The Best Light Fixture Ever!

[Platonic Solid]

bullnerd - Since Bees seems to be selling various different housings via the same listing, what name brand is on yours? Pics of the problem area would be useful.

 

[Polymath]

Decided to pull the trigger and get some fixtures and tubes for my slightly deep 2 car garage with about 9' ceiling, this thread is great! I went to buy the Greentek tubes and the website says out of stock. Lightup also doesn't appear to be showing the recommended Lumgen bulbs again either. I decided to go ahead and get 12 Diva fixtures from Bees and ended up calling them due to a weird error I got on their website. Anyways, I have 12 of the fixtures on order and they recommended some 2200 Lumens - 4 FT - LED T8 - Retrofit Tube Lamp - Frosted Lens - 18 Watts - 5000K - Dual Mode - Diva Light T8R-22L-50K-DM (link below) that they ended up selling to me for $5.99 a tube. Are these any good and will they work good in this application? I am having a bit of buyers remorse at not waiting for the 2640 lumens tubes to come back into stock. I could still cancel the tube order if you guys think I would be better off waiting for Greentek or Lightup to get some more stock. Any advice?

https://beeslighting.com/diva-light-led-t8-lamp/p/T8R-22L-50K-DM

Thanks!

 

[Platonic Solid]

Polymath - I've been avoiding recommending glass tubes as I'm not sure how shatterproof they really are. The 180° beam angle on those will put more light at ceiling height, thus less at workplane, but you should be fine at 9ft. On the plus side, wider distribution will provide more even illumination with fewer fixtures. At $6 per tube, you can hardly go wrong.

 

[Polymath]

Polymath - I've been avoiding recommending glass tubes as I'm not sure how shatterproof they really are. The 180° beam angle on those will put more light at ceiling height, thus less at workplane, but you should be fine at 9ft. On the plus side, wider distribution will provide more even illumination with fewer fixtures. At $6 per tube, you can hardly go wrong.

Thanks for the advice. Are the Greentek and Lumgen bulbs you have been recommending plastic tubes? Bees told me the ones they recommended have a plastic coating and can be dropped from chest height and not leave glass shards. Any disadvantage to the wiring configurations of these tubes? They look kind of versatile, but that doesn't always mean better.

I was a little worried about the lower output, but 2200 vs 2600 may not be too bad. My ceiling and walls are insulated, but not finished with dry wall so they aren't all that reflective, just vapor barrier over insulation. Looking at the layouts in the layout string, it seems like about 12 fixtures in a slightly deep 2 stall garage is what is being recommended, does that sound about right?

It's about a $300 investment but a fair amount of time investment to run the wiring and mounting the fixtures so I want to make the right choices.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Polymath - All recommended 4ft retrofit tubes to date have been plastic tubes. I prefer to see an aluminum heat sink as that is likely to improve bulb life. I don't see the universal wiring or ability to connect to a fluorescent ballast of the tubes you selected as being a pro or con. I just wouldn't recommend using them with a fluorescent ballast.

Your real issue is the lack of reflective surfaces in your space means you need more fixtures or more lumens.

Qty.12 4400 lumen fixtures in a 24x24 with 20|20|20 reflectance = 55fc at workplane
Qty.16 "..." = 73fc
Qty.20 "..." = 91fc
Above figures will be slightly less due to 180° beam spread.

Qty.12 5280 lumen fixtures in a 24x24 with 20|20|20 reflectance = 66fc at workplane
Qty.16 "..." = 88fc

Qty.12 5280 lumen fixtures in a 24x24 with 70|50|20 reflectance = 85fc at workplane

 

[Polymath]

Polymath - All recommended 4ft retrofit tubes to date have been plastic tubes. I prefer to see an aluminum heat sink as that is likely to improve bulb life. I don't see the universal wiring or ability to connect to a fluorescent ballast of the tubes you selected as being a pro or con. I just wouldn't recommend using them with a fluorescent ballast.

Your real issue is the lack of reflective surfaces in your space means you need more fixtures or more lumens.

Qty.12 4400 lumen fixtures in a 24x24 with 20|20|20 reflectance = 55fc at workplane
Qty.16 "..." = 73fc
Qty.20 "..." = 91fc
Above figures will be slightly less due to 180° beam spread.

