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Charge Up Your Lighting Today With Elation's Event Panel

With LED based lighting products, versatility is the name of the game. Because they use so little energy, LED luminaires can be used in novel and versatile ways, especially with the integration of battery systems into the fixture. It is for this reason that Elation Professional’s Event Panel is one of my favorite products right now. The Event Panel features 288 10mm LEDs rated at 100,000 hrs each. The Event Panel can be controlled via three different methods: either via a DMX controller, the on board LCD display, or by letting it run automatically through a sound activated mode that works through the Event Panel’s built in microphone. The panel also features a master/slave feature so you can link multiple panels up and run them. This is especially helpful if you are using the Event Panel in architectural applications or stage lighting applications.

What really sets the Event Pane apart from its competition is its detachable and chargeable 12v battery. By running the Event Panel on battery power you can use it in spaces where an outlet may not be accessible. The battery power option for the Event Panel coupled with its flicker free performance makes the Event Panel perfect for a filmmaker who needs a color changing wash and great looking light. The battery is extremely easy to charge, just plug it into a normal outlet and within a few hours your Event Panel is ready to shine. By simply detaching the battery, the Event Panel can be mounted to a truss or stand for theatre or other event applications and can be plugged in directly for continuous power.

Elation’s Event Panel deserves a look if you need a highly portable and versatile LED wash. Whether you are a DJ who runs the show at weddings or you are shooting a film, the Event Panel can provide you the lighting you need. Check it out today! As always, leave a message or question on our blog or Facebook or call us at 1-877-622-0897.

Chauvet's Wondrous Wall: The DVM-HR

LEDs technology has revolutionized the way light can be used to render new effects. One of the most popular and most effective usages of LED lights have been LED screens and walls that can fluidly display colorful images. Chauvet’s DVM-HR is one of the best and most durable LED panels available, and in this article I will discuss some of its features that I believe make it an exciting piece of lighting equipment for your event, bar, club, sports venue, concert, entertainment or any other application. The DVM-HR features 2,304 LEDs (768 red, 768 green, 768 blue) grouped in 256 clusters of 9 LEDs each. All the DVM’s LED bulbs have a life hour rating of 50,000hrs to 100,000hrs. The DVM-HR LED’s technology coupled with its IP65 rating mean that it is suitable for indoor and outdoor usage, making it an extremely versatile piece of equipment. The DVM-HR features an easy to use and tough bracketing system that makes it easy to mount and easy to daisy chain other DVM-HR panels if you decide that you want a bigger screen. Daisy chaining DVM-HR modules is made easy, each module has an additional video output so you can link them all together.

LED Tube Lighting: At the Center of Attention with Color and Image

With the proliferation of LEDs, display lighting has exploded with new products and innovative lighting ideas. One of the most exciting LED products geared for display lighting, night club lighting, and retail is LED color changing tubes. Both Acclaim Lighting and American DJ offer LED tubes. In this article the two manufacturers’ light tubes will be compared back-to-back to give you an idea of what is available and what these tubes can really do. ADJ’s LED 39in tubes have 144 LEDs and are user friendly, they can do almost anything. These tubes are 100% dimmable and when operated by the ADJ Rainbow II DMX controller and perform numerous pre-programmed sequences and can produce hundreds of hues using the tubes’ RGB color mixing. With the Rainbow II controller, the tubes can strobe and display impressive pre-programmed macros, or you can make your own chase sequences. ADJ Rainbow tubes are waterproof and include mounting brackets with each tube so you can use your tube anywhere.

Acclaim Lighting offers another great LED tube lighting option. The 47.25in Acclaim Pixel Tube comes in 15 LED and 30 LED versions. Like the ADJ Rainbow tubes, the Pixel Tube is ready for outdoor use with an IP rating of 65. The Pixel Tube has some tricks up its sleeve that sets it apart from the competition. The Pixel tube is designed for low resolution video applications. In conjunction with Acclaim’s X-software, your Pixel tube display will be the center of attention in any lighting system. One important implication of the Pixel Tube’s video capabilities is that it features 6-pin DMX connectivity versus standard 3-pin XLR in order to handle the additional video data. So, if you decide to opt for the Pixel Tube you will need to be able to accommodate 6-pin connectivity. Nevertheless, Acclaim Pixel Tube can provide your venue or retail application with exciting images in a simple package.

