Emteq introduced its new 3X Series white wash LED lighting for business aircraft cabin upgrades yesterday at the 57th annual AEA International Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn. What makes the 3X lights unique is that they run directly off 28 VDC aircraft electric power because they contain their own regulated power supply. The 3X Series lights can be installed as either a minor modification or as part of a full modification package, according to Emteq.

While some LED lights are installed such that they run off the old ballasts from previous fluorescent lighting systems, the Emteq 3X lights do not use the old ballasts. The installation of the 3X lights is simplified, not just because they run off aircraft power, but also because the old ballasts and power supplies can be left in, meaning less needed work, or removed if desired.

“Right now there is a curiosity towards an LED light that can run off the ballast and be a ‘drop-in’ solution,” said 3X product manager Peter Tessmann. “The problem with this is that over time the ballast can become damaged because of the way fluorescent tubes interact with them. With a failure of these new systems, you do not know if it is the light or ballast until you dig a little deeper. And worse yet, the ballasts are often remote from the light source. The 3X Series bypasses the ballast, eliminating that as a failure point.”

The 3X LEDs are also “hyper-effiicient,” according to Emteq, “with incredible color consistency and unmatched color blending.” A new lens with a wider beam spread helps create a “homogenous output while not diminishing the intensity of the light.” With built-in step-dimming and variable-dimming options, the 3X LED lights are backwards-compatible with Emteq’s ELW30 lights, using the same mounting clips.

Emteq also revealed that it shipped more than 5,000 feet of its Quasar II full-spectrum mood lighting during 2013 and early 2014. Quasar II runs off 115 VAC and works on Emteq’s cabin logic network protocol, which is built into the lights and eliminates the need for external power supplies and control boxes. Installers can hook the lights up to Emteq’s eConnect system for lighting control or integrate Quasar II lights with cabin management systems by CCC, Flight Display Systems, Honeywell, IDAir, PGA and Rockwell Collins.