The technical aspects are that there are multple lights spread out lengthwise so that the entire table is lit. As I said originally.
Your only alternative (to spread the light evenly) is to raise what you have.
You can use any bulbs you want
re: "You can use any bulbs you want"
Well, yes, he can use any bulb he wants, including red or green or multicolored flashing stobes, but using what he "wants" doesn't always equate to using what's "best".
Of course, no one would go to the extremes I mentioned above, but the type of light that different bulbs emit can certainly make a difference in the clarity of the balls, the contrast between the balls and the table, the contrast between the rails and the pockets, etc.
The optimum balance between all of those items could very well result in more shots made as well as less eye strain during play.
I seriously doubt that when a championship table is set up for those TV shows, they hang the lamps at the proper location above the table and then just go into the janitor's closet and grab any bulbs they find lying around. I'd be willing to bet that they have done research and experiments and have come up with a specific type of bulb that works best.
What would accomplish these miracles?
There isn't a lot of choice, derbyOH...
incandescent fluorescent led halogen argon mercury sodium candles oil
Anything else? I'm betting on incandescent. And about the only choice for those is wattage and frosted/nonfrosted. True, you can get them with colored glass but only an idiot would consider them for a pool table. Unless it was Christmas.
Are you saying that each of the choices listed above wil cast the same type of light on the pool table and make no visual difference in the appearance of the table and balls?
You can even use blacklight with florescent items.
Greg
No
I didn't think so. So why are you pushing back on my suggestion that he contact an "expert" and ask them what they recommend? If different bulbs will make the table "look" different, why not ask someone who deals with it every day?
Isn't that why people post questions in this NG? Don't they do it to get recommendations from those in the know? Well, who knows more about pool table lighting than someone who lights pool tables for a living?
Thus my reason for suggesting that Steve call an "expert" and find out what bulbs they use and where they place them.
I'm really not sure what point you are arguing against.
Seems like the answer to the question initially raised depends upon what the pool players are trying to see. Then the problem will be to try and avoid such things as glare while providing a suitable amount and distribution of light on the table along with good color.
My experience with lighting such relatively small, shiny and moving objects is that at least 40-60 footcandles (lumens/square foot) are required. The light should be diffuse (no bare bulbs) since they cause multiple reflections and shadows that could affect the aim of the pool cue. There should be some ambient light in the room so when the players look from the bright table to other things in the room, there isn't a lot of light/dark contrast. That tires the eyes as does trying to look through glare.
A simple solution would be a 2-tube fluorescent fixture which uses 48 inch,
32 watts/tube T8 lamps of good color shielded with a white plastic 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch cell louver underneath. If the louver is too bright compared to the pool table surface, spray the room side of the louver with a gray or dark color paint. If you want to use incandescent or another kind of screw-in bulb, look at fixtures such as:Tomsic
Because it simply isn't rocket science. OP thought his table was underlighted. The solution is to increase the light. One increases the light via higher wattage bulbs or by adding fixtures.
Different bulbs won't make the table look different; different light sources may but that difference will be subtle, his eyes would adapt to it and the difference would only be from sources he is unlikely to choose with the exception of flourescent.
As I said, it isn't rocket science so why turn a simple problem/solution into something complicated? I really don't care if he contacts a whole
*FLOCK* of experts, just seems silly. At some point, people really need to think for themselves and exercise some common sense.FWIW, HTH & HAND
Did you read Tomsic's response to your post? There's a lot more meat to that response than simply saying "raise the fixtures and put in any bulb you want."
I suspect that Steve was looking for the type of details that Tomsic provided. Not rocket science, illumination science.
Yes, I read it. There was more meat in my *first* response to Steve too. Including foot candles. I didn't dwell on foot candles because it is unlikely Steve would have any way of measuring it; the simplest way to handle it is to simply increase wattage and/or fixtures until the intensity is satisfactory.
Tomsic's main thrust was "providing a suitable amount and distribution of light on the table along with good color". Same as my first post.
He suggested a 4' fluorescent. That would give decent coverage; however, all fluorescents are deficient in red; that might or might not bother Steve. It would bother me.
If Steve is not inclined to buy another fixture(s), raising his current one will increase the coverage; it will also diminish the light intensity at the table surface; ergo, increase wattage. An option I suggested originally.
So you think a salesman or CS rep at a billiard store is going to be versed in the physics of light? hehehe
As long as we're bringing up past posts, early on I replied to Steve:
"I've often found that the CSR's at many companies can connect you with people that actually know the technical details about the products they sell...stuff that isn't available on their website."
Let's drop it, OK? You've made your point.
Works for me.
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