All,

Just looking for general thoughts at the moment on the following:

Im planning at making some improvements to my home cinema room. The
plan is to created a new lowered ceiling below the current ceiling.
This will be around 10 - 15 cm lower. What I want to do is leave a gap
around the edge of the new ceiling to form a sort or recess, probably
around 10 cm. Mounted on the top around the new ceiling I plan to put
some form of dimmable lighting. Other lighting will be provided by
dimmable spot lights.

Any thoughts on the following:

- Material to use for the lowered section. Plasterboard? Wood?
- What sort of lighting to use for the edge light, neon, fl. tubes.
- Presumably the way to mount it is via wooden battons screwed into the
existing joists.
- The area will be ventilated as it wont be sealed in at the sides. Am
I allowing enough room above my spot lights or will they get to hot.
Thanks in advance,

CM.

In article om,
Charles Middleton wrote:
- What sort of lighting to use for the edge light, neon, fl. tubes.

Dimmable fluorescents - you'll need special rather pricey electronic
ballasts, but the results are great. No (or little) change in the colour
temperature of the light - unlike tungsten - so ideal viewing conditions.

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Dave Plowman London SW
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Dimmable fluorescents - you'll need special rather pricey electronic
ballasts, but the results are great. No (or little) change in the
colour
temperature of the light - unlike tungsten - so ideal viewing
conditions.

Cheers, just done a quick google and didnt turn up any results. Any
ideas on a supplier?

CM.

In article .com,
Charles Middleton wrote:
Dimmable fluorescents - you'll need special rather pricey electronic
ballasts, but the results are great. No (or little) change in the
colour temperature of the light - unlike tungsten - so ideal viewing
conditions.

Cheers, just done a quick google and didnt turn up any results. Any
ideas on a supplier?

Mine are Osram. You'll almost certainly need to order them from a
specialist. Where are you?

--
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Dave Plowman London SW
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On 6 Dec 2004 09:53:40 -0800, "Charles Middleton"
wrote:

Dimmable fluorescents - you'll need special rather pricey electronic
ballasts, but the results are great. No (or little) change in the
colour
temperature of the light - unlike tungsten - so ideal viewing
conditions.

Cheers, just done a quick google and didnt turn up any results. Any
ideas on a supplier?


Just do a google on Quicktronic .

DG

Dimmable fluorescents - you'll need special rather pricey electronic
ballasts, but the results are great. No (or little) change in the
colour
temperature of the light - unlike tungsten - so ideal viewing
conditions.

works great. If you need to cut cost, just put one big standard fl
light in the middle, and by the time the light reaches the edges it'll
be all evenly and softly illuminated. When doing this, ensure your old
ceiling's painted white.


NT

Dimmable fluorescents - you'll need special rather pricey electronic
ballasts, but the results are great. No (or little) change in the
colour
temperature of the light - unlike tungsten - so ideal viewing
conditions.

works great. If you need to cut cost, just put one big standard fl
light in the middle, and by the time the light reaches the edges it'll
be all evenly and softly illuminated. When doing this, ensure your old
ceiling's painted white.


NT

Dimmable fluorescents - you'll need special rather pricey electronic
ballasts, but the results are great. No (or little) change in the
colour
temperature of the light - unlike tungsten - so ideal viewing
conditions.

works great. If you need to cut cost, just put one big standard fl
light in the middle, and by the time the light reaches the edges it'll
be all evenly and softly illuminated. When doing this, ensure your old
ceiling's painted white.


NT

I'm doing a similar thing. I made a wood stretcher and put cup hooks in it
and the ceiling. The thing is suspended by lengths of chain (angled slightly
inwards). This makes it easy to level and adjust the height and also means I
can simply unhook it for access. The idea is to stretch a canvas across
which will act like a giant lightshade. If it was painted with emulsion I
think it would be opaque and I'd get the edge illumination effect (which was
the original idea). I haven't stretched the canvas and flameproofed the
whole thing yet and there is the possibility that it will twist (especially
when the canvas gets wet) but that is really down to the stretcher
construction and not pulling the canvas too tight. (Water-based fire
retardant available from Brodie and Middleton in Drury Lane btw). hth

Staffordshire.

CM.

Ok, had a look at various web sites but its still not totally clear
what I need to do. What I propose is as follows ...

- Set up my new ceiling joists in required configuration.
- A fix fluorescent tubes in required positions.
- Wire some how to an Osram Quicktronic ECG
- Wire said ECG to my light switch (well exsiting ceiling rose).

As far as the ECG is concerned ...

- How is the dimming actuated - standard dimmer switch (which I have
already installed)?
- Presume its possible to connect a number of tubes to one of these
ECG's. Any wiring diagrams or descriptions of how to do this available?
- As far as starting the tubes is concerned, the dimmer switch has the
ability to switch on in a dimmed state - will this cause any problems
as I gather the tubes require a certain voltage to start which if I am
correct is created by the ballast.

