Group Buy on Refugium Bulbs?

[ChemE]

First posted to the RC board by Melev here (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=313318&perpage=25&pagenumber=1) and summarized on his site here (http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html)

I'm sure most of you have read the thread and like me some of you may have scoured HD and Lowes to no avail. So far I've been unwilling to pay $7.90 shipping on a $11.66 light bulb. Would anyone like to go in on a group order of these?
http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/1p3816.jpg
http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/page/001/PROD/Reflectors/1P381951

[andycook]

I'm in for 4.

-Andy

[ChemE]

Great! I'm planning on getting 4 myself, so already shipping is down to less than a dollar a bulb. I'll wait a week or two to see if anyone else wants in and then we'll order.

[ahenson]

I'll take 2

[lcashman]

Sign me up for 2

[smorrow5773]

Walmart has the 30w 6500k floodlight style screw in bulb for $8, and the 20w are 2 for $8.

[tcottle]

2 Please

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7581615#post7581615 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smorrow5773
Walmart has the 30w 6500k floodlight style screw in bulb for $8, and the 20w are 2 for $8.

Thanks for the tip but my intent here is to get the 5100K that Melev had such success with. My chaeto grows decently under the Wally World bulbs so I'm curious to try the genuine article.

To recap to this point, we are up to 12 bulbs so shipping is about $0.75 per bulb and dropping quickly.

[FloatingFish]

I'll Take two please.

[Michelle L]

Thank you, I'd like two as well please. :)

[ChemE]

Wow! I wasn't expecting such a large response! Maybe I can negotiate us a better price on the bulbs since we are buying a pretty substantial quantity. Can't hurt to try.

[Michelle L]

Hey ChemE, will you need payment for these before you order?

Thanks!

[Benny Z]

put me down for 1.

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7592870#post7592870 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Michelle L
Hey ChemE, will you need payment for these before you order?

Thanks!

What do you guys think? Can I trust everyone who has spoken up so far to pay me when the bulbs show up? If we PayPal instead, it'll cost a little extra since those guys ding me for receiving money.

[Benny Z]

i would highly recommend going the paypal route.

not that i don't trust anyone here, just that i know how much of a pita it can be to track money down. paypal just simplifies it.

i'll happilly pay the paypal fee.

[andycook]

I don't mind mailing you a check for my bulbs and shipping in advance of the order being placed.

[tcottle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7597250#post7597250 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by andycook
I don't mind mailing you a check for my bulbs and shipping in advance of the order being placed.

Ditto or paypal - Your choice

[ChemE]

Ok, let me scrutinize the PayPal deal. I think I can set up a new account with fewer features that doesn't have a fee on receiving money. If you upgrade for free :rolleyes: to the next step up, they ding you 2.5% on inbound cash.

[FloatingFish]

I'm good either way.

[lcashman]

Same here, I can send paypal or a check.

[ChemE]

OK, here is where we're at so far...
http://www.dragonhome.org/~lucas/group_buy.PNG

Since no one seems to mind the PayPal fee I guess we'll go that way.

[Michelle L]

Well now look at your bad self!! Awesome chart!

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7598393#post7598393 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Michelle L
Well now look at your bad self!! Awesome chart!

Heh, like I said, a special kind of geek.

My PayPal address is lucas@lit.net and the PayPal fees are 2.9% of money received + $0.30 per transaction. As soon as everyone has chipped in, I'll place the order and get the bulbs on the way so we can dole them out at the unofficial meeting.

[Benny Z]

i sent ya $13. consider the difference a tip. ;)

cheers!

[lcashman]

paypal sent

[tcottle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7599183#post7599183 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChemE
PayPal fees are 2.9% of money received + $0.30 per transaction.

$25.19 sent. The engineer in me is compelled to point out that $24.16 * 1.029 + 0.30 = $25.16

:D

[andycook]

I sent payment for the 4 bulbs. Thanks for handling this.

-Andy

[FloatingFish]

Paypal sent.

