Hi all: I am working on my first lighting design for my recently remodeled backyard. It's not a very complex design (of course, I have no experience to corroborate this) so I wanted to tackle it myself. I've attached a basic drawing to help explain. Here goes: The yard is lined by a roughly 1.5' bed on each side. We think we'd like fairly soft-lit pools of light so I'm planning to use (9) Classic Path Lights (7" shade / 12' spread) with a 2W 2700K bulb and placed roughly 15' apart as indicated by the red circles in the drawing. The yellow stars indicate spotlights, but each group lights a different type of tree. Starting in the lower-left: Uplighting a new ornamental Japanese maple. Currently about 5' tall. Thinking (1) G2 Fat Boy with a 2W 2700K 38° bulb. Uplighting up ~1' diameter trunk of a mature white pine; lowest branches start about 7'. Because the branches are more widely spread, matching with a wider beam angle: (1) G2 Fat Boy with 2W 2700K 60° bulb. Uplighting a silver maple with three distinct trunks that form almost a perfect upside-down tripod. I thought about lighting each trunk with a spotlight with a narrow 15° spread, so: (3) G2 Fat Boys with 2W 2700K 15° bulbs. I am unsure of this one, though, as it might just be overdoing it. I have already buried 12/2 as indicated, except for the Green run's vertical portion -- currently just stubbed at the point it enters the bed. Approximate length of runs to transformer plus proposed fixtures on each: Green: ~175' (when completed) / 9 fixtures @ 2W each Teal: ~80' Blue: ~55' / 3 fixtures @ 2W each Pink: ~40' / 2 fixtures @ 2W each The Teal run is stubbed out for potentially running lights inside the bocce court walls (if I ever get time to make that happen). As for the others, it seems to me that I could possibly T-join the Blue and Pink runs because they are 3 and 2 fixtures, respectively, on relatively short runs. This means I would then have two more taps available for the upcoming front and side remodels. If my math is right, I can double the wattage of each proposed fixture 4W, then roughly double the number of fixtures installed to 30 (for front and sides) and I come up with 120W -- which is exactly 80% of the 150W transformer capacity, but this budgets nothing for what draw the Teal run might incur. I don't mind getting a 300W now if my assumptions are off and it helps to future-proof this design. So, all that said, does this all make sense in real life? Are my assumptions incorrect? Any advice from those who have come before? Thank you!!
Without seeing pictures of the trees, it can be tough to say what may be ideal or not, but overall, it sounds like you have an excellent plan in place! Using an MR16 lamp-ready fixture like the Fat Boy will allow you to adjust the brightness & beam spreads overtime if needed as the trees grow. Based on the 7" hat style for the path light, 15ft spacing is ideal for independent pools of illumination. 12 gauge cable is ideal for the runs you mentioned. In the event a fixture at the end of the 175ft run may look dim, you can always bump up the run to a higher voltage tap (15V). A voltmeter is always handy for longer runs. Regarding the transformer, leaving room for expansion is always ideal - especially if you're hovering at the recommended threshold and know you will desire more fixtures in the near future. Bumping up to 300W would definitely give you peace of mind and allow for a lot of expansion in the future, or even lend itself as a power source to other low-voltage applications.
The weather here broke for a week or so into the 50s (snowing again today) but I was finally able to start my install. I placed my order prior to Evan's reply but did opt for the 300w transformer. I'll have enough room left over for two additional runs to the front and side based on my use. I got the transformer mounted and my existing wire runs installed. I have limited hand function so I can say enough about the quick connect terminals on the transformer. Granted this is my first install, but I can't imagine why there'd be any other method. I've set up several fixtures of both types in temporary locations to see how they look before going full-bore on their permanent locations per my plan. Based on what I see so far, I have underestimated the brightness of the Fat Boy and over estimated the light pool diameter of the 7" path lights, so I might need one additional path light and may keep one or two spotlights in storage for use out front. My only question at this point: I'm using these connectors in the attached image because I thought they might be easier for hands with limited use to install but after doing so I have reservations about longevity in ground. Are there better connectors that are easy to use? Would these suffice with a bit on silicone on them? And what connectors would the pros use to do a pro job, silicone wire nuts? I'll post photos once the snow melts and I can get back out there to finish my install.
Personally, I wouldn't use the Sunvie connectors as they appear to tap into the cable and don't look like a reliable connection long-term. I'm a fan of everything Volt and would suggest reviewing the options under "Wire Connectors & Hubs" to see what might be best for you with your limited hand dexterity. I've used the Pro Nano and Pro Micro connectors, but these might be challenging for you as you need to flip up the small clamps, carefully guide wires into holes, then flip the clamps down. I haven't used any of the hub-style and can't comment on dexterity issues for them. But, the DryConn (wire nuts) might be your best option, due to their simplicity...
Thanks for the reply, Dirk. Picking up some DryConn wire nuts is exactly what I'm going to do. Having used these Sunvie connectors on a few lights now, it is not an easier process for someone with limited dexterity. Additionally, I would not recommend the dual-pair ("fastlock2") connectors. The caps are so close together and it is very difficult to hold the connector and both sets of wires at the same time. If you absolutely needed to use this style, I would get the separates. I thought I would save time by skipping the stripping part, but stripping is actually easier than using these connectors, so DryConn it is. Plus, I need to pick up a couple additional path lights anyway, as I went for a tighter spacing than I initially thought.
