Unique's New Fixture

[par 36]

Unique lighting company has made some changes to some of their fixtures that could force changes for other lighting manufactures as follows. 1. They have an orbital mount for three (3) of their spotlights and more important, is a MSD Socket. Which is lock and load that allows one to replace faulty sockets in seconds. Also, which I think is also important is a retaining clip to hold the MR 16 lamp in place, more secure then just the pins themselves. I receive many calls from owners that have lamps not seated. Animals and gardeners who knock into the fixtures have caused this problem many times. Last change I like is the lock & load shroud that they have to.

I have not used Unique fixtures in the past, and do not plan to, but would like to see other companies incorporate some of these features in the future.

Sitelight, you have contributed much to this forum, to much to mention, but I would like to thank you for all of the time you given so freely to all. I have also enjoyed your photos with comments.
.

Thanks again,

Par 36

[SamIV]

I would like to know what you and many other designers fixture preferances are and why? I am not in a postion to give a valid response to this question as I am new to this field. Feel this would be beneficial to all newcomers. I don't want my first install to include a product that is truly not a professional product.

What are some of your favorite fixtures and why? Is it manufacturer driven, price driven, influenced by your distributor, installer friendly, reliable, or just fits your design philosophy? Not looking to start an arguement here either.

Thanks
Sam

[sitelights]

You've come to the right place; this site is for professionals and about professionals and their striving to improve the quality of their product and service. Perhaps 90% of the visitors to this site are DIYers looking for help but by looking closely at the posts and membership info it is apparent that about 10% of the members are in the business. The DIYers are certainly welcome but the emphasis here is on constant improvement and not simply the spacing of path lights.

On the forum "Product Reviews" there are reviews or opinions posted on about 40 fixtures; at least 25 fixtures are scrutinized at length. This topic is probably the most discussed on the site*. A good way to ferret out information about fixtures (but first read all the product reviews) is to use the site's search function. As an example, if you keyed in the word "Unique" you would be directed to every post that uses the term; most would be about Unique the company and some would merely identify posts where the word was used as an adjective not a noun. Similarly, keying in "Vista", "Kichler", "Hadco" and so on will bring up all the posts mentioning these manufacturers. Browsing the "Manufacturers" page will take you to the web sites of quite a few.

Fixture choices should be guided by objective appraisals of their strengths and weaknesses. It is not a popularity contest though the major players (the most "popular") in the industry are major because their equipment is available everywhere. Some of the smaller manufacturers lack nationwide distribution networks and so availability becomes a factor; it is sometimes a question (all other factors being equal) of how much support a distributor provides and how quickly you can get what you need.

I am guessing that most if not all of the designer/installers that are members of this forum purchase mainly on a per-job or just-in-time basis. Thus it is vitally important to have access on short notice to what you need to complete a project or procure parts.

The Product Reviews on this forum are a good starting place. It is not simply a question of favorites; after all, people have been known to make irrational choices. The methods used in making choices are spelled out in the reviews sometimes as experience with the equipment or by comparison or by detailed examination of materials and construction.

In your search on this site you will inevitably get to posts where emphasis is placed on using a small number of fixture types from just a few manufacturers. The point being made is to not burden yourself with a vast array of different equipment from many sources. Low voltage landscape lighting is a service business; if you can't service it, you shouldn't build it.

*This is determined by the number of citations when a topic is searched; the three top topics are: design 66, fixture 65 and transformer 62.

[SamIV]

First off, thanks for the reply. I've read every post on this site at least once and most twice. Some of the posts you refer to are at least 2 years old. Just thought I could get a little more updated advice.
Your advice on limiting my fixture types was well taken.

I am attending a Hadco low voltage lighting seminar at the end of this month, and there is a Hadco distributor where I live. Guess this will influence my buying choices heavily.

Thanks,
Sam

[Mr. Sixteen]

Long time reader...first time poster...
I have some experience with the lock and load feature which Unique has incorporated into some of its fixtures which use MR-16's. I for one like the ease in which I can get to the bulb though I must admit some fixtures lock and load better than others. In regards to their replacable porecelan socket, I installed several fixtures with this feature late in 2003. I have yet to see how well they stand the test of time. I do not have any installation experience with their new ball sockets. In general though, I do appreceiate the fact that at least one manufacturer recognizes the fact that the fixtures we have to work with are far and in some cases extremely far from perfect. I hope and I am sure it will lead to even better fixtures from all the manufacturers in the future.

[sitelights]

I do not share your confidence in manufacturers doing the right thing. I have expressed myself rather fully on this topic; in a recent post I accused the makers of abdicating their leadership role (Energy Conservation forum "low voltage operating costs") in failing to grasp the concept of energy efficiency and there are many other failures as well. The pace of improvement is so glacial as to be imperceptible. Case in point: the MR clip socket has been available since 1997 but it has been adopted very recently by a limited number of makers.

