CNCreef Asis Pro 824 LED/T5HO Evil Cluster Hybrid

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

Just a quick question as long as all the pros are gathered together on one thread. I see a lot of you using quite large arrays of violets. Do any of you use UV filters?

[jedimasterben]

Why?

[MeepNand]

Just a quick question as long as all the pros are gathered together on one thread. I see a lot of you using quite large arrays of violets. Do any of you use UV filters?

I don't think you need to. The violets usually peak at a wavelength high enough to have only minimal amounts of UV light emitted. And the water does stop some of it.

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

Why?

Because of how damaging UV can be.

 

I don't think you need to. The violets usually peak at a wavelength high enough to have only minimal amounts of UV light emitted. And the water does stop some of it.

I only ask because there are some pretty large arrays being used. Even I am using a good sized one myself. Even if they put out minimal amounts and with the UV blocking properties that water has, I have to assume that not all UV is blocked. I'm guessing that corals near the surface would be the first to respond to any threatening levels. Just a thought that I don't see talked about very often.

[MeepNand]

Because of how damaging UV can be.

 

 

I only ask because there are some pretty large arrays being used. Even I am using a good sized one myself. Even if they put out minimal amounts and with the UV blocking properties that water has, I have to assume that not all UV is blocked. I'm guessing that corals near the surface would be the first to respond to any threatening levels.

Well, none of my corals have died yet, so I guess I must be lucky.

No, seriously, looking at this spectrum chart from ledgroupbuy.com about 405nm violets, you can see that there is very little damaging light. The lowest wavelength is 380nm, and really it's more like 390nm.

 

http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server2200/b4d7d/products/238/images/921/TV__89284.1367208403.1280.1280.JPG

[jedimasterben]

Because of how damaging UV can be.

 

I only ask because there are some pretty large arrays being used. Even I am using a good sized one myself. Even if they put out minimal amounts and with the UV blocking properties that water has, I have to assume that not all UV is blocked. I'm guessing that corals near the surface would be the first to respond to any threatening levels. Just a thought that I don't see talked about very often.

Violet light is not ultraviolet light - they are two very different things.

 

UV light emitted by metal halide lights can go down into the 240nm range - which is UVB and is incredibly dangerous, and is why UV shields should always be used (but even then, typical UV shields only lower the UV output by 25-50%, with water attenuating the rest very quickly, within a few inches).

 

Modern violet LEDs (again, not ultraviolet) will almost all emit the same light spectrum, which will be identical to the 405nm from LEDGroupBuy. You will find others that may claim different dominant wavelengths, but the peak wavelength will still be 405nm.

 

Milad has the 430nm custom made and has verified with a spectrometer that the peak is around 425-430nm and that it emits less than 5% of its total light below 400nm, and the lowest emitted wavelength is ~395nm - not even technically ultraviolet, as that range actually starts at 380nm.

 

 

You have absolutely and definitively no need for a UV shield using violet LEDs, unless you are specifically purchasing ultraviolet LEDs, in which I would advise you not to do so.

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

Ok. Thanks for the info guys.

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

I'm thinking of swapping out my NW XM-L's for something like them bridgelux chips you guy been talking about. I see however the voltages are very different so if I went that route, I'd also have to change the power source as well.

[jedimasterben]

Yep, but you'll be happier. From what blasterman says, XM-Ls are all over the place when it comes to color, and they're very bad with off-axis uniformity.

[Confuse]

Hey Ben, how's your array in respect to color blending. I ran the NW and RB channels together yesterday with some old drivers I had and it wasn't bad, but it was pointed at the ceiling. When I put it over the tank, the shimmer resembled somewhat like what you would get from a Kessil and you could see somewhat of a separation of the white and blue, but this was about 6" from the surface as I had to hold the fixture up between my old light. Both channels were running at 700mA if it makes a difference.

[jedimasterben]

Since the chips do have some distance between them, unfortunately it won't blend 100% perfectly. The Ledil reflectors do help a lot, but they can only do so much to mitigate the distance between the diodes.

