SB Reef Lights sBox Pro 32''

[colorful1180]

Hi,

Does anyone use the SB Reef Lights sBox Pro 32'' model?How do these compare to MarsAqua, Toatronics, Hobby Bug, GalxyHydro, Reef Breeders, Reef Radiance etc. ?

 

[benibarra23]

Wondering the same thing. Since the SB lights are new I dont think there are a lot of reviews yet.

 

[seamonster124]

Hi,

Does anyone use the SB Reef Lights sBox Pro 32'' model?How do these compare to MarsAqua, Toatronics, Hobby Bug, GalxyHydro, Reef Breeders, Reef Radiance etc. ?

I think they are all about the same....Looks like 4-5 different parts suppliers selling to 8-10 assembly businesses. You can actually get a US business license, open an ES account and have them put your name on the box. We have an LFS that places their name on them and sells them for $200; theirs is 100% marsAqua Just labeled with name of LFS

Official sb group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/603511806434292/

Big MarsAqua thread on RC:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2110092

 

[benibarra23]

I think they are all about the same....Looks like 4-5 different parts suppliers selling to 8-10 assembly businesses. You can actually get a US business license, open an ES account and have them put your name on the box. We have an LFS that places their name on them and sells them for $200; theirs is 100% marsAqua Just labeled with name of LFS

Official sb group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/603511806434292/

Big MarsAqua thread on RC:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2110092

So do you think this claim has any merit?

"Simple, where most black boxes like MarsAqua, GalaxyHydro, Reef Radiance, Evergrow and Reef Breeders use a shotgun method approach, loading in as many different diodes as possible, hoping to hit the right wavelengths, we instead, as seen below, hit all of the key photosynthesis points hard. No wasted energy in wavelengths that do not benefit coral growth and color."

They also say this "uieter fans that have higher CFM for cooler operating temperatures and longer diode life, Built in mounting legs and hanging kit, and finally a 2 YEAR USA WARRANTY!! All for much less than other premium black boxes."

 

[Ron Reefman]

All I saw was the exact same white and blue channels with a couple of red and green leds added in. It's the same thing almost all of the Chinese inexpensive led maker use. BTW, there is nothing wrong with this led selection as it grows healthy coral as well as a 250W MH in my experience (I've used both).

As for quieter fans, Some use cheap fans that can make noise and some, like the ones who are willing to have sponsor forums here at RC and stand behind their fixtures, already have quiet fans. Some use real finned heat sinks and some just use a thin sheet of aluminum. Some have aluminum cases and powder coat them, other use steel (rust) and just paint them. Some (like MarsAqua) use 55 leds and only run 102 watts while most of the others do 55 leds and run 120 watts More power makes for better penetration of the light into the water). It can really pay to shop and look over all the specs.

 

[benibarra23]

So what would compare to this light? https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-reef-lights/10-sbox-extreme-32-wifi.html

Its 363w, has the quieter fans and the "better spectrum".

 

[Ron Reefman]

OK, so they have 121 leds, but just because they are 3 watt leds doesn't mean it's a 363 watt system. Why don't they tell you how many watts their power supply is? If the power supply is only 120 watts, that's a useless fixture. I seriously doubt that is the case, but what is it and why don't they offer that in their specs? Do they have something to hide?

And they talk a good story about spectrum, but they say it's "proprietary"... are they kidding? Buy one and in an hour with basic equipment it can be determined. They don't give you a list of leds used, but everybody else does. And they say it has more PUR than anybody else, but nobody can measure PUR and every coral has a slightly different PUR. What's their PAR? We can measure that, but they don't offer any info. Even crappy Current fixtures offer PAR info (and it's awful).

What is the case made of, steel or aluminum?
Does it use a real heat sink or a cheap sheet of aluminum?

I'm not saying this is a bad fixture. It may be the very best economy (under $500) fixture on the market. But if they won't share power supply info or led spectrum lists or PAR info, they could also be selling pure BS. You either avoid them or take a risk and buy it. I'd ask a lot of questions before I'd buy one. For the same price you can buy similar fixtures from several resellers here in the US that have good info and reputations here at RC.

 

[jayball]

I like the fact that they have the audacity to call it a sBox and make an Idiocracy reference.

I am sure those are just unlucky coincidences though.

 

[benibarra23]

OK, so they have 121 leds, but just because they are 3 watt leds doesn't mean it's a 363 watt system. Why don't they tell you how many watts their power supply is? If the power supply is only 120 watts, that's a useless fixture. I seriously doubt that is the case, but what is it and why don't they offer that in their specs? Do they have something to hide?

And they talk a good story about spectrum, but they say it's "proprietary"... are they kidding? Buy one and in an hour with basic equipment it can be determined. They don't give you a list of leds used, but everybody else does. And they say it has more PUR than anybody else, but nobody can measure PUR and every coral has a slightly different PUR. What's their PAR? We can measure that, but they don't offer any info. Even crappy Current fixtures offer PAR info (and it's awful).

