What Pool Table Lighting Would You Like to See ... ?

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Strange_Days

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am an avid pool player and just bought into a company that makes LED lighting so I thought it would be good idea to merge the two and create some cool new pool table lighting options. I figure what better place to start than here on AzBilliards :)

We have started making several pool table lights using LED lighting in interesting ways. We make accent lights and a range of lights for many different uses and can basically make anything as long as the idea is there. Right now we are working on cool room accent lighting above your table, and ways to connect your phone for instant recording options.

So, I'm asking you guys ...

• What would you like to see in a pool table light?
• What is most important? (Looks, even lighting, controlling glare, anything else)
• Any products that you want but can't afford? (We have some unique production capabilities that can help us control cost)
• Anything you think would be great idea that you just can't find?

I'm really keen to really improve the availability of good pool table lighting affordably. There seems to be a lot of the same stuff floating around for many years and it hasn't kept up with the times. I play daily and light quality is #1 priority for me and can be the difference in a good match or a poor experience.

We have several cool ideas which are in production already which I will be introducing with an AzBilliards member discount when they come out first because AzBilliards members have been so helpful for many years as I learned to fix then make my own cues, and through my own progress in playing. If anyone shares a great idea and we make the light, I'll send you one for free when it is made.
 
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Pin said:
Something I'm interested in is infrared heaters. In theory an infrared heater with the correct output (positioned in the lighting unit and using the same power supply) could heat a table in the same manner as a heated-slate set-up, but cheaper and with easier installation.
You can also get combination bulbs that do light and infrared heat. Something like that tailored to pool would be an instant fix for a heated table.
Click to expand...
Nice idea, but you'd be cooking the players also. If you want heated slate, just put a heater or two under the table pointed up.

I'll likely be putting one in my out building games room to bring the table up to temp quickly because the room will be left unheated when not in use.
 
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Strange_Days said:
I am an avid pool player and just bought into a company that makes LED lighting so I thought it would be good idea to merge the two and create some cool new pool table lighting options. I figure what better place to start than here on AzBilliards :)

We have started making several pool table lights using LED lighting in interesting ways. We make accent lights and a range of lights for many different uses and can basically make anything as long as the idea is there. Right now we are working on cool room accent lighting above your table, and ways to connect your phone for instant recording options.

So, I'm asking you guys ...

• What would you like to see in a pool table light?
• What is most important? (Looks, even lighting, controlling glare, anything else)
• Any products that you want but can't afford? (We have some unique production capabilities that can help us control cost)
• Anything you think would be great idea that you just can't find?

I'm really keen to really improve the availability of good pool table lighting affordably. There seems to be a lot of the same stuff floating around for many years and it hasn't kept up with the times. I play daily and light quality is #1 priority for me and can be the difference in a good match or a poor experience.

We have several cool ideas which are in production already which I will be introducing with an AzBilliards member discount when they come out first because AzBilliards members have been so helpful for many years as I learned to fix then make my own cues, and through my own progress in playing. If anyone shares a great idea and we make the light, I'll send you one for free when it is made.
Click to expand...
What is most important to me is a lighting configuration that is as close as possible to creating "shadowless illumination".
 
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Black-Balled said:
Absolutely, yes. (dry out the cushions)

Hard to control temp too, I'd imagine.
Click to expand...
The standard for table heaters is only 5-10 degrees over room temp. I think that is not a problem. And I think an IR heater would be almost constant at the table's surface once it got to the final temperature. The problem would be to pick the correct wattage to keep the table from getting too warm.

An under-table heater will be more efficient if it is heating an enclosed chamber of air. Some carom tables have a piece of plywood below the slate which traps the warm air. The heating elements are mounted on top of the plywood. I think the heating bill will be a lot lower if that is done.
 
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Back to OP's question, no offence to those who make them and like them - but in my view the perimeter LED lights cast way too much light off the table and are pretty gimmicky & silly looking. A bar near me recently installed the Predator Arena perimeter lights over 3 Diamond 7' tables - while the table lighting is obviously a major improvement over the crappy old non LED lights they had, everyone including the owner is irritated at the massive amount of light all over the room now - its like the place has 10 ft windows in daylight, super harsh and many glare spots.

