I am looking to do a track installation of solux bulbs in my studio. Has anyone used USA Light & Electric http://usalight.com/ for either the bulbs or, more importantly, the track fixtures. The price is great, they claim they use better transformer that deliver 60W, 11.5 volts under load, which they claim is better than most other fixtures.
Before I send them $1,000, and comments or reviews?
Thanks, Bill
When I did it I used a Halo track and L2770 lampholders. Why? Because track lighting is plagued by startups, odd brands, fashion, etc. With a no-name track you may find (as I have in the past) that you can't buy new lampholders in the future. Halo, while expensive, has been around for a long time. I can still buy lampholders for my tracks 20 years after they went in. And I have. So that's not an inconsequential consideration maybe.
I should point out that the first thing I tried was the Solux lampholders. Huge mistake. I had two sets of four lamps each. They couldn't be adjusted to hold their positions (the little plastic knobs couldn't take the heat). The second set blistered the paint off in the first minute of operation. And they put backwash light on the ceiling which I found really annoying. So back they went. In with the Halos.
For the Solux bulbs themselves, I just bought them from Solux. At the time they were the only source, and the things last forever. They do however color shift over time. The three I'm using for my "proofing wall" are shifting somewhat individually too -- not unison. I guess eventually I'll have to replace them all. But right now I'm heading back to a B&W period apparently, so it's not bothering me much.