May 2005

I would like to light up underneath and outline my boat dock at the lake. Is there a light that can be used for such a thing
Yes, we have LOW VOLTAGE ROPE LIGHTS . You will also need a good quality FIBERGLASS LOW VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER and some LOW VOLTAGE WIRE to hook it up properly.

I am very interested in purchasing some quality outdoor Christmas sculptures for my home. I see that you have a great selection! Can you make some recommendations on which one is the "best bang for the buck"? Thanks!We do have a big selection of OUTDOOR LIGHTING CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS & LARGE SCULPTURES, MEDIUM SCUPLTURES & SMALL SCULPTURES as well as YARD ART for various holidays. I think you should go with items that are in your price range and that are Synonymous with Christmas such as SANTA CLAUS,

We have a small sports complex at our neighborhood play area that has a basketball court, a tennis court and a horseshoe pit. Currently, we do not have any lighting. Do you have any idea what some thing like this would cost for materials? One of our neighbors is an electrical contractor and he can handle the installation. Thanks!
For the BASKETBALL COURT LIGHTING you should install (4) 1000-watt metal halide cut-off fixtures mounted on 25' poles with 24" diameter concrete footings. We have other OUTDOOR SPORTS LIGHTING should you want to look at our selection that are priced for your convenience.
For the TENNIS COURT LIGHTING please take a look at our complete assortment of packages for both recreational tennis courts and tournament court lighting systems. We have other OUTDOOR SPORTS LIGHTING should you want to look at...

Can you detail the best way to splice a low voltage outdoor lighting fixture onto main power cable? I want to eliminate my existing quick connectors with a more permenant solution (1/2 of them seem to fail every winter). I''ve seen the suggestion about silcon in the wire nut, but how do I do the rest? For instance, do I cut my main cable (12/2) & wrap the ends together with the leads for the light fixture into a wire nut? There must be a better technique. That seems like way too many cuts on the main cable.There are several ways you can splice into your main cable to eliminate the quick connectors. Of course, the easiest way is to simply cut the cable, strip back the wires, install a silicon filled wirenut (bathroom silicon sealer) and wrap the splice with electrical tape. If you have a crimping tool you can get crimping nuts or inline butt connectors. You can use 3M shrink wrap over the whichever splice to protect the connections. We also have HEAVY DUTY QUICK CONNECTORS should you decide to just replace those. It''s the corrosion where the connector penertrates the wire that is usually the problem. For your older system, you caould also ...

I have a Malibu 600 W (300 X 2) tranformer for my 12 V landscaping lighting. One side of the transformer has 3X20 W lights over 140 ft, on a 12 gauge wire which is working well. The other side has two divisions after a 125 foot run with 2X50W on one limb over 50 ft. Second limb has 5X20W over 75 ft. The lights on both limbs are dim. Please suggest some options to address this. ThanksThis is a classic case of voltage drop! I don't recommend running more than 100' with 120-watts on a 12/2 cable for this vary reason. You can run another 12/3 or even better a 10/2 cable cable and split the lights into more home runs or connect the cables into a continous loop system. In other words, feed the lights from both ends. You just need to be careful not to cross the polarity of the wires and short circuit the system. This will boost the power and balance out the lighting levels. If that doesn't work, you can always use a HIGH OUTPUT TRANSFORMER to boost the voltage and solve the problem.You might take a look at our CALCULATING VOLTAGE DROP INFORMATION page f...

I own a automotive paint and body shop that has terrible fluorescent lighting in the work area. What do you suggest to bright things up? My warehouse is roughly 20' high and I currently have twelve 8' double fluorescent strips.
Sounds like you are a good candidate for COMMERCIAL HID LIGHTING. For your application, I would go with a 400-WATT METAL HALIDE FIXTURE that has a metal enclosure and a lens since your shop is probably dusty. We have other LOW BAY FIXTURES as well. All of these fixtures have multi-tap ballasts which means they will work on 120, 208, 240 and 277 volt circuits. Please note that we have quantity discounts available!

