Bell-shaped, solid brass outdoor lighting by Hinkley Lighting

Bring the romance of colonial New England to your patio. Envision Paul Revere’s ride and celebrations of American Independence. Select Hinkley Lighting’s hanging outdoor lighting from its Liberty collection for bell-shaped lanterns. Extremely durable solid brass construction. Models 2174SN, 2172SN, and 2170SN are a lovely burnished Sienna finish for a golden look. Keep your eyes peeled for energy saving configurations and Dark Sky compliant lighting. The 6.25” diameter backplate is connected to the bell-shaped body with a large ring. This matches well with large-ring accessories such as a doorknocker.

This ultimate symbol of American Independence, the Liberty Bell, will set off firecrackers of compliments in your neighborhood. The Liberty Bell rang in 1776 to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Turn heads with our hanging outdoor lighting or two outdoor wall light products in this style. All three lights take 100w medium bulbs. You don’t have to wear a three-cornered hat or knee breeches to enjoy the Liberty collection year round!

As the days get longer and you long to stay outdoors later, you really appreciate the simple pleasures of quality, energy efficient light fixtures. Access Lighting understand this and that’s why they’re the leading designers of outdoor lighting for everyday life. Their latest outdoor wall light, the LED Orb, has so many features and yet it is such a simple solution to lighting the outdoors. The LED Orb is a straightforward fixture, but because it is super energy efficient you can keep your outdoors lit up without adding too much to your electric bill. Using only 7.2 watts, the LED Orb will last for up to literally tens of thousands of hours and requires very little maintenance.

The Satin Chrome finish and acrylic glass of the LED orb make it chic and contemporary, but simple enough to fit with any outdoor lighting decor. The LED Orb is a wet location rated wall fixture and in addition to being an energy saver, it is ADA compliant as well, so it would definitely look refined in a commercial setting too. Measuring 8″ in diameter and extending only 2.5″ from the wall, the LED Orb is large enough to turn heads but subtle enough that it doesn’t overshadow the rest of your outdoor accessories. Well-suited for fans of LED lighting, this lovely, glowing orb is perfect for summer nights on the veranda or lounging under the stars in your pool. Never forget to relish the special moments in life.

Light Pollution

Welcome to the 21st Century, folks. With almost 7 billion people enjoying the fruits of this planet (and all the lighting technology that comes with it), things are starting to get a little too… bright. That is why leading environmentalists and astronomers have managed to persuade law makers to pass things like California’s Title 24, which regulates how much the people of California can consume in energy. California’s building efficiency standards (along with those for energy efficient appliances) have saved more than $56 billion in electricity and natural gas costs since 1978. It is estimated the standards will save an additional $23 billion by 2013. (Source: http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/) And that’s a good start to saving the planet and the night sky. So if you want to jump on the Title 24 bandwagon (you don’t even have to live in California!) check out these energy efficient and money saving fluorescent lighting fixtures right now.

Here's what the U.S. looks like at night. Now that's a lot of light!

But what IS Dark Sky Compliance? Don’t get me wrong, here at Affordable Lamps we obviously LOVE lighting up your life by lighting your home (especially with our amazing designer outdoor lighting fixtures), but a lot of people don’t know about the dangers of light pollution and what it can do to our beautiful starry nights.

Especially in urban populations, glare is a big issue. It’s important for commercial businesses to use Dark Sky Compliant lighting so that their outdoor lighting fixtures only shine light on what really needs to be illuminated.

"Ack! Light Pollution! I can't see!"

It is dangerous for homes and businesses to use outdoor lighting that is not Dark Sky compliant, because the light beams could create glare which could be distracting to drivers and pedestrians.