Thanks

Charlie

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7599972#post7599972 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcottle
$25.19 sent. The engineer in me is compelled to point out that $24.16 * 1.029 + 0.30 = $25.16

:D

Aww, c'mon! The engineer in you should know that order of operation in this case is not commutitive and PayPal are thieving @holes!

You make more by computing net = gross*(1.0-0.029)-$0.30 than if you compute net = (gross-$0.30)*(1.0-0.029). And you know they are sticking it to us as much as is possible.

[ChemE]

Observe the @holes in action...
http://www.dragonhome.org/~lucas/aholes.PNG

[tcottle]

For those of you who forgot HS algebra (or slept through it)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commutative

[ChemE]

DISCLAIMER: My wife routinely refers to me as "such a dork!"

[tcottle]

Mine too - Go figure .... :rolleyes:

[Michelle L]

Well I wish I were a dork then!! I, at my advanced age, am still working slowly towards a degree. That means that I am going through a series of painful algebra classes, and I never took algebra in high school so this is all new territory for me. I'd kill to be able to retain some of the stuff they are trying to put into my head! :mad:

ChemE, I have to get into my PayPal account. It's been so long since I have used it that I forgot the password so I have to go through the process of getting a new one and verifying that they have the account right. As soon as I get that done, I'll have payment to you.

Thanks for doing this for us!

[ChemE]

I've got a lot of respect for anyone who goes back for more education. More school is never the wrong thing to do.

As for the group buy; not a problem at all.

[Michelle L]

Payment sent.

[ChemE]

Cool, that's everyone. I'll order the bulbs as soon as it makes sense. I need to time it so that they show up at our new house after we do. They'll be here in plenty of time for the upcoming unofficial meeting. If anyone wants to drop by our house and pick them up before then that is no problem at all.

[Swamp Donkey]

CHem have you tried Quazi cash as payment on ebay? The percentage is less than half.

[ChemE]

I'll have to check into that; thanks Swamp Donkey.

[Swamp Donkey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7680167#post7680167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChemE
I'll have to check into that; thanks Swamp Donkey. no problem.
Hey one more thing. I went to home depot today with a printout of that bulb from the article. i found a 19 watt 950 light output, 8000 hour life bulb that looks identical except it is warm white (i don't know if the other one was or not) made by quick start technology. guy at HD said it was the same bulb. 2 for 3.90. FYI. I bought some if they work well I will let you know. They are a spitting image of the one's that guy had in his article. :)

[ChemE]

Yeah, those are the 2700K bulbs which did not produce much chaeto growth in Melev's experiment. I bought the same bulb and it isn't anything to write home about and my chaeto certainly wasn't starved for nitrates. The 5100K bulbs which we are ordering however produced dramatic growth for Melev.

[badbu68]

Have you already ordered these? If not, I'd jump on it as well.

[ChemE]

Heh, I was going to order them this morning. We can wait another day with no sweat. How many do you want and I'll let you know how much to PayPal.

[badbu68]

Put me down for 2

[ChemE]

No problem. 2 with the PayPal fees is $25.19. I'll order them as soon as I get your payment.

[badbu68]

Sorry bout the wait, I messed up my pay pal account and had to call them.

[ChemE]

Its all good. I'll place the order this afternoon.

[ChemE]

Okay, the bulbs are ordered and should arrive late this week. I drug my feet as long as possible in case anyone else wanted to jump on board.

[ChemE]

I just spoke to Light Bulbs Etc. and the order will go out today and arrive Thursday or Friday. So barring a disaster, we should be in business for the meeting Saturday.

[ChemE]

Look what the FedEx fairy brought me today...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f26/cdl1051/Fuge_Bulbs.jpg

[Michelle L]

:D Yeah!

[ChemE]

Wow, these things are BRIGHT and the spectrum kicks the crap out of the junk I bought from HD. To my eye they look very very close to natural daylight. I'm very pleased. As an added bonus, once the bulb warms up it only draws 15 watts according to my Kill A Watt. I'll take 4 extra watts wherever I can get them.