We are hosting a 4th of July party at our river house. In conjunction with the festivities, there is also a boat parade and fireworks display. I am looking for some patriotic decorations to dress up my dock. Do you have anything?As a matter of fact, we sure do. We have a MEDIUM ANTIMATED & LIGHTED AMERICAN FLAG, a LARGE AMERICAN FLAG and several LIGHTED PATRIOTIC STARS as well as CHASING ROPE LIGHTS that will work beautifully! You will have the best looking dock on the river! Let's hear it for the good old Red, White and Blue!

I had previously submitted a question about lighting the vaulted ceiling of a timber frame house. Based on your advice, I''ve decided to use the 120 volt rope lighting and I will lay it on top of some timbers that are up near the ceiling. The only place you may see the lighting is from the second floor catwalk. I''d prefer to use the smaller diameter rope lighting (so it is less visible) but was wondering about it''s light output compared to the 1/2" (larger diameter) rope lighting. Is there a big difference in light output between these two? I plan to put them on a dimmer switch. Thank you very much.There is no difference in wattage between the two sizes of light rope.  Both sizes of ROPE LIGHTS produce 5.5 watts per linear foot.  You may want to install two runs if you think you need more light.  It is also cool to run a white and blue if you have a light colored ceiling. 

I am trying to find some 15-watt miniature replacement light bulbs for my House of Troy picture lights. Do you carry these kind of lamps?
We carry several light bulbs that fit House of Troy fixtures. In addition, we carry a full line of HOUSE OF TROY picture lights including TRADITIONAL, CONTEMPORARY, and BATTERY OPERATED models in all sizes and finishes.

I bought a new 300 watt low voltage transformer that is attached to about 175 feet of wire. The lights that I have attached, although significantly less than the indicated 300, drop off drastically in brightness at about the 100 foot mark. What need I do?You need to split the lighting load into several home run wires back to the transformer or you can run a continous loop wire from the end of the run back to the transformer to boost your voltage. In other words, feed from both ends!  Please review our information page on low voltage lighting designs and voltage calculations.

There's an interesting article recently published by Mike Otey which leads you through building a virtualized Windows Server 2003 cluster. You will need to be a paidup member to view unfortunately. Thanks Adam for that link. You can find similar information on RoudyBob.NET's excellent blog and also on microsoft.com. As if that's not enough, there's also this on-demand webcast which I think I've mentioned before [sorry ;-)]. So, no excuses for not having enough information at your fingertips if this is something you want to experiment with.
Mike will also be holding an online chat on 25th May at 5PM UK-Time for the "Straight Story on Virtual Server

Yep, it's "Gary Friday"—all doggone day—on the DDC Factory Floor.

Saw the Sam Prekop Band last night. Archer Prewitt, Chad Taylor, Josh Abrams and Sam.

So good. I was in awe, and completely taken by it.

Musicians. No ironic chatter, or haircuts, or flash-in-the-pan hype machine pollitics. Just amazing music.

I am so inspired by their craft, patience, humility and finesse.

- - - -

I am a board member at our local country club and have volunteered to do some groundwork for the construction of four tennis courts. They will all be in line on one level plane. Can you please give me a layout and price of what this would require? Thank you!We would love to work with you and the board to supply your country club with a professional tennis court lighting design. Four courts side-by-side require six of the Single190 fixture packages and nine of the Dual 2180 fixture packages. We have a full selection of tennis cout and sport court lighting packages. Please email your zip code and customer information to info@rlldesign.com for pricing and shipping information.

I have installed a low voltage landscape system and the owner would like a motion detector for flood lighting that was installed. Do you provide/sell low voltage motion detectors? What other types of low voltage lighting controls are available? Thank you.
We do have one motion detector that is designed to operate at 12 volt. It is a RAB STL12V Stealth. It would be perfect for your application!

