Top Ten Questions to ask an LED Supplier

Let's face it, there's a lot of LED's out there. In our industry is buzzing about it. I've done a few projects now using LED's both colored and white. Color is a little more forgiving, but white LED's can be a bit of a pain, especially when you are trying to match color temps of other non-led luminaires on the building. I've battled with manufacturers about color shift and white light just looking too green with mixed results. This technology is still really nascent and constantly evolving.

The main takeaway I have here is that LED's right now are a lot like most other fixtures. You are going to get what you pay for. A bargain basement fixture you buy for use on camera probably will strobe, but if you need an inexpensive effect for stage or some other situation for the naked eye, you might be ok.

GE recently sent out a document about what to ask an LED supplier and I think these are all very good questions. Of course they have answers to all of these, and I invite any other manufacturers to answer these and I will gladly post them for everyone to read.

Below are the basic questions.. and then GE's responses.

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1) Is your company registered as a DOE Quality Advocate? This includes taking the Quality Pledge for Solid State Lighting Products.
2) Whose LED chips do you use? Has the product gone through an IP (Intellectual Property) clearance?
3) What is the LED chip manufacturer’s rating and what is the rating of your product?
4) What precautions do you take to ensure the appropriate LED is selected for your product? Can you share your data showing the LED selection process for your product?
5) Does your product use LEDs that have been tested according to LM80 which demonstrate L70 life after 6000hrs of test? If yes, can you share your LM80 data and life model used to demonstrate the L70 life?
6) Does your product meet the LM79 requirements? If yes, can you provide the LM79 test report from an accredited NVLAP test lab?
7) Do you “design in reliability” or do you “test for reliability” to demonstrate the long-term performance of your product? Can you share your reliability product development process?
8) What type of testing do you perform to validate your product life and safe operation? Can you share the test results?
9) What actions take place in the factory to ensure the product properly works when installed by the customer?
10) How do you ensure the product will continue to meet the specification?
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GE's Responses:

1) Is your company registered as a DOE Quality Advocate? This includes taking the Quality Pledge for Solid State Lighting Products

GE is registered as a Quality Advocate. The CEO of our company has taken the quality pledge. You will find the listing of our company at www.lighting-facts.com

2) Whose LED chips do you use? Has the product gone through an IP (Intellectual Property) clearance?

Our products go through an extensive patent clearing process

3) What is the LED chip manufacturers rating and what is the rating of your product?
GE does not base product ratings on LED chip manufacturing ratings, but instead ratings are inclusive of thermal losses, optical losses, and driver losses.

4) What precautions do you take to ensure the appropriate LED is selected for your product? Can you share your data showing the LED selection process for your product?

Prior to selecting a LED for our product, we perform long-term qualification testing at multiple temperatures and operating currents. We trend data for color shift, light output depreciation, and power consumption. Having this data we compare to the LED supplier data. If data is found equivalent, we release the LED for use in the product. Yes, upon request we can share the data.

5) Does your product use LEDs that have been tested according to LM80 which demonstrate L70 life after 6000hrs of test? If yes, can you share your LM80 data and life model used to demonstrate the L70 life?

For our products we try to use LEDs that were tested to the LM80 requirements. Having the LM 80 life data complements our in house testing of the LEDs. The combination of the two tests significantly increases the confidence level in LED life. Yes, upon request we can share the LM80 data. At this time not all LED suppliers provide LEDs that have been LM80 tested.

6) Does your product meet the LM79 requirements? If yes, can you provide the LM79 test report from an accredited NVLAP test lab?

Where possible, we will test our product to LM79 and provide the NVLAP report upon request.

7) Do you ‘design in reliability’ or do you ‘test for reliability’ to demonstrate the long-term performance of your product? Can you share your reliability product development process?

We ‘design in’ reliability for our products. When you ‘design in’ reliability you design the product to take into consideration various stress conditions the product will see over its lifetime. We follow a 10step Design For Reliability (DFR) process to ensure the product is designed and validated to the product specification. It has been shown just testing the product to demonstrate reliability will not adequately precipitate all failure modes that will be observed over the lifetime of the product. Yes, upon request we can share our process to show the steps taken to demonstrate our product life claim and overall product performance.

8) What type of testing do you perform to validate your product life and safe operation? Can you share the test results?

Our product validation protocol includes accelerated life testing at 85C / 85%RH and rack testing up to several thousand hours to show the product meets or exceeds our life claims. In addition, we perform robustness testing to precipitate failures to understand how the lamp fails and to ensure it fails in a safe manner.

9) What actions take place in the factory to ensure the product properly works when installed by the customer?

During the assembly process, inline checks take place to properly ensure the product is assembled in accordance with the assembly instructions. Once fully assembled, the product is operated for at least 24 hrs to screen out any failures. After burn in, the product’s light output and power is measured to ensure it meets the specification. Lastly, the product is packaged and shipped to the customer.

10) How do you ensure the product will continue to meet the specification?
At predefined intervals we send samples of the lamp to our NVLAP for LM79 testing. This is in addition to the 100% light up test and power measurement in the factory.

