This fitting needs two things behind it, not one. Like every Elite it runs from a12 V DC LED driver, but the colour-changing version also needs an RGBCW LEDcontroller without one it will not do the thing you are buying it for. It is the same bodyas the 5 W tri-colour Elite, in the same two finishes: HV2882RGBCW-BLK in poly powdercoated black and HV2882RGBCW-SLV in natural silver aluminium.

What RGBCW actually means here

Havit’s designation is RGB plus 5500K plus 3000K red, green and blue for colour,and two white channels so the fitting can also do ordinary warm or cool light rather than only partycolours. Output is published as 200 lm at 3000K. The light source is abuilt-in LED; there is no globe, no socket and nothing user-replaceable. The beam is36, the lens is traffic resistant, and the impact rating is IK08.Every cable in the tail is colour-marked to its channel, and each must be joined to the matching colouron the cable run this is a five-core connection, not the two-core join the tri-colour models use.

Dimming happens in the controller

Havit’s March 2024 revision of this model’s data sheet states dimming as Yes using RGBCWcontroller, and that is the whole answer: brightness and colour are both set from thecontroller, not from a wall dimmer. Havit lists no wall dimmer against this fitting at all, so do notbuy one for it. Choose the controller first, because it determines how you will actuallyoperate the light by remote, by wall panel or from a phone and then size the 12 V DC driver for thenumber of fittings on it.

IP65, drainage and the two supply limits

The fitting is IP65: protected against water jets, not against immersion. Havitgives the installation type as Ground Recessed and treats drainage as a warrantycondition a 100 mm space beneath the canister, 100 mm to 150 mm of crushed rockbelow that, and a slight fall on the finished ground. It runs on 12 V DC from asuitable 12 V DC LED driver; do not connect the fitting directly to 240 V. Voltage atthe fitting must be within 5% of the rated figure and the fitting must sit no morethan 25 m from the driver, or the warranty is void. Multiple fittings are wired inparallel, joints soldered and sealed with adhesive lined heat shrink or a gel cap.

Aluminium, and one place it cannot go

Both finishes are aluminium, and Havit’s installation instructions state that aluminium and304SS fittings must not be installed within 5 km of any salt water environments. Lights For Youpublishes this page from the HV2882RGBCW data sheet, its March 2024 revision and the HV2882RGBCWinstallation instructions, under Havit’s 3 Years Replacement warranty for items ordered after01/01/2022.

Questions

Do I need anything besides a driver?

Yes an RGBCW LED controller. The 12 V DC driver supplies the power; the controller is what selects colour and brightness. Without it the fitting cannot be operated as a colour-changing light. Havit sells a range of them and lists them against this model specifically.

Can I dim it with a normal wall dimmer?

No. Havit’s March 2024 data sheet for this model states dimming as Yes using RGBCW controller, which means brightness is set from the controller. Havit lists no wall dimmer at all against this fitting, and a dimmer wired ahead of the driver is not how this one is controlled.

How is it different from the tri-colour HV2882T?

Same body, same 62 mm face, same 51 mm hole, same 5 W and the same IP65 rating. The difference is the LED and the wiring: the tri-colour version gives you 3000K, 4000K or 5500K chosen once at installation and reaches 400450 lm, while this one gives full colour plus two whites, is rated 200 lm at 3000K, and needs a controller and a five-core connection.

What size hole does it need?

The cutout is 51 mm without a canister and 55 mm with one, with a 62 mm face sitting on the surface and 80 mm of depth behind it.

Can I mix these with the tri-colour Elites on one driver?

They can share a 12 V DC driver if it has the capacity, but only the RGBCW fittings go through the RGBCW controller a tri-colour Elite wired through a colour controller will not work correctly. In practice it is simpler to give the colour-changing fittings their own driver and controller.

Is it bright enough to light a path?

It is rated 200 lm at 3000K, which is a marker and accent output rather than a floodlight. Colour-changing LEDs give up brightness to fit red, green, blue and two whites into the same aperture, which is why the tri-colour version of the same body reaches more than twice as much white light.

How long does it last, and can the LED be changed?

Havit rates lamp expectancy at >30,000hrs. The LED is built in, so the fitting is replaced at end of life rather than relamped.