I want to light a fountain that will sit in the center of a pond that is 8 x 8. We have on each end a 2x8 still water area for plants. The fountain is a five foot tierd bowl which spills over and drops to the pond of water below. The pool is 18 inches deep and will be a focal point at the end of a formal area at the rear of our house and is along a fairway on the golf course. We want this feature to be lit at night and done attractively we hope with low votage lighting. Please tell me what size light and how many to use and if used under water will the water spilling over the bowls shimmer with light or will we have to use light above the water? Again, this will be seen by neighbors and we would love to see the water from our house too. What size bulbs and how many do we need? Thanks for your help and immediate response as I have an open ditch for electric wires!!To properly light your tiered fountain you will need several light sources. One Under water Light to create the shimmering effect from the water movement. And one or more

I have seen in several homes a very special form of art lighting where the light is contoured exactly to the canvas. It looks like it is lighted from within? How is that done and can you tell me where to find such a product? I think the name is Wendel or Wendel lighting?
You are most likely referring to the PHANTOM CONTOUR PROJECTOR. This high tech framing proector is state of the art and outperforms the competion in cost, performance and ease of installation. Click here to see how it stack's up against the competion. We have the these fixtures and many other Traditional and Contemporary Picture Lights in stock and ready to ship. Call today at 800-239-2939 and find out which model is right for you.

I am placing outdoor speakers in my yard and need to run wire to them. Is low voltage (lighting) wire the same as outdoor speaker wire?Thank youIf you are not planning to install conduits you can most certainly use our cable for speaker wiring.  Otherwise, I would probably use a traditional speaker wire with multiple conductors in a conduit.  This will allow you to make repairs or reconfigure the system with having to dig up the yard.  Check out or complete selection of OUTDOOR SPEAKERS AND ROCK SPEAKERS  Don''t forget to install the outdoor lighting at the same time!

I have electric wiring for flood lights in three spots on the corners of my house under the eves. I am looking for some nice looking lighting fixtures. I will use dimmers at the switches to lower the lighting. You have so many selections on your web site! Can you please direct me to something that might fit? Thanks!I like the REMCRAFT FIXTURES for lighting around a home. The fixtures are well made, stylish and lock into position once aimed.If you are looking for a dimmer control, I would recommend the Lutron Ariadni series for a traditional toggle look and the Lutron Diva series for a designer look. We have both products in available for immediate delivery!

You never know where you'll find a mentor. Mine just walked in out of the blue.

We have just install a jaccuzzi tub in our master bathroom. It is great, except I did not consider the steam that builds up in the room. Do you have something to exhaust the steam?Yes, our NUTONE 763RLN is perfect for your application. Here are some of the features:

• Quiet operation with one-piece molded blower wheel, silent backdraft damper.
• White polymeric grille with break resistant lens.
• Plug-in motor and light.
• Uses one (1) 100 watt bulb (bulb not included).
• For baths up to 45 sq. ft., other rooms up to 60 sq. ft.
• Air Delivery: 50CFM
• Sound Level: 2.5 Sones.
• Dimensions: housing: 9" x 9" x 5 3⁄4".; Grille: 12 1⁄4" x 10 3⁄4".
• Material & Housing: Galvanized steel; Grille: White Polymeric.
• Motor: Shaded Pole, thermally protected
• Duct Size: 4" diameter.
• Electrical rating: With one (1) 100 watt bulb: 120vAC, 60Hz, 1.4A.
• Blower Wheel: One-piece polypropylene, 4 3⁄4" diameter.
• Mounting: Mounting Flange provided.
• UL listed. Installation Note:
• Suitable for use over tub or shower enclosure when instal...

My outdoor landscape bullet light needs a replacement MR8 bulb. Do you stock these hard to find light bulbs?
Yes, we have the HALOGEN MR8 LIGHT BULBS in stock in both a 10 degree spot and 23 degree medium flood. Both are 20-watts and have a bi-pin base. We have many hard to find replacement parts for landscape lighting fixtures, interior RECESSED ART LIGHTS and kitchen under cabinet lights.
We also have a full selection of MR11 HALOGEN LAMPS, MR16 HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS and PAR36 HALOGEN LIGHTS! If you need any new OUTDOOR LANDSCAPE LIGHTING of

How does a House of Troy Slimline mount to the picture? Can you attach it to the wall?
The SLIMLINE PICTURE LIGHT from HOUSE OF TROY comes with all the necessary hardware to mount the light to the wall or the picture frame. Some metal or thin wood frames, it's the only way to go. As an alternate to the slimline fixture, you should take a look at the TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY DIRECT MOUNT PICTURE LIGHTS.

