Flourescent or Halogen.....

[chaotik]

OK...looking for lighting for my new 3 car garage...WOOHOO

Found a good deal on some dual bulb halogen shop lights. About $5.00 less per light and I need 6.....also...dont need to buy bulbs for them...as the flourescents you do....and dont have to worry about them not starting in the cold weather.

So...the way I am seeing it..I would save about $60.00, being I dont have to go purchase the "daylight" flourescent bulbs.

Any thoughts???

[Pondscum]

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to do. If you're looking for a light color that approaches "daylight", you can buy the daylight bulbs for the fluorescents. Halogen lights will not produce "daylight" color. Daylight is considered 5000K which is the approximate color of the light the sun produces at noon on a sunny day. Fluorescents produce light at the high end of the spectrum in their native format at around 7000-8000K. Daylight fluorescent bulbs knock the temp down to around 5500K or so, depending on the bulb.

Halogens produce light at about 3000-3200K in their native format. So it sounds like you're planning on buying daylight bulbs for the fluorescents, but you're happy with the non-daylight color of the halogens.

Older magnetic ballasts have trouble starting in cold weather. For garage use, buy only fixtures with electronic ballasts and you won't have this problem.

[newagain]

Look up : full spectrum lighting . Hope that work for you.

[Accumulator]

Don't expect to see swirls/marring very well under fluorescents. Cars that look perfect in fluorescent light can look all marred up in less forgiving light. They are good for general illumination though.

While halogens are better for swirl-spotting, I don't like them as well for general illumination. Sorta glaringly bright, and they can get *hot*. Not an issue this time of year perhaps, but it will be at some point. And you gotta really watch them with water- cold water (say, from washing the car) and hot bulbs don't mix.

SO... I'd get fluorescents for general lighting and some halogens (or a regular incadescent trouble light) for swirl-spotting. And get more lights than you think you need.

[jfelbab]

It's not the color of the light that shows up swirls and scratches. It's the size of the light source. Florescent lamps are a broad coverage light while halogens are small light sources. The smaller and brighter the light source the more it will show paint defects like swirls. Several high wattage halogen bulbs in combination with fluorescent strips will show most any flaws in your paint.

[artm3]

Without knowing the fixture type, i.e., lens, reflector shape, etc., it's only a guess. What wattage are the Halogens?

assuming the garage is ~ 24' x 32' = ~ 800 sq ft.
a good rule of thimb for detail work is ~1.5 to 2 W / sq ft
you would need ~ 1200 to 1600 watts

for 6 fixtures figure 250W/fixture
I would use 8 fixtures 4 x 2, centered between cars, rather than over each car.

[chaotik]

Wasnt really worried about color temps, etc.

But, If I went with the flourescents, I would go with the daylight temp (6100k) bulbs.

I know the halogens would be better for swirl spotting, have afew halogens on tripods already for painting, other work, etc.

Big worry I had was the cold weather starting..I know they make cold weather ballasts, but they are quite afew extra $$ per light.

But, if its true about tha electonic ballasts not having this problem, then I will be fine....flourescents I was looking at have electronic ballasts

[Pondscum]

Originally posted by chaotik
But, if its true about tha electonic ballasts not having this problem, then I will be fine....flourescents I was looking at have electronic ballasts

Cold weather fluorescents have electronic ballasts, which is what makes them start in colder temps. Sometimes they are billed as cold weather fluorescents and they charge more for them, but all you really need are good electronic ballasts. Electronic ballasts cost a little more, but they are worth it because of the cold weather considerations and because they are generally more efficient.

[chaotik]

Thanks Pondscum.....wasnt really sure of the difference between the two ballasts...had heard that electronic were more efficient and common sense would say that the cold wouldnt affect them like mechanical.

Looks like I am off to "THE DEPOT" to get some lights......Sundays high is supposed to be 17 degrees.....good test for them then!!

[Bill D]

Interestingly I can see defects in my white paint best with typical incandescents and the flourscent lighting. Not so with the black where I need to use the halogens and incandescents at a variety of angles to identify everything present