Sockets that are easily field replaceable mostly add yet another connection to fail; Hadco, for one, experimented with and abandoned this feature after a brief trial a few years ago. If you search Hunza's web site (there is a link on the manufacturers page) you will discover that they do not warrant their sockets: they are considered "wear items". At least they acknowledge the lack of purpose-built outdoor MR and bi-pin sockets and have the balls to tell you.

I have not seen Unique's new sockets as yet but I am going to call Nate tomorrow and ask him to send me samples for a product review. I am not a fan of Unique's high volt multi-tap (see my Book Review "Advanced...") or any of the other 12-22v makers. (see "transformer advertising" in the Product Review forum). High voltage (above 15v) is merely a crutch for those who do not have the ability to work within UL1838 guidelines.

If Unique truly has improved the lamp pin/socket connection I'd be eager to report it.

[sitelights]

A post "MR clip socket" appears on the "Lamps..." forum along with an image of a socket and lamp.

[Prof. Volt]

"High voltage (above 15v) is merely a crutch for those who do not have the ability to work within UL 1838 guidelines."

Please explain what that exactly means? Are you aware of other UL "guidelines"? Quality of installation is always of utmost importance, but efficiency and ease of installation are determining factors as well. Why is that you so vehemently despise Unique? I know your knowledge in this field is vast... but do you still actually service and install jobs? If yes, how often. I'm more than happy to compete with the installer or technician who works "within UL 1838 guidelines." So while you sit back and monitor this forum, and swear by your 15 volts, my guys will be installing low voltage landscape lighting 1000 ft. away from the power source while still maintaining 11 volts at the bulb. Unique transformers make installation easier... is safety your concern? Is the Unique transformer deemed not safe? Does the transformer explode and burn down houses or entire communities? Have domesticated animals like dogs and cats been killed by the Unique transformer? I have heard these misinformed arguments before - bottom line - let us see some evidence. Spare me the rhetoric. Show me pictures of the burnt down homes and dead animals. If 1838 was the only guideline how could Unique still be a prospering manufacturer? How could the company even continue to manufacture.

I agree with Mr. Sixteen, Unique's innovations such as the lock & load and new socket should create a new standard for the manufacturers to adhere to. This will create competition amongst them. Who benefits from this competition? We benefit, the installer who has to change countless MR 16's and mount and remount down lighting.

[sitelights]

I have no particular animus toward Unique or Nate Mullen. I had a call on my answering machine this morning from Nate who was responding to a message I left for him 02.13.04; in the message I asked him to send me samples of the new sockets for review on this forum. [these reviews appear on the Product Review forum as "Unigue's new floodlight" and "MSD replaceable socket"] Nate and I have discussed at length the issue of 15+ volts transformers and my objections to them. Note that Unique, Cast, Lion and now Hadco and others offer both UL1838 compliant (15v max) and non-compliant 12-22v transformers. UL1838 is titled "Standard for Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Systems". What business are you in?

The UL1838 sticker will not be found on any transformer with more than 300w and 15v. Dual or triple or quadruple 300w in a single case is OK if they are separate circuits but anything beyond 15v will have to be listed under a different (ARL, ETL, or UL506, UL1563, UL 1571) standard. The requirements for listing under UL1838 are the result of much testing over a number of years by a world-class company with the input of a technical panel of 48 members drawn from many disciplines relating to low voltage lighting. The group achieved consensus on these requirements for listing; I was one of that group.

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is an independent non-governmental agency that develops standards for safety in electrical devices. The safety standards are often adopted by official regulatory agencies (as an upgrade of NEC 411-2 for example) and incorporated into their rule books. It is only a matter of time before the insurability of low voltage landscape lighting systems will be predicated on UL1838 listing for all equipment that is part of that lighting system. I merely advocate that professionals in this field acknowledge the fact of UL1838; if they don't they are, to my mind, not true professionals.

The alleged 1,000 foot cable run example goes much too far; even a confirmed high volter would find a better design solution. Nightscaping, some years back, made a high volt "H3O" transformer that they touted as the ideal solution to long runs (a quarter mile!) on a dock as an example. These are not real-world circumstances.

I continue to work on every project we install; I always do the actual transformer connections myself. After 20 years of doing highly paid stoop labor and 10 years (up until the mid-90s) of repairing others mistakes I think I am entitled to an opinion. My opinion is that the risk of fire damage is very rare but real. My main objection is that without standards the consumer is at risk. I am a strong advocate of professional installation standards of which we, as a profession, are sadly lacking. The current unregulated aspects of the outdoor lighting business must be dealt with. If the self-regulating consequences of shoddy or ill-advised techniques prevail then regulation by code is inevitable. Since the manufacturers have not chosen to adopt a leadership position in the matter of standards, it is up to individuals with the instinct of self-preservation to devise and promulgate standards not only on equipment but also on installation requirements and energy conservation.

If you are not on a level playing field you may be on a slippery slope.