The music director at my school is looking for some cordless battery operated lights for a piano concert. We are planning to have the house lighting down low, and want the kid's to see the music sheets.
We have a fantastic LED BATTERY OPERATED PIANO LIGHT that operates on AA batteries and produces a very nice light. Can you believe it has a 20,000 hour lamp life! If you can run an extension cord for the concert, we also have several PIANO LIGHTS in several shapes and sizes.

I read your posting on using outdoor low voltage landscape lights at a distance from the transformer and the voltage drop problem. I eliminated that problem with my driveway lights by using a plastic electrical box with cover and putting a transformer inside. I used potting compound in the box to prevent moisture problems and connected it to the 14 gauge UF with 12 gauge zip cord for the low voltage AC from the secondary. I buried the boxes and each feeds 5 lights. I use an AC dimmer to control the feed to the transformers primary. With this configuration I have no appreciable low voltage drop and have full control of the driveway light intensity. It works well. Just wanted to let you in on this and hope you pass it on to others that may want to try it. It is a bit labor intensive and I would recommend testing the transformer assemblies before potting. Make a few extras, while you are at it.
Hey, thanks for the information! We have some DIRECT BURIAL TRANFORMER BOXES very similar to what you described. If you can keep the water out of them, they work great. The

My husband and I frequently travel and would like to find some inexpensive timers to install on our table lamps. You know, something to turn them on and off while we are gone. I would like something small and unobtrusive.
The best timer we have just happens to be on sale! The INTERMATIC WALL TIMER is currently 50% off the normal price. Supplies are limited so act quickly!

What is the proper way to successfully light a flagpole?

LIGHTING FLAGPOLES is easy if you follow a few simple guidlines:

• Use two or three lights in a circle around your flag pole
• Position them out from the base roughly 1/3 to 1/2 the height of the pole
• Use a spot lamp that will accomodate the throw and the size of the flag

We have several LINE VOLTAGE FLAG POLE LIGHTS and LOW VOLTAGE FLAGPOLE LIGHTS to choose from. Give us a call at 800-239-2939 to tailor a package that is right for you!

I am researching tennis court lights for a home owner's association in central Texas. What lights do you suggest for a standard size tennis court. What is low mast lighting? Do they come in a black color?For a RECREATIONAL SIZE TENNIS COURT I would would go with one of our pre-packaged lighting kits. We have several to choose from, including one for a RESIDENTIAL TENNIS COURT. They are available in whitem black, green and bronze. Custom colors are an additional charge. All of our LIGHTING SYSTEMS are engineered to give you the best footcandles and glare control to make your nighttime playing more enjoyable. See our illustration regarding LOW MAST LIGHTING & HIGH MAST LIGHTING techniques.We would be glad to work with your organization! Give us a call at 800-239-2939 to discuss yo...

We are clearing a large field to build a parking facility near an airport. I anticipate using 30' poles and metal halide fixtures. I already have a lighting design for the layout but I am not ready to buy the poles. Do you sell anchor bolts? Can you provide me a competitive quote?
Of course, we would prefer to sell you the entire OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURES and POLES! However, we do sell just the anchor bolts if that is all you need at this time. We both STEEL AND GALVANIZED ANCHOR BOLTS. If you are building a parking structure and need LOW BAY LIGHTING we have a decent selection of fixtures. We would be happy to quote your lighting package! Call us at 800-239-2939!

Several weeks ago I started a project to rebuild an old fountain in my garden. In addition to the pump, I also need a new underwater light. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
We have serveral OUTDOOR LOW VOLTAGE UNDERWATER LIGHTS posted on our web site. The HADCO UWL516H is a great little MR16 fountain light. It has a compression molded fiberglass reinforced polyester composite housing and a concrete weighted base to handle just about any water turbulance. It does require a LOW VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER.

Hi, I am looking for some sort of strip light or flourescent lights that I can hang under each shelf of my china cabinet to light up the items in the cabinet. I am looking for something that runs on batteries so I dont have to drill holes into the back of the china cabinet. Any suggestions?
The BATTERY OPERATED PICTURE LIGHTS we have are not really designed to do what you want. We do have HOUSE OF TROY ADVENT STRIP LIGHTS that are very easy to install and the wires can be spliced inside the cabinet. That way you only have to drill one small hole for the cord to exit the back of the cabinet. We have MALE & FEMALE QUICK CAPS that make the splicing simple and LAMP CORD DIMMERS to set the light levels!

