Transformer-thon 2007!!!!

No, it's nothing to do with the current mega-smash hit movie Transformers, though it is kind of ironic that it happens to coincide with my own delving into the mysteries and lore of the humble 12-volt transformer.

In case anyone hasn't noticed, all my posts lately have dealt with lighting - I've decided it's time to learn new tricks and to upgrade the lighting department in the Darkstudio. And most recently my questing has led me to low voltage lighting, which requires a transformer to step down household current to 12 volts. I bought this track lighting kit from Lamps Plus


which now sits assembled (mostly) and waiting for the coup-de-grace - I intend to bodger it so I have three separate lighting units rather than all of them on one track. Here's a thread on the message board going into more detail if anyone's interested. It's Nick to the rescue once again!

But wait - It gets even better...

This my friends is the Solux Framing Projector - a thing of great beauty and magnificence!



See, the separate components all fit together on a quite ordinary track lighting fixture, in fact exactly like the ones I have sitting next to me right now! How awesome is that??!! Theoretically (assuming the snout piece fits correctly) I should be able to just buy the accessories and fit them onto one of my existing units and I can *transform* it into a super-sexy micro-gobo projector! A sort of poor-man's ellipsoidal spotlight in a miniaturized size (perfect for my needs!) - AND at a miniaturized price!!

Also note that Solux makes probably the finest bulbs in the world (at the same price as ordinary bulbs) - you can buy them in various color temps including fully-balanced daylight with ultra-low IR and UV emissions. What this means is, no more weird orangey or blueish light - unless that's what you want! Also note - one advantage of low-voltage lighting is that the transformer effectively stabilizes the current (I believe) - so hopefully flicker and surges are a thing of the past.

Probably the biggest difference between this device and a real projector unit is that it isn't made to accept slides or gobos of any kind - and in fact I rather doubt it can be made to project them clearly, since it uses a typical MR-16 bulb, not the single-point projector style bulb with a polished reflector behind it like you find in a slide projector. But it will definitely project a shaped beam of very coherent light, and as Tennessee Reid Norton said in a recent comment, "where you DON'T put light is just as important as where you put it" (or something to that effect - sorry if I screwed it up).

And coming soon on the Transformer-thon 2007 front, I intend to get ahold of a dollhouse style lighting kit to use as onset practicals! Fun stuff!