T8 LED Fluorescent Tubes Without Ballast!?!?!

[alvin]

I went to our LFS, and the manager was showing me these T8 tubes filled with LEDs. I find it a pretty cool concept, literaly. He says he carries color temps from 6000K to 22000K. They run about $100 per bulb he said, but I was curious if anyone had experience with these. It does not use Ballast and he showed me the wattage usage compared to Power Compacts, Regular Fluorescent, T-5's, etc, and the LED tubes just use way less power. I was considering buying a T5 retrofit kit from icecap, but Now I am seriously considering these. I am also trying to see if they have them on line, but it does not seem they have the colors that my LFS had. So your feed back on these would be much appreciated. Sure beats the Solaris which are Thousands of dollars. But I do hope these would be good for corals and stuff.

 

[nano reefer]

sounds cool.
oh and what does retrofit mean exactly? i know what it is, but what is the definition?

 

[reefraff]

The power savings matters not if the LED's don't produce much PAR.
Are those things submerssible? I have a blue lamp that is a T6 in a T10 tube that you can place under the water. That could really make up for a lack of PAR.

 

[alvin]

They Look like this. Anyone had any experience in this?
Retrofit is basically a kit that you place onto your own canopy i guess?
But with these, No Ballast or real modding. I just need to remove the old ballast, and voila! But again, I want to see if anyone in here has used them, because the LFS could just be trying to get me to buy these to get money.

 

[ibew41]

who makes them?

 

[alvin]

Not sure, but all i know is that you attach it to a canopy without using a ballast. so just straight to 120v. so i'm assuming no one has used or seen these before.

 

[i.b.dat.fo]

interesting my LFS showed me the exact same thing and was trying to sell it to me for $100 also. he was showing me how much heat it is producing and it wasnt much, just a tad warm. Plus, everything alvin just said. he was telling me he is planning to change all their lights to the led lights but i dont know how affect are they. any chance you are from sacramento alvin? lol

 

[drtito]

IF you could supply the brand I will buy one for sure no problem. As I am looking to increase my light output . keep what i got and it aint much ,and add some more lights. P.M. me or post it please. and I report back on the site.

 

[alvin]

Originally Posted by i.b.dat.fo
http:///forum/post/2692260
interesting my LFS showed me the exact same thing and was trying to sell it to me for $100 also. he was showing me how much heat it is producing and it wasnt much, just a tad warm. Plus, everything alvin just said. he was telling me he is planning to change all their lights to the led lights but i dont know how affect are they. any chance you are from sacramento alvin? lol

Haha, Exotic Aquarium on Franklin I'm guessing. Yah, I was checking out the stuff in the back, all of a sudden he started showing me these LED bulbs. still $100 per bulb kidna pricy. I found someone else that sells 6000K LED T8 Bulbs for $100 for 2. But they sell nothing in the higher color temperature range.

 

[alvin]

Originally Posted by DrTITO
http:///forum/post/2692388
IF you could supply the brand I will buy one for sure no problem. As I am looking to increase my light output . keep what i got and it aint much ,and add some more lights. P.M. me or post it please. and I report back on the site.

Yah no Brand on the bulb itself from what I remember. I did see some chinese writing though, which I cannot read. hmmm, so no one with actual experience huh?