Might want be careful with that advice…
Perimeter lights seem to have become a bit of a rage with everyone eager to copy the Predator’s design. A local bar installed 3 of them over some Diamond bar-boxes and it totally changed the place, way too harsh & lots of glare.
Take some time to compare and think about how much light you want on the table vs rest of the room. They do provide great & even table lighting but they also spill a lot of light around the rest of room, which some folks don’t like. The affect is sort of like the difference between playing in a large venue tournament with warehouse style tall ceiling where everything is daylight bright, vs a poolhall/bar environment, where off table is low lighting & the table is the focus. Obviously the table lighting is key, and IMO any of the modern diffused LED approaches that folks will recommend will do that well - the off table lighting where they really differ & is more of a personal pref thing. Personally I far prefer table to be lit great, with darker surroundings, and think the perimeter light are pretty silly looking.
If you’re handy, you can get 1-2 of these these, complete with hanger kits & wireless controller for sub $300 for a pair of them. 1 is plenty for a barbox IMO, 2 is ideal for a 9., not sure about an 8… They are perfect, lightweight, and very low profile. Very simple, clean, modern setup that is perfect for a home garage or rec room type setting. If you want something more fancier looking, you or someone handy can build a frame for them of your own design, that’s essentially what many of the newer vendors like
Lite-Systems & others are doing.
Personally I have the Lite-Systems Fin Wide, which is great but much pricier & quite heavy for its size. I’ve helped a few folks with setups using these LED panels and they work great. You can find similar at many lighting suppliers these days.
Replace traditional fluorescent troffers for this 2'x4' LED flat panel light and enjoy long-lasting, top-quality brightness for nearly any indoor space. This flat LED panel light emits 8,500 lumens at 72 watts, outperforming equivalent fluorescent fixtures. Edge-lit technology and an opaque...
www.superbrightleds.com
This topic has been covered ad nauseam about every other month or so. Might want to search & digest some older very comprehensive threads.
Good luck & enjoy your new table!
