Low Voltage Landscape Lighting [Paperback]

Michael J. Hersman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 1999

A reference for the professional, a training tool for people new to this specific area, a book to assist those who wish to take on a project as homeowner or do-it-themself.

Begins with planning a project, design techniques, understanding the equipment and selection of the various items that will be needed in the system, what to look for in the equipment, what to avoid in equipment selection, installation, maintenance, service, troubleshooting, drawings, charts and a special area on ponds and pool lighting.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Independent Lighting Representative - 1978 - 1994

Patent acquired for item relative to landscape lighting

Design & Installation Company 1987 - 1998

Owner of Manufacturer of Low Voltage Landscape Lighting company founded in January 1990.

Copyright of "Low Voltage Landscape Lighting" TXu 899-688 1999

Product Details

• Paperback: 78 pages
• Publisher: Michael J. Hersman (July 30, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0967619203
• ISBN-13: 978-0967619200
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,230,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars expert opinion, July 29, 2000

By 

Joseph T. Masciotti (Reading, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Low Voltage Landscape Lighting (Paperback)

First the best: a very focused, single-topic essay by an experienced designer/installer. Now the rest: it is 75 page (47p.text, 28p.charts) slap-dash print-out with a glued (not sewn) binding and card stock cover. Dense and repetitious and sorely in need of an editor and proofreader. Much attention paid to the dreaded voltage drop but all tables and formulae. No mention at all of the use of a volt meter to quantify results. With a volt meter he could have measured the output of a loaded transformer (vs. unloaded) and discovered that a good portion of what he thinks is loss due to resistance in the cable is actually poor transformer performance. None of the books I've read mention transformer "regulation" which is the ability of a low voltage transformer to maintain 12v output under load. Many if not all cheap transformers drop a volt or two under load so if you want 12v at the lamps you need more than 12v at the secondary transformer connection. A better solution to voltage drop is to use minimum 10 gauge cable and a multi-tap transformer (12v, 13v & 14v outputs) and then select the appropriate output voltage after testing the system with a meter and all lamps operating. You can then quantify the actual voltage at the first lamp and boost it to 12v if necessary. I applaud the writer for his earnest advocacy of 12v systems and the attempt at thoroughness. It would take a committed and handy DIYer to extract all the value from this little booklet. Many so-called professional installers could also profit from a close reading. No photographs, just some crude line drawings and charts that look like how-not-to in some of Edward R. Tufte's books.