LED Craze

[mike31154]

Maybe my initial post here (#6) was a bit long & dry so many readers just didn't bother & skipped it. The point I was trying to get across is that DIYing a LED solution for your system is getting easier all the time without having to solder or even use 'modular' LED components. More & more conventional screw in base bulbs are appearing on store shelves. Many of them now feature high power LEDs of suitable colour temperatures for our application.

If you're willing to be patient and wait or search online for vendors offering these types of bulbs at a reasonable cost, you should be able to build a suitable fixture with replaceable components using conventional bulb sockets that have been in use since the light bulb was invented. Many hobbyists have been using the PAR38 floodlights screwed into normal household sockets to light up their little slice of the ocean. If one burns out or a new improved LED appears on the market, chances are before long, another PAR38 with the new technology will be out there as well and you can switch it out without having to discard an entire fixture.

The MR16 lamps I described in my earlier post are another option. I've been watching some of the DIY LED builds with massive heat sinks & hours of soldering involved. Have a lot of respect for the patience & work they put into them & the end results are quite impressive. But it's not something I'm prepared to undertake when there are so many other, easier options appearing on the LED horizon.