Phantom Lighting System

LED cove lights are highly decorative and have to be able to generate the ambient warmth associated with high-end linear lighting. When building cove lights they also have to be bright enough to effectively compliment general room lighting and contribute noticeable quality to the decorum of interior architecture.

Now when we talk about quality, we have to step back and identify the type of quality we are looking to define. Are we talking about the actual amount of light? Are we talking LED energy savings lamps? Is color rendering or color temperature our primary concern?

Each one of these variables represents a different set of considerations that go into selecting a light source. Historically, cove lights prior to LED have been based on the following technologies, all of which had their unique benefits.

     • Cold cathode and fluorescent lamps tended to produce the brightest light.

     • Incandescent lights known for their golden hue

     • Xenon lights used for high-quality lighting with a distinctively white color to their luminance

Although only capable of producing a pale bluish light in their early days, newer generations of LED linear lighting strips have now begun operating at color temperatures comparable to incandescent. People tend to judge the quality of a light by incandescent because this was the very first type of light invented, and it was used for most of the 20th century.

While it is true LEDs have grown competitively warm in color temperature, only Phantom cove LED accent lights now equal both the warmth and ambience of incandescent lights and the brightness of xenon lamps. The added advantage we offer an equally decorative and truly energy conscious solution that saves money and drastically slashes maintenance and replacement costs.

In fact, our level of quality has earned a reputation for warmth, mood, and ambience in the most high-end display, cabinet, and cove lighting applications. Our color temperatures (LED comparison chart) start from the very warm 2700K, which is virtually identical to incandescent, to the ultra-cool, contemporary 5000K.

The success of our Phantom LED lighting lies in the unique engineering of our festoon lamps. We do not use 5mm “toppled” LEDs like other linear strip light manufacturers use. Such a configuration never results in any more than 5 to maybe 10 lumens in the best of possible worlds.

On the other hand, Phantom LED cove lights have always output over 40 lumens per festoon—and this was with our original festoon design, which has now been redesigned for even greater performance!

Our first LED festoon lamps were comprised of 3 LEDs that operated at a combined 1.7 watts per lamp. We have since doubled the number of LEDs per lamp and simultaneously cut the wattage to only .6 watts. This has negated all but a trace amounts of heat produced by the circuits in the lamps themselves.

These new LED cove lights are a brighter source of light than ever, burn cooler than anything else on the market, and will last longer than anything you buy. Even better, you only need to buy the lamps—not the linear strips themselves. Our festoons are made to retrofit any existing cove lighting system operating at 12V or 24V.

Phantom Lighting is a pioneer, Houston-based art lighting supply company and low voltage cove lighting manufacturer established in 1980 to service the lighting and design community. Phantom Contour Projector and Phantom strip lights feature lighting technology that is completely unique, 100% proprietary, and found nowhere else in the world of lighting. Phantom’s revolutionary approach to decorative picture lighting and low voltage display, shelf, and under cabinet lighting has taken it from humble origins to the level of an international leader in lighting manufacturing on two continents.

We invite you to contact us direct at 800-863-1184 to obtain more information on our LED lamping options. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed, view an LED brochure, check out our Phantom Lighting mobile website, or read through the many informative summaries and Phantom FAQ's located on our Phantom Lighting blog.

Led light bulbs will one day become the dominant source of lighting on the planet—if not the exclusive source. They solve a multitude of economic and environmental problems that have plagued and continue to plague users of other types of lamps. The reason for this lies in the manner in which a led bulb generates light. Unlike incandescents and fluorescent bulbs, a led light does not utilize a filament or any type of luminary gas. Instead, led lighting bulb technology is based on something completely different—a semi conductive component known as a “diode.” By passing a low voltage current through a diode, one can agitate electrons within its composite substances, causing light to radiate into the surroundings. This light is cool burning and will not cause heat pollution in work and living areas. Because these LED light bulbs do not rely on inert gases of any kind, they pose no threat to the environment, and the substances of which they are composed are virtually unbreakable compared to standard lamps.

