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BuildMyLED

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Posts posted by BuildMyLED

    submersible fixtures?

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Hi Bio. Sorry for the late reply. Our lights can probably survive an IP67 test (submersed 1M deep for 30 minutes). However, you probably need an IP68 rating for this type of application. Maybe in the future :-)

    Nick

    Projected LED Lifespan

    in Equipment Discussions

    Posted

    Thanks all for the feedback. The lifespan of the LED wasn't as big of an issue, I was more thinking of spectrum shifts. As MH bulbs get older, the light spectrum tends to change (to a more favorable spectrum for algae). I guess this is not a concern for LEDs?

    Yes, LEDs can definitely shift color over time, but a quality LED lighting system should not see the major color shifts associated with MH arc tube deterioration. LED color shift can be traced to both the LED construction (materials used to build the LED package) and to fixture construction (i.e. optics materials).

    Nick

    Projected LED Lifespan

    in Equipment Discussions

    Posted

    PS - In my opinion, the LEDs are not the weakest link in most lighting systems, even though they garner the most attention. The electronic equipment (i.e. drivers) and mechanical equipment (i.e. active cooling systems) will be the first items to fail in reef applications.

    Nick

    Projected LED Lifespan

    in Equipment Discussions

    Posted

    Jestep pretty much nailed it. High quality LEDs will have passed a stringent set of reliability tests known as LM-80. Once an LED manufacturer has tested a product for at least 6k hours, they are able to start projecting LED lifespan based on a set of algorithms (which is defined by TM-21). In general, every LED manufacturing company claims their LEDs will last 50K hours to the L70 point (meaning the LED is generating 70% of the original output), but a small minority of companies actually have certified LM-80 results. Keep in mind, all of these tests only apply to the actual LED. To Jestep's comment, imagine two LED fixture companies both source the exact same LED from Philips. If one company has a poorly designed thermal management system, and one company uses a state-of-the-art thermal management system, the LEDs in the first fixture will not last as long as the LEDs in the second fixture. However, both companies are claiming a 50k hour lifespan, but this is obviously not accurate. Hence, one of my previous employees is currently chairing a committee for the IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) that is defining how to apply lumen maintenance projections to the lighting system, which is where the rubber really meets the road. These test procedures will really help consumers make informed purchase decisions concerning lifetime projections, but I only expect to see commercial lighting companies invest in these tests (which can cost tens of thousands of $$$s).

    Having said that, a well-designed LED lighting system should last for many, many years in a controlled environment smile.png

    Nick

    Does anyone have a spare 20K Radium?

    in Lighting (MH, T5, PC, LED)

    Posted

    I've got a few 20K XM (DE 250W). I've found that your 14K matches the 20K XM pretty good, albeit I've not seen any other of your fixtures with it smile.png.

    If you want one of these bulbs let me know.

    -brett

    Thanks, Brett. We have another ARC member lined up to lend us the 20K lamp, but let me know if you are interested in reviewing the prototype spectrum once it is available smile.png

    Talk soon,

    Nick

    Video of our Custom Reef Spectrum vs. T5HO Fluorescent on 120g Reef Tank

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Nick, to clarify, can you provide the specifics about the BML fixutures (quantity and spectrum)? It looks like you were comparing

    • (10) HO T5 54w bulbs
    • (2) 48" BML Custom Reef Spectrum
    Is that correct?

    We were comparing (10) T5HO 54W lamps vs. (3) 48" BML Custom Reef Spectrum. We dropped the load from 540 to 208 watts. Each BML fixture pulls ~70W, hence the 208W on the electric meter.Nick

    What angle were they? Would you recommend trading one and inserting the super actinic?

    Hi Glen. Sorry I am late in seeing your question smile.png in this video, we used a 75, 45 and 30 degree (front to back). What are the dimensions of your tank and what is your proposed fixture mounting height? Let me know, and I will provide a design recommendation for you.

    Talk soon,

    Nick

    48x24x24

    Proposed mounting right at rim

    Thank you sir!

