Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve B[_13_]
What spectrum of light is good for a pool table? I have a two socket large
base bulb fixture. I can lower it, and right now, it is 35" up from the
surface of the table. Right now, I am using two 100 watt frosted bulbs.
Smaller halogens just light up two smalls spots. Even the two hundreds of
watts I have now is slightly underlit. I have seen lots of different types
of lights at the store, touting such words as spectrum, and Kelvin, and all
sorts of non-decipherable descriptions.
Is there a light standard to the industry that is used over a pool table?
Something I could go to the borg and ask for?
Steve
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Steve:
Compact Fluorescent bulbs produce light differently than incandescent bulbs, and one of the benefits of that difference is that CFL bulbs can be made to simulate virtually any light source. So, when you were buying an incandescent bulb, all you had to decide was wattage. With CFL bulbs, you have to decide on how bright a bulb you want, but you also have to decide on what colour of light you want.
This PDF file:
http://www.takecontrolandsave.coop/d...emperature.pdf
explains it well.
Essentially, the whitest light will have a colour temperature of 5500 degrees Kelvin.
The lower the colour temperature below 5500 deg. Kelvin, the yellower the light will be. For example, CFL bulbs with colour temperatures between 2700 and 3000 deg. K will emit light that is indistinguishable from that of incandescent bulbs.
The higher the colour temperature above 5500 deg. Kelvin, the blue-er the light will be.
The "whitest" light is had with a colour temperature of 5500 deg. Kelvin, but we're used to incandescent bulbs that give more of a yellow colour. So, if I were you, I'd shop around for a couple of 23 watt CFL bulbs with a colour temperature between 4500 and 5500 deg. Kelvin, and use those to illuminate your pool table. That will give you plenty of light in a very white colour that doesn't significantly affect the apparant colour of the balls.