Radion G4 HEI Optics (Light Dispersing Domes) -- First step in true LED breakthrough

[chercm]

eh, product speculation based on marketing materials and non-hands-on-experiences are just a waste of time, for all of us really.

sometimes these threads feel like virgins talking bout sex

far too much of this kinda speculation going on lately around here. i say we wait til people have em in their hands before we assume this is actually an innovation worth talking about, or just ecotech playing catchup with stuff other manufacturers are all aligning towards....

yes i agree, after using radion and hydra before , the technology is still far from expectation if we compared it to t5. unless we have ultra wide lenses which does not lose PAR which using it and have excellent coverage , then LED is considered matured. spot lighting kills things unless some one is telling me that the sun is spot lighting. i do not want to risk my life stock to have ultra sun tanning every min during the day light hours of the led .

 

[locito277]

What happens when the bulbs stop performing as needed? Do you replace the diode? Or the whole fixture?


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[Bpb]

Radion G4 HEI Optics (Light Dispersing Domes) -- First step in true LED breakthrough

...infinitely cheaper (in the long run)

Maybe when talking about the evergrow eBay specials...comparing them to something gaudy like 10-12 bulb 60" t5ho fixture, or 3-4 400 watt radiums replaced twice a year. But to say LEDs are "infinitely cheaper" even in the long run, when referring to radions is just plain silly. Especially on small to medium tanks (under 120 gallons). My $500 ATI sunpower was 1/4 the initial investment that a pair of radions would be, and only a couple hundred watts less energy. For $160 a year in bulbs plus literally only a couple extra dollars a month in energy it would take well beyond the realistic life of the LEDs to break even. Yes...when using cheap import LEDs, instead of top shelf MH/T5HO brands like Giesemann for example, on a monster sized tank, you would see near immediate savings...but that is a small minority of reefers.

Yes the new radion optics look nice and I like that the par is spread more even. Kudos. Good product. Infinitely cheaper though? Not even close.



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[Squidmotron]

They are literally finitely cheaper, but figuratively they are infinitely cheaper.

 

[ktownhero]

eh, product speculation based on marketing materials and non-hands-on-experiences are just a waste of time, for all of us really.

sometimes these threads feel like virgins talking bout sex

far too much of this kinda speculation going on lately around here. i say we wait til people have em in their hands before we assume this is actually an innovation worth talking about, or just ecotech playing catchup with stuff other manufacturers are all aligning towards....

Marine Depot has a video showcasing the actual light.

 

[Bpb]

Depending on make and model, they're not even finitely cheaper in many cases. The cost savings are dependent entirely on 2 factors. Tank size, and quality of gear


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[Rakie]

Depending on make and model, they're not even finitely cheaper in many cases. The cost savings are dependent entirely on 2 factors. Tank size, and quality of gear


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Well I guess I am on the smaller side of aquariums. For me, a 60 cube lit by an XR30 vs ATI 6 bulb in 24" is pretty comparable.

 

[Bpb]

Yours would be a good example of moderate savings, especially if you're starting a new tank and don't have lighting already in place


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[chercm]

Well I guess I am on the smaller side of aquariums. For me, a 60 cube lit by an XR30 vs ATI 6 bulb in 24" is pretty comparable.

you will need 2X XR30 for a 60 gallons

 

[chercm]

have you guys notice on the pdf document provided by ecotech that the spread for both the TIR and the wide angle are the same , how can it be a 80 degrees and the 120 degrees lense be of the same spread?

 

[Rakie]

you will need 2X XR30 for a 60 gallons

No, you don't. In fact several members here have great tanks (SPS dominant) with a single XR15 over a 60 cube.

 

[chercm]

No, you don't. In fact several members here have great tanks (SPS dominant) with a single XR15 over a 60 cube.

Provided that you leave all the sps on the Centre of the tank


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[Jon532]

With a 4' x 2' tank you would need 2 xr30 that's 1600.... The same tank would take a 6 or 8 bulb T5 fixture. The matrix 2 8 bulb fixture is $900 and if you put ATI bulbs in it that's another $160 so you are already within $550 of the LED and haven't even plugged it in.
If you buy replacement bulbs just 4 times in the life of the light the cost is the same. That hasn't began to factor energy savings or other things that could need replaced with the T5 fixture.
It may take awhile but long term no way LED is not the cheaper option.

Now we can always factor in the fact LED is being upgraded so fast that you won't keep a single fixture long enough without upgrading to the latest and greatest. But that's not the LED's issue that's the reefer wanting new toys lol


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[Bpb]

Radion G4 HEI Optics (Light Dispersing Domes) -- First step in true LED breakthrough

It may take awhile but long term no way LED is not the cheaper option.

