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STRIPLED

InReTech STRIPLED, retail $70
Manufactured by InReTech
Last updated 03-06-06

This website isn't all about flashlights, see? I've reviewed products like the ColorDial, the Skyliner, the C75 fixture, the Fiber Optic Halloween Lamp, an argon-ion laser, and a number of other non-flashlight LED and non-LED lighting products. So I wasn't that shocked when I found the STRIPLED meowing at my doorstep this morning.
O wait!!! Cats make that meowing sound; STRIPLEDs don't. ;-)

The STRIPLED is the newest product in InReTech's arsenal, and is their first non-flashlight product. It is a long strip containing 63 LEDs, and it connects to any 12 volt DC power source that can deliver at least 500mA (half an amp). The unit came to me affixed to a 22" by 1/4" by 1/2" acrylic strip, with a 1/4" screw hole at each end. The STRIPLED is prepped with just over 7 feet of remarkably thick (looks like AWG 14-guage), color-coded wire leads, with the ends already stripped and tinned, ready to connect to my 12VDC power supply. You can cut the lead-in wires shorter if desired, or leave them at full length and tie up the excess with a rubber band or a twist-tie if necessary.

The wire gauge you'll probably see in yours will be somewhat larger (smaller diameter wires), so you'll no doubt want to know about that when you order. The lead-in wires to this sample are rated to carry 15 amps; much, much more than the STRIPLED or even several units daisy-chained together will ever need.

The price of the STRIPLED depends on what color LEDs you want and how you want the device set up (see immediately below).

Just so you know, the model I'm testing today is the white LED model, with the PC board fastened to a 22"L by 1/2"W by 1/4"D strip of clear acrylic.

According to Mike Boyd at InReTECH, the following usage guidelines will apply:

The product will be available in two forms:

1) Bare PCB
User can mount the board any way he/she chooses, we (InReTECH) have some ideas for a track mounting that we are getting samples on.

2) Mounted on plastic (no extra charge).

The Board will be foam-taped to a 22" x 1/4" x 1/2" piece of plexi-glass, and have two 1/4 inch holes on each end of the board; user can then use screws to mount it to any surface.

The light runs off a external 12 volts DC "wall-wart" (optional) and has no on/off switch, it only draws 4 watts.

We have a couple of units now, but production will not start for about 3 weeks (as of 02-01-04).

The unit connects to any 12 volt DC power source that can deliver at least 500mA. The positive (+) lead is red, the negative (-) lead is black. This is pretty standard with any DC powered device that has power leads, so no surprises there.

Since this product runs from a 120VAC (or 240VAC) to 12VDC transformer, this section can and will be skipped.
I used an Energy One XP-4 laboratory power supply for these tests.

Unit draws approximately 410 milliamps.
Meter was set on the 20A scale to help minimise shunt resistance error.

This works out to about 19.5mA per LED, so the STRIPLED will live for a very, VERY long time. :-)

The white LEDs in the STRIPLED were carefully chosen to have the same brightness and tint as one another, so there are no differences in brightness or tint anywhere in the "beam".

There are two spots you can solder wires to on the other end of the PCB; this allows you to "daisy chain" multiple STRIPLED units together, end to end, without having the long lead-in wires getting in the way in a multiple installation like this.
As the board is facing up toward you with the lead-in wires to the right and the empty power receptacles to the left, the positive (+) connection is on the top, and the negative (-) connection is on the bottom.

The STRIPLED was originally designed to go inside a gun safe, but you can use them anywhere you want a strip or multiple strips of light. You can aim them straight up or out to the side; the positioning of the unit is all up to you.

The STRIPLED is available in the following colors:

White
Red (low power)
Red
Green
Blue
Amber
Orange
IR 850nm
IR 860nm
IR 880nm
IR 940nm
UV 400nm

Note that the four IR wavelengths will generally not be visible without night vision goggles or a night vision scope. Some video cameras and digital cameras may be able to see them too, but some may not if they have an IR filter in them.
The UV version should generate a weak bluish-violet visible light, but should show a significant "blacklight" effect on fluorescent materials.

The warranty period is 1 year, and is void if you exceed the recommended voltage (12 volts DC) of the unit.

Maximum temperature on the STRIPLED unit after ~5 hours of continuous operation was measured at 111°F (43.8°C) using a non-contact IR thermometer. This temperature was measured on a resistor, not the LEDs or the PCB or the acrylic mounting. This is quite cool, as electronic stuff goes, and is nothing whatsoever to be concerned about.

Picture of its "beam" from about 4.5' away on an off-white wall.

Because of the nature of this product, any light readings I take will be
meaningless. So I won't try to take any light readings on this product.

(Edit) I was asked for this measurement via email. Measures 77,000mcd.

Remember, this is a linear strip of LEDs, not a flashlight where all the
LEDs are purposefully arranged into a cluster to produce a round beam.

TEST NOTES:
Test unit was received on 02-02-04. Thank you Mike!!!

IMPORTANT: The STRIPLED will not be available until the last week of February 2004. They aren't available before then. You can actually "preorder" them at this time, but they will not be shipped until at least February 20, 2004, because they need to be made first.

When you order a STRIPLED, an option to also order a 12VDC adapter ("wall-wart" transformer for 110-120VAC) will be presented to you. So if you need the adapter, you can order it right along with the STRIPLED.

UPDATE: 02-19-04
I mailed the STRIPLED back to InReTECH today, so I cannot perform any requested tests on it.

UPDATE: 10-03-04
I've been told to expect a 400nm (NUV) version for testing sometime this coming week. I do not know if I'll receive it in time to evaluate before the upcoming move (10-10-04), but at any rate, I'll *have* it for inclusion on this web page ASAP.

I also made a minor change to the text in the "How To Use" section of this web page.

UPDATE: 10-05-04
I received that 400mn STRIPLED this morning, in plenty of time to add it to this web page before I move.

I have since been nicely asked to have this product on its own web page; please find it right here if you're interested.

UPDATE: 03-06-06
InReTECH is now closing its doors because the owner can no longer keep it operational. This and all other InReTECH web pages will be kept available for the benefit of current InReTECH product owners.

PROS:
LEDs driven just below manufacturer's specs for a very long usable life
Very bright for an LED product
No seperate lenses to become scratched or broken
Lead-in wires are of a very generous length
Daisy-chainable

CONS:
Not waterproof or submersible - but this product wasn't designed for that anyway
Not regulated - but this product doesn't need to be anyway. Will not affect rating!

MANUFACTURER: InReTech
PRODUCT TYPE: LED Accent Lighting Device
LAMP TYPE: 5mm LED
No. OF LAMPS: 63
BEAM TYPE: Central hot area with wide corona
SWITCH TYPE: None
BEZEL: N/A
BATTERY: N/A
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Up to 500mA at 12VDC
WATER RESISTANT: No
SUBMERSIBLE: No
ACCESSORIES: None that I'm aware of
WARRANTY: 1 Year

PRODUCT RATING:

(there is no star rating for an *almost* perfect score)

STRIPLED *

Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind? Want to see it tested by a real person, under real working conditions? Do you then want to see how your light did? If you have a sample available for this type of real-world, real-time testing, please contact me at ledmuseum@gmail.com.

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