Looking for new L.E.D. lighting options

lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
As some of you may know, a couple of years ago I jumped on the Solaris bandwagon before PFO went out of business. I actually ended up with one of their very last units and it has been good to me for several years.
Well, that all ended last weekend. One of the power supply connectors fried and Frank can't figure out how it didn't set the house on fire. (Somehow I have made friends with the gods of electricity and have been told several times I should have either shocked myself or burnt the house down.) He tried to fix it but it seems that it is not going to happen.
So, I have 2 things going on.
1. If anyone needs replacement parts for their Solaris I have some available.
2. I am looking for new lights and will probably go with LEDs. This time however I have a lot less money so I am trying to get the biggest bang for my buck as I can but still get quality. (I know this is what we all want.)
The tank is a 72in, 125gallon Peninsula tank. Basically this means you can view the tank from 3 sides and only one short side is blocked. Think of a room divider. Mostly softies and LPS but Frank really wants to wander into SPS land.
I don't have a canopy so I either need something in a hood or I will have to build a canopy or something. I have vaulted ceilings so hanging the lights is not very realistic.
Anybody have some recommendations? I see from the LED thread that I am going to want 3W LEDs.
There are some called SunBrite that look pretty cool but I can't seem to find the wattage. Based on the price I am afraid they are the 1 Watt but they come in strips that look like T5 bulbs and fit in the hood just by snapping in. They have bunches of different colors and the PAR ratings look really good as well, but the too good to be true light is going off in my head.
SUNBRITE LIGHTING SYSTEMS INC
 
I

imsobored152

Member
the sunbrite, not sure on the quality, but heres the specs from their 48" light
25 leds divide by 75watts gives you 3watts each, so theyre probably 3 watters
if theyre anything like the other 1 watt tubes they sell, theyre probably the T10's

1. Model name: G48;
2. Input voltage: AC 110V/50-60Hz
3. No. of LEDs: 25 pcs
4. TC: 65000k,12000k,16000k,22000k,440,470;
5. Power consumption: 75W
6. Dimensions: 48 Inch(Length)*30MM(Diameter)
7. Luminous Flux: 5000 LM
8. Angle: 45 Degree
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
I do believe you are correct. I am not sure what the T10 is for. Isn't that just the size of the bulb? From what I can tell, it looks like the LEDs are just in a tube kind of thing that has the connectors etc. Then again I may be totally off base here as well. Thanks for figuring out the 3 watt thing. At least that is one thing off of the question list.
 
I

imsobored152

Member
Also looks like you have to buy their fixtures for the lights, but the fixtures link isnt working, so add another $200+ to the cost of bulbs

well, I take that back, I think you have the option to buy their fixture, but It should work on any T10 fixture

And yes, T10 is the bulb size, so you would need T10 connectors
 
jpsika08

jpsika08

Well-Known Member
Lynn,
There are some factory made options which are good (Orphek, Aquaillumination, etc), all of these are great but price is high, some others that have worked well and proven by US users are the MaxSpect Fixtures, imported to the US by Fins Reef LLC they can be a great option and as I have read on them, upgradable which is nice too.

And maybe the cheapest way to go and have almost the best LED system out there is the DIY way, you can buy all components at Reefledlights.com or RapidLed.com, Guerry (RGFast) did his fixture like this and check his thread, it's impressive the amount of light these put out, you get a combo of 3W LED with different colors and options, they can be dimmable and upgradable too, enough lights to support SPS (Equivalent to 400W+ MH lights) and the best thing, they go easy on your elec bill and heat transfer to the water.

Many options, just watch out which one you choose at the end as many out there offer the moon and sky and at the end they won't work.

Good luck and hope to see which way you go.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
I looked at those lights after reading about them in the LED thread. They certainly appear to work well but I really don't have a way of hanging them or enough room for that many power cords. (I already have way to many power strips for tank equipment.) I am keeping them in mind but for the coverage I need I think I would need at least 6 units and that makes raises the price significantly. Also one of the lessons I learned from the Solaris is that the LEDs are very directional. Anything not directly under the lights really don't get much light. Because of the peninsula tank all of my rock is in the center of the tank. This of course makes lighting more challenging.
I guess bottom line is that I am definitely keeping them in mind but I just can't think of a way to make them work. Maybe Frank will when I show them to him. He is far better at that type of thing than I am.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Lynn I don't think you've be happy with anything else after having LED on your system. Also several things have changed since you got yours (all for the good) and you have more options. Unfortunately price on good products is still in the stratosphere. I do think that the thread Rob suggested might be a viable option for yall. It's gonna cost a pretty penny but I believe you'll have a quality system that will last a good long time for you.

Sorry to hear about the other one failing but thank goodness no fire!! :thumber:


Tell Frank HELLO :wave: from me :)
 
michael_cb_125

michael_cb_125

Well-Known Member
Hello Lynn!

