The Spectra-Strip kit is an amazing bit of engineering that allows you to light up fiber optics in any of millions of different colors, a number of different patterns, and even various fades, color choices, and blinks that you can program yourself!!!
The Spectra-Strip kit consists of an illuminator, power supply, three types of fiber optic material (solid core, TapeLite, and XpandoLite), and a CD-ROM with the program "LightMix v.2.3.4" on it.
Regarding the photographs above, they are (in order):
The illuminator consists of a very heavy (duty) aluminum box with a high-powered RGB LED, small boxer fan to keep the LED's temperature in check, and computerised circuitry that allows it to perform all kinds of amazing things through either one of two interfaces: USB for hookup to a PC-type computer, and DMX for hookup to the DMX light controller used in many night clubs and dance halls.
* The $495.00 price is for just the LED illuminator itself. The fiber optics cost:
Plug the unit in with the included power supply (see directly below), and ***THEN*** you can go liven up that dull discotheque.
On the back of the illuminator itself (to the left of the power input) is a small pushbutton.
Press and release it to access the following modes (in order):
1: Red
2: Green
3: Blue
4: Cyan
5: Yellow
6: Purple
7: White
8: Color wash mode
The test unit came with a CD-ROM that has a program called "LightMix v.2.3.4" on it.
It is labelled to be made by Dicon Fiberoptics, Inc. at www.diconlighting.com.
This program installs and runs correctly on the Windows XP Home operating system.
Directly below is a screen dump (yes, that's really what it's called!) of it:
With this program, you can "tell" the illuminator what to do and when to do it. The only "fly in the ointment" that I can see right off the bat is that the illuminator has to be plugged into the computer (via a USB port) when the LightMix program is run; I have not yet found a way to "store" the program in the illuminator itself so that it can be used with your own program away from the computer.
Speaking of plugging things in, the unit connects to your computer with a USB cable; which was not included in the kit that I received. The one that goes to my Canon Powershot G3 digital camera fits & works with the illuminator. Plug the small end into the female receptacle for it on the back of the illuminator component, and plug the larger end into any free USB port on your computer ***BEFORE*** installing the LightMix software from the CD-ROM.
The illuminator is also equipped with a female DMX512 receptacle; this allows a standard DMX controller (commonly used in night clubs & discotheques) to control the illuminator's light patterns.
To install a fiber optic into the illuminator, first loosen the "collet" on the "business-end" of the illuminator.
Next, slide the metal end of whatever fiber optic assembly you wish to use into the opening of the illuminator (where you found that collet), then gently tighten the collet using finger pressure only - please do not use pliers, wrenches, or other tools on it.
This product is designed exclusively to be operated from mains voltage (100 volts to 240 volts AC, 50 to 60Hz), therefore, I do not have to tell you which part to remove, gently place on the floor, and then shove under the couch with your foot so that the hungry, hungry carpet beetles think it's something yummy for their insect tummies and then rather emphatically tell you not to do that - to just set it aside instead.
To get it powered up, plug the IEC cord (the heavier black cord) into the receptacle for it on the power supply, plug the other end into an AC receptacle (wall outlet), and plug the plug on the end of the thinner cord coming out of the power supply "brick" into the circular female receptacle for it on the back of the illuminator.
The Spectra-Strip Kit is a decorative fixture designed to be used with fiber optic cable, not a flashlight designed to be carried around, thrashed, trashed, and abused. So I won't throw it against the wall, stomp on it, try to drown it in the toliet bowl or the cistern, run over it, swing it against the concrete floor of an outdoor patio, use a small ball peen hammer in order to bash it open to check it for candiosity, fire it from the cannoņata, drop it down the top of Mt. Erupto (I guess I've been watching the TV program "Viva Piņata" too much again - candiosity is usually checked with a laser-type device on a platform with a large readout (located at Piņata Central), with a handheld wand that Langston Lickatoad uses, or with a pack-of-cards-sized device that Fergy Fudgehog uses; the cannoņata (also located at Piņata Central) is only used to shoot piņatas to piņata parties away from picturesque Piņata Island, and Mt. Erupto is an active volcano on Piņata Island {In the episode "Les Saves the Day...Again", Paulie Preztail says "Hey, ever wonder why this park's called 'Mount Erupto' anyway?", then Franklin Fizzlybear says "I think its an old native term. Means 'very safe.'"}), send it to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or inflict upon it punishments that flashlights and similar lighting products (LED and non-LED alike) may have inflicted upon them.
