The Best Light Fixture Ever!

[nrubenstein]

Is there a fully assembled equivalent to the the DIVA Lite fixture? I'll be paying the contractor a fair bit in labor to put these together, so all things being equal, I'd rather try to spend a little more and save that.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Is there a fully assembled equivalent to the the DIVA Lite fixture? I'll be paying the contractor a fair bit in labor to put these together, so all things being equal, I'd rather try to spend a little more and save that.

There's nothing to put together. Install housing - connect supply wires to fixture wires in housing - insert bulbs.

 

[oldno3fan]

Assuming Center row is mounted around 12ft at peak and side rows are at 9ft (2ft from walls):

6-5-6 = 91fc
5-6-5 = 86fc
6-6-6 = 97fc

SO BASICALLY ANY FIXTURE THATS 4FOOT AND 4600 LUMENS WILL GET SAME RESULTS AS ABOVE CORRECT?

 

[Platonic Solid]

oldno3fan - Yes (basically). Beam spread does matter. Wider beam spreads will put more light on your cathedral ceilings and walls. With a finished ceiling, this may be desirable. I ran a test using a fixture similar to the Diva Lite LS4-40L-40K-D10 (link) you linked to earlier and I get the same results (actually got 99fc with 6-6-6). If you had an open unfinished ceiling that didn't reflect much light, I would opt for tighter 120° beam spread lamps/fixtures so as not to waste the lumens.

 

[k-dawg]

I assume I should go with the Bees Lighting T8Rs since my garage ceiling is less than 9' and they have a 230 deg beam angle. (And they're now down to $7.99 each)

Now to decide if I want 10, 11 or 12 fixtures in my 22x24 space.

 

[Platonic Solid]

I assume I should go with the Bees Lighting T8Rs since my garage ceiling is less than 9' and they have a 230 deg beam angle. (And they're now down to $7.99 each)

Now to decide if I want 10, 11 or 12 fixtures in my 22x24 space.

Not necessarily. I would jump on the 120° bulbs for all heights up to 10 feet.

22W LumeGen 4ft single end bypass tube
2640 Lumen
120° Beam Angle
$6.99 ea.
Free Shipping over $25
Total Fixture Lumen Output = 5280 Lm
Total Fixture cost = $28.97 (2-lamps + 1-housing)
Lumens/$ = 182
Lumens/Watt = 120
Note: DLC shows 2750 Lumens, 22W, 125 Lm/W
Total fixture cost assumes you buy enough lamps ($25) and housings (Qty. 6 min. to get over $75) to qualify for free shipping.

Total fixtures required to achieve 100fc @ 30" workplane in 22x24 space = 16 (4x4 arrangement)

Total 16 x $28.97 = $463.52

FYI: 12 fixtures with above lamp yields 76 fc @ workplane.
--------------------------------------------------
16.5W DIVA Light 4ft single end bypass tube
2200 Lumens
230° Beam Angle
$7.99 ea.
Free Shipping over $75
Total Fixture Lumen Output = 4400 Lm
Total Fixture cost = $30.95 (2-lamps + 1-housing)
Lumens/$ = 142
Lumens/Watt = 130
Total fixture cost assumes you buy enough lamps and housings ($75) to qualify for free shipping.

Total fixtures required to achieve 96fc @ 30" workplane in 22x24 space = 25 (5x5 arrangement) Which is an excessive amount of fixtures to install.

Total 25 x $30.95 = $773.75 ($310 more than the 120° bulbs for less light at workplane)

FYI: 12 fixtures with above lamp yields 47fc @ workplane

 

[k-dawg]

Gotcha, thanks. I didn't notice there was such a large difference in lumens. However, I'm thinking I may go with the MaxLite fixtures for a $1 more/fixture because they sound like they are built better.

For some reason, I also thought the Diva or Maxlite fixtures could be hung from chain or cable, but I was mistaken. Any recommendations for hanging fixtures? I want to hang the two fixtures next to the garage door so the door doesn't create such bad shadows when it is up. Thinking I'll get two of these and modify them.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Most strip light housings can be hung with a chain via knockouts provided on the sides of the housing. You can see the obround knockout on the side of this PLT housing (link). You just need a chain mounting kit like this one (link). In the off chance that a housing isn't provided with these knockouts, you could just drill a couple holes. The Maxlite spec sheet (link) states "Cable kit mounting accessory available".

Google: "SIDE MOUNT FLUORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURE HANGER" and you'll find a ton of these things.

 

[cory58]

.



For some reason, I also thought the Diva or Maxlite fixtures could be hung from chain or cable, but I was mistaken.

