Floodlighting a tree

[seasickstevie]

Yes I know it's a ridiculous waste of energy an' all that but...

Can't decide between:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MGKEPPA.html
with 4000 lumens

and

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLFL70H.html
with 5800 lumens

Metal halide's cheaper and brighter, but dearer to run. (Have I answered my own question?)

But which would light a big tree up better I wonder?

 

[ricicle]

The metal halide will provide more light and will only cost fractionally more to run.

 

[The Dentist]

Can you not just look at this tree in the daytime? You are right it is a waste of money and a blight to the night sky

http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/

 

[seasickstevie]

...You are right it is a waste of money and a blight to the night sky

Can't argue with that. But it's not my tree, and if I don't do it someone else will.

Think it'll only be on on 'special occasions'

Looks like it's going to be the metal halide then.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

if I don't do it someone else will.

An argument which is equally true for making and distributing indecent images of children.

 

[ricicle]

if I don't do it someone else will.

An argument which is equally true for making and distributing indecent images of children.

Bit of an exaggerated analogy....?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

To illustrate the point that "if I don't somebody else will" is at best vacuous and at worst morally bankrupt.

 

[The Dentist]

In that case, just make your client aware of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Clean Neighbourhoods Act 1995, which covers light pollution, and tell them to expect to have an order to prevent these lights being used excessively being served in the future

http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/cleanact.html

 

[electronicsuk]

FGS, can we please stop the constant "you can't do this, you can't do that" that seems to be becoming increasingly commonplace on this forum. If the OP wants to light a tree, that is entirely their choice. There are far worse ways of doing it than using one of the two proposed light sources. The OP has already pointed out that this will be a waste of money, so why continue to browbeat them?

OP, I'd go with the metal halide. It will provide a better light for this sort of application in terms of colour temperature, and I expect (although this is just personal opinion based on my experience with smaller CFLs) that the lamp will last longer, regardless of what the manufacturer may claim.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

FGS, can we please stop the constant "you can't do this, you can't do that" that seems to be becoming increasingly commonplace on this forum.

I can think of no good reason why people should expect to be immune from criticism.

If the OP wants to light a tree, that is entirely their choice.

Apparently it's not.

 

[LiamPope]

Perhaps he just means he's being employed to illuminate a tree, and that if he doesn't, he'll loose the work to someone else (rather than the employer realising the error of their wasteful ways and deciding not to get it done).

 

[electronicsuk]

FGS, can we please stop the constant "you can't do this, you can't do that" that seems to be becoming increasingly commonplace on this forum.

I can think of no good reason why people should expect to be immune from criticism.

It's just becoming a little tiring is all. Why anyone bothers coming here for advice on these issues is beyond me.

If the OP wants to light a tree, that is entirely their choice.

Apparently it's not.

Only if somebody takes the time to complain, which seems unlikely if the light is not causing a nuisance. It would also seem that some of the 'facts' presented on the CfDS site are purely scaremongering:

"to target vigorously the kind of over-bright lighting which causes much of these problems: for example, the typical 500-Watt domestic "security" light, half as bright as the UK's brightest lighthouse, the Longstone;"

I find it hard to believe that a 500w linear halogen is "half as bright" as a 1kW MBI.

 

[Lectrician]

I think it really depends on the tree and the atmosphere as to what light to use.

Both Sodium and Metal Halide light trees well, but in different ways. Coloured Metal Halide, or a Metal Halide with a coloured gel also work well. Greens and purples are great.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Perhaps he just means he's being employed to illuminate a tree, and that if he doesn't, he'll loose the work to someone else (rather than the employer realising the error of their wasteful ways and deciding not to get it done).

OK - what do you think his position should be if he was asked to install concealed pinhole cameras in a bathroom so that the customer could spy on his sister-in-law when they came to stay?

 

[electronicsuk]

OK - what do you think his position should be if he was asked to install concealed pinhole cameras in a bathroom so that the customer could spy on his sister-in-law when they came to stay?

You know full well that that's an entirely different kettle of fish, and anyone with an ounce of moral judgement would not take on such a job. Fitting a floodlight to illuminate a tree, however, is not particularly controversial.

Before anyone chimes in to point out that both would likely be illegal acts, does that mean that speeding at 10mph over the national limit is on par with committing a string of serial killings? No, of course not.