LED dimming and flicker?

[Clamagore]

I'm new to the hobby, and have recently been weighing options for light fixtures to use with my Elos System 70 (55 gal). At this point I'm leaning toward a single Kessil A360W for now, but the Aqua Illumination and EcoTech fixtures are also on my list. What draws me to the Kessil is, unsurprisingly, the well-defined shimmer pattern that its concentrated light source produces as it interacts with the water surface (what I learned to refer to as "œcaustics" in my photography experience).

While I've been able to learn quite a bit about these products, a subject I don't often read about is flicker during normal operation. Do any of these fixtures exhibit perceptible flicker (high-frequency strobing) at any dimming level? In a shop, because there are always many other light sources in the room, I have a difficult time observing whether they flicker or not.

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[oreo57]

I'm new to the hobby, and have recently been weighing options for light fixtures to use with my Elos System 70 (55 gal). At this point I'm leaning toward a single Kessil A360W for now, but the Aqua Illumination and EcoTech fixtures are also on my list. What draws me to the Kessil is, unsurprisingly, the well-defined shimmer pattern that its concentrated light source produces as it interacts with the water surface (what I learned to refer to as "œcaustics" in my photography experience).

While I've been able to learn quite a bit about these products, a subject I don't often read about is flicker during normal operation. Do any of these fixtures exhibit perceptible flicker (high-frequency strobing) at any dimming level? In a shop, because there are always many other light sources in the room, I have a difficult time observing whether they flicker or not.

Thanks for your help everyone!

Well, for starters I believe IF the dimming is controlled by PWM that implies "flicker" as it is pulsing the on/off cycle so as to appear dimmer. The rate of flicker depends on the rate of the PWM circuit..

As to if you can see it..in general I suspect not likely. I always felt I could see CRT's flicker if the rate was at 60Hz or less.. Adruino starts at 490Hz and can be changed.. 10V analog is non-flickerable AFAIKT

 

[asid61]

LEDs don't flicker in general. You would be unable to detect flicker on anything high enough a frequency; even 500Hz like on the Arduino is totally undetectable. Don't worry about dimming flickering.
If you have an extremely high-speed camera, you should set the exposure to more than 1 ms though just in case.