If you are referring to the strip Maxlite fixtures in the OP, they are definitely made to be hung from chains. See posts 821 and 822.

Cory


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ahazi]

Re: The Best Light Fixture Ever! - Comparison Testing

This is my first post here. Thank you for all the useful material that others put here over the years.

I recently did some tests to figure out which LED fixture to use in my new shop.

The new lights from Bee's https://beeslighting.com/diva-light-led-high-bay/p/LHB-110W-U-50K-D10

and from LED Lighting Wholesale http://www.ledlightingwholesaleinc.com/James-High-Bay-2-Foot-110-Watt-p/zy-h2-110w.htm

Seemed promising so I bought one and did some tests. See the results below.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1yETuTzaCJsR3k3NEVPTjFsaWM - updated

I would appreciate thoughts and comments

Ariel

 

[k-dawg]

Thanks guys. That makes sense now.

I said 22x24 earlier (was reading a thread about a 22x24 garage), but my garage is actually 20' wide x 22' deep with a 7.3' x 3.3' notch out of the back corner. After measuring a few more times, I think I will go with 10 MaxLite/Lumegen combos placed roughly as follows.

 

[Platonic Solid]

ahazi - Welcome to the forum. Please add your location to your profile.

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the comparison. Each fixture listed is for a different application and/or mounting height. You have an outdoor flood light, a 13,700 lumen highbay LED, and a 4 lamp retrofit that would surely put out more than the 4800 lumens charted. The 4 lamp retrofit would put out 10,560 lm with the LumenGen lamp and cost $80, or 5,280 lm and cost $29 if you use a 2-lamp strip housing.

Is the room pictured where you are installing fixtures? It appears to have an 8ft ceiling. If my assumptions are correct, none of the fixtures tested are appropriate. Suggest using 2-lamp 5,280 lm retrofit strip lights on page 1 for $29.

 

[Platonic Solid]

k-dawg - Looks good - go for it. Should get about 84fc @ workplane.

 

[k-dawg]

Bees Lighting wanted to charge me a $5 per fixture handling fee, so I started looking around for another seller. I found that ShineRetrofits.com also carries the MaxLite LSS2XT8USE4803 for the same $15.96 with free shipping, and I used coupon "10offshine" to get $10 off. We'll see how they do.

Thanks again, Platonic Solid.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Bees Lighting wanted to charge me a $5 per fixture handling fee, so I started looking around for another seller. I found that ShineRetrofits.com also carries the MaxLite LSS2XT8USE4803 for the same $15.96 with free shipping, and I used coupon "10offshine" to get $10 off. We'll see how they do.

Thanks again, Platonic Solid.

$5 per fixture handling fee!? Sounds like they're starting to pull the same **** that 1000bulbs is pulling by posting decent product prices and overcharging for shipping/handling. I put 10 housings in the shopping cart and went through the checkout process until I got to see what you saw:

So their "Free Shipping Over $75" is just a load of ....
I'll change page 1 to Maxlite housing from ShineRetrofits.com and remove Bees lighting.

Thanks

 

[ahazi]

ahazi - Welcome to the forum. Please add your location to your profile.

Los Angeles, CA

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the comparison.

I am in the finishing stages of building a shop (difficult site and tons of Los Angeles city codes that I had to comply with.) I wanted to get ACTUAL (measured) light performance and electrical results from testing 3 light fixtures that I had on hand to convince myself of what will work and what will not work in my application. It is not only about the lowest cost and highest efficiency per watt but also about aesthetics, physical size and added functionality such as dimming that is very useful to me.

Each fixture listed is for a different application and/or mounting height. You have an outdoor flood light, a 13,700 lumen highbay LED, and a 4 lamp retrofit that would surely put out more than the 4800 lumens charted. The 4 lamp retrofit would put out 10,560 lm with the LumenGen lamp and cost $80, or 5,280 lm and cost $29 if you use a 2-lamp strip housing.

You are right, thank you! I made a typo in my table (sorry...), the nominal output is 8,800 lumens. Here is a link to an updated file: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1yETuTzaCJsR3k3NEVPTjFsaWM

Is the room pictured where you are installing fixtures? It appears to have an 8ft ceiling.

The room is about 1,000 sq ft with 11 ft high ceiling, the testing was done by hanging the tested fixtures on a hoist I-beam rail that is attached to the ceiling and mounting the Android phone with Light Meter that was doing the light measurements on a 5 gallon bucket (8 ft distance). The actual distance for the installed lights to the benches will also be about 8 ft.

If my assumptions are correct, none of the fixtures tested are appropriate. Suggest using 2-lamp 5,280 lm retrofit strip lights on page 1 for $29.

