GimpyFin
Active member
Control Center 1.0.9.8 has firmware version 1.06 bundled with it. The beta 1.0.9.9 from about a week or so ago has 1.07, but I've held off until it's deemed stable.
**The GHL Mitras LX7 LED**
- Thread starter d2mini
- Start date
Control Center 1.0.9.8 has firmware version 1.06 bundled with it. The beta 1.0.9.9 from about a week or so ago has 1.07, but I've held off until it's deemed stable.
You probably need to update the USB driver. The one that comes with the latest GCC should work fine. Go to device manager and select the USB com port for the Mitras. Right click, go do properties and then find and select update driver. Use the have disk option and direct it to the folder that you extracted GCC to. If memory serves me, there is a folder called drivers that you need to point it to. .
GimpyFin
Active member
When you get into the firmware update mode on the light, does the USBVCOM driver show as installed properly in Windows device manager? (No yellow warning symbol next to it.) Supposedly, the driver issue just affects Windows prior to 8, but I haven't tried it on 10.
Also, control center versions prior to 1.0.9.8 indicate there's a v1.05 firmware available, but from my understanding, it's a mislabel and there isn't a version 1.05 at all.
jonasroman
New member
Question to all who use Mitras LX7200:
First 1-2 months, I run them at "High efficiency" mode, which if I understand it correct, simply is that it runs of 70% of total effect, thus if you set the overall power to 100% in this mode it is equal to 70% of the maximum total effect?
After quite short time I noticed that when I run at this "High efficiency mode" at max effect, it was not so much light as I wanted and have expected. I first noticed that on the pH as an indirect indicator of photosynthesis, that I got some lower pH after changing to this light. Well, I was not worried about that, and not disappointed at all, as I know there were more power.
I changed to High output mode, which is if I understand it correct, a more linear relationship between the power in overall effect and true power, thus if I run in that mode at 80% I really run the lamp at 80% of their maximum power...(or??)....well, also this energy option was not high enough for my quite demanding purpose. Now the pH was normal, and KH consumption was increasing, so at this point I had now more light, PUR, comparing to my previous light (pacific sun). Some of my corals now colored out nicely, but absolutely no signs of bleaching/too much light. This was some strange because this should be very much light, so I was a little disappointed. But overall satisfied, but have expected more power.
Therefore I now run at 100%, High output mode!, and still there is not to much light! I have a lot of corals very near the surface in this mode and still no sign of photoinhibition!...and I am a little worried if it is bad for the light in long-term to run at this very highest power? I have no choice, other energy mode gives for me not light enough. I would like to hear your others experience and opinion.
Still, I am satisfied, as long as the light can manage this 100% outputmode for several years?
/Jonas
First 1-2 months, I run them at "High efficiency" mode, which if I understand it correct, simply is that it runs of 70% of total effect, thus if you set the overall power to 100% in this mode it is equal to 70% of the maximum total effect?
After quite short time I noticed that when I run at this "High efficiency mode" at max effect, it was not so much light as I wanted and have expected. I first noticed that on the pH as an indirect indicator of photosynthesis, that I got some lower pH after changing to this light. Well, I was not worried about that, and not disappointed at all, as I know there were more power.
I changed to High output mode, which is if I understand it correct, a more linear relationship between the power in overall effect and true power, thus if I run in that mode at 80% I really run the lamp at 80% of their maximum power...(or??)....well, also this energy option was not high enough for my quite demanding purpose. Now the pH was normal, and KH consumption was increasing, so at this point I had now more light, PUR, comparing to my previous light (pacific sun). Some of my corals now colored out nicely, but absolutely no signs of bleaching/too much light. This was some strange because this should be very much light, so I was a little disappointed. But overall satisfied, but have expected more power.
Therefore I now run at 100%, High output mode!, and still there is not to much light! I have a lot of corals very near the surface in this mode and still no sign of photoinhibition!...and I am a little worried if it is bad for the light in long-term to run at this very highest power? I have no choice, other energy mode gives for me not light enough. I would like to hear your others experience and opinion.
Still, I am satisfied, as long as the light can manage this 100% outputmode for several years?
/Jonas
GimpyFin
Active member
The percentage listed next to the HE/HO setting is basically a max cap that works along with the mode. Right off the bat, HE mode restricts the light to a max of 130W (Vs. 195W max for HO/full power mode.) So, if you have the light in HE mode @ 100% plus all the color channels run at 100% in your light project, it would run about 130W. Similar is true for HO mode. (If you run HO mode @ 100%, but all your colors at say 75%, you're running the light effectively @ 75% or about 146W.) You say you are running in HO mode with a max. of 100%. What are the individual levels set at within your light project?