Qty.12 5280 lumen fixtures in a 24x24 with 20|20|20 reflectance = 66fc at workplane
Qty.16 "..." = 88fc

Qty.12 5280 lumen fixtures in a 24x24 with 70|50|20 reflectance = 85fc at workplane

Thanks PS! It's great that you are willing to share your knowledge and time like this!

 

[JoeMayo]

I went to order 32 of the Bulbs today but there sold out..
Anyone know when they'll be back in stock or alternate light instead?

 

[bullnerd]

bullnerd - Since Bees seems to be selling various different housings via the same listing, what name brand is on yours? Pics of the problem area would be useful.

I took some pics, they are the Utopia brand from Bees. It looks like the little tabs don't stick out far enough to really lock the end plates on. Or, some do, and some don't. I only opened one fixture box, one side of each end plate popped out easily, the other stayed locked in. Also, they are covered in paint, looks like that is adding to the problem. I tried tapping the little tab out a bit from behind with a screw driver and it seemed to help. They are still loose, but cant pop out. One tab on each one bent easily, the other barely moved with a pretty good tap from a small hammer.(I laid them over a small vise, with the jaws just clearing the tab for support)

There is a hole in the side of the end plate, it would have been nice to have a mating hole in the housing to drive a screw in.

Also, the copper plates that hold the pins on the bulbs REALLY grab the bulbs. It feels like the bulb is going to break when you try to rotate the bulb to release it. Have to grab close to each end.

Not huge issues, but it just seems like it would be easy for the manufacturer to make them better at the same cost. I can see this being a problem if your using conduit and it keeps popping the end off as you try to install them.

Anyway, hope this helps.

 

[bullnerd]

Couple quick vids, This is after I try to modify the tabs.

 

[JoeMayo]

What about these lights from MyLed
https://www.ledmyplace.com/products/t8-4ft-22w-2row-led-tube-3000-lumens-5000k-clear

 

[AP514]

Got my Fixtures from 1000bulbs...was cheaper than BEE's and they are built in the Good old USA


Installed most of them today. They seem to be good quality...tomorrow wiring...then bulbs next week....I hope

 

[Platonic Solid]

bullnerd - Well that *****. That's some sloppy craftsmanship. Thank you for posting detailed pics and videos. So there are 3 issues:
1. Poor end cap to housing engagement.
2. Excessive lamp holder to mounting slot slop.
3. Tight lamp holder to lamp pin engagement.

Question: Is there a UL logo molded into the back of the lamp holder?

The metal slots for the lamp holders should measure 0.344 x 1.000.

Using an old fluorescent bulb to pre-loosen the tight lamp holder pin engagement might help.

If I'm not mistaken, you purchased these housings at $10.99 ea. which is $5 cheaper than the Maxlite housing. Not sure how to compare the $10.99 PLT housing from 1000bulbs since they have the potential $5/hsg handling charge depending where they're shipping to. I see Bee's has increased their price to $13.99. At $13.99 spending the extra $2 for the Maxlite or PLT housing is a no brainer IMO.

 

[Platonic Solid]

What about these lights from MyLed
https://www.ledmyplace.com/products/t8-4ft-22w-2row-led-tube-3000-lumens-5000k-clear

Good catch except it has a clear lens which is undesirable, but this distributor has another worthy frosted lens option:

T8 4ft LED Tube 18W 4000K Frosted 2400 Lumens Single Ended Power - $6.99 (link)
The 5000K shows out of stock. (Free shipping @ $49)

Worth keeping an eye on the LEDmyplace website.

 

[JoeMayo]

Good catch except it has a clear lens which is undesirable, but this distributor has another worthy frosted lens option:

T8 4ft LED Tube 18W 4000K Frosted 2400 Lumens Single Ended Power - $6.99 (link)
The 5000K shows out of stock. (Free shipping @ $49)

Worth keeping an eye on the LEDmyplace website.

How are clear less desirable? Isn't toned down without the frost?
If I have to I'll go with the 4000k but I'll ask when they'll have the frost in stock again.

 

[Platonic Solid]

JoeMayo - Bare LEDs have concentrated light output. This causes glare which is sharp and painful even if only seen via ones peripheral vision. The slight lumen reduction from the frosted lens is well worth it for your comfort. The frosted lens also evens out light distribution. Clear lensed lamps cause an undesirable striping effect on nearby walls.

 

[JoeMayo]

JoeMayo - Bare LEDs have concentrated light output. This causes glare which is sharp and painful even if only seen via ones peripheral vision. The slight lumen reduction from the frosted lens is well worth it for your comfort. The frosted lens also evens out light distribution. Clear lensed lamps cause an undesirable striping effect on nearby walls.