Not true for me. I like the dimming feature and the super high output of the high bay unit. This will give me more flexibility as I will have extra light when needed and can dim the light when appropriate and reduce power consumption. Also the high bay units are sealed for dust and dirt and have a light diffuser. There is a newer model of this high bay light http://www.ledlightingwholesaleinc.com/James-High-Bay-2-Foot-110-Watt-p/zy-h2-110w.htm with claimed output of 16,400 lumens at 110 watt. I ordered these units and will report results or this might turn to be just marketing hype.

Also my room is not exactly square and fitting in the 2 ft unit is much easier and my measurements indicate excellent light distribution characteristics.

Usage of flood light in a shop is debatable but it can work in certain places. It is cheap, small and sealed. My measurements and observations and past usage don't make me dismiss it completely for some applications but not here.

Lastly, I did this test because I don't trust the published specs for my intended usage and I wanted to measure vs. just believe the spec sheets and the computer simulation. I am an old dog in the technology business and learned over the years that the only thing you can truly trust is what YOU (or someone you trust) measure. You can see this anomaly in the row "Lux/watt (measured, not calibrated)" which shows the discrepancy from the manufacturer specified performance numbers.

Again, any thoughts or comments will be greatly appreciated.

Ariel

https://goo.gl/photos/z79iUmDpCkF9FzDH7

 

[Bodaway]

Great thread, thanks for all the wonderful information.

 

[RayBob58]

$5 per fixture handling fee!? Sounds like they're starting to pull the same **** that 1000bulbs is pulling by posting decent product prices and overcharging for shipping/handling. I put 10 housings in the shopping cart and went through the checkout process until I got to see what you saw:

So their "Free Shipping Over $75" is just a load of ....
I'll change page 1 to Maxlite housing from ShineRetrofits.com and remove Bees lighting.

Thanks

Maybe someone should connect with Bees, and let them know how much business they've gotten from the forum. Maybe they'll see the error of their ways.

 

[oldno3fan]

maybe someone should connect with bees, and let them know how much business they've gotten from the forum. Maybe they'll see the error of their ways.

what was the original part numbers at bees lighting i went to order and differnt fixtures now thanks

 

[horizontallyopposed]

So their "Free Shipping Over $75" is just a load of ....
I'll change page 1 to Maxlite housing from ShineRetrofits.com and remove Bees lighting.

Thanks

Try their prices for shipping to Canada - forget it. I love these discussions, just frustrated by having no Canadian options.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Platonic Solid]

what was the original part numbers at bees lighting i went to order and differnt fixtures now thanks

Here's the link to the previous housing that will cost you $5 each above advertised price: https://beeslighting.com/diva-light-led-ready-strip-light/p/ST48232-LED

Not sure why you'd want to do that though.

 

[oldno3fan]

Here's the link to the previous housing that will cost you $5 each above advertised price: https://beeslighting.com/diva-light-led-ready-strip-light/p/ST48232-LED

Not sure why you'd want to do that though.

I WANT TO GET THE RIGHT SETUP WITH WIDE BEAM ANGLE WAS THIS THE BULB YOU SAID
https://beeslighting.com/led-t8-tube/p/T8R-48-22L-40K-B

 

[Platonic Solid]

oldno3fan - You can use either fixture housing with either bulb. The housings are both prewired for single end lamps. and both lamps are single end.
Maxlite @ 15.96 ea. + $0 shipping x 18 = $287.28
Diva Light @ $14.97 + $5 mystery fee x 18 = $359.46

In review:

A 6-6-6 layout with Diva Light yields 97fc (230° beam). Total cost (using Maxlite hsg)
$287.64 Bulbs + $287.28 hsg = $574.92

Lowest cost option:

A 5-5-5 layout with LumenGen lamp yields 97fc (120° beam=less light on ceiling & walls)
$209.70 Bulbs + $239.40 hsg = $449.10
.

 

[richs347]

Morning,

I've been lurking and searching for a while... I'm in the process of having a 30x36, garage built (12' ceilings). Walls will be sheet rock above a 3.5' poured concrete wall. Two post lift in the middle, mostly used for general auto repair and welding. I'm good on similar light layouts from the other thread but I'm looking for a more finished looking surface mount wraparound LED light in the $50-60'ish range. LED or LED bulbs will work.

I was looking at something simple like the link as a price point product. Figuring on 4 strips of 5 light fixtures as a good start. Probably one or two at the front side of the garage over tool boxes. Are there better options I'm overlooking? I don't need to be blinded but I'm older and would like to see what I'm doing.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/EnviroLite-4-ft-x-5-in-2-Light-White-LED-Slim-Flushmount-MV-Wraparound-Light-with-T8-LED-5000K-Tubes-W102T1850/300380370

or

https://beeslighting.com/maxlite-lsueco-led-wraparound/p/LSUECO-4NU4050-P

Thank you.

