I made the switch back

[ThRoewer]

Originally Posted by Bpb

Truthfully searching for bulbs is depressing. Most the big sites are obviously liquidating their supply of halide bulbs and only stocking the $100 a pop giesemanns now, which I’ve heard deliver abysmal par numbers.

I intend to use most of my coral sale proceeds to stock up on bulbs that way when they’re no longer available I’ll be able to hold out longer before going to the dark side. Just not sure how much longer they’ll hold out.


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I'm afraid the days of metal halides are numbered with LED getting more and more powerful. You may still be able to get the really large bulbs, but the 150W and 250W may soon go out of production.
And it certainly will get harder to find bulbs suitable for reef tanks. Keep in mind that those are just a little side business for the manufacturers.

[Bpb]

Originally Posted by ThRoewer

I'm afraid the days of metal halides are numbered with LED getting more and more powerful. You may still be able to get the really large bulbs, but the 150W and 250W may soon go out of production.

And it certainly will get harder to find bulbs suitable for reef tanks. Keep in mind that those are just a little side business for the manufacturers.

I think it is less a situation or manufacturers eliminating smaller orders of specialty phosphor combinations, and more a situation of the comparatively tiny reef companies unable to continue paying the manufacturers for these bulbs they’re rebranding due to falling revenue on those products. Even the 900# gorilla ATI doesn’t make their own t5ho tubes. They’re just rebranded tubes from a bigger global lighting manufacturer.




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[ThRoewer]

Originally Posted by Bpb

I think it is less a situation or manufacturers eliminating smaller orders of specialty phosphor combinations, and more a situation of the comparatively tiny reef companies unable to continue paying the manufacturers for these bulbs they’re rebranding due to falling revenue on those products. Even the 900# gorilla ATI doesn’t make their own t5ho tubes. They’re just rebranded tubes from a bigger global lighting manufacturer.




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It's not that the manufacturers would decline smaller orders, it's more that they stop making metal halides altogether because the big orders that were sustaining production in the past are dwindling down to a trickle.
In the past the lights at gas stations for example would be 250 or 400W metal halides. These days all you see there are LEDs. Same with industrial and street lights. For the majority of the manufacturer's customers the light spectrum is of secondary consideration. What they care most about is energy efficiency and maintenance cost. And in that department LEDs win big time. Almost all new installations these days are LED.

The days of metal halides are numbered.
LEDs Prove More Efficient Than Metal Halide Lamps for Factory Lighting

[Bpb]

Originally Posted by ThRoewer

It's not that the manufacturers would decline smaller orders, it's more that they stop making metal halides altogether because the big orders that were sustaining production in the past are dwindling down to a trickle.

In the past the lights at gas stations for example would be 250 or 400W metal halides. These days all you see there are LEDs. Same with industrial and street lights. For the majority of the manufacturer's customers the light spectrum is of secondary consideration. What they care most about is energy efficiency and maintenance cost. And in that department LEDs win big time. Almost all new installations these days are LED.



The days of metal halides are numbered.

LEDs Prove More Efficient Than Metal Halide Lamps for Factory Lighting

Certainly not arguing they’re numbered. I won’t predict what that number is but I’ll try to prepare myself 3-4 years ahead. It’s a shame too. Once they’re gone for good its back to t5ho for me


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[biecacka]

Buy the bulbs to equal 1 Radion. Figure most bulbs have a usage life of 12-18 months and you could have plenty of years of bulbs.

Corey

[Bpb]

Originally Posted by biecacka

Buy the bulbs to equal 1 Radion. Figure most bulbs have a usage life of 12-18 months and you could have plenty of years of bulbs.

Corey

But but but. LEDs are cheaper in the LONG run right?


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[biecacka]

Oh yeah...I forgot...

Corey

[ThRoewer]

Originally Posted by Bpb

But but but. LEDs are cheaper in the LONG run right?


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Only if they last as long as advertised...
I wonder why the LED lamp manufacturers only give one year of warranty instead of the ten they should give would they stand fully behind their products...

[Bpb]

Originally Posted by ThRoewer

Only if they last as long as advertised...

I wonder why the LED lamp manufacturers only give one year of warranty instead of the ten they should give would they stand fully behind their products...

Because it’s a more attractive advertising strategy to post the mean time before failure of the most stable diode substrate out of the bunch....if operated at low voltages, in a sterile dry dust free environment ... failure of various other components between 12-18 months is so common that the one year warranty makes the most sense.


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[Michael Hoaster]

Indoor plant growers' stores sell MH bulbs. I got a very bright 400 watt 6500K bulb at one here in Colorado.

[five.five-six]

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Indoor plant growers' stores sell MH bulbs. I got a very bright 400 watt 6500K bulb at one here in Colorado.

It seems that there are a gazillion people growing pot and the only way to sell it is if it is “the kind bud” but LEDs just don’t preform and in the pot market Halid and HPS are still king of the hill

FWIW I’m running halide/T5 blue plus and am very happy with color and growth. I even have some 440NM LEDs so I can see the overpriced tenuous “pop”