gradth Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 So I just find out that PFO is located right down the street from me. Then I read that they went out of business. Anyone got any info on them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 was wondering myself. Will call them tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 yep they are out of business due to their "solaris" lawsuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Just too dam bad. Good people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I just got a pfo 400 watt x 2 pulse start ballast given to me and let me tell ya. BRIGHT. I upgraded from dual 175 watters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradth Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Im a bit bummed out. Dr. foster and smith just screwed me out of my aqualite elite I was gonna buy and I found that PFO was just down the street. Went down there to find it and was sadly dissapointed. Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I had talked to PFO in December and they had given me no clue about shutting down. Their voice mail is still working, although I see that their website is now down. Hopefully someone will be there later this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 yep they are out of business due to their "solaris" lawsuit. Reading up on it a bit right now. http://www.reefbuilders.com/2009/02/03/big-trouble-brewing-future-aquarium-leds/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mltnguyen Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodus Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I'm trying not to jump to any conclusions about good guys and bad guys. Very few people know the whole story. Things are seldom as they appear when lawyers are involved :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 This is really awful......... everyone I have ever met from PFO were always nice and polite. Just a shame to have this happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krux Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 They have been done for a couple months now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 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... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonH Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 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!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Seriously they are a great sponsor, hate to see them go, they have done more than there required share for the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-3 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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