What is the case made of, steel or aluminum?
Does it use a real heat sink or a cheap sheet of aluminum?

I'm not saying this is a bad fixture. It may be the very best economy (under $500) fixture on the market. But if they won't share power supply info or led spectrum lists or PAR info, they could also be selling pure BS. You either avoid them or take a risk and buy it. I'd ask a lot of questions before I'd buy one. For the same price you can buy similar fixtures from several resellers here in the US that have good info and reputations here at RC.

Great questions. This was the response. What do you think?

4 power supplys 70w each. Epistar diodes are driven at 2.2 watts each for longevity and heat. There are also 2 drivers for the moon lights. With the light 14" over the water PAR is 1475 at the water line. I am running the 16" models over a 32" deep tank and have over 200 on the bare bottom. Measured with both a Seneye and Licor. However PAR is not as important as PUR. For example I can make a light with all green diodes, it will have very high PAR, yet not grow coral. Case is powder coated steel. Heat sink is a continuos aluminum plate, however not the thin "License plate" style ebay black boxes use. With ambient temp at 76* heat sink temp stays at 89* with fans running. Unless a fin type heat sink covered the entire diode array, there would be hot spots and thermal distortion. Running a thicker aluminum sink is more effective and practical.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I think the 2.2w/led is good, right in line with the other higher end Chinese fixtures. PUR is still a smoke screen and I agree with you that PAR isn't the answer, but it's better than nothing which is what you get with a PUR meter! The thick aluminum isn't the way I'd go, but it probably works just fine. With 121 leds at 2.2w I'm not surprised at the 200 PAR at 32 inches. So it appears to fit right in line with the ReefBreeders Photon 32 or the EverGrow IT2081. All in the mid $400 range.

So the next hurdle will be customer service. Hopefully you'll never have to use it. ReefBreeders seems to have a lot of big fans here at RC and I think they deserve it. OceanRevive seems to be having issues even replying to their own RC sponsor forum posts lately.

 

[colorful1180]

So the seller didn't have any patents of these SB Reef Lights?

 

[Crit21]

Great questions. This was the response. What do you think?

4 power supplys 70w each. Epistar diodes are driven at 2.2 watts each for longevity and heat. There are also 2 drivers for the moon lights. With the light 14" over the water PAR is 1475 at the water line. I am running the 16" models over a 32" deep tank and have over 200 on the bare bottom. Measured with both a Seneye and Licor. However PAR is not as important as PUR. For example I can make a light with all green diodes, it will have very high PAR, yet not grow coral. Case is powder coated steel. Heat sink is a continuos aluminum plate, however not the thin "License plate" style ebay black boxes use. With ambient temp at 76* heat sink temp stays at 89* with fans running. Unless a fin type heat sink covered the entire diode array, there would be hot spots and thermal distortion. Running a thicker aluminum sink is more effective and practical.

Well, at least they fessed up regarding the actual wattage. I bought a few Chinese 54 watt blue/white E27 base LEDs a while back (Aliexpress), only to hook them up to a Kill-a-Watt and see they were only using 18W. The seller responded by saying the 3 18 x 3W LEDs are "capable of 54W", but they run them at 18W to extend their lives. The Chinese aren't accountable to US truth in advertising laws. This is good info to know, because I was thinking of getting something like the 32" LEDs. Funny, but 262W is a far stretch from the 363 they prominently feature in the advertisements.

 

[slief]

SB Reeflights does change the diodes in them. That is to say that they order the fixtures from the manufacturer with a special combination of diodes for a better mixture for reef applications. At least that is the case with some of their models. They have a pretty loyal following and from what I have read from users, they provide terrific support unlike most black box companies. If I were to ever buy a black box, I would likely go with SB for the reasons mentioned above.

 

[alemone]

What does the hanging kit consist of?

 

[tkeracer619]

I bought 5 of the 16" basic lights. One came in banged up from shipping. A week later there was another on my doorstep, no questions asked other than for a photo.

I have 2 other black boxes but I like the sb boxes better. If only because of the color spectrum and good customer service.

They're good but imho they don't compare with my hydra 52s.

 

[tkeracer619]

Also, the basic 16" fixture comes with 4 hangers (you'll need some kind of anchor) and mounting legs.

 

[alemone]

SB Reeflights does change the diodes in them. That is to say that they order the fixtures from the manufacturer with a special combination of diodes for a better mixture for reef applications. At least that is the case with some of their models. They have a pretty loyal following and from what I have read from users, they provide terrific support unlike most black box companies. If I were to ever buy a black box, I would likely go with SB for the reasons mentioned above.

For the record, my experience with their support has been nowhere close to terrific. Many of my emails went unanswered. The ones that did get answered weren't very friendly. Lately, their email address has not been even working and the emails would bounce back. My light had some issues and was still under warranty but I gave up trying to get in touch with the company. I did not try their phone support.