What can you tell me about the new Lutron Qoto dimmer? Other than the unique styling, does it do something other dimmers don't?
Basically, the LUTRON QOTO DIMMER SWITCH is designed to replace a standard toggle switch. The dimmer has a few unique features:

• Elegant oval button and smooth linear-slide dimmer for a traditional wallplate opening
• Electrostatic discharge protection
• Captive button and slider
• Square law dimming
• Mechanical air-gap switch to dissconnect load power
• Includes radio frequency interference suppression circuitry
• Power-failure memory

The QOTO DIMMER BY LUTRON ELECTRONICS is also available in a non dimming switch for motor loads or other lighting loads where dimming is not desired. They even have a 1000-WATT QOTO DIMMER for larger loads!

We have a small pond and waterfall in our back yard that is very shallow. I want to provide some light below the waterfall to show the falling water. Do you have a shallow pond light?We have several POND & UNDERWATER LIGHTS that would work. The HADCO UWL1-A LOW VOLTAGE POND LIGHT would be my first choice. It comes with a small shield that fits inside the lens that blocks the light from the front view. The HADCO UWL 516H is a great little light, but you will need at least 8" of water for this to work. Both lights require a LOW VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER!

Can I really dim a halogen light bulb?

A 120V QUARTZ HALOGEN LAMP can be dimmed with a regular incandescent dimmer. A LOW VOLTAGE HALOGEN such as a MR11, MR16 or PAR36 lamp requires a MAGNETIC LOW VOLTAGE DIMMER or an ELECTRONIC LOW VOLTAGE DIMMER. See our full selection of LUTRON LIGHTING CONTROLS!

I'M AN ELECTRICIAN AND DONE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING BUT I''M WORKING WITH A HOME OWNER WHO WANT''S TO LIGHT UP HIS HOUSE AT NIGHT ( NOT BRIGHT ). I HAVE WORKED IN FACTORIES WHERE THE LIGHTING IS CONTROLLED FROM REMOTE BALLASTS. IF I WANTED TO STRING ABOUT 6 OR SO 50WATT MV. LIGHTS AROUND THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE ,WHAT TYPE OF BALLAST WOULD I NEED AND DO YOU HAVE IT ?. FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AN R-30 LAMP IN SOME TYPE OF FIXTURE MIGHT DO IT.SUGGESTIONS?
If you want to light the house, I would not use mercury vapor, but rather a warmer source such as INCANDESCENT. We have several LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING KITS with everything you need to do the installation. I prefer the MR16 LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTS due to the size of the fixture and color of the light. If you are lighting trees or shrubs we have a great selection of MERCURY VAPOR LIGHTING FIXTURES in all shapes and wattages and 50-WATT MERCURY VAPOR UP LIGHT is the lowest wattage we h...

We are building on 20 acres with house on top and majority of the land drops down to the valley floor 800ft. below. I would like to have a couple pole lights that will illuminate smaller areas as "guide lights" on the way down for when we take in night time fire pits, etc. I do not wish to have these lights on all night every night. The idea would be to "switch" the light on from the house then when I am down to that particular light pole, I have a choice to either turn that light off completely or "dim" it down if preferred. I imagine the pole being no higher then 12'' (to 15?) Do they make such, and if so, what would you recommend?Thank you for your attention, DEE
I would recommend that you consider using FOCUS COPPER PATH LIGHTS to illuminate your trail to the firepit! I would put a PATH LIGHT every 20'' or so and alternate back and forth for a handsome look. Having pole lights will certainly be more efficient, but path lights are more charming and won''t create light pollution preventing you for enjoying the stars on a c...

The wiring for my low voltage malibu lights were cut by a shovel wielding gardener. How do I connect the front half works fine?
Wiring for LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING is pretty simple. Splicing a wire is no big deal! Just strip back the wires and make a splice with wirenuts filled with silicone sealer. Then tape the connections with electrical tape for extra precautions. If you want to run LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING CABLE we have both 10/2 and 12/2 LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING WIRE.