LED light tubes represent the forefront of LEDs’ boundless display applications. The ADJ Rainbow tubes are perfect if you want alluring RGB color changing, limitless color hues, and excellent strobes and chases. The Acclaim Pixel Tube is for the lighting designed that wants to blend light and image into a single package. BulbAmerica stocks both so you don’t have to decide between the two. Check these LED lighting tubes out right now!

The Time for Change Has Come: RGB LED Color Changers

Platinum has made getting exciting RGB color changing much easier for smaller venues like restaurants, bars, coffee shops, lounges, and other spaces. Platinum’s line of RGB color changing LED lamps come in medium E27 socket, MR16, and GU10 bases to give you maximum flexibility where you can utilize the bulbs and in what types of fixtures.Platinum’s RGD color changing lamps feature SMD color changing technology that allows you to change between an amazing 16 different colors. Platinum’s RGB lamps feature the performance benefits common to all LED light sources. Platinum’s LED lamps feature a 35,000 life hour rating and an energy draw of only 5w.

Platinum’s RGB lamps have excellent display abilities. Their 60 beam angle and their auto-flash and fade programs will allow you wash whatever it is you are illuminating in a bright, flat, and dynamic light. Platinum offers a great package that includes the four lamps and a remote control. The remote control, though small, can fully manipulate the color patterns of the lamps as well as perform basic functions like dimming and turning the lamps on and off. The package also comes with four PAR16 cans which are ideal for mounting the LED lamps and illuminating precise spaces like tables or the DJ booth.

The Platinum LED lamps and package allow you a formidable yet simple lighting system at a great price. The LED bulbs’ long lifespan and durable construction ensure that you will be able to set up your lights and never have to maintain them or change the bulb. Platinum’s RGB color changing lamps are low cost, low maintenance, low energy, and highly attractive—pick up yours today!

LED Flood Lights: A Perfect Fit for Environmentally Friendly Lighting

By BulbAmerica Editor

As the demands for environmentally friendly lighting solutions continue to increase, consumers are looking for green light bulbs to retrofit their existing halogen and incandescent fixtures with. Flood lights especially are an important market for green light bulbs because typically they use incandescent and halogen lamps, both of which are among the most inefficient light bulbs. Recently, manufacturers including Optima, Osram, and Silver have designed E27 and E26 medium screw base LED bulbs to replace halogen and incandescent floods while utilizing their preexisting fixtures. As with all LED lamps, these LED floods are extremely efficient and have excellent luminous efficacy. Osram’s PAR 30 13w LN bulb is intended to replace a 50w halogen flood. This bulb, along with many other LED bulbs, has a 50,000hour life hour rating.

One important advantage that LED floods have specifically over incandescent and halogen floods is that they remain cool during operation and have cool beam bulbs. Halogen produce large quantities of heat, thus presenting a hazard to small children who may touch the bulb or in some cases a fire hazard. LED bulbs generate close to no heat and for this reason are safer and much more efficient than halogen floods. The cool beam of LED flood lights will allow you to use flood lighting in more environments than halogen bulbs, including high-end retail lighting, accent/display lighting, and other display environments where a warm or hot light can not be used because it could damage whatever is being illuminated.

Of course like most LED technology today, LED floodlights are more expensive than halogen or incandescent bulbs. This is only a temporary situation, and moreover, the savings on your energy bills, replacement bulbs, as well as peace of mind, make LED floodlights a wise and thoroughly green investment for your home, office, or business. Check out what we have to offer today!

LED Light Strips: A Lighting Solution that Sticks

By BulbAmerica Editor

Under railings and shelves, on top of cabinets, above doorways, and under the edge of your swimming pool: the home and business contain many surfaces inaccessible to conventional lighting, denying key spaces proper light and decorative flair. That is, until now. Optima Lighting’s LED lighting strips provide a solution, allowing you to place lights in much-need but hard to reach places for both indoor and outdoor environments. The .472 in height of the strip and its 3M adhesive backing give this LED lighting strip a low profile and make it easily concealable underneath a railing or window sill.