The kit is also a loaner, so I would not mistreat it in any manner regardless of what type of product it was.
The onboard miniature fan turns on automatically with an exterior case temperature of 104°F (40.0°C), and turns off automatically when the same case temperature drops to 96°F (35.6°C). So the high-powered LED inside stays happy and cool.
These temperature measurements were performed with blue light only being generated by the product. I don't expect them to vary at all; the only change I would expect to see is the frequency of the fan activating & deactivating.
This fan is ***NOT*** very noisy; any music the venue you install the unit in decides to play would be more than sufficient to drown the fan noise out.
Photograph with the solid core fiber optic attached.
Photograph with the XpandoLite fiber optic attached.
Photograph with the TapeLite fiber optic attached.
Beam photograph (red) at ~16".
Measures 41,800mcd on a Meterman LM831 light meter.
Beam photograph (green) at ~16".
Measures 144,300mcd on a Meterman LM831 light meter.
Beam photograph (blue) at ~16".
Measures 26,600mcd on a Meterman LM831 light meter.
Beam photograph (cyan) at ~16".
Measures 175,100mcd on a Meterman LM831 light meter.
Beam photograph (yellow) at ~16".
Measures 187,800mcd on a Meterman LM831 light meter.
Beam photograph (purple) at ~16".
Measures 68,400mcd on a Meterman LM831 light meter.
Beam photograph (white) at ~16".
Measures 76,800mcd on a Meterman LM831 light meter.
These measurements really aren't necessary due to how the product is used, but since I had the equipment handy, I figured what the H-E-Double-Bendy-Straws.
My test target has not yet turned up at my new (arrived on the morning of 01-07-09) Federal Way WA. USA location, so those things you see at the left edge of the above seven photographs (for scaling purposes) are the right-hand edges of marquees from:
upright coin-op arcade video games from the 1980s.
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (red) in the illuminator.
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (green) in the illuminator.
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (blue) in the illuminator.
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (cyan (green + blue)) in the illuminator.
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (yellow (red + green)) in the illuminator.
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (purple (blue +red)) in the illuminator.
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (white (red + green + blue)) in the illuminator.
USB2000 spectrometer used for all of these spectra graciously donated by P.L.
None of these spectra were taken with any fiber optic component affixed to the illuminator; all of them are of the light emitted from the aperture.
Beam cross-sectional analysis. Image made using the ProMetric System by Radiant Imaging.
Again, this particular analysis wasn't necessary due to how the product is used, but since I had the equipment handy, I figured what the H-E-Double-Tippy-Straws.
Video on YourTube showing the product "playing back" a sequence I wrote for it using the LightMix software.
This clip is approximately 10.555 megabytes (10,851,474 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than fifty three minutes (!) to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.
TEST NOTES:
Test unit was loaned to me by B.K. of Hunter-Skyler on 01-16-09 and was received on the morning of 02-03-09.
Since this product was furnished to me as a loaner, the dreadful "" icon will appear next to its listings on this website when I return it, denoting that I no longer have it for comparisons and/or additional analyses.
The power supply outputs 12 volts at 5.0 amps.
Center of plug is (+) positive; outer can is (-) negative.
UPDATE: 02-09-09
I have the unit boxed up for return to its owner; therefore, that dreadful "" will appear next to its listing on this website, denoting that I no longer have it for future analyses or comparisons.
UPDATE: 03-02-09
This product is scheduled to be returned sometime this coming week; weather permitting of course.
It is a 2.6 mile drive to the nearest UPS store in my electric wheelchair, so I really do need to pick a day that isn't raining.
PROS:
CONS:
MANUFACTURER: Amphenol Spectra-Strip
PRODUCT TYPE: Fiber optic illuminator w/fiber optics
LAMP TYPE: High-powered RGB LED
No. OF LAMPS: 1
BEAM TYPE: N/A
SWITCH TYPE: On/mode change/off on back of product
CASE MATERIAL: Metal
BEZEL: N/A
BATTERY: N/A
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
WATER- AND PEE-RESISTANT: Very light splatter-resistance at maximum
SUBMERSIBLE: For Pete sakes NO!!!
ACCESSORIES: External power supply, IEC cord
WARRANTY: Unknown/TBA
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SIZE
, fire it from the cannoņata
}), send it to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or inflict upon it punishments that flashlights and similar lighting products (LED and non-LED alike) may have inflicted upon them.
" icon will appear next to its listings on this website when I return it, denoting that I no longer have it for comparisons and/or additional analyses.
