Pool Table Lighting

[9 on the snap]

I agree on the higher cost of a T5 fixture...A T5 (HO) or (VHO) would probably be overkill...especially in the 10,000k range.

But arn't there T5 (NO) bulbs also...

I am curious of your thoughts on a T8 bulb with a higher kelvin (5500 to 6500k range) instead of the normally found 2500k...seems like the light color is much cleaner and would benefit the playing surface....might even make the colors of the balls pop better...(although they may appear slightly different in color as well)

NOTE: I have a vaulted cieling and am only using a 4x4 fixture and it barely lights the whole table....It may very well benefit me to go to raise the light higher.

My t8's are 4100k (I thought they were 2800, but that was the lumens)
they seem to do really well (8, 4 footers 40" above table). I asked my buddy the other night if I should get brighter tubes, and his eyes got real big, and he said "no" very quickly.

 

[JoeW]

Table lights

Brunswick (and some others but I forget who just now) currently recommend full spectrum lighting from four foot fluorescent bulbs. Seems they cost about $1,800.00 for one light. I think that two of these lights are needed on a 9 foot table. Here is the URL

http://www.brunswickbilliards.com/brunswick_collection/lights/gold_crown_table_light.html

The recommended "T8" is a full spectrum light. My equipment is important to me but that is a lot for a light. So I looked for other solutions. If you use the full spectrum lights they require a 40 watt ballast. So you have to buy new lamp holders. The lamps have green ends as they are specifically designed for this ballast. I bought two four footers at Home Depot and 8 lamps. Each holds four lamps. Cost about $100.00 (note the reference is $3,600 for two Brunswick lights)

I suspended the lamp holders from two 2X4s screwed together and hung from my ceiling. Here is a photo. Not quite as elegant as Brunswick but ...

Photo was taken with flash (it kicks in automatically) but you can get a pretty good idea about the shadows anyway. Almost all of the light is on the table but I would like more of a pool hall look so next I will use 2? by 8? ? oak plywood stained mahogany and hung at an angle from the lamp base. This will keep the light out of your eyes. I think I will make fake stained glass inserts to dress it up a little.

This system gives me ?professional? lighting for a reasonable price. Good color, no shadow problems to speak of and great definition for aiming. BTW "Full Spectrum Lighting" is easier on the eyes and there is less fatigue if you play for long periods of time or so the scientists say -- I do play for long periods of time, hence the hundred bucks is really a pretty cheap investment. To give you some idea about how bright the table is, there is a gas heater, a wood burner, a circulating fan and an air conditioner in the corner on the other side of the table but you can't see them very well in the photo.

Notice the patio door at the end of the room has blinds on it so I can keep out the daylight as needed. Us old guys play during the day too so all the windows in the room have blinds.

This is an older post from a different thread. The lights look better now. I used Jay's suggestion and put duct tape over the sides of the lights. I also lowered the lights to about 36 inches. This makes the room darker, like an old time pool hall. They are now level with a pretty frame too but that would not help you see the basic setup.

 

[9 on the snap]

Table lights

Brunswick (and some others but I forget who just now) currently recommend full spectrum lighting from four foot fluorescent bulbs. Seems they cost about $1,800.00 for one light. I think that two of these lights are needed on a 9 foot table. Here is the URL

http://www.brunswickbilliards.com/brunswick_collection/lights/gold_crown_table_light.html

The recommended "T8" is a full spectrum light. My equipment is important to me but that is a lot for a light. So I looked for other solutions. If you use the full spectrum lights they require a 40 watt ballast. So you have to buy new lamp holders. The lamps have green ends as they are specifically designed for this ballast. I bought two four footers at Home Depot and 8 lamps. Each holds four lamps. Cost about $100.00 (note the reference is $3,600 for two Brunswick lights)

I suspended the lamp holders from two 2X4s screwed together and hung from my ceiling. Here is a photo. Not quite as elegant as Brunswick but ...

Photo was taken with flash (it kicks in automatically) but you can get a pretty good idea about the shadows anyway. Almost all of the light is on the table but I would like more of a pool hall look so next I will use 2? by 8? ? oak plywood stained mahogany and hung at an angle from the lamp base. This will keep the light out of your eyes. I think I will make fake stained glass inserts to dress it up a little.

