I have the Sea Gull Linear lighting in my kitchen. In my opinion, the more finished look of the Juno isn't very important. It's not something you're going to see unless you stick your head under the cabinet and crane your neck. I like the flexibility of the Linear lighting. While I'm not familiar with the features of the Juno track, I can't imagine that it would any more versatile than the Linear cable, which not only can curve, but can also be cut to any required length. It also allows you to place lamps along the cable at any interval that you choose, and there are a number of different lamping options. Mine are 10W xenon at 6" intervals. They provide ample illumination, are dimmable and don't throw off any noticeable heat.. Here's a photo of a section of my installation:

Hi sprtphntc (if that is your real name ;-) ). I haven't been back to Gardenweb in awhile. I saw your post on the Seagull and thought I would chime in. I installed a similar product in my kitchen and posted some info on the link below. I thought the Trac 12 was better built than the Seagull and the mini track construction is better than the wire piercing method. But it is your choice, Juno might be more expensive. Some comments on your post.. - 600 watt transformer sounds like an outdoor landscape lighting transformer. Not meant for this application. It could exceed the maximum rating of the system, be sure to check. This could be a hazard if you are pushing too much current through too small a conductor. - 10W bulbs 4" apart will be very bright. Too bright. We put 10W bulbs about 8-10" apart and rarely crank them up to max. - Make sure your dimmer type matches your transformer type. Magnetic transformers need dimmers designed for them, these are usually NOT the dimmers you find in the big box stores. - Yes the transformer does hum slightly. You really need to try to hear it. I don't notice it. Torroidal (sp?) transformers may be quieter, but are usually more expensive. They are also a bit more efficient. - We LOVE our low voltage UCL. We also put them on top of the cabinets and it throws a nice light onto the ceiling. - Hard to install??? Depends. How handy are you? Do you have access inside the walls to run wire? - The biggest thing people overlook with low voltage is thinking it is no big deal and 'safe.' But what you may not realize is that the transformer steps UP the current by a factor of 10. So the quality of wire you use must be appropriate for the application, especailly if you are running it inside walls. Do your reseach and be safe. Here is a link that might be useful: Juno Trac 12

I think your electrician is wrong. I would specify double the number of lamps for 17 feet. Perhaps you should have the electrician install a more expensive 250 watt transformer, and if he's wrong you can add add more lamps. I use 15-20 watts per foot for my indirect valence applicationsand I think you would require at least that level of output.

Tommy, I'm not sure what sort of track fixtures you might be thinking of, or how you'd mount them, unless it's a miniature track designed to have a lot of very small, low-voltage fixtures attatched to it -- something along the lines of Juno's Trac 12, maybe? If that's what you mean then I suppose it could work, but I doubt it would save you any money. Using fewer, larger track fixtures would tend to give you very uneven lighting, and probably be a fire hazard as well. I'm hoping someone more expert than I will chime in on this topic. The only reason I know anything about it is that the incandsecent fixtures typically used for cove lighting are also sometimes used for kitchen under-cabinet lighting, which is what I plan to do shortly. There's a bunch of manufacturers making very similar harware, generally using low-voltage xenon festoon or rigid loop bulbs. None of it is cheap -- typically in the range of $25-$30 per linear foot once you add up that cost of wire, bulb holders, bulbs, transformers and associated knick-knacks. I've linked to a brochure for one product line, just so you can see where I'm coming from. From what I've seen, it seems unlikely that cove lighting will work as the only artificial light source in the room. I think it's a lovely source of ambient light, but it won't be able to compete with a large window during the daytime and won't (I'm pretty sure) be enough to read comfortably by at night. If you look through the brochure I linked, you'll see that all of the sample installations are complemented by other sources such as sconces and recessed cans. Dimming fluorescents requires the use of dimmable ballasts and (usually) special dimmers. A quick google search turned up a source for dimmable ballasts for T8 tubes; the cost of the ballasts alone would be $40-$50 per four-foot, 32w tube. You can see how that would add up. You haven't said how large the room is, or what sort of fixtures your contractor is suggesting, but $2K doesn't surprise me at all. If it includes building the cove to hide the lights, plus installing everything, it might even be a bargain. Here is a link that might be useful: Linea cove lighting