just for the record guys, (and it is the last thing I'll say about this subject until there is some real news):
Gavita is a Luxim Business partner. When there is something new available, we have it. When they announce something new we already know it. Last year there were rumors about a new module, and preliminary specs were released in a newsletter. Unfortunately this model is not even out of its prototype stage. Luxim is a venture capital backed company which has to produce and innovate. But they hurt themselves by bringing out this information as the new module, let alone a fixture for it, will not be available in a long time. Last year some people were suggesting that it would be on the market soon (it was not) or latest beginning of this year (it was not). Now these rumor surface again as there is a light show in May where Luxim will be. Please visit their booth and see a dummy of a new module which will be not even pre-production ready until end of the year, so do not expect a new fixture until somewhere next year. We are not in the business of spreading rumors or misinformation. You can not take decisions based on rumors. So, if people on the forums I manage insist to keep on undermining the information flow by spreading false rumors (or even say I am a misinformed liar) I will warn them not to do so any more. If they persist: I have better things to do than fight windmills 9and we have a lot of then in Holland :D).
For those who still want to wait for a new and bigger module: The current plasma fixture has a pay-back time (just based on the added light output and corresponding yield) of less than two cycles. I do not even take quality into this consideration. So you get a good ROI for this fixture. Also it remains to be seen if you can swap the 300W for the new module. You need to be able to spread the light over a surface, specifically when you combine it with HPS. That means that you would need to have a much wider reflector or hang it higher to get the same mix of HPS and plasma.
So my recommendation is to not wait and just experience the plasma for yourself. It is a no-brainer if you calculate the pay back time. For HPS fixtures the pay-back time is of course less than one cycle.
Then about the price (just to give you an idea of our strategy): Our competitors in the US, for example Chameleon, have a much higher MSRP ($ 1695) to be able to give the shops a bigger margin, and for that they give you a metal box with a fan in it. Our horticultural quality fixture (solid state fanless, custom design, Miro reflecotor, float glass wide spectrum filter, Wieland connector, inox parts) has an MSRP in the US of $ 1299. This has been the price since launch. We keep the price and margins low to enable people to actually be able to afford this lamp. It will not become cheaper this year. Recently Chameleon in the US announced their prices to drop, I think they have a special deal for 1395. This is not to talk bad about the competition, they do a good job promoting this new technology and investing in it, there is more than enough room in the market for more suppliers. It's just to put thing a bit more in perspective.
New technology is exciting, and even more so if it is affordable. As most of you will not be growing lettuce and tomatoes the break even point will be much faster than with any horticultural crop. You will get a better ROI with a HPS lamp, no doubt about it. LEP is still by far not as efficient as HPS in producing photons. It can not (contrary to what some of the competition tries to sell it for) replace a 1000W or even 600W HPS. It will replace a 400W MH if you just look at lumens. We have always been very open and precise about what you can and can not do with this lamp. Lighting is a science.
sorry if I am not always popping in when a question arises, fortunately there are many plasma users already who can answer most questions now :) (thanks Herb!)