Festoon lamps are available in 3 watt, 5 watt, and 10 watt, in both 12VAC and 24VAC. Xenon lamps (2,800K) typically produce a whiter light and are used for display lighting. The light from an incandescent lamp (2,450K) is warmer in color, and more conducive to residential applications. The average life for a incandescent lamp is 7,500 hours and 20,000 hours for xenon low voltage lamps.

There are many advantages to LED lighting. LED festoon lamps are available in a 0.6 watt, 12VAC and 24VAC models in several popular color temperatures such as 2,700K, 3,500K, and 5,000K. LED festoon lamps produce very little forward throw heat, no UV rays and have an average lamp life of 50,000 hours.

LED 2,700K festoon lamps are perfect for retrofit applications or new projects that require a bright, efficient light source in hard to reach areas. Commercial applications such as LED cove lighting in hotels, casinos, theaters, and large residential cove lighting projects are all candidates for Phantom LED festoon light bulbs. Why replace your linear strip lights when you can simply install new energy efficient LED festoon lamps?

Our new 2,700K Phantom LED festoon lamp is a favorite of interior designers, architects, maintenance departments and electrical engineers because it produces a beautiful warm colored light that works well in indirect LED cove lights, display cabinets, task lights and many other commercial and residential applications.

Contact Phantom Lighting now toll-Free at 1-800-863-1184. Speak to a US lighting sales representative today about specific strip lighting series and the many aesthetic and practical benefits that led light bulbs add to display and showcase lighting on all levels of function and form.

LED strip lights provide an ideal source of showcase lighting in any situation involving heat sensitive items. Materials such as makeup, textiles, foods, produce, can quickly deteriorate when exposed to forward radiant heat and/or ultraviolet light. Phantom LED festoon light strips generate only a small fraction of the heat of incandescent or Xenon equivalents, with the radiant heat of each individual lamp being roughly equivalent to that of a 1 watt light bulb. This makes them not only well-suited for various forms of retail showcasing, but also for museum lighting of historical documents, antiques, and ancient artifacts.

Over the past decade, we have also seen a growing demand for LED strip lights in cove lighting design work. LED Cove lighting requires both an optimal beam spread and a high lumens output that can dispel all shadows along a curved surface. Because it can be such a chore to replace cove lights when they fail, a longer lamp life is preferred in order to curtail maintenance costs. Furthermore, because cove lights tend to remain on for longer periods of time than task lights, it serves a budget well to use an energy efficient light source. Phantom led lights strips fulfill all of these requirements. With only 1.7 watts of power, the Phantom LED lamp is designed to ultimately replace all 3, 5, and 10 watt incandescent and festoon lamps by minimizing current without sacrificing light intensity.

Phantom LED strip light bulbs have also worked their way into larger industrial spaces as power savers and key components to LEEDS certification. In areas where scaffolding or man lifts must be used to service cove lighting systems in hard to reach areas or tall ceilings, Phantom LED light lamps reduce costs by exponentially reducing lamp replacement cycles. No other festoon bulb offers longevity comparable to a Phantom’s 50,000-hour lamp life. Incandescents burn out after approximately 7,500 hours and Xenon’s after about 20,000 hours. Incandescents and Xenon festoons also consume more power and emit less light.

Why not jump on the LED lamp train and contact Phantom Lighting to learn more about the benefits of Phantom LED technology! Phantom distributes low voltage strip lighting and fine art lighting projectors throughout the Western Hemisphere and works with both commercial lighting firms and private end users. Contact a professional lighting manufacturer representative in your area, or simply call 1-800-863-1144 to see LED technology in a whole new light.

What are some power-saving benefits of Phantom LED lamp technology?
Phantom LED lamps produce far less heat than other light sources and provide a tremendously longer lamp life than their incandescent and Xenon festoon lamp counterparts. Clients with sensitive materials will find an even greater value in the cool burning temperatures of LED lamps. Phantom LED lamps are also extremely versatile and can be used for custom cove lighting, under cabinet lighting, sensitive and/or high-end display lighting, and any other high performance linear strip lighting project.