I ordered my 16 maxlite fixtures today. Gonna wait till somebody has the 5000k bulbs back in stock. House wont be finished till Jan

 

[bullnerd]

bullnerd - Well that *****. That's some sloppy craftsmanship. Thank you for posting detailed pics and videos. So there are 3 issues:
1. Poor end cap to housing engagement.
2. Excessive lamp holder to mounting slot slop.
3. Tight lamp holder to lamp pin engagement.

Question: Is there a UL logo molded into the back of the lamp holder?

The metal slots for the lamp holders should measure 0.344 x 1.000.

QUOTE]

Yes, to the 3 main issues.

I'll look for the UL stamp.

I can measure those also.

I wasn't thinking, I should have bought one housing from each vendor and then made my decision.

I'll mod these to tighten up the caps.

Surprised to see someone in the US can manufacture something cheaper than China, that's good to hear.

 

[Platonic Solid]

I wasn't thinking, I should have bought one housing from each vendor and then made my decision.

That may not have proven anything, since from recent posts Bee's is selling several different housings via the same add. What you get today isn't the same thing you'll get tomorrow. I should probably pull it off page 1. If the lampholder doesn't have a UL logo on the back I'll definitely remove it.

 

[pointer80]

Here is the UL sticker on the fixtures I bought from Bees lighting. I could not see anything stamped into the housing.

 

[robz924]

Here is the UL sticker on the fixtures I bought from Bees lighting. I could not see anything stamped into the housing.

Thats the exact same batch I got. Gonna try to get 20 of these fixtures installed at 8'6" next week. I will update with pics when I get there...

I have a question for all and I searched with no luck. With the above Diva strips and 22W led bulbs can I get a LED dimmer wall switch to dim these? I am running one circuit of 12 and another circuit of 8 and just thought it would be nice to dim these....

 

[bullnerd]

Mine has that sticker on the cover too, but I was under the impression PS wanted to know if it was stamped into the plastic "lamp holder". I will have to open another box (in shop), I cant get the end plates off the one I modified. LOL.

 

[AP514]

Well, got the light fixtures up and doing wiring today. I thought would post a few pic's

 

[Platonic Solid]

AP514 - You don't need the wirenuts on the feed to daisy chain. The luminaire disconnect has 2 holes for this purpose. Proper strip length for the yellow Wago 873 disconnect is 0.47.

bullnerd - Yes, I'm interested in the UL logo on the lampholder since 2 of the 3 issues you're having may be the lampholder.

 

[Platonic Solid]

I have a question for all and I searched with no luck. With the above Diva strips and 22W led bulbs can I get a LED dimmer wall switch to dim these? I am running one circuit of 12 and another circuit of 8 and just thought it would be nice to dim these....

This is a good question. Which dimmer, if any, function properly with your chosen lamp needs to be confirmed by the manufacturer. The distributor may also be able to answer the question. Please post results if you do the research.

 

[robz924]

This is a good question. Which dimmer, if any, function properly with your chosen lamp needs to be confirmed by the manufacturer. The distributor may also be able to answer the question. Please post results if you do the research.

Ok heres the scoop on dimming per Light Up phone call. Light Up sells 2 led rated dimmers that will work with LED tubes as long as it is in voltage/amp/LED spec see linkage: https://www.lightup.com/led-dimmers-lightup-com.html.
Now as I look at my Lumegen tube bulb it specifically says "Do not us with dimmers". I was told that that is basically a disclaimer because many people use the wrong type of dimmer switch thus damaging the lights. So yeah these bulbs are apparently dimmable with the right dimmer switch...

I have the same Diva fixtures as the ones posted above with the UL sticker on metal box. The only stamping is on the plastic white end connectors with copper connectors within. Does his deem these Diva fixtures UL compliant? I cant imagine a Chinese company knocking off a UL fixture variant and putting their own little UL sticker on it??

Looking at the light up link i posted it looks like i wont be able to dim more than 3 fixtures with these specific LED dimmers. So these wont work for me.... I cant find anything else out there so it looks like i wont be dimming this circuit of 12 fixtures which is no biggy anyway.

 

[pointer80]

Here some pictures of the tombstones that came with my housings from Bees lighting.

 

[bullnerd]

Pointer, are yours the Utopia brand also?