Thanks in advance,

CM.

In article .com,
Charles Middleton wrote:
As far as the ECG is concerned ...

- How is the dimming actuated - standard dimmer switch (which I have
already installed)?

No. The dimming facility is part of the ballast, in my case. It is
possible to dim 'special' 50Hz fluorescent ballasts using a special
dimmer, but this is an old hat way of doing it. Much easier to use modern
high frequency ones which also give a better range from min to max.

The dimmer control for mine is simply a pot which carries a safe low
voltage so is easy to situate wherever required. Several fittings may also
be ganged to the same pot. I've actually used a motorised ALPs one which
can also be operated by a remote - same idea as a Hi-Fi one where the
volume control turns.

--
*If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before

Dave Plowman London SW
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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

The dimmer control for mine is simply a pot which carries a safe low
voltage so is easy to situate wherever required. Several fittings may
also
be ganged to the same pot. I've actually used a motorised ALPs one
which
can also be operated by a remote - same idea as a Hi-Fi one where the
volume control turns.

I presume then that the dimming control is not inline with the mains
and that the system is wired directly to the mains and then the dimmer
control is on a seperate circuit?

Im not sure I could implement that as it would involve major
redirecting of cables etc. I need some sort of inline solution that
could work with the existing dimming switch I think.

Other than that I would have to replace the dimmer with a normal switch
and put the dimming control elsewhere. How easy is it to make the
dimming remote control?

CM.

In article . com,
Charles Middleton wrote:
The dimmer control for mine is simply a pot which carries a safe low
voltage so is easy to situate wherever required. Several fittings may
also be ganged to the same pot. I've actually used a motorised ALPs
one which can also be operated by a remote - same idea as a Hi-Fi one
where the volume control turns.

I presume then that the dimming control is not inline with the mains and
that the system is wired directly to the mains and then the dimmer
control is on a seperate circuit?

Yes. The dimmer control is wired direct to the ballasts, and doesn't
involve mains

Im not sure I could implement that as it would involve major redirecting
of cables etc. I need some sort of inline solution that could work with
the existing dimming switch I think.

Then you're restricted to tungsten.

Other than that I would have to replace the dimmer with a normal switch
and put the dimming control elsewhere. How easy is it to make the
dimming remote control?

I bought a kit. Actually for audio, but fine for any sort of motorised pot.

http://electronics.dantimax.dk/

Pretty easy to make if you're used to that sort of thing - no more
difficult than kits from Maplin.

--
*Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen.*

Dave Plowman London SW
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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Im not sure I could implement that as it would involve major
redirecting
of cables etc. I need some sort of inline solution that could work
with
the existing dimming switch I think.

Then you're restricted to tungsten.

I have also seen those rope lights that you can get. Not sure how
bright they are but the whole thing is only really for effect anyway.
Main lighting will be by dimmable halogen spots.

CM.

In article . com,
Charles Middleton wrote:
I have also seen those rope lights that you can get. Not sure how
bright they are but the whole thing is only really for effect anyway.
Main lighting will be by dimmable halogen spots.

Lighting which changes colour temperature when dimmed - like tungsten -
really isn't a good idea in a TV viewing room for best results. Background
lighting should be the same colour temperature as the TV itself.
Otherwise, the eye tends to adapt to the overall 'colour' of the room.
This may not matter to you, of course. But you'd be better off arranging
the switching so you leave a few low wattage spots on full as background
lighting.

--
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Dave Plowman London SW
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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lighting which changes colour temperature when dimmed - like tungsten
-
really isn't a good idea in a TV viewing room for best results.
Background
lighting should be the same colour temperature as the TV itself.
Otherwise, the eye tends to adapt to the overall 'colour' of the
room.
This may not matter to you, of course. But you'd be better off
arranging
the switching so you leave a few low wattage spots on full as
background
lighting.

Thanks for the info.

Perhaps quicktronic is the way forward. Just to clarify that
Quicktronic is essentially the balasts and they can be used with any
tubes. I imagine that its not possible to control and on/off function
on the dimmer is it? If so that could be perfect providing that I could
put the dimmer into a matching dimming switch to go into the wall.

CM.

In article .com,
Charles Middleton wrote:
Perhaps quicktronic is the way forward. Just to clarify that
Quicktronic is essentially the balasts and they can be used with any
tubes.

I'm sure there are other makers. But any ballast will be suitable for any
tube of the correct type - and most types are available in a range of
colour temperatures from a decent supplier.

I imagine that its not possible to control and on/off function
on the dimmer is it? If so that could be perfect providing that I could
put the dimmer into a matching dimming switch to go into the wall.

If using the remote ALPs type pot? Dunno if you get these with switches -
I doubt it.

If using an ordinary pot, these can certainly be bought with a switch -
same as most normal dimmers. Or you could use a grid switch arrangement
and use a normal switch with a blank plate next to it drilled to accept
the pot.

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Dave Plowman London SW
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