use for highlighting is likrly the reason you are not finding anything. HPS has a low color render index rating (CRI). This means that colors are harder to distinquish from one another, as if we did not know that already. MH has much higher CRI rating. Hence it is used in high visibility areas like big box stores, factories, and higher risk security areas.
Thought of going with PLs? A few twin PL-13 up-light fixtures can do a pretty good job of highlighting a tree at a fraction of the power consumption of either HPS or MH.
An added bonus is that you can change the color by simply changing the lamps from 27K (orange-ish, like an HPS) up to a 41K or even a 50K (white-ish, like a MH).
Maintenance and re-lamp costs are minimal when compared to an HID fixture as well.
Ruud has a nice fixture that mounts easily on a 3" PVC RAB mighty-post.
Good Luck!
Larry:
I think he meant compact fluorescent (CFL).
Another good site is RUUDLighting.com. Be good if I knew how to make that a link, but that's the site.
Rab makes a neat 100 watt MH bullet flood uplight too.
Landscape lighting is MH or CFL in my opinion.
Just a thought, if you go with a MH fixture, try screwing in a clear mercury lamp of the equal wattage (if the ballast says it will operate a mercury lamp, most non pulse-start MH ballasts will). I say this because the non coated mercury lamps produce more green and blue light and may enhance the foleage on the tree, making it look a deep green colour.. Just my 2 cents..
A.D
We used Ruud lighting and they are very helpful on lighting design. Rod
Why not low volt lighting? Is it because of height? The highest I have ever shot a 50w LV light is 30' but it was fairly bright I would think it could go 50'.
I love LV for landscape lighting.
Right, CFL=PL. Product designation would be PL-13 for a 13w, PL-9 for a 9w, etc. PLs are one or more tubes in a U shape. I prefer these type of CFLs as opposed to the twist-in, medium-base A-19 replacement types for a number of reasons.
Although LV definately has it's advantages, such as ease of wiring (direct burial as opposed to PVC conduit, etc.), I find the light isn't quite as brilliant. The required transformer also presents another link in the chain of possible issues down the road.
Whatever you decide, good luck!
Thanks for all the replies. I have put in low voltage lights
also, and normally that would be my choice, but these trees she wants lighted ( at least one ) is around 200 ft. tall. I know I want be able to light it all, but she wants lights at the bottom and then lights up in the tree then lights on one of it's limbs to shine on another tree. The first branch is around 25 to 30 ft. up. Low voltage lighting that high to me is going to produce problems in the future
(bulb changing, connections etc. ) I mentioned the difference from the HPS and MH to her. She has several large trees in her front yard. I told her to take a
"online" look at "The White House" at night, and that will give her some idea of what HPS will look like. The MH spots on some of the trees may be too blinding in my opinion on this job, because especially one will be pointed in the direction of cars coming into her driveway. But anyway, I'm just giving her the options. If it were normal trees and shrubbery, yes I would go with low voltage, but this is more like a "White House" project and, yes she is wanting the usual,"as cheap as possible". I've sent her a 2 page letter explaining the options she has and explaining the pro's and con's. Thanks for the input..
PS. I don't know about low voltage reaching 50ft. up or not. Is that using over a 50wt. halogen bulb? And if so where do you find a low voltage light that accepts over a 50wt. halogen. I've looked on the web, and couldn't find one. Thanks again... Steve
Steve:
A lot of the lighting effects you can create also has to do with the beam spread of the lamp you choose. I have done landscape tree lighting at a few country clubs over the years, and although most were MH, in varying wattage and fixture & lamp types a limited number were low voltage.
You can find a wide array of lv bulbs and fixtures, as well as a very wide array of MH fixtures and lamps, but expect to spend quite a bit for the 'exotic' items.
The RUUD and/or Rab are good choices for resi, unless the budget can handle the professional fixtures.