All about halogen spotlights

People throughout their history have had to fight the darkness. From ordinary bonfires to using electricity for lighting. There are already several options for light sources. One of these is the halogen spotlight, which will be discussed in this article.

The essence of a spotlight as such is to provide strong illumination of a specific area. The halogen spotlight is just a special case. Its structure is quite simple: body, lens and lamp.

The body can be of different materials, but the most commonly used stainless steel alloy is aluminum. For outdoor floodlights with a high degree of protection against external factors, most of the parts are made of durable, corrosion-resistant metals.

For the production of lenses in such a projector, tempered heat-resistant glass is most often used. The lens is necessary in order to focus the rays of light in a specific direction. This is how the maximum efficiency of the floodlight is achieved.

The main interest of a halogen device is in the lamp. It consists of a balloon and a tungsten filament. The main difference from an incandescent lamp is that the "halogen" has a special gas that increases the shelf life of tungsten and improves its efficiency. The gas is represented by halogens, hence the name of the lamps. It is located inside the balloon. At first, it was iodine, but later it was abandoned, since, due to its effect on the metal, the light of the lamp can take on a greenish tint. Nowadays, bromine or fluorine is most often used in halogen lamps, less often chlorine. More expensive specimens have methyl bromide, methylene or pure bromine as a gas.

Lamps in halogen spotlights can be of two types - opaque and transparent. The strength and type of lighting will depend on the type. And they also differ in shape, for example, lamps can be linear, capsule or with a reflector.

In comparison with an LED floodlight, a halogen one has a number of advantages and disadvantages. So, "halogen" will be better than LED to emit natural, almost sunlight. In addition, halogen floodlights have a simpler structure. LED floodlights will bypass halogen ones in efficiency, safety and service life.

Halogen floodlights are used in a wide variety of applications. So, they can be installed in a summer cottage, on public roads to illuminate either the road itself, or advertising banners, as well as in large public areas.

When choosing halogen floodlights, you should definitely pay attention to the key characteristics inherent in such products.

• Power. This is a very important parameter, since two things depend on the power at once - lighting and the ability to connect to home sockets. Thus, more powerful 5000 and 2000 W floodlights are capable of emitting strong light, in contrast to the 150, 250, 300 and 400 W models. Models of average power include devices for 500, 1000 and 1500 watts. Do not forget that powerful floodlights will require more voltage.

• Protection. Each "halogen" has its own indicator of protection from external conditions.For the home, you can take cheaper options with less protection, but for outdoor conditions, you should get devices with a high protection rate.

• Mounting method. There are portable and stationary models. The former can work even during their transfer or movement. They are the easiest to fasten, since you just need to give them a stable position. The second type works only stationary, therefore, as a rule, they are more difficult to attach.

• Scope of use. There are floodlights for illuminating streets or any premises, as well as for illuminating various banners and posters.

• Additional functions. For example, a motion sensor that detects a suitable person and automatically turns on the spotlight. Another option is a light sensor, which analyzes the overall illumination of the space and adjusts the spotlight in a certain way.

• Design. If possible, you should choose a spotlight that is very similar in appearance to the style of the objects around it.

And also it is worth distinguishing halogen floodlights from metal halide ones. Both of them have a very close light to daylight, but the first variant produces a slightly warmer glow, and the second one is colder. In addition, metal halide floodlights are more powerful than halogen floodlights.

Halogen floodlights can be of several different types. Each of them has its own characteristics, from which pros and cons follow. Having understood all types, you can determine exactly which spotlight you need. All types are divided into two groups depending on the parameters that differ between them.

Capsule or in-line type. The first successful version of a halogen floodlight still on sale today. The body has the usual rectangular shape. Inside there is a bulb with filaments. The peculiarity of this type is its high power, and, consequently, significant energy consumption. Linear spotlights are not suitable for premises, but they will be needed to illuminate large areas. This type is usually mounted on a high tripod or on small structures such as stone fences. But separate portable subspecies of such spotlights are being sold. They include the light emitting device itself and a small handle and feet design for easy handling.

Type with built-in outer flask. In order to understand what such a spotlight looks like, you can imagine an ordinary incandescent lamp, in which there is not a tungsten filament, but a small halogen light bulb. A searchlight can have any shape, the main thing is that this device should be placed there. It is important to clarify that protective outer flasks can be of different designs: opaque, transparent and white, milk-colored. These spotlights emit a warmer light. In addition, dimensions are also important. Due to their compactness, they are used for small lamps, flashlights.

In this group, two types are distinguished: illuminating rooms and illuminating streets. The first type, as a rule, is not very powerful, economical.

Powerful street floodlights are of greater interest. They are distinguished by their good weather protection. There are also floodlights for aquariums with similar characteristics, but they are more related to the first type, as they are rather low-powered. The street view has a wide range of power. There are devices with a popular option - a motion sensor. The searchlight notices a person coming close and turns on.

Of all the companies that make halogen floodlights, there are some that stand out from the crowd. Such organizations have been producing this product for many years, earning great respect from buyers during this time. So, below is a list of the most popular brands that produce halogen floodlights.

GALAD. The Russian company, the most popular model of which is GALAD 00436. Feature - aluminum alloy made under pressure, as well as corrosion resistance. This model is used to equip large spaces in the city - parking lots, train stations, stations.

Navigator. A company from China. Produces both outdoor and indoor lighting. The most successful series is the NFL. Famous for its quality.

Philips. A huge Dutch organization. Has in the lineup the famous Philips QVF wall-mounted model. There are types for 500, 750 and 1000 watts. There is a drawback - a halogen bulb is not provided in the kit.

For a successful choice of lighting fixture, it is worth reading some tips that will help you implement it.

The color of the light bulb is very important. Matte versions will give close to sunlight, while transparent ones will glow yellow.

To illuminate rooms in a house, it is better to purchase internal devices, since they have lower costs, and, conversely, for street lighting it is worth taking more powerful and costly devices.

It is important to pay attention to the degree of protection of street floodlights. In cheaper models, this figure is very low, which can lead to an early failure.

If possible, it is best to choose a design that matches your interior or exterior design.

It is advisable to purchase a product from a trusted manufacturer, as there will be more guarantees that the searchlight will not burn out a month after purchase.

If the installation involves wall mounting, mark the desired location with a pencil or knife, and then drill holes for the fixing bolts. In other cases, for example, on a tripod, mounting will be easier.

After that, the device must be connected. This is done easily, you just need to act on the points:

• remove the back cover, find a small device called a contact box;

• we pass the connection cable through it;

• we fix it with clamps;

• close the lid.

Once everything is done, you should wipe the flask with alcohol to remove excess traces, in particular, fingerprints. This can be done by removing the front cover.

Halogen floodlights can be a great replacement for your outdated incandescent floodlights. They have an interesting device and some features to choose from.