 FLASHES
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Price Changes
The following manufacturers have made or announced future price changes;
HK Lighting - Effective 9/2/2008
Hinkley Lighting - Effective 9/2/2008
Kim Lighting - Effective 9/2/2008
California Series Transformers - Effective 10/1/2008
Outdoor Speaker Placement
When installing a directional sound outdoor speaker, achieving the maximum acoustic performance is often determined by the speaker placement. After determining where the main listening area will be, establish the best location for the speaker placement. Each speaker, both left and right channels, should be the same distance from the target area. To achieve the best quality stereo sound, the distance between the two speakers should be less than the distance from the speakers to the listening area. For example, if the speakers are 15' away from the patio, they should be placed about 8-10 feet apart and angled slightly towards the entertainment area.
Tinting a scene
The use of colored lenses opens up all sorts of possibilities to the 12-volt outdoor lighting designer. The term "colored lens" does not mean that the lenses are used to color an object, but rather are used to "tint" the light, enhancing the object that already possesses that hue. For instance, an amber lens can dramatize the overall color of Golden Bamboo or a light blue lens can remove the amber tone from a halogen lamp to make the light seem "whiter". You can even enhance skin tones by introducing a pink lens to down lighting fixtures within a patio setting. For more information on color lenses consult page 11 of the latest California Landscape Lighting product catalog.
Cable Installation Tip
To eliminate the excess cable you can get when mounting fixtures into a tree or structure, consider this: Start by attaching the low voltage cable to the fixture while on the ground. You'll be able to use the preferred cable connector and be assured of a solid connection. Next, mount the fixture at the selected location and finish by attaching the cable to the tree or structure, working away from the fixture. With this method you can route the cable as discreetly as possible, leaving necessary slack and lessening waste.
Hunza Extraction Tool
We recently asked Hunza Lighting to design a tool for extracting their fixtures from their mounting canisters in the field. They came back with a small and easily usable tool that does just the trick. If you've unthreaded the top of any Hunza fixture prior to raising the fixture at least one inch out of the canister you know it's almost impossible to reattach the fixture top back to the body. The new extraction tool allows you to grip this fixture body while inside the canister. You then can pull the body up out of the canister and rethread the top onto the lower body, making the Hunza fixture watertight once again. If you would like this extraction tool at no charge, contact our office.
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 THE FOUR P'SWhen during the fixture selection process you utilize the concept of the Four P's, you will often be assured that the fixtures chosen will always meet your clients and design's needs.
Proportion: A fixture no matter what type needs to be proportionate to its environment. Special care needs to be taken to ensure the fixture is the right size after the surrounding plants have reached maturity. In the case of path lights in order to stay proportional it may be required to use several smaller fixtures rather than a single large fixture.
Performance: The lamp is the key to performance. This is almost always true in flood and spot lighting, and sometimes true in path lighting. When you select the correct lamp that will provide the required amount of illumination needed and with the coverage desired, you now have narrowed the list of fixtures down to those that will accept that lamp.
Preference: You first need to determine if you want this fixture to add to the architectural or garden theme or blend in and not be seen. Architectural fixtures draw attention to themselves during the day and add to the theme during the night. These types of fixtures typically have aspects to their design such as exposed glass panels or unusual finishes that stand out. Purely functional fixtures are lower key and are designed into the landscape to not draw attention to the light source. These types of fixtures are normally heavily shielded and seldom have visible glass panels. It is often thought that if a fixture cannot be found that truly adds to a landscape's theme then it's better to use one that blends in and performs the function needed.
Placement: Where a fixture must be installed is crucial to the fixture selection. It must be able to survive at that location, be maintained and remain operational. This means determining what materials and finishes will be best suited for certain area as well as where the fixture will be placed. In a tree, the fixture must be easily re-lamped and adjusted. On the ground, the fixture must be protected from gardeners and retain it's original positioning. Path lights in lawn areas or inground fixtures in planters, with active ground cover or annual mulch covering, are examples of possible incorrect choices. When you address the location a potential fixture must be placed, it will eliminate unacceptable fixtures from this process.
(Image courtesy of Boyd Lighting, San Antonio TX)
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 Service GuaranteeWe are now approaching the beginning of the 15th year for our "Egg on our Face" customer service program. This is a unique program that may be the only one like it in the landscape lighting industry. Periodically contractors will receive these interesting little wooden chips shown in the image shown to the right. Everyone should recognize the value of collecting the disks. These chips are sent out to our customers whenever we backorder a product we've promised to have in stock. All these products are clearly identified in our product catalog as "On Demand" fixtures. If this happens regardless of the circumstances, we send a chip. These chips are also sent out if we make an error in order taking, shipping, or for just about any reason that isn't up to our high standard of customer service. Now, believe it or not the value of these chips is almost $25.00 each, because when you collect a total of 5 Egg on our Face wooden chips you can redeem them for a free T-250 California Series Transformer. That's a 250-watt transformer valued at $124.20 in exchange for your five wooded chips. That's a fair amount to give away, but it's a commitment to doing the job we promise and compensation to our customers whenever we fail to meet that commitment. |
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