XM 15K bulbs..

[BPREEFER]

is it time for a updated pic yet

 

[Woodstock]

I'll take another one tonight

 

[Woodstock]

7 month old XM 10k 250 SE

Brand new XM 15k 250 SE

Here they are with 80 hrs worth of burning time. This photo doesn't show the true bright light blue they are. I really like them. My corals do too; you can see how they all have expanded!

 

[BPREEFER]

Thanks Doni for the update.... I am going to Chads on Sat. to pick up 2 400W 15K's thats why all the questions. They will be replacing 20K XM's.

Bryan

 

[Woodstock]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I really like mine.

Hey..are you a member of R.A.R.E.(Raleigh Area Reef Enthusiasts)?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rare-group/

 

[jhnrb]

Thanks for the pics and info. I an going to be installing 12k+ or apprx. 14K or 15K not sure exactly as they acturally list as 12K+. anyway thanks for the pics

 

[BPREEFER]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I really like mine.

Hey..are you a member of R.A.R.E.(Raleigh Area Reef Enthusiasts)?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rare-group/

No, I am not a member.

 

[Woodstock]

We just had a frag swap about a month ago...it was awesome! I got a few very nice euphylias!! Super nice peeps. You should join

 

[BPREEFER]

We just had a frag swap about a month ago...it was awesome! I got a few very nice euphylias!! Super nice peeps. You should join

O.K I will think about it...

 

[Witfull]

my XM 15K's came in yesterday and they are brighter than the coralvue 14K's i had. nice crisp white/blue. has the feel of strong actinics in them, great glow to the corals. its been less than 10hrs of burn time, but so far im :bigbounce over them~

 

[Boomer]

Doni

Here are some test results on these and other bulbs ( no XM 15K but XM-10K)

I think the 15K are way to purple. The best bulb I seen lately is the XM-10K

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2004/review.htm

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2004/review.htm

I think people are putting way to much emphasis on K temps.

 

[Woodstock]

Thanks Boomer, I read those articles a while back. I love that magazine I would like to see the testing of the XM 15 k's... I really, really like mine.

 

[Gina]

I wonder how much of a difference it would make to change ours next time to 15k? We have the XM 10k 175w. I would like to go to the 250 but, we would have to buy a new ballast and can't really afford to do that right now.

 

[Boomer]

Just a note on bulbs and K. When you guys look at the SED diagrams, the one showing the color spectrum of the bulb and how much of what light it puts out, remember this: Your eyes do not see light as good as you think they do. Meaning, a XM-10 K is putting out more light, especially the blue, purple and red light, than you are actually seeing. Your eyes do not see blue and red as good as green. Same can be said for energy. Purple light puts out almost twice as much enrgy (think calories) as red light. Same thing can be said for a std light meter you want to buy, that measures ligh in foot candles or LUX. It also does not see light well. It is, more or less, calibrated to the human eye. The the readings are not true. Meaning that if two bulbs were almost the same but one peaked more in the blue and one peaked more in the green, the bulb with the green peak will always give a higher reading on a light meter, but the one with the blue peak may actually be putting out more light.

 

[cheeks69]

Doni in case your interested JBNY has done some testing on the XM 15k's and has the PAR #'s on them.
BTW which ballast are you using with them ?

http://www.cnidarianreef.com/

 

[Woodstock]

Karma to ya Robert! Thank you!

 

[Woodstock]

WOW...i'm surprised they run so weak. Only with the standard magnetic ballast do they rate higher than the xm20k's. I have magnetic so no worries for me.

 

[cheeks69]

Yes I was very disappointed at how it performed in my Ballast.

 

[Boomer]

Yup, that is not a very good bulb as far as PAR. buttom of the list. But I see after 15 years, my bulb is still # 1

 

[cheeks69]

But I see after 15 years, my bulb is still # 1

Are you refering to the XM or the Iwasaki Boomer ?
If it's the Iwasaki it isn't #1 on my Ballast