These cheap panel 4x2 LED panel lights from SuperBrightleds.com (and other places) - have all the specs & features one wants (including dimmer function and hanger kits) for < $150 - one 4x2 is perfect for a barbox, two of them in an 8x2 config for $300 for a 9' table works great. They are very light weight and don't incur massive shipping costs. Those economics are pretty hard to beat, but they are a bit plain jane looking and might not suit everyone's taste in a home or snazzy commercial env.

In my home I have the Lite Systems Fin Wide 6x2 which essentially uses the same LED panels as above, but wraps them in a very nice aluminum frame with jazzier hanger kit. But those are now > $1k and are very heavy, despite their overall flat profile and shipping costs are non trivial.

I personally think a sweet spot in the market (if there is one) would be a lower cost version of the same standard LED panel lights as above, but mounted in a frame similar to the Lite Systems, but using a much lighter weight & lower cost frame design, which would be available in different "skins" to match up to the most popular table rail/color styles, since that what everyone that builds custom frames is ultimately trying to create. Might be be cool to offer it with some optional simple mount brackets that can accommodate video cameras.

I think TFT is working on some big new "smart light" design, but the early prototypes look pretty huge & bulky and to be targeting all sort of extra gadgets and widgets and I can't imagine it being < $1k - maybe that's what some large commercial halls want, but I would think the market could use sub $500, very light weight panel LED models that offer lots of color/texture frame options. Since the "guts" are easily available already in my first link above, all it really takes is some innovative frame design to wrap around the base LED units. Ideally maybe offer it as a low cost frame-only solution, as a DIY "upgrade" to the widely available panel assemblies, and a sexier model that includes the LED guts also for folks that want the 1-stop shopping experience.

Just my $.02. Good luck and thanks for soliciting user input from AZB.

Cheers
 
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Bob Jewett said:
The standard for table heaters is only 5-10 degrees over room temp. I think that is not a problem. And I think an IR heater would be almost constant at the table's surface once it got to the final temperature. The problem would be to pick the correct wattage to keep the table from getting too warm.

An under-table heater will be more efficient if it is heating an enclosed chamber of air. Some carom tables have a piece of plywood below the slate which traps the warm air. The heating elements are mounted on top of the plywood. I think the heating bill will be a lot lower if that is done.
Click to expand...
I don't like the bulb heating idear. That heat source a meter off the surface is making a ton of heat elsewhere.

And I've also heard tales of gluing styrofoam in lieu of plywood...maybe that is ghetto? sounds like a good idea to me!
 
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phreaticus said:
Back to OP's question, no offence to those who make them and like them - but in my view the perimeter LED lights cast way too much light off the table and are pretty gimmicky & silly looking. A bar near me recently installed the Predator Arena perimeter lights over 3 Diamond 7' tables - while the table lighting is obviously a major improvement over the crappy old non LED lights they had, everyone including the owner is irritated at the massive amount of light all over the room now - its like the place has 10 ft windows in daylight, super harsh and many glare spots.

These cheap panel 4x2 LED panel lights from SuperBrightleds.com (and other places) - have all the specs & features one wants (including dimmer function and hanger kits) for < $150 - one 4x2 is perfect for a barbox, two of them in an 8x2 config for $300 for a 9' table works great. They are very light weight and don't incur massive shipping costs. Those economics are pretty hard to beat, but they are a bit plain jane looking and might not suit everyone's taste in a home or snazzy commercial env.

In my home I have the Lite Systems Fin Wide 6x2 which essentially uses the same LED panels as above, but wraps them in a very nice aluminum frame with jazzier hanger kit. But those are now > $1k and are very heavy, despite their overall flat profile and shipping costs are non trivial.

I personally think a sweet spot in the market (if there is one) would be a lower cost version of the same standard LED panel lights as above, but mounted in a frame similar to the Lite Systems, but using a much lighter weight & lower cost frame design, which would be available in different "skins" to match up to the most popular table rail/color styles, since that what everyone that builds custom frames is ultimately trying to create. Might be be cool to offer it with some optional simple mount brackets that can accommodate video cameras.

