LEP: Light Emitting Plasma
- Thread starter Saddler
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ReefinMadness89
New member
The next thing to be stupidly expensive and to push "Old technology" (LED's) down in price?
dublo8
New member
It's called LiFi and it has actually been around for a while. It's just not cost effective enough to go mainstream. I think in some of the old aquarium magazines they use to advertise for them. I remember about 10 years ago we were playing with plasma arc's to make music. It is now used in high end tweeters/midranges, but I haven't seen one in years. It's also very dangerous. Here are some links for you. I believe the LiFi bulbs have an expected lifespan of about 50,000 hours and you can adjust the k value of them.
http://glassbox-design.com/2009/eco-friendly-plasma-lighting-technology-reaches-aquariums/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJkOhw7pxNw
http://************.com/2010/01/26/commercially-lifi-plasma-light-hobbyists-launching/
http://glassbox-design.com/2009/eco-friendly-plasma-lighting-technology-reaches-aquariums/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJkOhw7pxNw
http://************.com/2010/01/26/commercially-lifi-plasma-light-hobbyists-launching/
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ReefinMadness89
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dublo8
New member
Here is what I was looking for.
http://www.straylightoptical.com/product-details.jsf?productId=2 I saw this in coral magazine a while ago.
http://www.straylightoptical.com/product-details.jsf?productId=2 I saw this in coral magazine a while ago.
125G Reefer
New member
23,000 lumens. Very nice. But,I didn't see a price, did I miss something??
Here is a thread showing some pics of corals grown under plasma lights. The OP refused to state a price paid but always referenced the most expensive halide and led counterparts as his comparison examples. Par seems very good but IMHO the FTS without the reefbrights shows that at 100% (par was also at 100%) was not very good but the OP thinks that his color is better then anything LED's could do lol. To me I see no reason to buy these over halides and certainly not over AI type of quality LEDS.
BTW the wattage is less efficient then halides for his par.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2000482&highlight=plasma
BTW the wattage is less efficient then halides for his par.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2000482&highlight=plasma
Saddler
New member
I've been out of the loop for a few months. What does "AI LEDs" refer to? Is that RGB LEDs instead of white LEDs?
These plasma bulbs last much longer than halides, though I don't know how long out of a 20k hour lifespan they retain a CRI of 95. The article mentions that they are $5k per fixture, though that's video/film-land pricing. And the ideal K for video/film is 5600K vs. 14K for reef-land.
These plasma bulbs last much longer than halides, though I don't know how long out of a 20k hour lifespan they retain a CRI of 95. The article mentions that they are $5k per fixture, though that's video/film-land pricing. And the ideal K for video/film is 5600K vs. 14K for reef-land.
revnobody
New member
Here is a video of plasma lighting. I am not impressed. I don't even think it looks good, too dark.
http://************.com/2011/04/07/gavita-plasma-reef/#
add r e e f b u i l d e r s in front of the .com
http://************.com/2011/04/07/gavita-plasma-reef/#
add r e e f b u i l d e r s in front of the .com
AI is Aqua Illumination and they make their Sol led. It is one of the better rated LED's for sps level corals.
deehz
New member
Here is a plasma light that is being mfg in Italy (I believe), Sfiligoi. I believe I read somewhere (if i can find it I will post) they last about double the life time of a LED (100k hours?!). What is neat about these guys is that it is the size (maybe smaller) then a tic tac. They are being sold at aqutics elite dot com. Here is the link of the light and its specs.
http://www.aquaticselite.com/Sfiligoi_Vision_Plasma_Single_p/vision-inf-1.htm
http://www.aquaticselite.com/Sfiligoi_Vision_Plasma_Single_p/vision-inf-1.htm
Rippinfrags
New member
I find it interesting that the aerticle says the lights go for roughly 1000$$ and the website that deehz posted had them starting at 3000$$. That's a pretty big price difference. I do not think they will be competing with AI LEDs anytime soon IMO. Pretty cool lights, but not for the price.
dublo8
New member
I saw an article a while back that had 1 LiFi fixture above a 120g and the light spread through the whole tank. For some reason I thought the price on the fixture I posted was around $1200 but i cant confirm that and no i cant find the article. Now if you buy the appropriate amount of AI fixtures to cover your tank your talking a little over twice the cost of a LiFi fixture. Either way, if the price is right I wouldn't hesitate to skip LEDs as an option. I still dislike the coloring of LEDs and I can't bring myself to justify the cost for something that isn't visually pleasing to me. In the meantime I'll stick with my halides.
