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Lighting marquees
jck_strw:
Hi
I'm using one of those 18", 15W fluorescent "workshop" lights for my marquee light. I finally got my marquee artwork last night and I hooked it all up and turned on the light...and was less than impressed. The lightning looks a bit dim, especially at the ends (my marquee size is roughly 5"x28").
I took the cover off the fluorescent light and it stills seems a bit dim. Most of these workshop lights are all 15W. I could try one of the direct wire ones (and then figure out how to hook that up) which run ~20-30W. What else are people using? Anyone hookup one of those direct-wire jobs (3 wires, white/black/green, seems simple enough, but I've never done any electrical work)?
Thanks in advance for the tips.
Trimoor:
I highly recommend cold cathode fluorescent lights, CCFL.
They are 12" long, extremely bright, run off 12V PC power supply, produce pure white light, no flicker/buzz, last 30,000 hours, and are still very cheap.
SVC CCFL
I don't believe you can run a standard fluorescent bulb without a ballast or starter.
jck_strw:
Thanks for the link. Is this something I have to wire or does it come pre-wired?
Stingray:
Mine seemed a little dim too, but I took a low tech approach. I lined the area around and behind the fixture with aluminum foil. Brightened it up considerably. Sounds goofy, but it worked like a charm.
-S
Trimoor:
The CCFL lights are pre-wired. Just plug it into a computer power supply. If you need help, just ask me.
Also note that the single bulb models actually support two bulbs (they don't say this, but every one I've used does). It might be cheaper to buy a single bulb model and a spare bulb than a dual bulb kit. If in doubt, buy a dual bulb model.
Aluminum foil for a reflector doesn't sound strange at all. It's very reflective, and diffuses the light slightly. I did the same thing using self-adhering mylar. (I had it lying around.)