TierramadreLandscape.com

I have been looking at Malibu Solar landscape lights and notice that they post no information as to how much light they put out. They have some solar lights that have two LEDs and some with three LEDs. How do these compare with the standard 4 watt low voltage lights?

About the same but more importantly for solar non-wired lights, what is the average run time? Some cheap ones will last only 4 hours while others can make it all night.

2006-05-29 23:09:18 by Alby

Add a lighting element to the your landscape with a light post using the AB Courtyard Collection from Allan Block. Watch step by step to see how ...

Well, I may be a bit late to ask this since I already ran the wiring and installed all the lights, but anyway, here's the dilemma.
I am installing a light fixture on top of each post on my deck railing. There are a total of ten posts, hence ten lights. Each fixture has three 12v light bulbs. Each light bulb is 18watt, push-turn (bayonette base, like car tail light bulbs), so each fixture is 54 watts. I ran 14 gauge solid romex (2 conductor plus ground), from the transformer and daisy-chained to each fixture. In other words, all fixtures are wired in series. I was carefull to observe the polarity at all fixtures.

Since total wattage is 540watts, I installed a 600 watt 110v-to-12v transformer to an outside GFCI outlet and connected the wire from the fixtures to the terminals on the transformer.

When I flipped the switch to energize the GFCI, all the lights worked but the bulbs are of different brightness: the fixture that is first in the series, or closest to the transformer was very bright, but the brightness of each subsequent fixture is stepped down, and in the last fixture the filament in the bulbs barely glows. Reversing the polarity at the transformer makes no difference.

Any thoughts???
In reply to a comment by Les. When I said "fixtures are wired in series", I meant daisy-chain, as in the way several outlet receptacles are wired together in one room. Is that what you call wired in parallel? if so, my mistake.
And yes, when I remove the first fixture (or any other), all the others still light up and I get the same step down in brightness, where the first one is the brightest light then they get dimmer and dimmer down the line.
My original thought for this dimming feature was because the solid wire could make it harder for the transformer to push the low voltage throughout the entire length of the wire (about 60ft.). Is this a correct assumption? Or does stranded or solid make any difference?

Also, I used romex because I had several rolls left over from building the house and I pushed it through pvc pipe and it's all under the deck, nothing exposed, so no worries there.
Another idea I had was to remove the transformer and just push 110v through the wires by using a dimmer switch and push very little current to see what happens.
Will the 12v bulbs blow out if I set the dimmer at the lowest setting? I have read that bulbs don't care if the current that is ran is either AC or DC.

The romex insulation and rubber jacket will deteriorate from being exposed to UV rays, and There is no need to use wire that big on low voltage wiring

2009-06-13 15:51:15 by J C

Price: $4.99

I'm not giving out candy this year. I plan on leaving all the lights in my house off and turning of the overhead lights and the lamp post.

However, I have ground lighting in front of my house. It's in the flower beds and it highlights the landscaping/shrubs around my house. It's landscaping lighting and it's also solar powered, meaning I can only turn it off I pull the lights out.

I don't want to do this. Do you think people will still come to my door even though the front lights and lamp post aren't on. Just the landscape lighting.
My walkway has developed a crack in it. I'm worried people might trip and fall. This is the reason, I'm not having trick or treaters.

knowin kids these days they probably will. u should leave a sign sayin, "no candy, please dont ring the doorbell or knock the door! sorry."

2007-10-31 14:40:36 by J'adore

Professionals use arlington Gard-n-posts
Designed for easy access to underground wiring
Lets you install a light fixture, and light switches or outlets outside in your garden

I don't know what my husband trying to convey to my neighbor's wife..When we bought couch and my neighbor came over to our front yard then my husband told me to bring Martha inside the house and showed her the new couch we bought..Then the new kitchen tile...and Martha always complain to my husband that her husband didn't do something for their yard the way she wanted too...but their yard is 100 percent better than my yard..Her backyard has gazebo and fish pond..and her front yard is landscape....her husband did allot to their yard compared to what my husband did to my yard..my husband didn't do much to my yard because of his back surgery...The only thing that my husband did to my yard is to put rock in my front yard and two light post but we've to hire someone to do that..Now why is she complaining to my husband instead to her husband directly..I told my husband that her husband did allot to their yard than you....Please give me and opinion what this two trying to do...thanks!!

I'm using my wife's login but I'm a man. I have found myself in your husband's position before. It sounds to me, like your neighbor is flirting. The yards have nothing to do with this. She may be up to no good, or just a harmless flirt. Since she is praising your husband at the expense of her own, I would be a little concerned.

As for your husband, I wouldn't assume he's up to something. He may simply be proud of his accomplishment and wants to brag to someone(outside the family) who is going to praise him. Even the most faithful of husbands enjoy a little ego stroking from the opposite sex (again, from outside the family).

In handling this, I would avoid accusing your husband of any wrongdoing. This will most likely cause a defensive reaction and problems will grow from there. Instead, I would tell your husband that you are concerned about your neighbor's marriage. Explain that her praise of your husband at the expense of her own might be a sign that they are having problems. His acceptance of such behavior might be increasing the problem. He might want to compliment the neighbor's husband everytime she complains about him.

2007-05-18 01:11:05 by teresa_deflor

Im a 19 year old city college student who needs a job. Ive got experience in food service, construction, landscaping, computers, money handling, theatre technics (sound/light), camera operation. Its so tedeus and usually unfruitful looking for a job door to door and online job posting sites are usually for experienced people with careers. Im a hard worker people like me let me know if you have any openings!

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/jjj/


start here

good luck

2007-10-29 00:58:32 by kazu