Jump to content

PFO lighting out of business?


gradth

Recommended Posts

Lawsuits like this should not take place unless a company is directly affecting your bottom-line. Orbitec knows what they are doing and since they are really small in the big picture they are acting like bullies and picking on the smaller guys just to feel like they have some power in this big world.

 

What Orbitec doesn’t realize is that LED has not been proven and that they are so expensive right now that LED lighting for aquariums is a nitch market and that all they are doing is acting like oil companies and holding advancements in both technologies and energies back.

 

Just my thoughts and views and in no way are they related to PNWMAS

 

Bottom line: I hope that by some small miracle PFO makes it out of this, and in the mean time my prayers go out to all the PFO employees and their families.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

heres the shmucks statement on the bad press he recived for this BS:

 

LED AQUARIUM LIGHTING STATEMENT

February 4, 2009

 

Orbital Technologies Corporation, a small business with 70 employees located in Madison, Wisconsin, has recently been the target of inaccurate, negative publicity regarding its patent for a Marine LED Lighting System and Method.

 

As ORBITEC's president, I am an avid aquarium enthusiast. Back in 2003, the company combined my new-found passion for aquariums with our decade-long experience in LED lighting systems for plant growth, science research, underwater bioreactors and aerospace applications to create a new design for a complete LED system for marine environments. Working together with aquarium industry partners, our engineering team began developing high-quality, effective LED lighting systems for small and large marine applications, including aquariums.

 

ORBITEC's ability to launch its product line was delayed due to internal resource limitations and a challenge to its intellectual property. We take our intellectual property rights very seriously, and expect others to do so as well. We look forward, however, to working together with our aquarium partners to release a growing series of reliable, exciting products later this year. My excitement is most felt at home, when I experience the benefits of these units in my own aquarium systems.

 

We continually welcome any comments or input that you may have regarding these products and future capabilities and you are welcome to email us at aquarium.lighting@orbitec.com.

 

Most Sincerely,

Tom Crabb, President

http://www.orbitec.com/LEDaquarium.html

I'm staying away from any products associated with this company as I'm sure others are too

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's too bad i worked for them for about 6 months designing their first aquarium light fixtures. Ill have to give patrick a call

 

Roy, Let me know if you get hold of Pat. I have made several calls to both the local number and toll-free number, and tried all extensions without anyone answering.

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IF I was making a unique product such as Solaris,,, I would be Da*& sure no one else already had a patent. IMO, PFO is as much to blame for not doing the proper research, as Orbital is for picking on the little guy.

 

You cant blame Orbital for defending something they paid money to have rights too,,, If I was them, and I paid for the patent, I would have sued the crap out of them too.

 

Bottom line for me is:

Its just too bad they couldnt have come to some sort of agreement rather than just throwing the lawyers in "the pit" to duke it out. IE,, buy out the product from PFO, or something. although, now they get to pick it apart and get all the data they can at no cost other than the purchase of the fixture.

 

Man,,,, I just keep talking myself into the fact its PFO's fault to begin with...

 

maybe I shouldnt state my opinion...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with one of the voices in Joel's head. Behind the scene's there is probably blame on both sides. It's a shame that they couldn't find a solution that kept PFO in business making the same quality products they had been making. But Orbital has a right to defend and maintain their intellectual property.

 

It wasn’t a commercially viable product yet anyway – it was cost prohibitive for the hobbyist. They probably missed an opportunity to work together and both make money. My guess is that Orbital took their ball and went home. But it was their ball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with one of the voices in Joel's head.

 

If Only I could agree with all of them. Id have a much clearer train of thought...... (scratch)(laugh)

 

really thought, not only was the Solaris a long way from becoming commercially viable IMO,,, it was not even to the point of where I would have wanted it released. They made so many changes since it came out, yet they wouldnt help those that bought one of the previous models. A customer of mine, and a member here bought solaris, he was told it was going to cost $2400 to upgrade to the newest "Version". Thats like microsoft charging $50 per patch!?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All efforts to contact Pat at PFO have been unsuccessful. We will be removing the PFO advertising banner from the PNWMAS site.

 

 

Thank you Pat, and the rest at PFO for supporting us over the years as a PNWMAS Sponsor, and for the great presentation on lighting you gave at the 2007 PNWMAS Christmas Party. Best wishes to you in the future.

 

John Manrow

PNWMAS Vice President, and

interim Vendor Relations Officer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pat and Carla are good people . I can only hope that all the years in the industry haven't ended in a total loss. With the slowing of the economy and the hard cost of material to build there ballast's doubling. it must of been pretty hard to give them up/or not. Anyway they where always helpful and took care of any problems I had with the equipment. Sad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pat and Carla are good people . I can only hope that all the years in the industry haven't ended in a total loss. With the slowing of the economy and the hard cost of material to build there ballast's doubling. it must of been pretty hard to give them up/or not. Anyway they where always helpful and took care of any problems I had with the equipment. Sad

 

It seems to me it was a matter of throwing all your eggs in one basket, hence the Solaris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree on the eggs. Easter is just around the corner and............oh yea Solaris. I thought it was a huge mistake dropping there bread and butter ballasts. I know that they had moved the Solaris from over seas due to quality control and where building them here. The ballasts were nearly bullet proof and still go for a pretty price used. Now back to those eggs. yummmm and an open air retreat:D I'm ready(laugh)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree on the eggs. Easter is just around the corner and............oh yea Solaris. I thought it was a huge mistake dropping there bread and butter ballasts. I know that they had moved the Solaris from over seas due to quality control and where building them here. The ballasts were nearly bullet proof and still go for a pretty price used. Now back to those eggs. yummmm and an open air retreat:D I'm ready(laugh)

 

...you sound hungry Blaine... go eat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...