This system gives me ?professional? lighting for a reasonable price. Good color, no shadow problems to speak of and great definition for aiming. BTW "Full Spectrum Lighting" is easier on the eyes and there is less fatigue if you play for long periods of time or so the scientists say -- I do play for long periods of time, hence the hundred bucks is really a pretty cheap investment. To give you some idea about how bright the table is, there is a gas heater, a wood burner, a circulating fan and an air conditioner in the corner on the other side of the table but you can't see them very well in the photo.

Notice the patio door at the end of the room has blinds on it so I can keep out the daylight as needed. Us old guys play during the day too so all the windows in the room have blinds.

This is an older post from a different thread. The lights look better now. I used Jay's suggestion and put duct tape over the sides of the lights. I also lowered the lights to about 36 inches. This makes the room darker, like an old time pool hall. They are now level with a pretty frame too but that would not help you see the basic setup.

The brunswick light has 8 ,4 foot tubes. You just need one for a 9' table, no shadows at all. Your set up looks good. I like the lite lower too. There is no way I'd pay $1800 for a light. I paid $400 for a 10 month old light, and it looks brand new.

 

[JoeW]

Thanks for the correction. I did not mean to mislead anyone. Obviously I read their site wrong. Took one look at the price and ran like crazy

 

[Darth]

I agree on the higher cost of a T5 fixture...A T5 (HO) or (VHO) would probably be overkill...especially in the 10,000k range.

But arn't there T5 (NO) bulbs also...

I am curious of your thoughts on a T8 bulb with a higher kelvin (5500 to 6500k range) instead of the normally found 2500k...seems like the light color is much cleaner and would benefit the playing surface....might even make the colors of the balls pop better...(although they may appear slightly different in color as well)

NOTE: I have a vaulted cieling and am only using a 4x4 fixture and it barely lights the whole table....It may very well benefit me to go to raise the light higher.

You're thinking of 'daylight ' bulbs with the higher K rating. I recommend the 'cool white' bulbs as they are easier on the eyes after a prolonged session on the table. 'Warm white' bulbs, which put off a yellowish tint should be avoided altogether. Also , if you have an 9' table, you need an 8' fixture. Home Depot or Lowes sells an 8' fixture called a 'tandem' that uses four 4' T8 bulbs and is less than $50.00. Center it over the table at a height of 48" above the playing surface.

 

[BRKNRUN]

You're thinking of 'daylight ' bulbs with the higher K rating. I recommend the 'cool white' bulbs as they are easier on the eyes after a prolonged session on the table. 'Warm white' bulbs, which put off a yellowish tint should be avoided altogether. Also , if you have an 9' table, you need an 8' fixture. Home Depot or Lowes sells an 8' fixture called a 'tandem' that uses four 4' T8 bulbs and is less than $50.00. Center it over the table at a height of 48" above the playing surface.

I may try that, but the reason I went with the 4 foot fixture is that I have two ceiling fans that overlap the table ends.......Each fan has a 3 light fixture in it. (1 of the lights is directed at the table)

I use a "spiral" florescent in the fan on each end to suppliment the 4x4 but I could get away with leaving the fan lights off.

Ehh....I have to change out my "humming" ballast soon anyway and look at upgrading the crappy T8s that are in there to better ones....my guess is that they are the 2500k tubes...

It just has not bothered me enough to do anything about it yet.

 

[Dgerst]

I built this light for $200. Took 1 day and 1 sheet of plywood. It has 8 4' lights. Works great.

View attachment 61694

Great job.
That's very similar to what they have at Tight Pockets in Wichita. There's a photo on the main page of http://www.shurtzcue.com/
The best light I've ever played under. Nice even light that stays out of your eyes when your not under it.

 

[Pizza Bob]

I wanted something a little different. Traditional, but with a modern "twist". I built this light for around $200. The lights are flourescent with double ring bulbs in each fixture. I mounted the on/off rocker switch on the light itself and mounted the whole fixture to the main beam of the house, but it could have been hung with chains if necessary. Just thought I'd give you a different perspective. It works very well.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Jason Robichaud]

What I like about my light is, the light is on in the picture. You can't even see it. I will take a picture of how well it lights the table with 8 $2.99 white tubes.

