🚀 go-pugleaf

I would suggest you go back to the fluorescent fixture and check out the
different tubes available. There are a lot, and many that have a very soft
light. If they are still to harsh use a defuser cover. The installation will
be easier, probably cheaper and you won't lose the complete hallway when the
12v supply goes out.
"DaveC" <anon@bugus.net> wrote in message
news:0001HW.BA977EAD001869E90E6B7920@news.covad.net...
> I've been asked to help light a small office building hallway. The
> fluorescent lamps are way too harsh for the office workers, and the
tenants
> favor the overhead QH approach.
>
> I've looked at the local home centers' lighting departments and see quite
a
> selection of LV systems using overhead steel cable with 3 hanging
reflector
> bulbs (with a choice of trim, or not) tapped in at appropriate intervals.
>
> Price for the above from $70-100us.
>
> Being encouraged by what I saw, I decided to see what I could build from
> scratch.
>
> As you probably can guess, I'm running into current supply/demand
> limitations. Each of the 2 hallways could use about 15 lamps. Lamps are
> available in 20 and 50w versions, which at 12v, draw approximately 1.7a
and
> 4.2a, respectively. I now see why the cost of such a system is mostly for
the
> supply.
>
> Looking for a ready-made 12v supply, I find this at Jameco for $70us that
> provides 12.5a:
>
> <http://www.jameco.com/cgi-
>
bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/Jameco/searchResult.d2w/report?sort=BPA&search=1234
22
> >
>
> This would allow me to run 7 of the 20w lamps, or only 2 of the 50w lamps.
>
> I can't see buying 2 supplies to run the 15 (well, I guess we could rev
that
> to 14) lamps in each hall. I seem to be butting up against Ohm's Law.
>
> Maybe build a simple, unreg'd, analog power supply with massive
transformer
> and rectifiers for 30A?
>
> Any other ideas (or links to sites) to help me reach a solution would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> --
> Dave C
> dave+usenet3016@mailblocks.net
>