Ignoramus4324 wrote:
On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 18:21:41 -0000, Chris Lewis wrote:

According to Ignoramus4324 :

Thanks. You raised a great issue and I would not want to take any eye
damage risk. Would it make any sense to enclose them into some
appropriate (rated for heat input) glass diffusers of any sort? Glass
is a UV filter, right?



It looks as though going with more regular fluorescents may be more
sensible though.

I'd recommend the fluorescents for several reasons entirely aside from
potential UV emission.

- MH bulbs are _hot_. In a smallish area (a garage would qualify),
the directed heat will occasionally be uncomfortable.


Makes sense.


- MH systems are expensive.


Chris, just what is involved in having a "MH system"?

The lightbulbs seem to just need light sockets. I would suppose tat
they need robust switches, maybe 0 crossing solid state relays. What
else is involved, especially with indirect lighting?


- Used as overall lighting in a relatively low-ceiling space, MHs
will have intense hard-to-miss super bright spots, which will have
you stumbling around with purple spots in your eyes.

- I'd rather not have MH bulbs in a workshop, where accidentally
hitting one will let stuff out that you don't want...


Yes. If I go ahead with them (doubtful at this point), I would use
them for INdirect lighting.


- MHs are somewhat more efficient than ordinary incandescents, but
not nearly as good as fluorescents, and as such, going with a lot
of MHs to get a lot of light is going to cost a fair bit to operate.

Your best bet is to use fluorescents as overall lighting, and use
floods or spot lamps in work areas where you need it.

I've built my shop with several 8' fluorescent fixtures for
overall lighting, and used a variety of quartz halogen fixtures
mounted on the ceiling for task lighting.


Thanks. My problem with fluorescents, is that there "never seems to be
enough". I already have 4 fixtures with 8 4 foot bulbs, and that is
barely adequate. I want to be able to feel great about the amoun tof
light that I have.

i

They need to have matched ballasts, Only use in the specifc fixture
designed for the reated MH Bulb.