Home depot will cut the plywood when you buy it. A sheet is $50 for sanded one side. Only cutting you need to do is cut a couple pieces 24". I put 2x2 on the corners so the inside dim is 2 ft x 8 ft. This gave me mounting room for the lights. I also trimmed the edges with 1 by 1. The light looks a lot like diamond's light except it is a box instead of angled sides. The screen was only $9 for 2 2x4 sections. I should have filmed the making of the light. It is a really easy project.

1 sheet of Plywood cut to 8" strips
5 1"x1"x8' spruce for trim
1 2"x2"x8' spruce for corners
3 1"x3"x8' spruce for cap to hold screen in.
4 double lights and wiring

Just incase anyone would like to build one. I could take closeups so they can see how to build it. Only 4 hours building and 1 day of dry time

 

[sjb]

I built my light for about $250. Stained poplar, pinstriping, two tandem 8-foot fixtures (8 4-foot bulbs), and el cheapo grids from Lowe's. I'd like to get some of the deeper silver parabolic grids that are used in the Diamond lights.

 

[jay helfert]

I built my light for about $250. Stained poplar, pinstriping, two tandem 8-foot fixtures (8 4-foot bulbs), and el cheapo grids from Lowe's. I'd like to get some of the deeper silver parabolic grids that are used in the Diamond lights.

I really liked the way you trimmed the light to match your ANNIVERSARY! Did I tell you that I drool when I see a nice Anniversary? Sorry if the page is wet.

 

[sjb]

I really liked the way you trimmed the light to match your ANNIVERSARY! Did I tell you that I drool when I see a nice Anniversary? Sorry if the page is wet.

Thanks, Jay. No problem with the drooling. I still drool every time I take the cover off the thing (at least that's my excuse for the increased drooling that seems to come with increased age)

FYI - I'm only about 40 minutes from Shooter's in Olathe.

Steve

 

[ceebee]

Magoo's Tournament Room, in Tulsa OK, has converted all of their 7 foot Diamond Pool Table lights over to LED. They have also changed some 9 & 10 foot Diamond Lights over to LED also. Hopefull the Magoo's Room Lights will also be converted (Snooker, 8 footers & 9 footers) soon.

The light is better & brighter. The lights are inexpensive to operate, they last a long time & do not get hot, to combat the air conditioning. They are easy to repair, after they have been taken down.

 

[karinann]

Another vendor for lighting

I've not seen a company by the name of C.W. Choice mentioned, for table lighting. They make some very nice lighting fixtures for billiard tables, although they are at the high end of the spectrum with regard to pricing. They are located in Los Angeles and have a website. I purchased my table lighting from them about 6 years ago and am very, very happy with the product. Just another source for those of you wanting spend a few extra bucks.

Have fun,
Karin

 

[jay helfert]

Thanks, Jay. No problem with the drooling. I still drool every time I take the cover off the thing (at least that's my excuse for the increased drooling that seems to come with increased age)

FYI - I'm only about 40 minutes from Shooter's in Olathe.

Steve

Just got a call from Gary "The Munch" Serville. He's all hyped about the TAR Shootout next week. I told him to come on here and tell some pool stories. Hell, he's played almost everyone that came through the Midwest in the 80's and 90's. Might have even beat a couple.
Wish I could have made it. You guys have fun!

 

[Fatboy]

Anniversary and Centennial tables are the triple nuts in the "Berst looking table" catagory there is, man I love them, the old Monach wit the lions are cool and some of the real fancy B-Wicks are great but the Anniversary and Centennial are my personal favorites.

 

[9 on the snap]

I've not seen a company by the name of C.W. Choice mentioned, for table lighting. They make some very nice lighting fixtures for billiard tables, although they are at the high end of the spectrum with regard to pricing. They are located in Los Angeles and have a website. I purchased my table lighting from them about 6 years ago and am very, very happy with the product. Just another source for those of you wanting spend a few extra bucks.

Have fun,
Karin

Those lights seem more of the decorative type. I don't think they will produce as much light as the flourecents

 

[karinann]

I would tend agree, but

Those lights seem more of the decorative type. I don't think they will produce as much light as the flourecents

In a commercial billiard room type establishment I would agree, but in my home environment they produce a very respectable amount of light. I have 400 watts of light on the nine foot table. I'm using one of their four light fixtures. Karin