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Innovative Marine Aquariums

Best RB?


BradVincent

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When I last tinkered with my light, most people believed that Luxeon M's were the best royal blue. Now I see other Luxeons being recommended, but nothing jumps out at me in the spec. I have a not-so-nano reef, so ideally, I'd like something more than 10 watts. The bridgelux Vero's are awesome for whites, can't wait until someone makes a similar royal blue.

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jedimasterben

The Luxeon T is the chip inside the Luxeon M, currently the most efficient royal blue out there. There is also the Luxeon K, which uses 4-16 of the Luxeon T chips on a PCB. I personally do not see the need for having anything more than the quad-chip M for tanks less than 24" deep.

 

Par from 8x Luxeon M at 1A, no lenses, 26" away:

rb%25201a%2520par.jpg

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Well, I won't be pulling out my Luxeon M's anytime soon, but If buying LXK0-PR04-0016 saves me half my cost and 75% of my work, why would I buy Luxeon M's? Is mouser the best (or only source)?

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Add more and run them cooler?

 

They are not that expensive.

 

http://www.mouser.com/Mobile/Philips-Lumileds/Optoelectronics/LED-Lighting/LED-Emitters/High-Power-LEDs-Single-Color/LUXEON-K-Series/_/N-8usfnZ1yyndn4Z1yyvhk6

 

$22 for 16 up. From Mouser, not the cheapest.

 

Run them at 350mA. Make a long 'dense' string of them, alternating with 8 up white Ks.

 

Run some LGB violets along them.

 

Youve just replaced the need to add T5 tubes to your light.

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Do they handle voltage about the same as the M's? The M's run at 1amp, but do better at 700ma, are they the same? Or is 350ma the equivalent longevity and efficiency to an M at 700ma?

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The tank is 30 inches tall. How is that the determining factor? If the tank were 30 feet tall, could I run them at 50 amps without them frying?

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jedimasterben

The tank is 30 inches tall. How is that the determining factor? If the tank were 30 feet tall, could I run them at 50 amps without them frying?

whatno.gif

 

 

What happens when you increase the current? Flux increases. You'll very quickly get too much light running them at high amperage.

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1050 mA is max current last time I checked of the K multi chips. 350mA is test current.

 

Ben is absolutely correct.

 

Intensity is more a matter of DISTANCE than any other factor.

 

>Inverse Square Law<

 

 

You can take a single 2.7v K LED, run 350mA through it, you could grow a couple zoa polyps at a couple inches. Ben has a PAR meter, I don't, maybe he could give PAR readings of an LED at an inch.

 

I doubt he will, its a stupid experiment to disprove a stupid idea(spectrum, coverage, etc). I was just looking at Apogee sensors, they just went up in price, maybe you couple buy one at $155 and prove the experiment.

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I have an Apogee sensor, and I agree that if coverage were an issue, I'd want more lights at lower current. However coverage is not an issue. The K's spec at 1050ma, but some specs are tighter than others. Is running them at 1050ma really a good idea? I think I run my M's at 600ma, but haven't lost one yet (properly heatsinked).

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Why isnt coverage an issue?

 

If I were a new hobbyist buying a new tank, it would be different. I have good coverage now, and like how my lights are.

 

The left side of my tank had 16 Luxeon M's (which I cluster in groups of 4), 2x100 watt dirt cheap Chinese arrays and 2 Vero 29's. Both arrays are out, as well as 10 of the RBs. This is more likely a soldering/wiring problem than actual burnt out LEDs, but I've been wanting to upgrade the Chinese arrays and want LEDs on hand to replace anything that did burn out if I am going to spend the time to take my canopy apart. I will have LED's left over, but that is okay, because I will eventually take apart the right side too.

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What would be perfect coverage for me, would be an LED panel(see link above), in the shape of a hemispheric dome.

 

Providing proper spectra, photoperiod, and intensity of light to all sides, tops, and bottoms of corals.

 

You could probably get coral to jiz.., er ejac.., er sexually spawn, with a light like that.

 

I dont care how experienced you are, you dont have it and neither do I. Until its made we make do with what we have.

 

I have already experimented with crap chinese LEDs, on accident. And it wasn't cheap. Never again. Those are made for Chinese street lights and parking garages. So good luck with those.

 

To answer your 1050 question, I would rather have 3 16up Ks at 300ma than 1 16up K at 1050, any day More even diffuse light that'll last longer than spec'ed. With the price of the Ks, its really kinda a no brainer. What limits you is the amperage of single power supplies (if youre into one light one power supply design).

 

Drivers are coming way down in price.

 

Airsoft in Ukraine makes them about the size of a quarter. Dmitry makes small and affordable drivers. His Sirius canon is serious, as far as point source light goes.

 

An electrical engineer could make them small and inexpensive enough such that cooling is the largest component. Making LDDs look like ELN drivers in comparison.

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