| om Lighting Systems has now introduced 2800K | | | | xenon lamps in linear strips and cove lights. They |
| LED festoon lamps to the market. This is a | | | | have long known the power saving and extended |
| significant development in our LED accent lighting | | | | life advantages of LED festoon lamps, but have |
| technology which brings LED festoon lamps closer | | | | hesitated to recommend diode-based lighting |
| than ever to the warm color temperatures | | | | because of its heretofore inability to completely |
| standard to incandescent light bulbs and to which | | | | mimic incandescent light. Phantom 2800K LED |
| we have all become accustomed. In fact, the | | | | festoons are changing all of that now, with some |
| color rendering index of these new festoon lamps | | | | additional selling points to make the |
| brings lighting quality very close to that of xenon, | | | | contractor’s proposal more cost effective |
| which has historically been our most popular | | | | and energy conscious at the same time. |
| lamping option for cabinet lighting and LED strip | | | | 2800K LED Festoon lamps operate on 12 volt AC |
| lighting. | | | | magnetic transformer, not DC. |
| The significance of this new development will have | | | | This makes them compatible with standard wiring |
| far reaching implications for LED lighting in general | | | | systems. For builders, this is a very important |
| in the future. To understand these implications, it | | | | time saver. Linear strips can be installed directly |
| is necessary to understand the basics of color | | | | into cabinets, shelves, book cases, and display |
| temperature as it pertains to lighting. The term | | | | cases and linked directly to a home or |
| was originally used to describe the | | | | business’s power source without the need |
| “whiteness” of incandescent light | | | | for an AC/DC converter. This cabinet lighting |
| and related directly to the temperature of the | | | | installation quicker and easier, and it results in a |
| tungsten filament used in bulbs. Confusingly to | | | | more concealable light strip than can do a better |
| some, the lower the number in degrees Kelvin is, | | | | job than competing models with less physical |
| the “warmer” the color | | | | equipment. |
| temperature of a light source is said to be. This is | | | | The LED Life rating is 50,000 hours at 1.7W vs. |
| because higher temperatures (in terms of | | | | 20,000 hours at 5W for Xenon. |
| degrees Kelvin), tend to shift toward the blue end | | | | Clients of lighting designers will be happy to hear |
| of the spectrum. A light source with a color | | | | that their new investment is expected to last |
| temperature of 2800K-3200K is ideal for lighting | | | | more than twice the amount of time as their |
| vivid, “warm” colors like red, | | | | xenon linear lights will perform, and will outperform |
| orange, and yellow that appear to advance | | | | fluorescent strip lights with a more natural |
| toward the eye. The major drawback to previous | | | | rendition of the full color spectrum. |
| generations of led lamps was their inability to | | | | Negligible forward throw heat, due to proprietary |
| accurately render these colors. LED white light | | | | design of backside heat sink. |
| were actually generated mixing combinations of | | | | The unique design and placement of our heat sink |
| blue and yellow, which tended to shift their color | | | | provides optimal thermal management and makes |
| temperature higher toward the cool colors like | | | | the 2800K festoon led lamp ideal for lighting |
| blue and purple that have a more soothing | | | | displays containing antiques, rare merchandise, or |
| appearance. This made it difficult to use LED light | | | | sensitive documents. |
| bulbs as sources in rooms where people were | | | | Fully Dimmable without color shift using |
| used to seeing a close approximation to daylight | | | | conventional low voltage dimmers. |
| which incandescent lights were known for. | | | | This is perhaps the LED festoon lamps strongest |
| All of this is changing as both LED lamp | | | | selling point with end users. Homeowners and |
| technology and festoon lamp technology continues | | | | retailers can easily adjust lighting levels themselves |
| to advance in sophistication and diversify in | | | | at will at any time. |
| application. These changes come just in time for | | | | 2800K LED Festoon lamps are backward |
| businesses and homes in California which are now | | | | compatible with previous generations of linear |
| required by law to replace incandescent bulbs of | | | | strips. |
| all types no later than 2010. Since xenon is a | | | | It is not necessary to throw away old linear strip |
| high-end form of incandescent light, architects, | | | | lights. Simply snap out the old lamps and replace |
| builders, and lighting designers have been hard | | | | them with new energy efficient LED festoon |
| pressed to come up with a viable replacement for | | | | lamps. |