Also, you said 6" from the water's surface - are you using the reflectors at all? Will that be your final hanging height?

[Confuse]

Since the chips do have some distance between them, unfortunately it won't blend 100% perfectly. The Ledil reflectors do help a lot, but they can only do so much to mitigate the distance between the diodes.

 

Also, you said 6" from the water's surface - are you using the reflectors at all? Will that be your final hanging height?

 

No. This was without reflectors as I was testing the unit. I will probably hang it 12" above at least or more depending on spread.

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

Yep, but you'll be happier. From what blasterman says, XM-Ls are all over the place when it comes to color, and they're very bad with off-axis uniformity.

I for one can confirm what blaster says. Optics help a bit, but the color is not what I was aiming for. Where is a good place to get the highend bridgelux chips and what do you thing the best route would be to power 8 of them with dimming capabilities?

[jedimasterben]

I for one can confirm what blaster says. Optics help a bit, but the color is not what I was aiming for. Where is a good place to get the highend bridgelux chips and what do you thing the best route would be to power 8 of them with dimming capabilities?

http://www.newark.com/bridgelux/bxra-40e0950-b-00/es-rect-array-neutral-white-950lm/dp/73T6206

 

8 of them is some serious power, how big of a tank is this going over? LDD will always be the cheapest option paired with something like a Typhon.

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

http://www.newark.com/bridgelux/bxra-40e0950-b-00/es-rect-array-neutral-white-950lm/dp/73T6206

 

8 of them is some serious power, how big of a tank is this going over? LDD will always be the cheapest option paired with something like a Typhon.

It's a 72bowfront. I have 8 XM-L's now that seem about right.

[disaster999]

has anyone actually put this on their tanks? ive seen lots of talk and pictures if it being tested...but nothing as for mounted on the tank

[Horerczy]

has anyone actually put this on their tanks? ive seen lots of talk and pictures if it being tested...but nothing as for mounted on the tank

If memory serves correct, Ben took his out to a few LFS and left with his wallet lighter because he was enamoured with what the light did to some coral at the shop.

 

And it wasn't even complete. Just the bridgelux chip with four of the royal blue luxeon M.

[disaster999]

just wondering how this light performs in the long run...being how powerful this is...i cant help but think anything put under this beast will instantly go up in flames...or spend all the effort and time just to run it at 5%

[MeepNand]

just wondering how this light performs in the long run...being how powerful this is...i cant help but think anything put under this beast will instantly go up in flames...or spend all the effort and time just to run it at 5%

That's basically every led fixture now. One day we will be unable to use analog dimming meanwells due to the fact that they cannot dim below 10%.

[jedimasterben]

It's a 72bowfront. I have 8 XM-L's now that seem about right.

A Bridgelux 950B puts out over 2000 lumens at 1000ma, and even at 700ma still puts out over 1500. An XM-L on a good day at 3000ma puts out 800.

has anyone actually put this on their tanks? ive seen lots of talk and pictures if it being tested...but nothing as for mounted on the tank

Yes, but like those before, no pictures from that event. I have stuff below of it over an empty tank, check it out.

If memory serves correct, Ben took his out to a few LFS and left with his wallet lighter because he was enamoured with what the light did to some coral at the shop.

 

And it wasn't even complete. Just the bridgelux chip with four of the royal blue luxeon M.

Yep

just wondering how this light performs in the long run...being how powerful this is...i cant help but think anything put under this beast will instantly go up in flames...or spend all the effort and time just to run it at 5%

 

 

 

Alright gents (and possibly ladies lurking in the shadows, call me ). Finally got my conduit bent for holding up the lights. Did this mostly to test out the LEDGroupBuy Lumia, but I ended up breaking that chip before I even lit it up :/

 

 

 

Test is done using the 1350B and 4x Luxeon M at 1000ma both channels. Driver is a MakersDriver, heatsink is MakersLED. Tank is a rimless Deep Blue 30, 24" x 24" x 12". Light is suspended exactly 24" above the bottom of the tank.