Sure there is. I already cited a perfectly good example. It's a no brainer also if you already have an alternative lighting system in place and are considering switching. Resale value is pitiful even on higher end MH and T5HO units. Get the radions if you like them. It's silly to make a lighting decision based on saving $160 a year after you've broken even 4-5 years later. Not saying they're not good. Enjoying the lights should be enough though. To justify it based on pinching a few pennies just seems unnecessary. Like a way to lessen the effect of buyers remorse. If you're in the kind of tax bracket where dropping 2 grand or more on fish tank lights is doable, are you really hurting so bad that bulb replacements will make or break your family's home and food budget? Get the lights if you want them. They're nice. Nobody should have to "justify" it though by hoping to start saving $20 a month half a decade later.




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[LXXero]

Marine Depot has a video showcasing the actual light.

It's still marketing propaganda, though. It's not the same as someone running it on their tank for a year and seeing the results...

The more and more i realize how many manufacturers and "shill" accounts seem to hang out around here (especially after reading a few threads lately, one where a tank broke and the manufacturer seeming got involved and started trolling for evidence to use against the customer in case a lawsuit was involved.) the more I start to feel like i can't really trust the stuff people say on here because it might not even be a real person's opinion, or an opinion that's not based off of anything in reality. It's kind of unfortunate, but it's not the first time, and unfortunately probably not the last.

I know we all get excited about new products, but the moment we cease to be objective is the moment that it ceases being informative and simply turns into creating hype, positive or negative.

 

[locito277]

Would you recommend I add T5 to my set up? I currently have 4 xr 30 pros. I was going to add 4 G4 xr 30 as it is a deep tank 48". What would you recommend? I'm staying away from MH due to not being able to add a chiller without major work


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[ktownhero]

It's still marketing propaganda, though. It's not the same as someone running it on their tank for a year and seeing the results...

The more and more i realize how many manufacturers and "shill" accounts seem to hang out around here (especially after reading a few threads lately, one where a tank broke and the manufacturer seeming got involved and started trolling for evidence to use against the customer in case a lawsuit was involved.) the more I start to feel like i can't really trust the stuff people say on here because it might not even be a real person's opinion, or an opinion that's not based off of anything in reality. It's kind of unfortunate, but it's not the first time, and unfortunately probably not the last.

I know we all get excited about new products, but the moment we cease to be objective is the moment that it ceases being informative and simply turns into creating hype, positive or negative.

What exactly is it that you are doubting? Radions are already considered top-tier and have incredible success. The things that were added have no chance of being negatives, they only improve upon the light. The only thing that anyone needs to "see" is how much the new coverage has improved, and that's evident in the video. It doesn't matter that it's a marketing showcase, they have the actual light shown in use.

It's an iterative update, it's not like they are making any wild claims... it's the same product with minor enhancements and the lights were already top tier.

 

[Rakie]

Provided that you leave all the sps on the Centre of the tank


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Again, I disagree. You're under-selling their range a great deal.

 

[ReefCowboy]

My bad, something was lost in translation in my original post. I'm just psyched they're taking a step in the right direction in general -- I of course have no idea if this design works, it just looks like the first time they tried something different that may change LEDs biggest issue.

I agree with you and am also interested. Its weird however that it took manufacturers this long to realize spread is the key focus. When the AP700 came out with those reflectors and got so much attention, i believe people realized there was hope.

Im looking forward to learning more about the G4!

 

[LXXero]

What exactly is it that you are doubting? Radions are already considered top-tier and have incredible success. The things that were added have no chance of being negatives, they only improve upon the light. The only thing that anyone needs to "see" is how much the new coverage has improved, and that's evident in the video. It doesn't matter that it's a marketing showcase, they have the actual light shown in use.

It's an iterative update, it's not like they are making any wild claims... it's the same product with minor enhancements and the lights were already top tier.

The only thing i'm doubting is that it's anything much more special than any other manufacturer has done, including themselves. Like you said, it's iterative, it's probably a minor improvement, but is it worthy of all this hype? Probably not, it's just something more to weigh when making a purchasing decision between the various models (and i'm sure GEN3's will be going for a discount now that the GEN4's are out)

And i'm sure the mcdonalds cheese burgers look just like they do in real life as they do in the commercials, lol, videos can be edited, are often taken under specific lighting conditions (especially if being shot professionally) among other things. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. How actual living organisms react to said light is the real test. It always has been. It always will be.