Heading To LED Land

November 3, 2017 by Dave Haynes

My butt gets sore just thinking about the long plane ride ahead this weekend – eventually taking me to Shenzhen, where most of the world’s consumer and business electronics are made.

I’m going there for a few days to take a deep look at direct view LEDs – how they’re made, who makes them and how buyers are supposed to separate the great from the not-so. It’s visually obvious with the really cheap stuff, and the premium stuff, but not so much in that big middle tier where finicky things like the diode maker and the lots and bins of those diodes make a difference.

Look for a special report, soon, on this – similar but deeper than ones I’ve done previously on Android and System on Chip. This is the research trip necessary to get a full look at the source, given that most of what’s made/assembled in North America and elsewhere originates in Shenzhen. I’m also stopping in Taipei to tour another factory there.

The report has some industry sponsors, by category, but I’d still welcome a sponsor from a creative agency. Sponsorship gets me over there, albeit in coach (ugh), and accommodated, and covers the time doing this instead of something else.

Should be fascinating. And my reward for that endless plane ride is soup dumplings! 

Between my itinerary and time zones and jet lag and insomnia, the volume of posts will likely be down for the next 8-10 days. However, two podcasts are in the can, so things are good to go there.

  1. Mark Roberts says:

    Let me know about this trip – I have been traveling there for 15years in the LED business. Many of your visits will be staged depending on who you know.

  2. Tim Ault says:

    I look forward to the follow up report.

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