I think TFT is working on some big new "smart light" design, but the early prototypes look pretty huge & bulky and to be targeting all sort of extra gadgets and widgets and I can't imagine it being < $1k - maybe that's what some large commercial halls want, but I would think the market could use sub $500, very light weight panel LED models that offer lots of color/texture frame options. Since the "guts" are easily available already in my first link above, all it really takes is some innovative frame design to wrap around the base LED units. Ideally maybe offer it as a low cost frame-only solution, as a DIY "upgrade" to the widely available panel assemblies, and a sexier model that includes the LED guts also for folks that want the 1-stop shopping experience.

Just my $.02. Good luck and thanks for soliciting user input from AZB.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Thanks for that input. I need a more better setup than my 2x4 florescents and I have not done anything about that for far too long.
 
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Black-Balled said:
... And I've also heard tales of gluing styrofoam in lieu of plywood...maybe that is ghetto? sounds like a good idea to me!
Click to expand...
The plywood typically supports the heating wire on insulated standoffs. I suppose you could put a thermal insulator below the plywood, but the hot air will tend to rise up to the bottom of the slate.
 
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rexus31 said:
What table is your fixture over and what bulbs are you using?
Click to expand...
9' diamond
2x4 florescent fixture, hard wired.
Screenshot_20221124-095003.jpg
 
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Bob Jewett said:
The standard for table heaters is only 5-10 degrees over room temp. I think that is not a problem. And I think an IR heater would be almost constant at the table's surface once it got to the final temperature. The problem would be to pick the correct wattage to keep the table from getting too warm.

An under-table heater will be more efficient if it is heating an enclosed chamber of air. Some carom tables have a piece of plywood below the slate which traps the warm air. The heating elements are mounted on top of the plywood. I think the heating bill will be a lot lower if that is done.
Click to expand...
Bob, in post 20 it doesn't even come close to cooking the slate middle. Helps tho to quicken room temps when heat turned on.
Only 400 watts, and has a thermostat.
 
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Black-Balled said:
9' diamond
2x4 florescent fixture, hard wired.
View attachment 672233
Click to expand...
Definitely not enough light for a 9' table. I don't think it's enough for a 7' either. It's important to know the specs of the bulbs too. For pool playing, I've found 5000K (Kelvins) to be ideal. Lumens is also very important to know. The higher the number, the better. You want bulbs that are putting out at least 2,000 Lumens. Then there's CRI (Color Rendering Index) which is a rating used for how accurate colors are viewed in lighted conditions. This is very important in pool table lighting given all the different colors on the table. The closer you can get to 100, the better. A CRI of 90 is good for pool.

I would say your (2) 4' bulb fixture is emitting around 5,000 Lumens which is not near enough. By comparison, my fixture (8) 4' bulbs is emitting almost 21,000 Lumens of 5,000K light with a CRI of 90.

49726405907_5924fe6a1e_h.jpg


When researching lighting (fluorescent or LED) I would go by these specs:
Temperature: 5000K
Lumens: No less than 18,000 total
CRI: 90 or above

IMO, table lighting is just as important as the table itself. You are not getting the best experience of playing on your beautiful table with the current lighting.
 
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Racky BallBoa said:
What is most important to me is a lighting configuration that is as close as possible to creating "shadowless illumination".
Click to expand...
It is a little more tricky than you would think to get rid of bright spots vs dark spots. Even the best lit tables will have a variance of 15% when tested with a light meter.

I do hate playing tables that I would consider to have darker areas.
 
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phreaticus said:
Back to OP's question, no offence to those who make them and like them - but in my view the perimeter LED lights cast way too much light off the table and are pretty gimmicky & silly looking. A bar near me recently installed the Predator Arena perimeter lights over 3 Diamond 7' tables - while the table lighting is obviously a major improvement over the crappy old non LED lights they had, everyone including the owner is irritated at the massive amount of light all over the room now - its like the place has 10 ft windows in daylight, super harsh and many glare spots.