 

[nsula_country]

Platonic Solid


Just a thought. I saw where you updated the link for the LED bypass fixture. I have also been reading suggestions for layouts, all using 4' strips. Would it make sense to also include an 8' tandem bypass fixture for larger jobs to reduce labor? It would require half as many fixtures to install and half as many junctions to terminate. Same quantity of lamps.

Just a thought...

Link to an 8' LED Ready. It is more expensive @$45, but would save labor and materials cost for those contracting out the work.

https://www.shineretrofits.com/us-e...-ready-8-foot-4-lamp-strip-light-housing.html

CT

 

[Paladin306]

Here's the link to the previous housing that will cost you $5 each above advertised price: https://beeslighting.com/diva-light-led-ready-strip-light/p/ST48232-LED

Wow, looks like I made it just in time. All lights arrived about a week ago, were well packaged and the the charged price was exactly as quoted. No extra charges. I wired one up to an extension cord just to check it out and these lights are indeed bright. I'll try to post some picks once I get them installed.

Thanks again.

Mark

 

[arvidj]

Menards has these fixtures for under $10 after rebate light fixture only. I realize it has a ballast but having more time than money I would have no problem rewiring them. I also liked the way the bulbs were aimed slightly outward rather than straight down.

I would then fill them with these LumenGen.

Assuming this is not a totally bad idea the next thought is 'how many' for my 24x36 accessory building. 24x20 has a 7ft unfinished ceiling [the fixture would go between the rafter, with the bulbs just below the bottom of the rafter] and the remaining 24x16 at an 8ft height.

I was hoping for around 100fc at 30" height.

Thoughts? Totally crazy? Wrong bulb ... needs to be wider than the 120° bulb? Wrong fixture ... price is not the sole driver but it is a big one given the number I will need to buy.

Anyway, thanks for any suggestions you care to offer.

 

[ShadowRuleZ]

I really appreciate the feedback Platonic. I was looking at the layout you did for Paladin306 in the other thread (30'x46') and I've got a smaller space at 24'x46' (2x6 framed so interior is more like 23'x45') which is close to your 24x40 example above. If you used the higher output 13700 lights you suggested to Paladin306, could you get away with a 2 row / 5 column instead of a 3 row / 5 column like I think you're suggesting in the quote above with the 8500 lights? Just like everyone else, trying to save a few bucks if it makes sense.

I'm already pushing the limits by putting 13,700 lumens at 14ft on Paladin306's layout. Do you have a flat ceiling or is it open to the roof pitch? If open, what is the pitch and will trusses interfere with higher fixture mounting? Posting a picture of the space always makes this more interesting.

Got a couple pictures during construction and what it looks like now.

 

[Platonic Solid]

arvidj - I had to search it since your link didn't work. I assume your talking about this American Fluorescent 48" White 2-Light T8 Shop Light (link). The lamp holders on that fixture are shunted, thus will not work with single ended LED bypass lamps. I can't tell if those lampholders are replaceable.

ShadowRuleZ - Cool! Pics! I'll see if I can make some time to look at your situation this weekend.

 

[arvidj]

arvidj - I had to search it since your link didn't work. I assume your talking about this American Fluorescent 48" White 2-Light T8 Shop Light (link). The lamp holders on that fixture are shunted, thus will not work with single ended LED bypass lamps. I can't tell if those lampholders are replaceable.

Platonic Solid,

Yes, that is the fixture and thanks for providing the correct link. I bought one to disassemble and experiment with. The tombstones are replaceable and appear to be the same as the ones that were in several other fixtures that I have converted. Given that I only need to put a new one on one end of the fixture it will only add about 50 cents to the cost of the fixture.

Why the obsession with low fixture cost? From my perspective, given that the LED lamps are directional [120 degrees] there is little to no benefit from a reflector, which brings the list of requirements that a fixture must fulfill down to (a) must appear to be UL approved so the inspector does not go ballistic and (b) must hold the tombstones. From a technical perspective I can envision many ways to accomplish (b) considerably cheaper that even the $10 for these fixtures but having a nice white box with a cord for the wiring probably has a much better chance of accomplishing (a).

