Illuminarium debuted its new, low-profile LED light fixture at BAYMAC last weekend. Dubbed the LumenSKY, the fixture line will be available in five models ranging from 36 to 108 Watts with a variety of mounting options making it easier for you to get the power and spread features fine tuned for your tank. The LumenSKY is based on Bridgelux 3 Watt LED emitters in 12,000 K white and 465nm blue models with a 60-degree viewing angle and built in reflectors. Also included on each fixture is built in moonlights to give you some night viewing options. The LumenSKY fixture will deliver 1,800 to 5,400 lumens of output depending on the configuration and model you are running. More information and options after the break.
While many hobbyists will be scratching their head over why Cree LEDs aren’t used, the answer is simple. Bridgelux LEDs are more economical without sacrificing much on the performance end. We do love what Cree is doing but also realize Bridgelux is very innovative and are continuing to push the boundaries of affordability and performance. For example, using comparable Cree LEDs in the largest of the LumenSKY fixture (LS-108) would up the cost of the unit anywhere from $120 to $140. For those of you who have to have the Cree name, Illuminarium is considering an upgrade feature to include those LEDs in the fixture.
One nice feature of the LumenSKY is its thin profile, measuring in just a hair under 1.6 inches to give a clean “low profile” look to your application. The unit is cooled with both passive heat dissipation from the heatsinks and aluminum housing and through brushless, quiet cooling fans. To give you plenty of options on how to mount the light, the LumenSKY can be mounted to the stand, use either use the horizontal brace, vertical brackets or hung.
At the moment the LumenSKY utilizes a remote power supply with manual switches to control your lights which eliminates multiple power cords and power supplies but limits the ability to set the timing of the LED lights or manipulation of intensity. The switching and possible lighting modes depends depends on the fixture model and lighting array, with the LS-108 having three LED arrays each controlled by an individual switch and two moolight arrays controlled by one. We would like to see a simple built in controller or digital timer with the ability to at the minimum power on and off the banks of lights to create a dawn to dusk effect right out of the gate and more advanced controllability down the line. Speaking with the team at BAYMAC, their goal is to get the digital timer issue incorporated at the minimal cost to the consumer to keep the fixture pricing as affordable as possible. Also expect the company to explore tap into the aquarium controllers on the market so you will be able to create a more robust lighting cycle through your existing controller.
As with feature-laden LED lights in the market, the price rises the more features and controllability coming into play and Illuminarium is looking to create affordable LED lights. When discussing the pricing of the unit with founder Steve Jen, he notes finding the balance between the most value for the customer and what the market costs are in manufacturing. “Pricing is extremely important. We want to be very sensitive to the entire market so as not to undercut any competition and at the same time, try our very best to bring the most value to our customers,” notes Jen. “Actually that’s what Illuminarium is all about. We think and act as hobbyists for hobbyists. It’s truly one of the pillars of the company. So there is always a constant challenge to try to juggle between the two and find that equilibrium where it makes all conditions optimal. That’s what we hope and strive for.”
As of publishing, the final pricing details were not available but the company is finalizing these and should be available sometime this week.