    Hi Glen. Sorry again for the delay! I need to enable the thread notification feature smile.png I recommend two full spectrum fixtures (i.e. 12000K Custom Reef Spectrum or 14000K Reef Spectrum) and a Super Actinic fixture for your aquarium. For the full spectrum fixtures, I recommend a 90 degree (for the back of the aquarium) and a 75 degree (for the front), with a 90 degree Super Actinic fixture in between the two full spectrum fixtures. The optional tank mount kits will also let you aim the lights to achieve the best coverage in the aquarium.

    Nick

    Video of our Custom Reef Spectrum vs. T5HO Fluorescent on 120g Reef Tank

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Nick, to clarify, can you provide the specifics about the BML fixutures (quantity and spectrum)? It looks like you were comparing

    • (10) HO T5 54w bulbs
    • (2) 48" BML Custom Reef Spectrum
    Is that correct?
    We were comparing (10) T5HO 54W lamps vs. (3) 48" BML Custom Reef Spectrum. We dropped the load from 540 to 208 watts. Each BML fixture pulls ~70W, hence the 208W on the electric meter.Nick

    What angle were they? Would you recommend trading one and inserting the super actinic?

    Hi Glen. Sorry I am late in seeing your question smile.png in this video, we used a 75, 45 and 30 degree (front to back). What are the dimensions of your tank and what is your proposed fixture mounting height? Let me know, and I will provide a design recommendation for you.

    Talk soon,

    Nick

    PAR Intensity Maps - Need your Feedback

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    ARC...Many customers have requested PPFD measurements (PAR) for our five beam angles, so we are planning to add this information to our website soon. However, I would like your feedback before we finalize the maps we will use to convey the information. Here is a SAMPLE mockup for a 48" fixture with 30 degree optics. Please review and let me know if this is useful information. Note, we will publish charts for aquarium applications (in water), and we will also publish charts for air applications (horticulture, white light, architectural lighting, etc.). Also, we will publish PPFD, lux and footcandle measurements for each spectrum. Some of the values are filler content, so don't worry about the values. This page was created to convey the concept smile.png

    Would these charts be helpful? What else would you like to see?

    http://www.buildmyled.com/30-degree-beam-angle/

    Nick

    Super Actinic Reef Spectrum - New Product Launch

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Are you still loaning out these lights? I'd like to add some lighting but not sure on which one. I really am liking the UV but would only need a 24". I'm using a 10g now but I'm upgrading to a 34g Neo Nano and think my single par38 bulb might need some help.

    Definitely. I have a few different combinations available right now, so call or email me and le's find the right spectrum for your tank. Wih the holidays, we are in the office between 9-6 Wed through Fri this week.

    Talk soon,

    Nick

    LED Color Temperature

    in Reef Keeping

    Posted

    Here are a few different reef spectra compared to our preconfigured Custom Reef Spectrum. The white balance was off on the second clip, which looks like a ~14000K spectrum in person. For those of you who prefer more blue in your reef spectrum, this will help you with the design process.

    Nick

    LED Color Temperature

    in Reef Keeping

    Posted

    I really like the Custom Reef spectrum and along with the Super Actinic will work well on most of my tanks. Nick,I am curious if you can test the color temperature of existing bulbs? I have a tank with both 14,000K and 20,000K MH and would be more than happy to volunteer but they are from two different manufactureres and the 14,000K actully look bluer than the 20,000K. Just one of the frustrations with MH I'm glad I'm phasing out.

    Yes, we have two spectometers that can capture the radiometric spectrum of any light source. One is calibrated to capture the UV through visible region, while the other captures visible through the Infrared region (for horticulture applications). When they are calibrated for absolute photometry, you can determine practically anything about a given light spectrum. I would be happy to test your lamps to compare the spectra and their associated CCTs. I believe the CCT (Kelvin scale) is a really poor method for describing light sources, but we can tell you exactly where they are in relation to the Planckian locus.

    Nick

    LED Color Temperature

    in Reef Keeping

    Posted

    Hello everyone. Lots of people are asking us to correlate the color of our LED fixtures to metal halide lamps. I asked a few ARC members to label our Custom Reef Spectrum, and everyone agreed it looks like a traditional 12000K lamp. Since many customers want cooler color temperatures, I want to add some cooler options to our portfolio.

    Hence, what other temperatures should we consider? Once we identify these temperatures, does anyone have a non-LED source still running on their tank? I would like to configure some sample fixtures to match the look of these lamps.

    Let me know,

    Nick

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