Strobes Choices

[Gary]

I'd like to buy some C9 strobes for December 2012's display. I'm wondering about either Xenon or LED. I know what there have been discussions on strobes in the past around there, but was hoping to get a few words from peoples' experiences this past December.

My concerns (in no particular order):
- Moisture problems
- Longevity
- Randomness
- Brightness/pop


I plan to mount them on ground spikes all over my lawn, with base down to prevent rain from entering. Would this prevent condensation?

How long do Xenon strobes last, assuming that moisture isn't a problem?

Have there been any improvements to LED strobes randomness? You'd think that manufacturers would make them more random from the factory by randomizing a resistor that goes into each one as it's manufactured.

How about brightness of LED strobes? Any improvements with the stuff bought in 2011 over previous years purchases?


If anybody can chime in on any or all of my concerns, that would be great. Talking about 2011 purchases would be better, due to design improvements demanded by customers who have had problems in previous years.

[chrisatpsu]

if the come with a hole, point the hole downward, if they dont come with a hole, dont put a hole in them unless you see a puddle forming inside them.

LED's last longer

both fairly random

LED's give a nice white pop, xenon's give more of a camera flash pop. depends on your show design... 

[tbone321]

When it comes to randomness and intensity or "POP", the Xenon strobes still rule.  LED's have come a long way and do a good job but I don't think that they will ever reach the level of pop that the Xenon bulbs have.  As for longevity, a well made LED strobe will live longer and since LED strobes don't use the high voltage that the Xenon do, they are  less subject to problems with humidity building up in the case. 

If the strobe has a vent hole then point it down.  The closer you are to the ground the better the chance of having humidity issues.  If they don't have a vent then keep an eye on  them during wet times.  If you see humidity building up in the case then you may have to vent it.  Be careful doing that because it can be real easy to drill into the circuitry if you just blast a hole into it.

[Rainlover]

Gary,
I have had 60 LED strobes that I got from CDI for 2 years and have not had a single failure.
They definitely don't have the pop that xenon strobes have but they do have a nice crisp sparkle. I put 10 strobes per channel and start them at different times so they are more random. When I had them all on the same channel, they took about 2 or 3 seconds to really randomize.
I am happy with them.

John

[taybrynn]

I like the pop of the xenon strobes ... get mine from christmaslightshow dot com and have to sometimes sand down the c9 socket bases for them to fit properly.

They flash a lot faster and are really bright.  I haven't lost one, out of 50 ... in 4 years in Colorado ... snow every year.

[chrisatpsu]

doesn't cdi have videos of the strobes side by side?

[Gary]

I was looking at a forum where people were comparing Creative Displays (CDI) versus Christmas Light Show (CLS) strobes. There is a video here comparing them:

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The LED ones took a long time to randomize, if you could even call it that. It looked pretty bad. Is this normal for them to be THIS consistent as on the video? Sure, you can pre-charge them, but it would seem that I'd have to pre-charge them for 5 seconds before decent randomness.

The general consensus is that the CDI ones were a better choice since the CLS ones had problems with bases disconnecting, got water inside them, etc.. DLA forum member BryanV in my town had ones that look like the CDI ones that filled with water on his mega tree and died, so he got a bunch of ones that looked like the CLS ones (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login), and wasn't happy with the screw bases disconnecting, and had to drill holes in them even though they were supposed to be sealed to keep moisure out.

[meman]

I think buying any LED light online is a crapshoot since there is no guarantee of consistency between each years purchase, even from lot to lot from the same manufacturer. I have xenon strobes from 3G and Darryl at CLS that work great, right through FL thunderstorms and hot attic storage, etc. They seem to have the same product each year too, so for now I recommend xenon as king of the strobes. 

Mike E.

[taybrynn]

I know this subject is bound to get some people emotional ... but its really just a matter of choice and preference. But technically, the winner is clear.  Again, I don't want to see a monster truck vs. a prius in a tug-o-war ... but I already know who wins.  LOL

To me, the xenon strobes are bar-none ... the best ... and LED strobes just keep on getting better, but still have a fairly long ways to go.  n time, the difference will be less and less ... but the divide is still fairly wide currently, IMHO.

You might want to go with LED strobes if any of the following statements are true:
- If your #1 priority is to use very little electricity
- If having something non-LED is going to sacrifice your "ALL LED" bragging rights or 'green' rating
- If having a xenon strobe on using 3.xx amps for 10-15 seconds really really bothers you
- If flashing slower (like 1x per second or less) is preferable
- If flashing less brightly is actually desired or fits your show better
- If your running on battery power
- If your so tapped for power that running the xenon strobes would push you over the limit
- If the cost is 1/4 as much and its what you can afford
- If unpredictable (random) flashing is undesirable to you

Otherwise, I would go with the xenon strobes ...

[meman]

Gary, I posted a video comparison of some Xenon vs. LEDs that I have. As taybrynn stated, the LEDs are getting better, but just don't seem to be quite there yet. The LED Strobe from CDI is on the right at the start of the  video.

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I do notice that the LEDs in the strobes from CLS are mounted higher in the lens housing. These look much more promising and I'm probably going to get a couple to see how much side light they put out compared to the CDI version. See new style You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Mike E.

[Steve Gase]

which one is which?

i preferred the one on the left -- left at the beginning of the video before you rotated.

[zwiller]

I gave up on trying strobes because of all their inherent issues such as waterproofing, lack of control.  Although not technically a strobe per se, these should offer a nice strobe like effect if used correctly.  I am going with these on my next order from Ray: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

They look pretty durable for our use and the best part is I can actually control the "strobing" anyway I want to.  I am confident that they will be cooler than strobes since they will be truly random...  Output/wattage looks even better to other strobe products.  Colors and spread can be varied as well.

Problem for me is, I just read the SSR4 doesn't do dmx for 12V and I missed the MR 16 COOP 

[sebjsan]

has anyone bought these before. Look like a good deal. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

[taybrynn]

Good price.  The issue might be waterproofing.

[sebjsan]

I would just hang them upside down and make a hole for the water to drain out.