There is much more light intensity than you realize and there should be no reason to run them at 100% power in high intensity mode. Our eyes cannot perceive the intensity of the blue spectrum where corals get most of their needed photosynthetic radiation from. The Mitras LX7's LED channels and diode selection are designed to maximize that spectrum to meet the corals needs. As such, what you view as not enough light is more than you realize because most of the LX7's power is going to the blue spectrum. Also, using pH can be a flawed indicator of your lights intensity. I run the LX7's over my main display as well as over my frag tank. On my frag tank, at 70% intensity in High Efficiency mode, my SPS grow just fine. I run high output mode over my main display at 70% intensity but those lights are over 12" from the waters surface for better spread. Again, my SPS grow great.
jonasroman
New member
Thanks for a prefect and pedagogical answer. Appreciate that
You are correct, I am not running all channels at 100%, the white one around 70%, the green one almost nothing, and 100% on the others, BUT I run "HD-mode", 130%, for 3 channel (two blue and violet), BUT I do not know if they could borrow from the white when they already are att 100% in HO mode and overall effect 100%?
/Jonas
jonasroman
New member
I know that blue is more difficult to evaluate for the eye, and I did not mean the visual appearance, but the biological answer, concerning the hue of the corals. I was surprised that I even with maximum power there is quite little sign of reduced zooxanthella-density. I know the PAR values, but is lacking info of PUR, of the reason you claim, the intensity within absorption for chlorophyll a and c. I have had a lot of friends which bought radion and they have to go down to 60-70% , and I runt at 100% without problems...I would have been nice to have some marginals in direction upwards, but I actually have not. Considering buying a fifth unit, but I am of course some reluctant to that as I already have one more unit than GHL recommend.
I think I would like to get the hands on a PUR measure, and see the exact values in my case. Maybe my corals are very strong, but it seems strange that they do not react with some bleaching as i actually also have low nutrition values.
But with that said, the light is nice, good coloration and growth. The only thing I would like to have is some more marginals in upper direction..
Jonas
Not sure what you mean by marginals. If you were comparing to the Radions, the Mitras LX7's have more diodes in the 420-460nm range than the Radions and more power capability. I have a Seneye monitor and while I don't trust the accuracy of it's PUR graphs, I was seeing nearly 90% at 16,400k on the Mitras. One of the keys to the Mitras LX7's is using power balancing and high output mode if you feel 70% isn't enough power. These Mitras as in HO mode coupled with power balancing are VERY powerful. Much more so than most people would ever need unless the lights are really high off the water and you can use 100% of the fixtures power even with channels like the whites, reds, green and UV dialed way back. That means that the key channels that relate to PUR (blue, RB, Hyper Violet, etc) can get virtually all of the fixtures 195w of power and given there are more diodes in those ranges then the Radions, these fixtures hold their own to them. In short, if you are really not finding enough power from the Mitras which I tend to question, you can increase all your blue channels to 130% in the power balancing interface. Drop the whites to a max of 70% or whatever you peak them at now. Drop the red, green and UV down to 30%.. You likely will never exceeed 30% on those channels anyway. Then you will get more power to the channels that count for PUR. Again, most would never need to do this. I see upwards of an inch a month in growth on some of my SPS. I don't run the fixtures anywhere near 100% in HO mode and if one did, you could easily cook corals.
One thing to keep in mind is that you have 2 larger clusters on the Radions where as you have 6 on the Mitras. With the Radions, you tend to have more of a hot spot around the center of the fixture closer to the light where as the Mitras are a bit more evenly spread. As you get further from the light, the hot spot decreases as one would expect.
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As I said, that is primarily notable closer to the fixture. If for example you put the PAR meter 6-8" from the light and move from center of the cluster to the sides of the fixture, it's noticeable with a PAR meter. As you get further from the light and or deeper below the waters surface, it's less detectable. Most of us don't have our corals 6-8" from the fixture so it's not going to be much of an issue with the G4 which certainly improved things over the G3 which was also a great fixture. And for the record, I am not knocking the Radions. I think they are great lights. I was just comparing the difference in having 6 clusters vs 2 and using a PAR meter directly under the fixtures, you can see the difference in how the intensity is spread out under the clusters between the two. Especially in closer proximity to the fixture. The Mitras have a slightly wider spread compared to the narrower optics on the Radions.
I'm just telling what I've seen based my hands on experience with both fixtures. I had a G4 here for a week to play with. I spent a lot of time playing with the settings and intensity on it and comparing results with the Mitras LX7 using both my Apogee and my Seneye meters. They were both tested side by side on my system hanging from my light rack. I wish I would have documented it but the testing was for my own personal use and to help me with some decision making as I needed to get the most spread with the least out of pocket expense on my system. I also tested other lights as well during the process. The Kessil AP700 being another one. I like the AP700 as well and kept one here for another system.
I am not aware of such plans but it would be easy to make a light setup using some EZ-Tube extruded aluminum that you hang and some Articulating Mitras Mounts.
Here is one such setup that I helped a friend with a couple weeks ago. 3 Mitras suspended from an aluminum extrusion and articulating mounts that allow the lights to be angled to maximize coverage.
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