flourescent lighting

N

nolatron

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Nov 17, 2004
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I was wondering about this today.

Is there any benefit to using 2 24" fluorescents lights over a single 48" light? Or vice versa?

From what I gather, the single 48" light would eliminate "dark spot" between fixtures, and is a little cheaper than buying multiple shorter ones.

Guess I'm wondering if there's any disadvantages to using such a long bulb in a fixture. (ie: can the bulb itself develop "dead areas" or something)

Hope that makes sense :)

I ask cause I'm considering using the 46.25" 6400K (daylight) fixtures from these guys:

Microfluorescent T4 Linkable Light Fixtures, T4 Sleek Plus Fluorescent Fixture
 
I'm planning on using dimmer controlled track mounted low volt halogens so lighting (and color) for photos and mood is adjustable. My 96" x 32" x 46" high N layout will have the lighting concealed by curtain - valance hung over the layout. The framework will double as a support for a lightweight plastic drop cloth dust cover.
Why bother lighting buildings or creating scenery and views with light and shadow areas when Floros are either on or off?
 
With track lighting won't you get a spotlight affect though, like so:

20070422-151707-4.jpg


Some track lighting in my house. Unless the lights will be high enough to have a large field to through light out on to.

My lighting though is being attached 14-17" above the track on a shelf layout on braces.
 
nolatron said:
I was wondering about this today.

Is there any benefit to using 2 24" fluorescents lights over a single 48" light? Or vice versa?

From what I gather, the single 48" light would eliminate "dark spot" between fixtures, and is a little cheaper than buying multiple shorter ones.

Guess I'm wondering if there's any disadvantages to using such a long bulb in a fixture. (ie: can the bulb itself develop "dead areas" or something)

Hope that makes sense :)

I ask cause I'm considering using the 46.25" 6400K (daylight) fixtures from these guys:

Microfluorescent T4 Linkable Light Fixtures, T4 Sleek Plus Fluorescent Fixture
Click to expand...
Just a few comments on your questions.

There seems to be a disproportionate difference in pricing between 48" fixtures and bulbs and 24" ones. I've see "shop" lights in the $15 range, and "wraparound" ones in the $20 area, each holding two 48" bulbs. Bulbs run anywhere from $2-4 depending on the type. A bare 24" fixture for one bulb runs twice that, as do the bulbs. the only reason I can see for the bigger one being so cheap is that they are much more common.

All florescent bulbs get "dead" spots, but they all seem to be on the ends, not in the middle. That's usually a clue that it's time to change them.

I use a couple of the "wraparound" fixtures that come with deflectors, mounted on shelves over my layout and I'm happy with them. My only problem is what to do with the section that juts out into the middle of the room and I can't put a shelf over it to hold the lamps.:???: Oh, I'll get to that when the time comes.:mrgreen:
 
nolatron said:
I was wondering about this today.

Is there any benefit to using 2 24" fluorescents lights over a single 48" light? Or vice versa?

From what I gather, the single 48" light would eliminate "dark spot" between fixtures, and is a little cheaper than buying multiple shorter ones.

Guess I'm wondering if there's any disadvantages to using such a long bulb in a fixture. (ie: can the bulb itself develop "dead areas" or something)

Hope that makes sense :)

I ask cause I'm considering using the 46.25" 6400K (daylight) fixtures from these guys:

Microfluorescent T4 Linkable Light Fixtures, T4 Sleek Plus Fluorescent Fixture
Click to expand...
Absolutly!! Yes!! The 4 Ft fixtures are the most widely used in the US. Therefore there are mny different ones available, and cheap too as has been said. If you space them about a foot apart, you wil get virtually no shadows, or "dark spots"

And yes - the Daylight bulbs are great!! I get mine from Wal Mart!!

One really important thing.,.. Make sure you can easily reach the bulbs to change them.... But 4' is the way to go!! :)
 
Mikey...
What "temperature" are those daylight bulbs..?? I use the ones with the green tips but I don't know if they're daylights or not. I just know they give a greenish tint to my pics...even if I use the fluorescent light compensation...
 
Ooopss...Forgot to mention. I use the fluorescents most of the time, but for "night" operations I turn them off and use incandescents on a dimmer. Nothing beats seeing the layout in the dark, with the structures all lit (also controlled by a dimmer) and just barely seeing the trains 'cept for the headlights...
 
Cool. I'll go with the 46" fixtures then. They'll be easily accessible on my shelf layout for changing out bulbs too.

I was thinking of also stringing like christmas lights in a blue color to dim then for evening lighting. Something I'm gonna play with and see it how looks. I came across a site once selling blue rope lighting once, need to find them again :)
 
That stuff will bleach your furnature over time like the sun.

It might do the same to your landscping and strctures and trains.

Look further into it. Maybe I am wrong or perhaps it takes so long it is not a problem. Those lights have done so here and you can clearly see where the kitchen light had bleached the dining room table and where it was sheilded from direct exposure.
 
Gil Finn said:
That stuff will bleach you furnature over tine like the sun.

It might do the same to your landscping and strctures and trains.

Look further into it. Maybe I am wrong or perhaps it takes so ling it is not a problem. Those lights have done so here and you can clearly see where the kitchen light had bleached the dining room table and where it was sheilded from direct exposure.
Click to expand...

Absolutely right Gil!! :( :( It's the Ultra-Violet (UV) rays.... Every light emits them... There are some Very Expensive 4' tubes that don't emit it... but again - it takes years and years to make a difference...

Mostly museums use them.. to protect the artifacts over 100's of years
 
N Gauger said:
Absolutely right Gil!! :( :( It's the Ultra-Violet (UV) rays.... Every light emits them... There are some Very Expensive 4' tubes that don't emit it... but again - it takes years and years to make a difference...

Mostly museums use them.. to protect the artifacts over 100's of years
Click to expand...
When we had our business, I made screenprinting screens by coating them with light-sensitive emulsion and then exposing them to a UV light source. Once way that some people do it is to sticky-glue the film to the back side of the screen and place it outside in the sunlight. I built an exposure table using sun lamps and it worked great until the lamp industry decided it was too litigious to continue to make these bulbs and they discontinued making them. Not to be deterred, I remembered that a florescent bulb emitted UV light, so I substituted four 48" daylite bulbs in place of four sun lamps, and I was off and running again. I think I might have kicked the exposure time up a minute or so, but yeah, there's plenty of UV light coming from one of those.

Bare in mind though, the exposure distance was about 8", and I think the amount of UV light would be exponential to the distance from the source. Huh? That means that there would be about 1/4 the UV strength at twice that distance, and almost negligible at around 8'.
 
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