Electrics for garden lighting?

[Fleety]

Hi there,

I'd like to wire up my garden so I can have garden lights and possibly a water feature. However, I've no idea where to start with this! Do I need an extension cable from an internal socket? (My nearest socket is in my bedroom, which backs onto the garden). Does the external wire need special casing or trunking, to protect it from knawing animals and the weather?! Where would the external cable run to?

I appreciate I need an electrician for this job, but would like to have a good idea first as to what should be done, so I know a little bit what I'm talking about!

Many thanks,
Caroline

 

[Knobhead]

Better still, use the controller to fire up a contactor then you will be able to control just about anything from lights, sockets, water features and you would only need one channel

If you do it that way you may as well have just a switch in the house for the whole shooting match!

 

[La Poste]

And also looking at these remote control units they don't seem to be able to control many lights at once not without being really expensive.




Edit:http://www.moonlightdesign.co.uk/acatalog/Wise_Box_Dimming_Kit2.html


http://www.mr-resistor.co.uk/item.aspx?&t=466&r=385&i=3499


http://www.mr-resistor.co.uk/item.aspx?&t=466&r=668&i=5787

 

[La Poste]

Wise box have a wise dim box which consists of four channels.
Each channel can be switched or dimmed so you could have one channel to switch a water feature on and three channels for lights, red, green and blue.
You could sit in your chair and mix the colours in your garden. The output of the wise dim is 230V

They also do a chameleon which is a remote colour mixing box but this has to be attached to colour mixed LED's. You can sit in your chair and adjust the colours but there is no dimming function. I am guessing because LED's use such a small amount of current they are very difficult to dim. The output of the chameleon is 12/24V

It all looks really good and doesn't cost too much but I'm still reading about it.

 

[Engineer54]

It all looks really good and doesn't cost too much but I'm still reading about it.

Then read on, ....i don't think 316 quid +VAT comes under the heading ''Doesn't Cost Much''. ...lol!!!

 

[La Poste]

Well if you want colour changing remote controlled garden lights what would you do?
How would you do it cheaper?

 

[Engineer54]

Using a few of Tel's remote controled IP socket outlets at 20 quid a shot!! lol!!

EDIT:
Or better still, spend a relaxing weekend making your own control box. Everything you need is quite freely available on the high street, including the remote controllers. Now a 4 way dimmable panel, wouldn't i'm sure, cost anything like 316 quid + VAT !! In fact you could while your at it, build the unit to suit your specific needs and add a couple of extras into the pot for good measure, and itwill still cost a fraction of that over priced unit!!

 

[La Poste]

What with colour changing LED spots, how will that work?
I mean how are you going to gently mix the colours together?

 

[telectrix]

aerosols from halfords.

 

[telectrix]

Using a few of Tel's remote controled IP socket outlets at 20 quid a shot!! lol!!

they work quite well. these 2 have been in for 2 years. ain't even managed to trip the RCD yet.LOL.

 

[La Poste]

aerosols from halfords.

 

[La Poste]

Yeah but what the guy wants is colour adjusted lights.
How will remote controlled sockets achieve this?
You can't adjust the lighting levels from the sockets, they have no dimmable qualities they sound Ok for a simple on/off function but that's about it.

I was hoping to get all arty on the bloke, you know create a nice atmosphere in his garden.

The sockets sound great for switching things on like water features or simply switching lights on and off but to mix colours from the comfort of his arm chair, it's got to cost a few quid right?

 

[Engineer54]

Yeah but what the guy wants is colour adjusted lights.
How will remote controlled sockets achieve this?
You can't adjust the lighting levels from the sockets, they have no dimmable qualities they sound Ok for a simple on/off function but that's about it.

I was hoping to get all arty on the bloke, you know create a nice atmosphere in his garden.

Fine, ....if he has the money to throw at one of these over priced panels, ...go for it!!
Personally as i stated above, i'd rather make my own gizmo box. I'd probably enjoy the time spent knocking it up as well!!! lol!!!

 

[La Poste]

Well I guess another way would be to run a multi core SWA cable from the house, have three lines connected to dimmers at the house end where the guy could mix the lights from.
The SWA then terminates at the garden end at remote controlled sockets which then feed transformers and a low voltage lighting system.

He could adjust the levels at the house with the dimmers and then have on/off functions with his remote to the sockets while he sits in his chair.

The lights would not be LED's they would be low voltage halogen in different colours.

That would work out cheaper but a bit more digging would be involved.

I did an A level in electronics many moons ago but I wouldn't feel confident enough to make a remote controlled electronic gizmo to do all this myself.

 

[haj]

Similar system is Homeasy

 

[tombrooker84]

Byron are the manufacturers of home easy. Not too sure on the byron unit, I've always used the wise controls because of the range, but hey are capable of switching 10 amps per channel total of 40 amps, so thats a fair amount of lights!