Getting a new LED!

Here's the easiest way to get to my reviews, but it is missing quite a few from when I moved the site to this URL.

Product Reviews | Marine Engineers

 

Mike,

Take my advice. Don't publish PAR results for this fixture. Not just because this is not an off the shelf product but because They are hoping you post PAR results. Here are 4 reasons why I hope that you won't.

1. I'm sure you have heard how PAR on an LED is underestimated due to the fact that LEDs produce a lot of blue energy and that energy us underestimated by the Apogee meter. This is why you hear of people saying you need less LED ppfd to get the same result as metal halide. In reality, any light source that is weighted toward the blue side including 20K MH and many 14K MH.

2. On the other hand the Apogee meter overestimates red light just the same way it underestimates the blue.

3. The fact that the red LEDs are using the narrow angle lens is another concern. All the red is in the middle of the fixture, right where the average tested would look for peak PAR results.

4. Sanjay's testing results should be published in the next week or two. He tested an off the shelf fixture.

Basically, if I were an LED company looking to get huge performance results in a published article, I would send out a ringer. (This is no different than the tricks that many auto manufacturers play on the test magazines. Send a car with just a tad more horsepower than one from the factory.) Knowing that the only reasonably priced PAR meter is the Apogee, knowing that everyone testing a light looks for peak PAR in the center, knowing that red LEDs PAR would be overestimated on the Apogee, knowing that this would be magnified by adding a narrow angle optic.....

My friend, you got a ringer! Now I'm not saying they did it on purpose. Just that Orphek always seems to have a lot of issues that just always seem to make them out to be the victims of bad press.

Now my friend, ask yourself. If Ofir at Orphek is truly the talented electrical engineer that those like Mike Maddox say he is. Do you think those red LEDs are there by chance, or on purpose? You be the judge!

 

Very good points, and now that you mention it, I could simply quote done of Sanjay's numbers and know that they were tested in the best way possible.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers Aquarium Blog
Sent from Tapatalk so excuse my poor English

 

Nice start any other LED reviews coming in the future?

 

I have a few lined up including a Radion that will be here next week.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers Aquarium Blog
Sent from Tapatalk so excuse my poor English

 

Mike instead of posting Sanjay's numbers, why not compare them to yours and give the results? In other words, state if the number that Sanjay got is worse/good/better/equal to what you received vice giving actual results and if people ask then post Sanjay's numbers. I think this will speak volume then just posting results. Now the only down side is that people will want to proof of what you speak. Afterall this is the internet and people can make up anything. No matter what you do I think you may want to tread lightly.

 

It seems logical to put black tape over the reds or something to take them out of the equation and provide PAR numbers with and without the reds.

Also, of course, it is always important to give PAR over an area, rather than just below. While you maybe don't have the equipment to generate a PAR contour plot, it is easy layout a 36" grid and provide PAR at various points across the grid.

 

Which ever direction I go, I definitely need to read lightly. A competitive test between the fixture I got and the one sanjay got would be very interesting, but it could hardly be called competitive unless the same equipment was used plus the fixture I have is experimental. It sad to think that I should have stayed away from this one simply because of politics, but that thought does creep in, and I realize that it has to be handled delicately.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers Aquarium Blog
Sent from Tapatalk so excuse my poor English

 

Ok, I made up my mind not to post PAR testing from this fixture. Sure to the fact that it's clearly not a production model, results would not be seen in the right light. I think we are all much better off reading Sanjay's results which will be taken with top of the line equipment on a true production model. We should all stick to what we're best at, so I would rather have my review seen as a look at the light in use. Sanjay is the one to handle the scientific side of things. I am considering contacting him about testing it for me though, so we can get a look at exactly what the addition of red and uv leds did. I actually wouldn't be surprised if it lowered PAR values.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers Aquarium Blog
Sent from Tapatalk so excuse my poor English

 

Sanjay's licor meter will not be fooled to the extent that the apogee will. It has a much better response curve.