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Rippinfrags
New member
It would be worth the money if one of the plasma fixtures was only 1200 and could cover a 120 gallon tank. However, you might want to check out the website because I saw them "starting" at three thousand and I'm not sure if that was for the 24 in. Or 48 in. Fixture. Lastly I do not understand how you do not like the look of the LEDs I think they are fantastic! Especially with all of the color options you have with AI led fixtures, from royal blue to all white! IMO mh lighting will be a thing of the past, once LEDs drop in price! Ps. I am very biased because I plan on switching my mh lighting to the AI LEDs.
dublo8
New member
Oh don't get me wrong. I like LEDs and the power savings, but the color isn't there. Just like u said you have the option between blue and white. If the AI fixtures can start adding bulbs in the red and purple spectrums than I would consider it. There is a lot of spectrum missing that can be used. Compare one coral under led and then under MH and difference is pretty substantial. I actually hate how the coral looks at RC because it always looks different when I bring it home. Every lighting medium has it's pros and cons I guess and it's All in how each individual perceives it. LiFi is N option that appears to cover more of the spectrum than led.
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deehz
New member
Well they both have there challenges, LED and LiP as far as the aquarium trade is concerned. The demand does not merit the supply, yet. I think they both in time will replace T5 and MH because they are both very efficient at using an electrical source, produce little heat, and they can recreate a broad spectrum of light energy. Actually, LiP energy output from what I have read over the months on it is that it is the best man made light source that mimics the sun's energy, plasma. Not bad. Now if they can make it affordable to the public, I would buy one in a heart beat.
dublo8
New member
I agree. It's really too bad that technology's like this aren't embraced by the public as much as they should be. You can go and drop $4k on an 1080p 3D, ultra quadraphonic, technotronic enhanced blah blah blah but yet a product like this cant be brought into the mainstream? I dont get it. From the looks of it, they were intending to produce streetlights, car lights, etc etc but yet nobody wants to buy it? If they can replace metal halide streetlamps that suck up 1000 plus watts of electricity to something that only uses a couple hundred wouldn't that be worth it? and maybe give the product the boost it needs.
I guess I'm just going off now after a couple sam adams but it still disgusts me to see great technology's go to waste and fall under the wayside. LED's haven't even got the respect they deserve either. There are so many other applications for them yet not everybody has switched over even the though the cost would be minimal and they would pay for themselves in several years.
deehz
New member
Dublo8--well said. Unfortunately we live in a society called capitalism. The main goal is to put out as many inferior products out there that are very similar. However, the similarty stops when you are comparing price points, people are to brainwashed and trained in this country to purchase the lesser product even though they know it is not going to last as long as the more expensive product that is built right and with quality--it lasts. Corporations spend billions of dollars to marketers to get the masses to purchase their products, even to the point that it is inferior or unsafe.
People know that Macs are better but why do they keep buying PC's even though they are more expensive to run then a Mac? Price over value. You know how many people I converted to buy the Mac over the PC because it makes more sense? Tons!! can i do that here in this hobby? hell no because there are a lot of individuals set in their ways. That is fine with me. Also, how many of us have a couple grand sitting around to be able to afford a light fixture such as a LED or LiP?
I guess that is the point we are making with LiP and LED, they are beyond there years ahead of T5 and MH. But truth be told, we are taught to "value" lesser items because the other products and services are out of our reach. Well at least us common folk that is. Yet like you said, we never really "sit down" to do a cost analysis of these lights. Are they expensive? Hell ya! But will they pay themselves off, do they have value? Yes. Its the same as a Mac v PC, one is clearly better then the other. However, people just dont want to leave out of their comfort zones. Well, pain med's kicking in. Hope I made some sense. If not, i blame it on the pills! LOL!
People know that Macs are better but why do they keep buying PC's even though they are more expensive to run then a Mac? Price over value. You know how many people I converted to buy the Mac over the PC because it makes more sense? Tons!! can i do that here in this hobby? hell no because there are a lot of individuals set in their ways. That is fine with me. Also, how many of us have a couple grand sitting around to be able to afford a light fixture such as a LED or LiP?
I guess that is the point we are making with LiP and LED, they are beyond there years ahead of T5 and MH. But truth be told, we are taught to "value" lesser items because the other products and services are out of our reach. Well at least us common folk that is. Yet like you said, we never really "sit down" to do a cost analysis of these lights. Are they expensive? Hell ya! But will they pay themselves off, do they have value? Yes. Its the same as a Mac v PC, one is clearly better then the other. However, people just dont want to leave out of their comfort zones. Well, pain med's kicking in. Hope I made some sense. If not, i blame it on the pills! LOL!