Which brings me to 'how many' and 'what layout'. Using the Visual Interior Tool, some creative fixture selection Lithonia-Lighting/L/Standard-Industrials and a very large dose of 'have not got a clue but it seems reasonable' it recommended a 4 x 7 layout for my 24' x 36' x 8' open ceiling at 100fc at 30" [city code says I can not call it a garage] accessory building. That was based on using the 2-lamp fixture with 2200 lumens per lamp.

The 2200 lumens is a conservative downgrade from the advertised 2640 of the recommended LumenGen lamps but it does add an extra row of 7 fixtures to the design. Varying the lumens per lamp in 100 lumen increments gave other combinations and thinking about it was hurting my head so I just went with the big hammer approach of 2200 lumens and 4 x 7.

I'd appreciate your knowledgeable input on this. As I have stated, I am making clueless shots-in-the-dark [no pun intended] on this.

Arvid

 

[Platonic Solid]

I really appreciate the feedback Platonic. I was looking at the layout you did for Paladin306 in the other thread (30'x46') and I've got a smaller space at 24'x46' (2x6 framed so interior is more like 23'x45') which is close to your 24x40 example above. If you used the higher output 13700 lights you suggested to Paladin306, could you get away with a 2 row / 5 column instead of a 3 row / 5 column like I think you're suggesting in the quote above with the 8500 lights? Just like everyone else, trying to save a few bucks if it makes sense.

Pictures

Your space: 23'x45'x12'(2/3) 10'(1/3)

Your request:
2 rows of 5 - 13700lm fixtures yield a mean of 106fc @ 30", but distribution is not ideal. Too few fixtures for the space. You will have shadows and glare. Not recommended. If you want to save money by getting fewer high output fixtures, that's certainly your option. I can't support the decision.

I see stairs. Are they occupying some of the 23'x45' space?

Another option that doesn't save you money, but has a cool factor that might sway you: This James 9375lm edge lit (link) $82.60 ea. + $30 Surface Mounting Kit = $112.60 ea. Yes, you have to buy in sets of 2. 3 rows of 5 layout = 102fc @ 30". These fixtures give you a very clean minimalist aesthetic and without question the smoothest solid panel of light you've ever seen.

 

[moserjj]

Thanks for this thread and all the great detail in lighting fixtures.

My new build is 40x56, 14' ceilings. Walls and ceiling will be white liner panel, no windows other than a strip in each of the 3 - 12' garage doors. I'm ready for lights and was thinking 4 rows of the LED strip (12 in each row). I bought 3 from bees and the 2200lm bulbs to test. I like the strips since they would be up high and not hanging down like the james 2' high bay (if I understand the mounting options correctly). 48 fixtures is a ton of them to install though. Any input on lighting layout? 4 strips seems to work better with my garage door and lift layout but 3 rows could work too. 80+fc would be a good goal.

Thanks!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Platonic Solid]

moserjj - Do you have a sketch and/or pictures?

 

[moserjj]

I don't have plans handy but I can get them from my office tomorrow. It's a pretty straightforward space. Do you want door layouts on a sketch? Best I have on me is exterior renders. 12x12 garage doors, 2 in front and 1 in back. 3' spacing between them

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Platonic Solid]

Am I looking at the 40' or 56' side there?

 

[moserjj]

That's the 40' side

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[Platonic Solid]

Please put all info together either in a new thread or the layout thread. The line between these 2 threads is blurring.

 

[moserjj]

Please put all info together either in a new thread or the layout thread. The line between these 2 threads is blurring.

Done

 

[dfitz21]

Im building an automotive service center and it will be 150 Long x 65 wide. 120 feet of it will have above ground lifts and I want to make it as bright as possible for my technicians. There will be 14 separate bays with 7 on each side and separate garage doors for each bay. The ceilings will be 14' tall. In my current building we have converted our T8 fluorescent lights over to LED 6000k T8 replacement tubes. The conversion was easy and the fittings were already there. What should we do in this building? Any thoughts? I like the 6000k because it really makes everything bright and clean. In our other building we used all hyperikon products and they seem to be very good in terms of price, color, ease of installation, with or without ballast, plastic tube rather than glass so they dont break in shipping. I appreciate your feed back.

Thanks
Dan

 

[D94R]

$5 per fixture handling fee!? Sounds like they're starting to pull the same **** that 1000bulbs is pulling by posting decent product prices and overcharging for shipping/handling. I put 10 housings in the shopping cart and went through the checkout process until I got to see what you saw:

So their "Free Shipping Over $75" is just a load of ....
I'll change page 1 to Maxlite housing from ShineRetrofits.com and remove Bees lighting.

Thanks

I dug no further than reproducing my order quantity and do not come up with the same results you do. I'm guessing there is a quantity break between 10 and 15 units that you are not getting and I do/did?


View media item 74457