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This post sponsored by\u00a0StageLightCompany.com<\/a>\u2014professional lighting for churches.<\/em><\/p>
In this article, Duke DeJong\u00a0shares the ins and outs of LED fixtures\u2014the pros, cons, and concerns of LED lighting.<\/p>
As recently as a few years ago when people mentioned getting some LEDs, that usually meant getting either PAR or strip-style fixtures with red, green, and blue diodes as the source of light instead of a conventional lamp. LED lighting has come far in the last 7 to 10 years, and you can find LED versions of nearly any style of fixture now. We\u2019re seeing new moving wash and spot fixtures use LED diodes in addition to the growing number of different styles of wash lights (PAR, Fresnel, cyc\/strip lights). In the last 18 months, we\u2019ve even finally started to see some LED ellipsoidal fixtures coming available.<\/p>
Why LED?<\/h2>
LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology has developed quickly over the last decade to become a very usable source of light in live performance. As this technology continues developing, newer and more sophisticated fixtures have been created to meet the needs of lighting designers. With more options than ever before, at very reasonable prices, LED fixtures are becoming common in most lighting systems.<\/p>
Let\u2019s look at some of the top reasons you could benefit from LED fixtures:<\/p>
Low Power Consumption<\/h4>
Because LEDs draw a comparatively small amount of power, LEDs are an efficient way to get a high quantity of light with limited power. While one 20-amp circuit of power maxes out at four 500-watt PAR cans, you can power 20-40 of most LED PAR cans on the same amount of power.<\/p>
Color Effects<\/h4>
LED fixtures can create a wide range of colors using anywhere from three to seven colors mixing together to create whatever color or color temperature of white you desire. LED fixtures with more colors available to mix with often can create richer, more accurate color and white light. But even a simple red, green, and blue-based fixture can provide more color light than a conventional fixture with a gel.<\/p>
High Brightness For Colored Light<\/h4>
Conventional tungsten fixtures get color by putting a subtractive gel in front of the light. For example, R27 Medium Red from Rosco has a 4% transmission rate, meaning a red gel in front of a 1,000 watt lamp will spit out roughly 40 watts of light. LEDs give you light by adding intensity\/light, therefore LED fixtures tend to produce much brighter color than conventional fixtures.<\/p>
Longevity\/Low Maintenance<\/h4>
LED fixtures tend to have tens of thousands of hours of use time, versus 500-1,000 for most tungsten lamps. In other words, you\u2019ll likely outgrow the fixture or have different needs before the fixture no longer produces light. Additionally, LEDs don\u2019t burn out, so they are more durable and have lower maintenance.<\/p>
Low Heat<\/h4>
Although LED stage lights do produce some heat (I\u2019d say more like warmth), LED fixtures don\u2019t begin to approach the heat of a conventional tungsten fixture. Venues lighting stage sets or people from the floor love this feature as they don\u2019t have to be concerned about people touching the fixtures and burning themselves.<\/p>
Small, Lightweight, and Portable<\/h4>
LED fixtures tend to be small, so they work great where space is tight or where you want light without being able to see the fixture. Being small also means most LED fixtures are lightweight and highly portable, a huge feature for churches who have to set up and tear down often.<\/p>
Drawbacks of LED Fixtures<\/h2>
LED Ellipsoidal Fixtures Are Still High Cost<\/h4>
Due to the way most LEDs are arrayed together to produce light, LED fixtures have a harder time creating a focus-able beam like an ellipsoidal fixture can. Manufacturers are working hard to come up with solutions to this, however, and we\u2019ve recently seen LED ellipsoidal offerings from ETC and Chauvet.<\/p>
Color Rendering\/Temperature<\/h4>
Some LED fixtures can produce millions of colors; unfortunately they can\u2019t always produce the one you want. Due to the way colored LEDs are made, different LED fixtures have colors that they can\u2019t quite replicate. The lack of a white light that looks great on human skin is often the number one complaint of LED fixtures, though we are seeing significant improvement as the technology develops. If there are specific colors or color temperatures that you have<\/em> to have, you\u2019ll be best served to test out the LED fixture you\u2019re thinking about before you invest in too many of them.<\/p>
Conventional Fixtures Still Output More White Light Per Dollar<\/h4>
LED lighting fixtures are bright for color, but aren\u2019t quite as bright as a comparable conventional white fixture for white. As mentioned above, some lighting manufactures are making some great strides in producing a bright, controlled white light. But most still can\u2019t compete with a 750-watt lamp in a Source 4 PAR or ellipsoidal.<\/p>
Dimming Curve Issues<\/h4>
LEDs don\u2019t use traditional powered dimming systems, so LED lights don\u2019t behave the same as traditional lighting equipment when it comes to dimming. Cheaper units can have poor (steppy) dimming curves and there is the real possibility of high frequency flicker with cameras when using cheaper fixtures. With many LED fixtures, the light will snap to blackout unlike the cooling down of an incandescent filament. Although high-end LED fixtures can attempt to replicate it, LEDs also don\u2019t naturally shift in color like a tungsten source does over its dimming range.<\/p>
Quality Matters<\/h4>
With LED fixtures, it\u2019s very true that you get what you pay for. Most of the time, the cheaper the LED fixture, the more noticeable the flaws of LED are. My general preference is to purchase good to great quality LED fixtures from well-known, established manufacturers with a good track record of support. You\u2019ll pay more for LED fixtures from manufacturers like ETC, Wybron, and Martin, but can have confidence that they\u2019ll be great and be well supported. Elation\/American DJ and Chauvet have also come a long way in the past 5-8 years, really stepping up their quality and support while still providing cost-effective lighting solutions.<\/p>
Are LED Fixtures Right for You?<\/h2>
Unfortunately, as with most questions, the answer is \u201cit depends.\u201d Most of the lighting systems we design these days include a mixture of conventional tungsten and LED fixtures for a variety of reasons. It really does depend on what kind of power and infrastructure you have available, what kind of light you need, and what your budget is.<\/p>
<\/p>
Duke<\/a>\u00a0is passionate about equipping the next generation of ministry leaders, especially those serving churches with technology. He serves as Church Relations Director for CCI Solutions, a design build technology solutions provider. Follow Duke on Twitter:\u00a0@dukedejong<\/a><\/em><\/p>
<\/a><\/p>Related Easter Design: Easter Boxes – Geometric coroplast design with LED integration
‘While one 20-amp circuit of power maxes out at four 500-watt PAR cans, you can power 20-40 of most LED PAR cans on the same amount of power’
Not sure how his maths works out on that one? By my maths, you could have 9.6 x 500w Pars on a 20Amp Circuit.
In the UK, 4 x 500w = 2000w. 2000w divided by Voltage (240V) = 8.33 Amps.
What’s the voltage of a normal socket in the US?
In the US, the average wall socket voltage is 120v. Therefore 500w / 120v = 4.2 ish amps per fixture. On a 20 amp circuit, you get just a little less than 5 lamps.
Unfortunately, that limit’s you to 4 lamps and a controller or some other small device. Maybe a fan for the light tech working on all those hot fixtures!
Please email me jessedominguez_itpro@live.com
I have a couple questions