 

[Platonic Solid]

pointer80 - Thank you for posting lamp holder pics. The UL logo is clearly visible as is the manufacturers logo ED = Etlin-Daniels (link) and part number FL005. I've done business with them for many years and have had very few issues with their products. Do you have the same issues as bullnerd with the tight pin to socket engagement and loose/sloppy lamp holder to bracket seat?

 

[pointer80]

Pointer, are yours the Utopia brand also?

yes they are the utopia brand

 

[pointer80]

pointer80 - Thank you for posting lamp holder pics. The UL logo is clearly visible as is the manufacturers logo ED = Etlin-Daniels (link) and part number FL005. I've done business with them for many years and have had very few issues with their products. Do you have the same issues as bullnerd with the tight pin to socket engagement and loose/sloppy lamp holder to bracket seat?

Platonic Solid, I would say no they are not as bad as bullnerd. They have a very little play and yes they could be better quality but if they are all like the one I unboxed and put together then I should not have to do any modifications to use them. I seen bullnerd's vid and that is terrible.

 

[Polymath]

I asked Bees about people receiving Utopia brand and this was the reply "Diva Light is our OEM brand for Utopia Lighting."

 

[bullnerd]

Platonic Solid, I would say no they are not as bad as bullnerd. They have a very little play and yes they could be better quality but if they are all like the one I unboxed and put together then I should not have to do any modifications to use them. I seen bullnerd's vid and that is terrible.

That's what I was about to ask.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong! LOL.

I'll have to open some more and see how they go together.

Thanks Pointer.

 

[pointer80]

That's what I was about to ask.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong! LOL.

I'll have to open some more and see how they go together.

Thanks Pointer.

I also have to open some more boxes and see what I find. Maybe I just got lucky on the one I opened and assembled. LOL

 

[AP514]

AP514 - You don't need the wirenuts on the feed to daisy chain. The luminaire disconnect has 2 holes for this purpose. Proper strip length for the yellow Wago 873 disconnect is 0.47.

Yes, I looked at that..but seeing I am doing several and not %100 sure of the connection Quality I went ahead and did the Wire nuts..I also had a **** load of wire nuts left over from the house build. So, I used some up

I really liked the Quality of the Fixtures from 1000Bulbs. The connectors were tight and the bulbs went right in and with the 1/4 turn clicked in place.

 

[AP514]

The problem I see with the Fixtures from BEE's is that the light holder is relying on the end cap to hold the light holders(Tombstones) in place. And from the pic's and comments You all have posted the end caps are very loose and of Poor Quality.
The fixtures I got from 1000Bulbs came assembled except for the end caps and tombstones. It was fairly easy to put the tombstones in place and end caps.
The big difference I see besides the thicker gauge metal my fixtures have. Bee's relies on the end cap to hold tombstone in place. 1000Bulbs has metal holding them in place-stamped out with a backing(PIC)
These held my lights in very securely.......

 

[climb.on]

I'm doing rough-in electrical right now. Can anyone tell me if I mount these end to end, in 3 rows, can the maxlight fixtures, power wire just be fed through the inside of each fixture? In other words just bring down 3 pigtails...1 at the end of each row, then wire the whole row from that? Or do I need a drop for every fixture? https://www.shineretrofits.com/maxl...ar-utility-strip-light-fixture-pre-wired.html

 

[Platonic Solid]

You can wire through fixtures. Just connect via 3/8 FMC connector or chase ******. You could drop the pigtails in through the fixture back and you'd have no exposed wiring or conduit to deal with. Mounting fixtures end to end is AKA tandem mounting.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Updated page 1 to add new Best bang for the buck LED 4ft Tube and removed Diva Light housing due to inconsistent quality and price went up to $14. Here's what I removed:

Alternate fixture housing: Diva Light ST48232-LED on sale for $11.99 (link) as of 10/24/17
(free shipping over $75) found by:

Post #1004

See Post #1013 for differences between Maxlite and Diva Light housings.

Also noticed above housing is now out of stock anyway.

 

[texsasdiesel]

PS i only received a $10 off coupon when I provided my email at PROlighting, did I miss the link to the 10%?

R,
JW

 

[Platonic Solid]

texsasdiesel - ****. Did I mess up? The coupon doesn't show up for me anymore. I'll change it to $10 off if that's what it said. Still a good deal at $8.99 though.

OK - I fixed it - Sorry about that. I just removed that part - didn't bother to say anything about the $10 off as that's pretty trivial.