Ecotech Radion PRO VS. GHL MITRAS (My thoughts and experiences)

jthao said:
Mathias, you guys clearly stated on your website that Mac os Mavericks will not connect mitras. And you have no solution on your website. I have stated very clearly that the profilux and the gcc works fine on Mavericks with parallels. You're stating the obvious.
I'm not a computer geek, but I'm also not a dummy. I've tried eveything anyone has suggested and it did now work. All suggestions from users not ghl reps. I've posted a total of 2 problems on rc regarding my GHL equipment, both times, no one from ghl ever helped me. I got help and suggestions from the community. Only time you guys ever come on here to say anything is to back up your product and tell everyone how great it is. Look at how many responses I got from a GHL rep on any of my issues (0), and look at how responses I get from ghl rep when I tell the world problems I have with ghl products and things I don't like (at least 2-3 so far!!!) BRAVO!!!
I will note that Ottawa does answer emails promptly and try his best, but he's NOT ghl, and therfore I completely understand that he will not have all the answers to product problems.
And I don't have a problem using windows 8, but I will not go out and buy a pc based laptop just so I can program the lights. Although doable and not too expensive, pc laptops can be had for $400, it's a waste of money because I'll never use it besides for ghl products.
I'm simply choosing to go radions and apex because:
1) US products and I can easilly get someone on the phone if I have problems
2) the support for both products is phenomenal and a huge community of answers to all issues.
3) they both work well together on Mac os Mavericks, "for me" on os Mavericks only profilux works, Mitras does not.
4) I can easilly get parts and supplies for both through my lfs and my lfs carried both of them in stock.

I've never said ghl products suck or that they don't work well. All my issues are even before I get to use the products on my tanks. So I'm not qualified to comment on the actual units usage experience.
Currently I have a Mitras and a radion gen3 pro on my 4ft frag tank. I will post my opinions and my observations on this thread once I get a chance to do a side by side comparison of both lights.
Click to expand...
I am sorry you cannot connect your light fixture. Have you thought about buying a cheap laptop on eBay ? You can get one for less the. $50 bucks. Again if you need any projects or help let e me know and good luck.
Michael
 
I've posted a total of 2 problems on rc regarding my GHL equipment, both times, no one from ghl ever helped me
Click to expand...

RC is not our main support platform. It is possible that posts are overseen there or answered after some time.
I was under the impression that you were talking about our dedicated support forum http://forum.aquariumcomputer.com/forum.php when you wrote "GHL gave up".
I am not sure if you still need or want support, it seems you already made your opinion and decisions.
If so I ask you kindly to post your questions/issues in our forum, the GHL team will do their very best to support you.
 
http://forum.aquariumcomputer.com/s...problem-using-Parallels-in-Mac-OS-X-Mavericks

http://forum.aquariumcomputer.com/s...nection-Issues-with-Mitras-and-Bootcamped-Mac

I wrote out a whole page of "emotionally attached" message, but deleted it and only wrote this as I feel like it wouldn't help the issue regardless and I would only sound like a jerk on the Internet.
So above I linked what you seem to not have a clue about. Let me be clear again: profilux works and gcc works fine with Mac and parallels. The problem is with the Mitras driver being recognized on Mavericks and windows 8 on parallels.
And from those threads, YES ghl has "gave up" on this issue and blamed it on parallels and Mac.
If you have found a way to do it, please share! Actually please let me know the best way to go about getting the Mitras to work on a Mac running Mavericks? I would be willing to try anything. I like your products and I'm even considering buying a pc laptop just so I can use ghl products, that should say a lot. But I just havnt Becuase to me it makes more sense to go with something that works fine on anything computer platform without any hiccups.

Question: so if I bought the wireless mitras to Profilux 3 card, and since gcc works and I can program Profilux3 on the Mac, would this mean that since I don't have to connect the Mitras at all to the computer since evrything will be from the Profilux3, Will this work then?
 
trueblackpercula said:
I am sorry you cannot connect your light fixture. Have you thought about buying a cheap laptop on eBay ? You can get one for less the. $50 bucks. Again if you need any projects or help let e me know and good luck.
Michael
Click to expand...

Thanks bud, and yes I have thought about buying a pc just for the Mitras. I wouldn't buy a $50 laptop though lol. It probably will cause more problems than I alreay have lol. But new pc laptop/netbook a can be had for les than $400 nowadays, I've even seen some at Costco for $249 on sale.

I got a question for you, do u also run Profilux? Or just Mitras?
I ask because I, without much knowledge on ghl products, bought a Profilux package as well thinking it would make having a Mitras easier to work with.
Can I run apex and still have Mitras, or does it make more sense for me to keep my Profilux if I want to run the Mitras?
 
jthao said:
Can I run apex and still have Mitras, or does it make more sense for me to keep my Profilux if I want to run the Mitras?
Click to expand...

Hiya,

Im glad you found my fast email replies of some help. Please continue to contact me directly as you have done in the passed.

In regards to which option is best for you, without sounding like sales hype (sorry there is no other way to word this reply) GHL is very much designed to be an "altogether" product, meaning you get the best of all worlds when you are using all the link-able devices. Up until recently the only way to get the Mitras Wifi was to buy a ProfiLux controller, however with the launch of the GHL-Bridge, this no longer will be the case. Coupled that with the cloud system called MY GHL there will no longer be an issue with Mac vs PC and this is the same way Ecotech and Neptune have gone.