Neat new Feature from Production Intercom

New Feature Added To The BP-1

We have added the ability to switch from a Dynamic to Electret Microphone with the a recessed switch on the rear panel of the BP-1. There is no scheduled price increase for this feature, and we plan to include the feature in all BP-1's manufactured after 01/11/2010. The BP-1 will ship with the switch in the Dynamic (out) position for use with a standard 200ohm Dynamic Mic. Your customers will have the ability to use any 2k ohm Electret Mic. by simply setting the switch to the Electret (in) position. All BP-1's shipped after Jan 11th 2010 will have the following information sheet included in the packaging. Remember that the BP.15 has always had the ability to accept Dynamic or Electret Microphones. Now both beltpacks have this ability.

Pelican Helps Haiti

Pelican™ Sends Vital Survival and Rescue Items to Provide Help in Haiti
Pelican Donates Head Lamps and Flashlights; Valued at $100,000

TORRANCE, CA – January 21, 2010 – Pelican Products, Inc., the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced lighting systems and virtually indestructible cases, today announced its contribution of $100,000 worth of head lamps and flashlights to the Haiti relief effort. The in-kind donation will help aid and assist rescuers, volunteers and emergency response teams in their relief efforts in Haiti. Emergency triage shelters are without lighting, so head lamps allow doctors to treat patients in completely dark locations.

“Our prayers go out to the people of Haiti,” said Lyndon Faulkner, Pelican’s President and CEO. “It is impossible to see the devastation and not want to help. We hope that our donation, along with the donations of others across the county, will help bring some relief to the people of Haiti.”

Pelican™ cases are also being utilized by emergency response teams to transport and carry supplies to Haiti. Pelican cases are some of the most durable, longest lasting protector cases and are engineered to be completely watertight, crushproof and dustproof.

Additionally, a link to the American Red Cross donation page has been added to the company’s popular homepage-www.pelican.com.

Barbizon Florida (Miami/Miramar) Job Opening

Job Opening: SYSTEMS SALES – Miami/Miramar, FL

Barbizon Delta is looking for a full time Sales Representative for our Systems Division in Miramar, FL.

Barbizon’s Systems Division specializes in Design and Integration of Lighting and Rigging Systems for broadcast facilities, professional theatres, educational institutions, themed environments and a wide variety of other facilities.

Responsibilities include:

• Consult on, design, bid, and sell Systems jobs to include, but not limited to, Rigging, Lighting, and Sound.
• Selling complete systems and system components
• Coordinate pricing between providers and end-users.
• Attend meetings with end-users, consultants, architects, and representatives in both our office and in the field.
• Assist architects, consultants, and end-users in the design and implementation of complete systems and system components.
• Write/compile specifications and coordinate the creation of drawings for consultants and architects to create a full biddable document.
• Provide quotations and budget numbers for end-users, consultants, and architects.
• Bid on projects, both public and private.
• Attend trade shows to make contacts, create leads, and learn about new products.
• Create new client base.
• Build relationships with manufacturers, clients, and sub-contractors.

Required skills include:

• Well-rounded technical theater knowledge base, esp. in stage lighting, rigging, and sound.
• Must be self-motivated and eager to learn.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Computer skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, Acrobat Reader, basic understanding of AutoCAD and Visio, basic e-mail and web knowledge.
• Good writing skills: used in document/specification creation and quotations.

Qualified Candidate will have:

• M.F.A or equivalent experience.
• Proven previous sales experience a definite plus.
• An understanding of basic business practices.
• Previous technical theatrical design or implementation experience skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Sales and problem solving skills
• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred

Barbizon is an international corporation with a small company atmosphere. A competitive salary and excellent benefits package is available for a proven performer.

For more information, please send cover letter and resume as Microsoft Word document attachments to: scullipher@barbizon.com.

DSC's annual "Charts in Action" Contest

DSC's annual "Charts in Action" Contest

Enter now for more valuable Prizes than ever!

First Prize - ChromaDuMonde 28R, 21x13” - with CaviBlack - list $1374

Second Prize - ChromaDuMonde 12+4R, 21x13” - list $1055

Third Prize - ChromaDuMonde 12+4R, 17x10” - list $949

Fourth Prize - ChromaDuMonde 12, 17x10” - list $787

Plus the 16 runners-up will each receive a Pocket Camette (colorbar/grayscale with CamWhite on rear) - list $105
As always, you, our clients will be the judges - keep in mind that creative and interesting shots are always the biggest winners – so get shooting!


Email your pics to michaelw@dsclabs.com by February 28^th - then come see the winning shots proudly displayed at our NAB booth C11426.
Here to inspire you are a couple of last year’s winners.

Barbizon Capitol LED Day 2010 is Back

You can RSVP for the LED Day 2010 by emailing
sford@barbizon.com.

Want to learn more about the Luxim Plasma lamp?

Here is a good story from ZD Net with an explanation.

This is the lamp we see in some moving lights now as well as SeaChanger's Nemo fixture.