These cheap panel 4x2 LED panel lights from SuperBrightleds.com (and other places) - have all the specs & features one wants (including dimmer function and hanger kits) for < $150 - one 4x2 is perfect for a barbox, two of them in an 8x2 config for $300 for a 9' table works great. They are very light weight and don't incur massive shipping costs. Those economics are pretty hard to beat, but they are a bit plain jane looking and might not suit everyone's taste in a home or snazzy commercial env.

In my home I have the Lite Systems Fin Wide 6x2 which essentially uses the same LED panels as above, but wraps them in a very nice aluminum frame with jazzier hanger kit. But those are now > $1k and are very heavy, despite their overall flat profile and shipping costs are non trivial.

I personally think a sweet spot in the market (if there is one) would be a lower cost version of the same standard LED panel lights as above, but mounted in a frame similar to the Lite Systems, but using a much lighter weight & lower cost frame design, which would be available in different "skins" to match up to the most popular table rail/color styles, since that what everyone that builds custom frames is ultimately trying to create. Might be be cool to offer it with some optional simple mount brackets that can accommodate video cameras.

I think TFT is working on some big new "smart light" design, but the early prototypes look pretty huge & bulky and to be targeting all sort of extra gadgets and widgets and I can't imagine it being < $1k - maybe that's what some large commercial halls want, but I would think the market could use sub $500, very light weight panel LED models that offer lots of color/texture frame options. Since the "guts" are easily available already in my first link above, all it really takes is some innovative frame design to wrap around the base LED units. Ideally maybe offer it as a low cost frame-only solution, as a DIY "upgrade" to the widely available panel assemblies, and a sexier model that includes the LED guts also for folks that want the 1-stop shopping experience.

Just my $.02. Good luck and thanks for soliciting user input from AZB.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Very informative post! Thank you

So you've nearly nailed our initial design down pat. I do like the skins options. We had been planning a few color options but it did open my eyes here that we might want to offer a few more opportunities to match your table than just "Black".

We do have a version 1, 2, and 3 plan in place in which each would hit a different price point with basically the same light but adding on cool features.

Our lowest priced light (v1) will be sub $500 for certain and will look a lot nicer than the superbrightleds panel while being lightweight.
 
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Such informative replies so far. Thank you guys!

Can you guys chime in on if you would find the following things useful:

  1. Separate accent strip lighting shooting upwards towards ceiling? (Similar to what you would see behind a tv or under a tricked out car)
  2. Built in camera made for streaming from the center of the table straight down
  3. Cell phone mount in center of light for streaming your game/recording practice
  4. Cell phone mount locations around edges
  5. Built in projector for use with pool projection systems
 
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Strange_Days said:
Such informative replies so far. Thank you guys!

Can you guys chime in on if you would find the following things useful:

  1. Separate accent strip lighting shooting upwards towards ceiling? (Similar to what you would see behind a tv or under a tricked out car)
  2. Built in camera made for streaming from the center of the table straight down
  3. Cell phone mount in center of light for streaming your game/recording practice
  4. Cell phone mount locations around edges
  5. Built in projector for use with pool projection systems
Click to expand...

I just want speakers that play something like, 'Oooooh, Daniel-san, that was an nice shot' in the voice of a japanese girl every time I make a shot.

It's a light. Let it be a light. If it puts out proper light and isn't tacky as all hell, it wins.
 
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As our good Brother Rexus31 has already iterated twice, I must concur; that the aesthetic styling of the lighting box/hood should perfectly match the table design - as much as possible.

In addition to the obvious 'No-Glare', I would add: 1) No low Hz electrical hum; and 2) An internal shading design, so the light is thrown ONLY onto the playing surface (including rails), AND NOT, out and into the surrounding room.

In other words, if the ambient room lights were turned-off, the only thing I would like to see illuminated would be the table surface essentially 'floating' in space; in a purely visual sense; everything else being lost in the shadows falling outside the 'cone' of light. - GJ
 
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