If I was only adding the VHO for color, I would have used actenics only. So no, that's NOT why I added VHO. In fact, if you look at my build thread, I talked about adding several T5 bulbs first before doing the VHO, because I wanted more par. The VHO was more watts of light for less money and built in reflectors, so it made a lot more sense.
We're you also at my house when we did a comparison of a 60w Cree fixture, and a 100w reef torch? The Cree blew it away in PAR readings.
Also, trying to say that my light was less quality and Mille amps etc is complete BS. Sorry, but you have no idea what you are talking about and it's obvious to everyone that you are simply nothing more than just typing information sent to you in a PM or text message from Bill. So you just lost credibility there bud.
Last, to defend my light being a reef torch light? Here is why, and this is EXACTLY what I told Bill over text message the other day... Bill shows off his personal tanks. They use a 10x48" heat sink with 5 epistar LED chips glued to it. Wires run from the led to an individual driver, which plugs into the wall. THAT'S IT. It's a LED plugged directly to a separate driver, glued to a heat sink. Everyone following me? Ok. So I told him I wanted what he had on his tanks. He built me one exactly like his personal models, and he put a big giant REEF TORCH sticker on the front of it, so when I host OMA'S meetings, everyone would see the name.
My light was every bit a reef torch light as yours, except yours has a little black stamped steel cover over the heat sink. Now he uses a different exterior cover to make it look different, there is a fan built into the heat sink (because without a fan, and driving them at 100w the drivers will pop after extended use) and that's it! Same chip, same type of driver, same light.
If anyone wants to build their own, it's pretty simple to order a heat sink on ebay whatever size you want, order the epistar LED in whatever color you want, a tiny spot of glue and 2 solder joints, and you're done.
If any of this is doubted by anyone, I have pics of my fixture, and all of Bill's fixtures as well. Stating that I only added the VHO for color is a lie. Saying my fixture was not a reef torch brand unit, or saying that it was inferior is a lie. He now uses a little flat glass lens on the new model. It doesn't quadruple the light output.
And he is correct, there is no reason to take ONE MAN's OPINION. If that was the case, nobody would ever buy anything anywhere, because everything eventually has a negative review somewhere. Bill said to me that on a google search for reef torch, the other thread popped up second. Bill's understanding on how google works, is the same as his understanding of how PAR works. Once you visit a page online, it's saved into your Internet history. If you search for something on google, it pulls up THAT page first. If you clear your history and search again, or someone searches for it on a computer that has never clicked on that website, then it's buried within pages of google. If you do it the right way, searching reef torch only pulls up that thread on the second PAGE of results. And less than 1% of people ever make it to the second page when doing research on anything.
So chill out about the google thing, and everyone read up more on PAR and why it's good for corals. Also, there are several people around town who WERE running the reef torch, but now are not. An LFS has one on a shallow frag tank with corals right at the water surface, and nothing deeper than 6" down, and it's also sharing the tank with a T5 fixture. Only ONE OTHER store has them, and he's a brand new store, and the owner just recently opened and the tanks are all still basically brand new.
The other stores mentioned like Shane's shop, he's only put them on a couple of tanks, and they are fish only tanks, same as what I saw at the Oklahoma Aquarium, and there I stated that they were awesome at fish tanks. If they are actually having them successfully grow coral in a reef tank with them, and as you stated, getting 150+ PAR at over five FEET down, and can prove it, then I'll happily apologize.
From now on, I suggest you all do not attempt to agitate me further with any nasty texts, PMs, or any type of communication other than simple and polite banter on this forum, and to stop attempting to discredit me, as I have proof to back everything up. Take it for what it is, and move along and get past it. You won't win a fight with me.