So you will have two options
1. GHL ProfiLux with the Mitras wireless interface
2. Continue to run Apex and wait for both GHL-Bridge and MY GHL cloud to launch

option 2 in my view is less favourable as you then have two systems where as option 1 combines all options in one bundle and you then have probably the most reliable system on the planet to boot!

Hope that's of some help.
 
Hey Ottawa: if I get the Profilux to Mitras wireless interface card, would I still need to connect Mitras to computer to program? Or can everything be done on the gcc to profilux connection?
 
Hi

Once MY GHL launches then you would not need the PC as it is cloud based. Matthias can give more info on the exact functionality as we only saw at macna where we launched it a provisional version.

All the Best
Michael.
 
not to argue... but I seen the price was higher on the GHL but it was marked as a con on the Radion.. did I miss something? Am I looking at the wrong thing? I'm in the market for my first real LED light but $1200 for a GHL over my 40B is a little much... The Radion is $649 which seems more reasonable?

Now, I understand the difference in LEDs, Screen, amount of pucks, ect. But I still think price shouldn't be held against the Radion
 
the light that is comparable to the mitras is the radion pro, which is $749. and if you're lucky and catch a deal, the mitras can be had for $1K. so more like $250 more that the other one, but if you look at what we are paying for, the actual leds, the mitras has a lot more leds on it. in some cases almost double the amount that's on the radion. so it makes sense why it costs more. just look at the difference between the radion and the radion pro, it's $100 more, for the same fixture, same ballast, but just a few more leds. so WE ARE paying for the leds itself when it comes to the price difference.
and i agree with you, when comparing the two, the radions should be a pro for the price instead of a con.
 
jthao said:
http://forum.aquariumcomputer.com/s...problem-using-Parallels-in-Mac-OS-X-Mavericks

http://forum.aquariumcomputer.com/s...nection-Issues-with-Mitras-and-Bootcamped-Mac

I wrote out a whole page of "emotionally attached" message, but deleted it and only wrote this as I feel like it wouldn't help the issue regardless and I would only sound like a jerk on the Internet.
So above I linked what you seem to not have a clue about. Let me be clear again: profilux works and gcc works fine with Mac and parallels. The problem is with the Mitras driver being recognized on Mavericks and windows 8 on parallels.
And from those threads, YES ghl has "gave up" on this issue and blamed it on parallels and Mac.
If you have found a way to do it, please share! Actually please let me know the best way to go about getting the Mitras to work on a Mac running Mavericks? I would be willing to try anything. I like your products and I'm even considering buying a pc laptop just so I can use ghl products, that should say a lot. But I just havnt Becuase to me it makes more sense to go with something that works fine on anything computer platform without any hiccups.
Click to expand...

I told my software guys to follow up these threads.

Yesterday we found out that Apple seems "not to like" our USB vendor ID, with Microsoft we have no problems at all. Maybe this is causing the problem. We are still investigating and we will post it if we found a solution.

Question: so if I bought the wireless mitras to Profilux 3 card, and since gcc works and I can program Profilux3 on the Mac, would this mean that since I don't have to connect the Mitras at all to the computer since evrything will be from the Profilux3, Will this work then?
Click to expand...

in this case the ProfiLux takes full control over the Mitras and you have to adjust the ProfiLux instead of the Mitras

only a few system settings (energyoptions and wireless) can't be set via the ProfiLux, either you do these on the front display (BTW - talking about differences to the Radion - Mitras has a userinterface with 6 capacitive keys and a display) or you can do these few settings on a PC
 
What are the mounting/hanging options with the Mitras? I have a rimless aquarium w/ external overflow & I'm starting to think that the ecotech's RMS mount is going to be the best option for my tank.

I don't want to run a hanging kit all the way to my 12 ft ceiling.
 
The mitras comes with hangers from there multiple amounts of our users for Mitras have made fantastic options custom-ed to their needs.
 
FranktheTankTx said:
What are the mounting/hanging options with the Mitras? I have a rimless aquarium w/ external overflow & I'm starting to think that the ecotech's RMS mount is going to be the best option for my tank.

I don't want to run a hanging kit all the way to my 12 ft ceiling.
Click to expand...

Both lights use "hanging wire" to hang from points on the units themselves, 2 on the mitras and 4 on the radions. But even the 4 on the radion will come back up to a Y and be 2 lines up. Mitras comes with these hanging hardware, radions don't, it anoth $45, which sucks.
Best way to hang any of these lights to to use a L bracket mounted to your wall behind tank or to the stand of the tank and suspend the lights from that bracket. This way u can adjust how high U want the bracket to mount above your tank. If u have an external overflow right in the middle, u can use 2 L brackets on the sides of the overflow box.
 
h0bite said:
Hey Ottawa, when a new Mitras will be avalaible ?
Thanks
Click to expand...


I think he's talking about when will a new mitras come out, like a generation 2 mitras.

I'll answer that for him, lol. They won't tell you until it's ready to launch. ;)
 
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