 

Pictures were taken with a Canon Rebel T1i with a Tamron f2.8 28-78mm lens. Aperture set to f2.8, auto shutter speed, ISO 800, and white balance set to 'Shade (approx 7000K). Pictures were taken as RAW and imported into Lightroom and software matched the camera's white balance, exported as JPEG. No editing was done on the images.

 

PAR readings were taken using an Apogee SQ-110 sun-calibrated PAR sensor connected to a multimeter. Both the multimeter and PAR sensor have a +/- 5% reading, so we will assume it is a wash. Numbers given for royal blue are the 'corrected' readings due to the sensor misreading blue light, adjusting 25%, no adjustment for neutral white.

 

For the Sketchup renderings, all numbers are the readings at the very bottom of the tank, except for the a reading taken dead center at 18" from the bottom of the heatsink. That number is on top of a black line in the middle.

 

Ok, now that that's out of the way, on to it.

 

 

Neutral White BXRA 1350B, no optics

 

 

 

4x royal blue Luxeon M, no optics

 

 

 

Both channels, no optics (no readings, just add the two together)

 

 

Neutral white BXRA 1350, Ledil Brooke W (50 degree)

 

 

 

4x Royal blue Luxeon M, Ledil Minnie WWW (63 degree)

 

 

 

Both channels, Ledil reflectors (no readings)

 

 

 

While I was collecting the readings, I had my wife type them into the computer, and when I put the reflectors on the chips and started to give her numbers, even she was like 'whoa, these numbers are MUCH higher, what did you do?' lol

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

Wow! I got to get me one of these!

[jedimasterben]

To be honest, it's inexpensive and stupid easy to put together. One 1350B (like $9), Brooke W reflector ($5), four Luxeon M ($44), four Minnie WWW ($12), 6" MakersLED heatsink ($25), MakersDriver ($62), 48v power supply ($30), and some wire. If you wanted to use regular LDD, then take off the Makersdriver, add two LDD ($15) and a 12v power supply for the fan ($8). It would only be on/off if you didn't have a PWM controller, though. Basically around $200 with shipping. I just wish you didn't have to order from five different places to get everything.

I would add like three regular blue Rebels to it, so that's like another $10.

[You_Wrasse_is_Mine]

To be honest, it's inexpensive and stupid easy to put together. One 1350B (like $9), Brooke W reflector ($5), four Luxeon M ($44), four Minnie WWW ($12), 6" MakersLED heatsink ($25), MakersDriver ($62), 48v power supply ($30), and some wire. If you wanted to use regular LDD, then take off the Makersdriver, add two LDD ($15) and a 12v power supply for the fan ($8). It would only be on/off if you didn't have a PWM controller, though. Basically around $200 with shipping. I just wish you didn't have to order from five different places to get everything.

 

 

I would add like three regular blue Rebels to it, so that's like another $10.

Wow, that's awesome. I did see previously that you had originally planned to add violets. I take it that there isn't much a need for that given the par readings you've already got without them.

 

Now the SB I am aware of the crisp blue that they help bring out, but I added mine to help with the classic "purple hue" problem. With just the 1350b and the luxeon M's did you have any of this going on when you conducted the recent test?

[Tripwyr]

Those are some incredible readings, Ben. I'll have to start work on my own soon.

 

EDIT: You mentioned that if you don't use the makersDriver, you'll need to provide a power supply for the fan. Does this mean the makersDriver provides power for a fan?

[jedimasterben]

Wow, that's awesome. I did see previously that you had originally planned to add violets. I take it that there isn't much a need for that given the par readings you've already got without them.

 

Now the SB I am aware of the crisp blue that they help bring out, but I added mine to help with the classic "purple hue" problem. With just the 1350b and the luxeon M's did you have any of this going on when you conducted the recent test?

There is some, but not a lot. I've got plenty of LEDs to play around with, so soon I'll be finalizing the array and getting more pics.

 

Those are some incredible readings, Ben. I'll have to start work on my own soon.

 

EDIT: You mentioned that if you don't use the makersDriver, you'll need to provide a power supply for the fan. Does this mean the makersDriver provides power for a fan?

Yes, it powers a single fan per MD.