LED RGB DMX unit comparison.

[Gary Martin]

Okay, I have been evaluating three different, inexpensive units and the results are fairly amazing.

The units:

#1 Deliya PAR64 can http://www.usaurorae.com/shop/produc...&products_id=5

This is the largest of the three with 183 of the 10mm HO LEDs, diameter of over 6.5"

#2 Chauvet LEDSplash Jr, also sold by Cheaplights.com as the 120-LED-B38

A small unit with 86 LEDs, under 5" diameter

#3 *Unknown* at Cheaplights.com as 120-LED-RGB

Slightly larger diameter than #2, slightly longer, but much more dispersed, at least twice the beam angle of the LEDSplash Jr.

I grouped these three together for testing due to their costs.

The Deliya is $85 each, down to about $80 in groups of six.

The Chauvet is $54.50 from cheaplights.com in singles, $48 in groups of eight.

The third unit is $49.99 from cheaplights in single, $45 in groups of eight.

While the Deliya (and the Chauvet LEDSplash Jr) are both narrow beam spots, they could be spread out more with a difuser in front of their LEDs. A simple flourescent fixture difuser should work, I will be testing them shortly.

As the pictures show, the Deliya very simply blows both of the other units away unmercilessly! The amount of light that it puts out dwarfs both of the other smaller fixtures. Under DMX control, I had to set the the Deliya down to about 15% (FIFTEEN!) to get the same light output level as the other units. Yes, that's 15 out of 100, very low.

Unit #2 and #3 compare very closely, the difference being that unit #3 has twice the beam angle so it's light is spread out over a larger area.

Now on to the pictures!

This will give you some reference of the size of the units compared to each other. From right to left in the first pic (top to bottom in the 2nd) it is unit #1, then #2 and #3

[Gary Martin]

Now onto light throws.

The first pic is showing all three throws, the Deliya on the right, Chauvet in the middle and #3 on the left. The camera is attempting to capture the (much lower) light levels on the other two, so it looks like the Deliya is burning a hole in my ceiling.

The next three pictures is each throw in red only, so you can see how even each unit is. Deliya first, then Chauvet, then unit #3.

You'll notice the Deliya throws a very smooth fill, while the Chauvet is more of a ring. Unit #3, being more dispersed ends up being more even than the Chauvet.

[Gary Martin]

These next two pictures show the white (RGB mix) output of the units. This is where a lot of RGB units fall flat on their face, not being able to evenly mix their three colors together in even amounts.

The Deliya isn't represented quite right by this pic as only the white inner circle is what it's outputting. The ring around the white area on the Deliya is just splash that is noticed as the camera is trying to drop white balance down low enough to pick up the Chauvet output.

Also, notice the distinct seperation on the Chauvet and #3, you can see red and blue rings fairly obviously.

The first pic shows the Deliya on the right, with the Chauvet on the left.

The second pic shows the Chauvet on the right with #3 on the left.

[Gary Martin]

As you may guess, my choice is definitely the Deliya. So now I'll be starting on a project to re-fit one into a weatherproof container. The following pics are closeups of the unit so you can see what will be involved. There is actually very little inside the sheet metal of this unit, so I'll just remove the LED circuit board and all of the other components, and move it wholesale into a plastic enclosure. All of the other components would easily fit into a 2" or 3" pvc pipe, with just the LED board needing the almost 7" diameter enclosure, but only about an inch thick.

I am holding a DVD flat against the front of the unit in that one shot, to give you an idea of the size of the LED circuit board.

Closeup pics:

[Gary Martin]

Lastly, pics inside the unit:

[edge]

Hey Gary, wow, great examples. Check out wirekats enclosures at www.christmasinkent.com. They are what you need. I will take your suggestions under advisement. Cordially, Edge

[Gary Martin]

Originally Posted by edge

Hey Gary, wow, great examples. Check out wirekats enclosures at www.christmasinkent.com. They are what you need. I will take your suggestions under advisement. Cordially, Edge

Oh definitely! His approach is most likely what I'll use as soon as I can find a suitable plastic plant pot here locally. The Deliya is just a bit longer in length than the ColorSplash 200 or I could use the exact same one he does.

[Scott4864]

Thanks for posting this. Thats a lot of great info.

[roberson3]

Thanks for taking the time to make the comparison and post it for the rest of us.

[tfischer]

This is great. Too bad you didn't have a Colorsplash 200B to throw in the mix, as I'd be curious how it compared.

The thing that bothers me with the Deliya is the beam angle. Is there any way to get it to spread out more?

-Tim