Several of my outdoor lights have gone out and I need some help. The system was originally installed by John Watson Landscape Illumination years ago for the previous owner. My electrician says he does not have a good source for landscape lighting replacement parts. Can you help me?
From my experience, Mr. Watson installs MERCURY VAPOR LIGHTING EQUIPMENT as his main lighting source. Mercury vapor lamps come in many shapes and wattages.
If you have BULLET FIXTURES you need a REFLECTOR STYLE MERCURY VAPOR LAMP such as R20, R30 or R40.
If you have BOX FIXTURES you need a ASPHERICAL STYLE MERCURY VAPOR LAMP such as a H100, H175, H250 or H400.
Have you electrician check the type and wattage before you order. We also have

I am looking for some temporary halogen work lights on a stand. Can you help me?
We have a couple HALOGEN WORK LIGHTS from RAB LIGHTING. I hope this is what you are looking for. If you are a contractor and would like a quantity discount, give us a call at 800-239-2939 Monday through Friday 8:00 to 4:00 CST.

What kind of dimmer switch or any device that I would need , to solve the buzzing noise problem for low voltage track light with dimmer ? Thanks
The buzz is normally caused by the wrong type or size of DIMMER CONTROL. If your fixtures are low voltage they have either have a magnetic or electronic transformer. There are dimmers specifically designed for both types on our website. You need to identify the total wattage of the load and verify the type of load. Once you have that figured out, it should be fairly simple to select the right dimmer to solve the problem. You might also take a look at our LUTRON FAQ'S regarding this matter. Good Luck!

Do you have any lights that are 12" high, or less, to put along a sidewalk that goes through a park? Something that will light the path without shining into nearby houses and that will be vandal resistent.
We have several 120-volt INCANDESCENT PATH LIGHTS and FLUORESCENT PATHLIGHTS that can be used to illuminate sidewalks, driveways and other pedestrian areas. We also have some 12-volt LOW VOLTAGE MUSHROOM LIGHTS and PAGODA LIGHTS as well.

We have been talking about going from a real to an artifical tree. My wife is pushing for the pre-lit model you have posted. Are they real looking?
The PRELIT CHRISTMAS TREES and LIGHTED GARLAND we offer are some of the best looking ARTIFICAL TREES on the market. You won't be disappointed! Just think, now mess to clean up or nasty water to empty out in January!

Which of your lamp product designs and lengths do you recommend for an ebony black baby grand?
With out a doubt, I would go with the BLACK GRAND PIANO SLIMELINE FIXTURE or you could go with a more TRADITIONAL PIANO LIGHT in black!

I just bought a Lutron-Skylark electronic low-voltage dimmer switch 300Watt. The problem is in the manual it says I need a neutral wire to be in the junction box. However, when I pulled the cover plate off of the existing switch there were only two black wires connected to the switch with white ones taped together in the back. There are only two wires it looks like to install new switch to. What should I do? The directions show connecting three wires to the new switch, but I've only got two!!?? House built in mid 1960's. I hope I can avoid calling an electrician to run a neutral wire from the panel box. I'm hoping you won't tell me I have to do this. Thanks for your help.
I'm afraid you will need a neutral wire to make the SKYLARK ELECTRONIC DIMMER CONTROL work. However, you don't need to go all the way back to the panel. Locate a receptacle in the wall adjacent to the switch and you can pick up a neutral there. It may require cutting the drywall or if your lucky just fishing a wire. Unless you are comfortable working with electricity, I would call a electrician for assistance installing your

Can you install a Lutron DV-603P multiswitch dimmer in a loop with two halogen bulbs and three switches, the dimmer being one of the switches--the only one with a dimmer on it?
Yes, you can install a LUTRON DIMMER CONTROL on a four way switching system. Find the switch with only three wires and replace it with a three way dimmer. If your halogen lamps are low voltage, and have a transformer, you will need either a MAGNETIC DIMMER or ELECTRONIC DIMMER that matches your load. We have both types in stock and ready for immediate delivery! We also have GRAFIK EYE SYSTEMS, SPACER CONTROLS and