Another issue, of course, is that in urban areas, amateur (and professional!) astronomers can no longer see the heavens. Stars, planets, meteors, the Moon -you name it- it all gets washed out by light that is needlessly directed upward, both wasting energy and blocking out the brilliance of the stars. But don’t worry, an effective way to increase energy efficiency while reducing light pollution is to use a full cutoff light fixture. This is achieved with the cutoff lighting fixture directing light only where it is needed – down at the user and out in the pathway of the user instead of up towards the sky and away in unneeded directions. A cutoff light fixture is one enclosed in a sort of shield, case, or cover that is used to “cut off” unnecessary light. These light covers come in many different styles, materials, and colors to match your outdoor lighting design needs.

According to our friends at the International Dark Sky Lighting Association, all Dark Sky compliant lighting installations should:

1. Be designed and installed to be fully shielded (full cutoff).

2. Have a maximum lamp wattage of 250 watts HID (or lumen equivalent) for commercial lighting, 100 watts incandescent, and 26 watts compact fluorescent for residential lighting (or approximately 1,600 lumens).

3. Be shielded such that the lamp itself or the lamp image is not directly visible outside the property perimeter.

Here is an example of a lovely Dark Sky compliant light fixture, just for your reference:

Almeria Deck Light by Kichler Lighting

(Product Page: http://www.affordablelamps.com/kic-15427bkt.html)

So you have a choice when you are in the market for some designer outdoor light fixtures. You can contribute to a sky that looks like this:

Urban Light Pollution | Yowzers, that's BRIGHT!

Or we can live in a world where the gorgeous night sky still looks like this:

A Dark Sky Compliant Night

Let Affordable Lamps lead you into the 21st Century in style–with the best quality outdoor lighting fixtures eco-conscious money can buy!

P.S. Check out Daniel Nixon’s awesome Light Pollution Simulator for ideas about how much light can change an environment.

Light Wave Outdoor Lighting

Input voltage: 12/24VDC
Power: 3W or 9W
Color: Red, Green, Blue, Cool white, Daylight white, Warm white, RGB(3 in 1)
LED Qty: 1pc 3W or 3pc 3W high power LED
Beam angle: 30 DEG
IP Rate: IP67
Warranty: 2 years

Here is a new product that caught my eye. It is from Light Wave out of China, whose motto is “Green Lighting, Green World.”  These are outdoor step recessed lights, with a LED 3 watt output, 30 degree beam angle and choice of colors like blue, green, cool white, etc. We do not have a relationship with this manufacturer, but there is a constant demand for outdoor LED fixtures, and so I would like to open this up to the public at large. Would you like www.affordablelamps.com to carry this line? If I get at least 25 responses. I will put the deal in motion. You may call this American Lighting Idol! You may call toll free at 1-800-MY-LAMPS (1-800-695-2677), or email us at info@1800mylamps.net.  Lines will be open 24/7, and you may vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Voting will close  on Friday, April 1st, at high noon.

Light Wave Stair Recessed Lighting

The best part of this job is being able to see the lights that we have sold in their final application. My thanks to David Stone of Hailey, Idaho, who has sent me this great photo of an old saloon in a mining town in Idaho. I can just see the caption now:
“Why, that lamp came from New York City!”
“New York City?  Get a rope!”
Oops, maybe not that caption, but all kidding aside, this is a dapper fixture indeed that will dude up any old cow town. Now saddle up partner and fetch me some bulbs. Times a wasting and I don’t want to miss happy hour.

You can email dave@svautoclub.com for directions and tour info

What do you think of when you hear the name “Nautilus?” If you are a baby boomer, then you more than likely associate it with the submarine of the same name from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, with Captain Nemo at the helm. If you are a Generation X person, then you think of Nautilus training equipment like the Bowflex. Well I say, get ready for a third interpretation: the Nautilus Outdoor Post Light from Troy Lighting (product page: http://www.affordablelamps.com/tro-p2265eb.html). This periscope-shaped lamp measures 13″ wide by 17″ high, uses a 60 watt medium base bulb, and features a vibrant English bronze finish and clear prismatic glass shades. There are matching pendants, sconces and flush mounts available, so all your outdoor lighting can be ship-shape for your seafaring guests. Now put on Thomas Dolby’s One of our Submarines, and let’s get this fixture launched.