Varilight

[chris_j_hunter]

we're wondering if Varilights are compatible with Idratek dimmers ... in particular :

we've eight ES lamps in the front yard, and we're thinking of fitting them with Varilights - eg :

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LADF20ES.html

which are, if I understand correctly, are designed to work with standard dimmers (there are minimum load issues but, since our eight would amount to 8x20=160W, I would guess we'd be OK, in that regard)

but, would they be OK to be controlled by the Idratek 250W dimmer - ie:

http://www.idratek.com/HWOutput.htm#SLD002

not forgetting failure modes - ie: the Varilights can be expected to last 16000 hours, but that doesn't they will never fail !

[Karam]

Yes we have tried the varilights with our dimmers. Both our dimmer technologies will go down to 20W (and below) so even one vailight is ok. Though we have tested with 1 and with 2 lights we have not tested with 8 in parallel. I can't imagine that the 160w loading itself would be a problem but don't know for example if there might be some quirks in the loading characteristics which when multiplied by 8 then cause some problem.

[chris_j_hunter]

aha, thanks ... another possibility might be to use their switch-dimmable versions :

http://www.varilight.co.uk/index%20products.htm

with, rather than a dimmer, a simple Idratek switch & suitable programming ... wonder if anyone has tried eight from one switch ??

[chris_j_hunter]

following-up on this, I contacted the Varilight people themselves - interesting result, as follows :


Wednesday, 13 Aug'08 - 10:49pm BST

from: Chris Hunter

Hi -

three questions, please :

1: Dimmer-compatible CFLs - could we have eight controlled from one 250W dimmer (of the sort usually used for incandescent bulbs) - obviously the wattage would be OK, but would they all be smoothly controllable when used in this way?

2: Switch-dimming CFLs - could we have eight controlled by just one switch ?

3: Dimmable linear ballasts (coming soon) - how many lamps per dimmer, and how would the dimming be controlled - 0-10V, or ... ?

thanks

Chris Hunter

----

Thursday, 14 Aug'08 - 09:51:18 BST

from: [email protected]

Dear Mr Hunter -

Many thanks for your interest in our products.

Your answers ...

1: A standard 250W dimmer will control 1-5 CFLs. To control 8 we would recommend our standard 400W models or our touch/remote 400W model. They would then all be smoothly controllable, yes.

2: We have tested up to 20 Switch Dimmable CFLs on one light switch with no problems.

3: We are still finalising the specification of our dimmable linear ballasts. Please check back on our website or email us again in 3-4 months time for an update. However, they will be dimmable by a standard dimmer switch (240V) via a standard 2-wire connection.

Kind regards,

Andrew Wilson
Doyle & Tratt Products Ltd

[jcmiguel]

Details on varilight

I am interested on that!! I would like to have some use for the buttons of the DFP that I am ordering and light mood would be great. Do you have to catalog code for those varilights? I am willing to try it home.

[chris_j_hunter]

yes- try:

http://www.varilight.co.uk/index%20where2.htm

[JonS]

SO that sounds to me like give it a go with a single 250W dimmer and see if the control is good enough for you. However if it isn't then automation may get tricky as when I asked Karam said at the time that you cannot couple two 250W dimmers together to give a 500W dimmer. Karam, si this still the case?

On the switching approach I guess the requirements are to have a low level of light when it is dark and increase to Max when presence or person detected? If so I guess the limitation of the switched simmable approach would be that you loose all light while going into and out of the control phase. If it was a blink it might be OK but could be disconcerting to be plunged into darkness twice on approach if the off-time to register you want a change in illumination has a minimum duration to overcome electricity supplier glicthes changing the levels. You would also have to be confident that if on low setting that when it goes into its control ramp to starts going up rather than continuing down to zero before increasing intensity. More questions for varilight!

Another option (if still availble to you, may be to use two lighting circuits/channels to the same 4 lights with 4 on each. Half on =low all on = bright ...

Out of interest I've been looking at outside lights and haven't found anything that meets aesthetic criteria of SWMBO and is low energy ... what lanterns have you found that take ES bulbs? We're after something "traditional but not boring"... or expensive!
THanks
JonS

[chris_j_hunter]

In our case, our eight in the front-yard are bollards ... and we initially loaded them with (IIRC) 40W incandescent ES bulbs, which were too-bright ... then with 3W Omicron fluorescent lamps (OK, could have been brighter, but have got dimmer, and have had half fail before 1000 hours) ... their purpose is partly to see what one's doing (best if not too bright), but also to avoid a black-hole effect, when viewed from above (the parlour & loft windows look down onto it) ... having an adjustable level could therefore be good, to get it just right, and to compensate for dimming over life (if that happens) ... and doing the adjustment via Idratek would be ideal, and allow more complexity in the setting logic !

Similar thoughts for inside the house, but not ready to do that yet (busy plastering) ... 'though, while for the yard, switch-dimming might be alright, even preferred, indoors dimmers might be more the thing ...

BTW, we wired outside a while back, and it would be difficult to split the eight into two sets ... plus there are power-points involved, for garden power-tools (starting again, I'd have wired it differently, and included some cat-5, but ... !)

Lanterns - we've definitely found we get what we pay for ... external lamps can seem expensive, and we went for lower-cost Chinese bollards from TLC - electrically they're fine, aesthetically they were OK, but durability of the (black) paint has been poor, and the heads were not interchangeable (beware when installing, not to get them mixed-up) - we may repaint them, we may have to replace them before too long (busy in the house at the moment, else would have done one or the other already) ... if we were buying again, we'd probably go for something from the likes of Bega or Noral (not sure I've got the spelling right - there are two with similar names, I mean the Norwegian company) ...

[toscal]

for lighting try www.lighting-direct.co.uk prices aren't too bad.

[chris_j_hunter]

quite a good web-site to get around, too .... they seem to carry the bollards we bought from TLC, at a similar price to what we paid

http://www.lighting-direct.co.uk/cast-aluminium-73cm-bollard-p-7907.html

they don't mention brands very much - eg: their rope-lights look the same as Duralight, but the name isn't mentioned (prices also differ) :

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Xmas_Lights/Duralite_Rope_Lights/

http://www.lighting-direct.co.uk/rope-lights-c-29.html

(latter seem to come ready-terminated, former don't)

[chris_j_hunter]

useful video here, shoring Varilights in action - not sure how they were wired-up / controlled :

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/seeing-the-light-at-earls-court-20070921

(sorry, 'have to ignore the green mist !)