Sorry to hear about the bad luck with the Solaris. I too had issues with my Solaris. That said, I feel as though LEDs have come a long way since the Solaris fixtures were developed.
I have been using a Maxspect LED fixture over one of my Prop tanks for several months and I have been extremely happy with it. They have recently come out with a new fixture called the Mazarra and it looks very promising.

Mazarra LED Lighting System

mazarra2_1_1_1.jpg


mazarra5_1_1_1_1.jpg



I really like how each lighting unit is on it's own articulating "ball-joint" so positioning the light is very simple. These are pricy, but nowhere near Solaris pricing. for a 72" tank a 4 unit fixture should suffice.

~Michael
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
I feel like the AI Sol is one of the best units out there. Pricey, yes, but it is incredibly intense and you shouldn't have any problems with light intensity. They claim it's built for the future in a "modular" nature, which doesn't explain much about how they achieve that, but it's good that they're thinking about replacing/upgrading things in the future. Again, the only downside is price. You'll need a few units to cover larger tanks, so you're going to be spending some money, but these units are the real McCoy. They use the latest offerings from Cree for the LEDs, focusing optics, and they have a great modular feel to get lighting where you need it.

The link Rob posted to is not bad, and it certainly fits the price-conscious consumer well, but support and replacement parts are a huge concern that I don't think is made enough of with LED lights. When you pay thousands of dollars for an LED lighting solution, you're assuming a few things to make the numbers work:

- It will use less electricity
- It will require no bulb changes
- The light will last a good 13-15 years

The top 2 are almost always true with LEDs. The last one is the toughest question to answer. Most warranties only last from 1-3 years, so after that you have to pay for replacement parts anyway.. but as you're finding out now, what happens if the manufacturer goes out of business or you can't get in contact with them due to poor customer support? Your light fixture is worthless. LEDs don't use standard "ballasts" like MH or T5 fixtures. Sure, with a little poking around and some serious electrical engineering skills (beyond the realm of my knowledge), you could create your own.. but there's no guarantee that will work. In fact, if you don't know what you're doing, you could seriously injure yourself.

If your unit breaks and you can't fix it, the return on investment calculations where you spread the initial investment out over 13 years and saw a low yearly operating cost are wrecked. Worst of all, you have to go buy a new fixture, further compounding the monetary setback. There are no guarantees that a manufacturer will offer parts or support for a unit for any period of time (or that they will remain in business! Times are tough right now), but it's definitely something to be aware of.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
interesting option Michael.
Chimpmonk you are absolutely correct and that is how I ended up where I am today.
When I purchased the Solaris it was the best out there and I paid for that fact. Now I have a huge amount of money invested and nothing to show for it. There really is no way of predicting who will or will not be in business 10 or even 1 year from now.
One thing I have determined is that I really don't need or use all of the "bells and whistles" that came with the Solaris and come with many of the more expensive units. I had them and in reality the only thing I used was the dawn/dusk feature and I could easily live without that even.
 
Robzilla

Robzilla

Active Member
lcstorc said:
interesting option Michael.
Chimpmonk you are absolutely correct and that is how I ended up where I am today.
When I purchased the Solaris it was the best out there and I paid for that fact. Now I have a huge amount of money invested and nothing to show for it. There really is no way of predicting who will or will not be in business 10 or even 1 year from now.
One thing I have determined is that I really don't need or use all of the "bells and whistles" that came with the Solaris and come with many of the more expensive units. I had them and in reality the only thing I used was the dawn/dusk feature and I could easily live without that even.
Click to expand...

Same here. My timer power strip works just fine for me :)
 
Robzilla

Robzilla

Active Member
Haha Al any form of controller is at the bottom of my wish list. If my lights can go on/off on their own at a set time without me flipping the switch then that is ok with me. I'm never home when the lights go on anyway, so sunrise isn't a needed option for me.
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
I would have never gone LED without the type of programmability that I get with my Sol. To me that's what makes some LED fixtures stand out above all of the on/off, manually dimmable units.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
imsobored152 said:
Apparently the power supplies shorting out is a very common occurrence
Heres a couple of ideas to fix your solaris
HOW TO MOD A NEW POWER SUPPLY FOR SOLARIS LEDs
PFO Solaris lighting system, Reef Central, Thereeftank, talking reef « Jeffrey's View, Professionally
Click to expand...


Great links. Thanks for the help.
Unfortunately both solutions in the links require that you have the original 4 pin connector. That is where the wires melted. I'll show this to Frank and maybe he can do something but I suspect I will still be SOL. I am going to try to contact the guy with the power supplies. Maybe he can help anyway. It's been two years though. Not sure if he still has anything lying around or not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top