What wattage low voltage festoon lamps are Phantom LED's designed to replace?
Our LED lamps have been designed as the ultimate technological replacement of 5 to 7 watt incandescent and Xenon festoons. In California, legislation has already mandated incandescent light bulb replacement by 2010, and other states may soon follow suit with similar laws of their own. In the meantime, commercial clients may serve themselves now by investing in Phantom low voltage LED lamps to obtain LEEDS certification in their respective industries. Requiring only 1.7 watts of energy, the Phantom LED lamp will operate on 12V AC and is completely dimmable. This gives it market versatility from a lighting designer’s perspective.

How can Phantom LED festoon lamps be used in residential applications?
Residential clients consistently praise Phantom Strip Lights as the best source of linear strip illumination they have ever utilized to adorn collectible displays, coves in vaulted ceilings, rare books and ornate shelving, and even certain forms of antique furniture. Each Phantom LED lamp in actuality consists of three ½ watt, tight color binning LED’s with a CRI of approximately 80. The combined, resulting output is 45-50 lumens depending on color temperature.

How much heat is created by Phantom LED lamps?
Sensitive objects are perfectly safe when illuminated with Phantom LED lamps, so displays may be left on for extended hours without risk of overheating. This is because Phantom technology is amazingly self-contained. A ribbed thermal design dissipates heat on the backside of the circuit. This not only prevents forward radiation of heat, it also produces the superior conductivity necessary to produce high lumens of output at extremely low wattage.

Can I use Phantom LED lamps in my existing linear lighting system?

Yes, Phantom LED lamps can be used in any 12 VAC low voltage linear lighting system that is designed for use with Xenon or Incandescent festoon lamps. Because the Phantom LED lamps have such a low amperage draw modifying the existing wiring is rarely an issue. As long as you have a 12 volt system with a magnetic (alternating current) transformer, the Phantom LED lamps function as a simple plug and play option.

Where can I purchase Phantom LED lamps in my area?
Phantom lighting is sold through traditional marketing channels throughout the United States, Mexico and Central America. I would recommend that you contact a lighting representative in your area or contact the factory toll free at 800-863-1184 X 125 for a color brochure.

Phantom Strip lighting solutions cover the full lighting spectrum, making 12 volt LED home lighting the only linear light source to accommodate free standing furniture, coves, bookshelves, and picture lighting within your home. Low voltage 12VAC LED home lighting offers a safe and long-lasting alternative to all other forms of technology such as incandescent or xenon light sources.

Phantom 12 volt LED energy saving lighting are rapidly becoming the very future of custom accent, display and kitchen under cabinet lighting. Filament based lighting such as incandescent or xenon convert 90% of all electricity into raw heat. Not only does this cause the bulb to eventually burn out, but it also heats the room and subsequently increases energy costs on cooling. LED technology replaces this gas and filament with superior technology with more cost effective results. Phantom LED festoon lamps utilize semiconductor technology to radiate light without heat and only require 12V to operate. As such, they last much longer than halogen and fluorescent bulbs, and they do not heat the room or increase the power bill if used too often.

Phantom Lighting Strips allow for an even distribution of light from an unobtrusive LED lighting source that adapts itself readily to built-in bookcases and freestanding furniture. The variable spacing insures even saturated light output and options for 120-degree or 60-degree optic angles depending on situational lighting requirements and desired aesthetic outcome.

If you are considering specifying, installing or purchasing LED lights, give the display lighting experts at Phantom Lighting System or a factory lighting representative a call. They can be reached at 800-863-1184 X 125 or online at http://www.phantomlighting.com/.

For more information regarding the new Phantom LED Festoon Lamp and our patented adjustable shelf lighting system, feel free to contact us at 800-863-1184 or online at www.phantomlighting.com

See us in New York: LIGHTFAIR 2007 May 8-10th, 2007 Booth 465 Javits Convention Center New York City, New York