Optima’s LED strip is packed with features. The strip’s RGB color mixing will provide your space with dynamic and attractive lighting. The strip has numerous color modes including seven color flashing, full color fading, looping, and seven primary color holding. This strip’s 30, 60, or 120 LEDs and high lumen count guarantee unmatched brightness, and at only 5.9w per 3.28ft strip, or 1 meter. Optima sells two versions of the strip, one geared for the outdoors which is completely waterproofed with a silicon coating, and the other intended for indoor use.

Optima's strip package promises all of the lighting benefits of the LED strip in addition to an added element of control with a controller and radio frequency remote that works at up to 164 ft, or 50 meters, from the controller. Both the controller and remote can fully control the light modes, the intensity of the light, the speed of the light pattern, and pause the pattern. The Optima package also comes with the option of a wall mounted control panel in place of a remote control. The package also comes with a power supply for your LED strip. The ease of use of the controller and remote control and the LED strip’s numerous features mean that you will be able to fully control your LED strip and maximize your space’s lighting potential.

The Stage in a Whole New Light: LED Par Cans

In a recent interview in Lighting and Sound  America, Broadway theatrical lighting expert, Gary Fails remarked that, “LEDs are the future of lighting, they will change our industry.” Indeed, from the home to the airplane LEDs a re replacing more traditional light sources. This lighting revolution is no more apparent than in Mr. Fails’ own area of expertise, theatrical lighting. Since there have been electrically illuminated stage performances, parabolic aluminized reflectors (Par cans) have provided the light. Typically par cans have used incandescent or halogen bulbs to light up the stage. Like much of the lighting industry, however, this is quickly changing as consumers demand more environmentally friendly and efficient lighting options.

The energy savings of LED par cans are remarkable. Typical par can bulbs are usually incandescent, halogen or high intensity discharge (HID). These bulbs usually require energy draws of between 500w and 1,000w. LED par cans, such as the Optima Par 64 LED, draw only 12w. As with all LED bulbs, LED par cans match their low wattage with high lumen output. In addition to saving you money and energy consumption, LED par cans generate considerably less heat than traditional par can bulbs do, creating a more comfortable stage for performers. The savings LED par cans provide do not end there, however. With LED par cans, you do not need to bother with gel sheets or gel frames as they are integrated into the LED par can.

The range of color that LED par cans can produce is striking. The Optima Par 64 LED, for example, has a total of 183 LEDs bulbs, of which 61 are red, 61 are green, and 61 are blue. By using DMX controllers and downloadable software, one can quickly customize the color of the light, allowing you color flexibility not previously possible with traditional bulbs. Some par cans also come with built in light effects, something not possible with traditional par cans. The Optima Par 64 Pro features built in variable strobes and multiple color programs, giving your lighting an energy and capacity for creativity to match your performances.

Though LED par cans share the benefits of LED technology at large, they also share its temporary downside, namely the higher cost of LED technology. The cost of LED par cans however is temporary and will likely decrease as the technology matures. Furthermore, LEDs par cans save you money not only in energy expenditures, but also in that you no longer have to purchase gel frames or gels. The performance advantages of LED par cans make them a worthwhile investment and serious consideration for any theatre or concert venue owner.

Dress Your Home or Office Up With Halogen Candelabra and Globe Light Bulbs

When it comes to decorative light bulbs you have many choices, not only between bulb types but also bulb shapes. By decorative light bulbs I mean bulbs that are fully exposed or partially exposed. Decorative bulbs typically fall within two general families: candelabra and globe shape light bulbs. Though the candelabra family of light bulbs include far more shapes than the globe, the globe shape is very common, especially in bathrooms and theatres. Among the most popular globe shape bulbs is the G25. The G25 is available in halogen and CFL types, allowing you to achieve two very different types of light. Halogen G25s are available in various wattages and come with different types of glass envelopes. Whether you choose a halogen G25 with a crystal or standard glass envelope, your bathroom, theatre, or wherever else you decide to use one will benefit from the bright, elegant light. CFL G25 shapes offer light in 2,700K and 3,000K versions and at a quarter of the wattage of halogen G25 bulbs. Furthermore, CFL G25s will not produce nearly as much heat as a halogen, making them the better choice where you need your space to remain cool. The one downside of CFL G25s is that they do not have the option of the more aesthetically appealing clear glass envelope.

