Quanta bars!!!!!!!!!

[Useful_Idiot]

The meso is a little brighter or not as deep blue, more like a blue plus bulb. I prefer it. It brings out some subtle colors. OG is exactly the same as a reefbrite 450/470. All pics under orange lens. The camera didn't pick up the difference well, but you can kinda see the green base of the Lucky charms doesn't contrast as much under the OG.

Meso

OG

 

[VintageReefer]

@Useful_Idiot
First part of your screen name definitely true. I don’t know about the second part

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it. I thought I would want the og thinking meso wouldn’t have enough fluorescence but this helped steer me to the meso. I like the extra brightness while still having the pop. A meso is in my future

 

[minus9]

@Useful_Idiot
First part of your screen name definitely true. I don’t know about the second part

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it. I thought I would want the og thinking meso wouldn’t have enough fluorescence but this helped steer me to the meso. I like the extra brightness while still having the pop. A meso is in my future

The Meso has more than enough pop to satisfy the blue only fans, plus it’s loaded with violet, so it has the punch too.

 

[1000rrstunna]

Threads like this make me wanna ditch my rations and just run led bars. I need to stop reading. Lol

 

[ajremington68]

Threads like this make me wanna ditch my rations and just run led bars. I need to stop reading. Lol

I am setting up a new system and everyone says one thing you don't cheap out on is lights. Well, the Quanta bars are so cheap but so good it has me super suspicious. Too Good To Be Tru So I will keep doing research but so far this beat everything by a mile, and a local buddy is buying them for his 300 so I will go check them out and let him run them before I invest.

 

[Devisissy]

I keep meaning to look in on them again. I am waiting for the dimmable. Are they out yet?

 

[ajremington68]

I keep meaning to look in on them again. I am waiting for the dimmable. Are they out yet?

I think month or 2, but no quite yet.

 

[1000rrstunna]

I am setting up a new system and everyone says one thing you don't cheap out on is lights. Well, the Quanta bars are so cheap but so good it has me super suspicious. Too Good To Be Tru So I will keep doing research but so far this beat everything by a mile, and a local buddy is buying them for his 300 so I will go check them out and let him run them before I invest.

I ordered one for evaluation today they are cheap but they arent that cheap.. Or3 bars killed it for me but quality sucked...

 

[Hooz]

I keep meaning to look in on them again. I am waiting for the dimmable. Are they out yet?

He said the new "Helix" production samples will be here before the end of the month, then he'll start pre-orders.

 

[minus9]

I am setting up a new system and everyone says one thing you don't cheap out on is lights. Well, the Quanta bars are so cheap but so good it has me super suspicious. Too Good To Be Tru So I will keep doing research but so far this beat everything by a mile, and a local buddy is buying them for his 300 so I will go check them out and let him run them before I invest.

I’m old school and run halides with Quanta’s (Meso Blues), but I could easily use a combo of Meso Blues and Tropic Suns and be satisfied. Radions aren’t the be all end all of reef lighting, they’re just the most popular light/brand. I think there are plenty of overpriced fixtures on the market, but I don’t think most are worth it.

 

[piranhaman00]

What degree lenses do these have?

 

[minus9]

What degree lenses do these have?

I'm not sure, but the blending compared to Orphek's is night and day. My old OR2 bars didn't blend at all and you had to mount them 14" or higher to get them to blend, but there still was separation. The Quanta's blending is awesome and there's a little shimmer as well. If I went all bars, it would Quanta Pro (or Helix) all the way. When I first got the Meso Blues, I tested them against 3' xho's and 2' OR2 blue plus combined and the Meso Blues out-performed them in every way.

 

[Kodski]

Threads like this make me wanna ditch my rations and just run led bars. I need to stop reading. Lol

I've ran full reefbrite bars over a tank before and loved it. I only switched to get more spectrum and went with a T5 fixture. I still run a reefbrite with the T5's though. The spread of bars just can't be matched (except T5's) and I really want to go back to LED bars but for me its tough to justify the switch when I love my T5's.

 

[piranhaman00]

I've ran full reefbrite bars over a tank before and loved it. I only switched to get more spectrum and went with a T5 fixture. I still run a reefbrite with the T5's though. The spread of bars just can't be matched (except T5's) and I really want to go back to LED bars but for me its tough to justify the switch when I love my T5's.

Yes but RB doesn’t use lenses and that’s why they have such great spread.

I expect these use 90 degree lenses which greatly reduces spread and blending and requires high mounting.

Sounds like people have good luck with these though

 

[minus9]

Yes but RB doesn’t use lenses and that’s why they have such great spread.

I expect these use 90 degree lenses which greatly reduces spread and blending and requires high mounting.

Sounds like people have good luck with these though

Mine are mounted about 10" from the water. Also, xho's have very low output, so they don't add any significant amount of par, they're merely for show/pop.

 

[piranhaman00]

Mine are mounted about 10" from the water. Also, xho's have very low output, so they don't add any significant amount of par, they're merely for show/pop.

Again, it’s due to not having lenses. They need to be mounted much lower. Not defending RB as those LEDs are grossly overpriced.

 

[Hooz]

Yes but RB doesn’t use lenses and that’s why they have such great spread.

I expect these use 90 degree lenses which greatly reduces spread and blending and requires high mounting.

Sounds like people have good luck with these though

I believe the way Quanta combats the blending issues is by having multiple diodes per lens. Most of the Chinese bars have a single diode (color) per lens. So each color is separated by 1" (ish) of space on the strip and mounting them higher increases the spread/overlap/blending.

The new Helix is a quad-core diode per lens, so you get 4 different colors for each inch of bar. They should blend better than pretty much any "lensed" light bar. Even if the lenses are 90 degrees, you should still be able to get by mounting them a little lower and still get the blending.

 

[piranhaman00]

I believe the way Quanta combats the blending issues is by having multiple diodes per lens. Most of the Chinese bars have a single diode (color) per lens. So each color is separated by 1" (ish) of space on the strip and mounting them higher increases the spread/overlap/blending.

The new Helix is a quad-core diode per lens, so you get 4 different colors for each inch of bar. They should blend better than pretty much any "lensed" light bar. Even if the lenses are 90 degrees, you should still be able to get by mounting them a little lower and still get the blending.

Yes that would be cool to see

 

[Kodski]

Mine are mounted about 10" from the water. Also, xho's have very low output, so they don't add any significant amount of par, they're merely for show/pop.

I ran 4 over my tank, 2 actinic and 2 50/50, and had plenty of par for a mixed reef. 150 par mounted 11” above water and 16” below water line. So I wouldn’t say they are low output. I do agree lack of spectrum makes them more for pop/colors though. But I did see decent growth with my time using them.

 

[minus9]

I ran 4 over my tank, 2 actinic and 2 50/50, and had plenty of par for a mixed reef. 150 par mounted 11” above water and 16” below water line. So I wouldn’t say they are low output. I do agree lack of spectrum makes them more for pop/colors though. But I did see decent growth with my time using them.

They work, but for the money and what little you get out of them, it's simply not worth the money. I love my RB halide pendants, they're great, but the LEDs are basic run of the mill diodes and enclosures are not top quality.