Halogen Bulbs: Burning Bright and White for All Your Needs

Halogen bulbs have long been popular in the home, for outdoor flood lights, automobile headlights, airfields, and many other applications. They are used as alternatives to normal incandescent because they are longer lasting and burn brighter. In a normal incandescent bulb, the filament heats up and produces light as a byproduct of the heating process. As the filament heats up, however, it degrades as its atoms are released into the glass envelope. Halogen bulbs solve this problem. When halogen gas is placed inside the glass envelope, it replenishes the degraded filament. This occurs due to a special property of the halogen gasses. As the halogen gas heats up, it replenishes the filament by depositing the filament’s lost atoms on its surface, thus making the filament’s and the bulb’s life longer lasting through what is called a halogen cycle.

Halogen bulbs are available in a vast range of wattages, from about 5w to 20,000w. Halogens have a correspondingly wide range of lumen output. Halogens come in nearly every socket type available, making them useful in nearly all types of fixtures. The versatility of halogen bulbs is matched by their excellent light quality. Typically, halogen bulbs have a CRI score of 100, meaning their color quality is near identical to that of natural sunlight. Generalizing about halogens is difficult because there are so many different types, brands, wattages, etc. The most common types of halogens out there include the A-line, the halogen PAR, and the bi-pin multifaceted reflector (MR) halogen. A-line halogens look like regular incandescent bulbs and can screw into any socket that an incandescent bulb can. The exterior envelope of the A-line is not actually the bulb; the halogen bulb is actually inside it to ensure protection full the bulb and a cooler bulb exterior. The halogen PAR is a standard PAR can bulb with a tungsten filament, but has its atmosphere filled with a halogen gas. The MR halogen is a small bulb with a concentrated beam perfect for down lighting and track lighting.

Although halogens are more efficient than normal incandescent bulbs, they are not nearly as efficient as CFLs or LEDs. Halogens waste a lot of energy generating heat, and thus get extremely hot and can pose a burn and fire risk.Halogens should always be used with caution and not placed in an area in which a child may touch them or where they could pose a risk of fire. Despite these risks, halogens are safe and effective lights provided they are used carefully. Halogens should be considered if you need bright, white light. We have tons of halogens, check them out today!

American DJ's Spectrum LED: A Powerful Moonflower Effect for a Great Price

By BulbAmerica Editor

Once again American DJ’s commitment to low cost high quality lighting effects comes through with an innovating and exciting unit, this time it is the 30w Spectrum LED. With an output equivalent to a 150w halogen lamp, the Spectrum LED is powered by 64 powerful LEDs, each rated at 100,000 hours each. The Spectrum LED can run for hours and hours without stop due its lack of duty cycles and moving parts. This means that the Spectrum LED packs a punch but its easy on the electricity and maintenance, leaving you more power and money left on your circuits and in your wallet for additional light fixtures. The Spectrum LED produces a bright and colorful moonflower effect that can be projected on a wall or the dance floor, adding energy where you need it. Like many of ADJ’s products, the Spectrum LED comes operable in either stand alone (sound active, DMX controlled or auto) and master slave modes, giving you a tremendous amount of flexibility when it comes to where and how you will you the Spectrum LED. Remember, use the Spectrum LED with fog or haze effects to really accentuate the sharpness of the unit’s light beams and to get the most out of this moonflower effect unit.

BulbAmerica has the Spectrum LED and other ADJ products in stock now. Also, don’t forget to check out our wide selection of other LED DJ effects. As usual, leave a comment or question on our blog or Facebook or call us at 1-877-622-0897.