The myth that LED lights last forever

[Garf]

5000k

LOL, that’s one hot flame.

 

[oreo54]

Yeah I figured something like this will be the case. Still I don't want to miss the dimm function on my meanwell-LDH drivers anymore. I use them more often than I thought.

How effective are thermal conductive adhesive tapes nowadays? I tried to use thermal tape on 3 watt cree leds 6-7 years ago and they burned out in just 3 months. Since then i only use screws and thermal paste.

Stat wise some of the best tapes exceed things like "heatsink plaster" and the other thermal silicone glues.
There may be uber expensive thermal adhesives that are equiv though.
Not sure about paste/screws/pressure types though.
I've stuck (pun) with Tian-mu though. I don't stress my fixtures though.
I do know there are better tapes then it but I prefer a thinner layer. You can squish silicones quite a bit
and I don't need to drill/tap anymore.
This is more preference than science

 

[jason2459]

I'm thinking I might light my next reef with candles...

What color temperature?

Could have a constant drizzle of magnesium over it to shift it to a cool white and dose the tank at the same time.

 

[Spare time]

I'm thinking I might light my next reef with candles...

Oil lamps are superior to candles. I used to grow beautiful SPS colonies back in the 1860's with those. The youngsters these days all want them new fangled electricity based lights

 

[BeanAnimal]

What color temperature?

Well actually...

As it were Candles are around 1850 kelvin... and likely one of the first data points (aside from the sun) used to define "color temperature" as we know it today

 

[Garf]

Oil lamps are superior to candles.

Not if you are a candle maker.

 

[Spare time]

Not if you are a candle maker.

The spectra and par from oil lamps are clearly superior.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The "push" in commercial lighting is an L80 rating.
So 80%.

I think it is headed toward L90 through pressure from architects and specifiers - while many OEMs want to to be L70... I think the L80 is the compromise for the time being.

That said except for the Coralcare (based on faith) I doubt if ANY aquarium light fixtures as a whole unit has EVER been L-whatever tested.

You can also assume that many cheap imports have poor thermal management, but are also not likely driving the chips too hard, as power supplies cost money too...

 

[Spare time]

Anyone here try fusion based lights?

 

[oreo54]

I think it is headed toward L90 through pressure from architects and specifiers - while many OEMs want to to be L70... I think the L80 is the compromise for the time being.


You can also assume that many cheap imports have poor thermal management, but are also not likely driving the chips too hard, as power supplies cost money too...

Not to mention the L/W numbers decrease as you approach 100CRI
No l/w bragging rights. Not to mention low cri leds are cheaper and/orr probably more common (higher probability) in the production run.
My question, since generally to get 95+ you add red/cyan which probably decreases the L/W number yet may not decrease actual photons.
Would be easily proved/disproved using PPFD though since there is no "bias" between 400-700nm

I assume that the 90+ CRI l/w losses are mostly err "paper losses" but there may be some phosphor effects.

 

[Garf]

Don't they?

Lard. I would add that I’ve run leds without lenses before and they worked well (on an algae scrubber, lol). Thanks to this thread I’ve lowered the lights to 5 inches above the water with has eliminated glare and given an added vibrancy to the tank. No idea what the PAR is, however, never measured it. Reduced intensity as it looked too dang bright, but who knows?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Not to mention the L/W numbers decrease as you approach 100CRI
No l/w bragging rights. Not to mention low cri leds are cheaper and/orr probably more common (higher probability) in the production run.
My question, since generally to get 95+ you add red/cyan which probably decreases the L/W number yet may not decrease actual photons.
Would be easily proved/disproved using PPFD though since there is no "bias" between 400-700nm

I assume that the 90+ CRI l/w losses are mostly err "paper losses" but there may be some phosphor effects.

Also high CRI requires tighter binning.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Lard. I would add that I’ve run leds without lenses before and they worked well (on an algae scrubber, lol). Thanks to this thread I’ve lowered the lights to 5 inches above the water with has eliminated glare and given an added vibrancy to the tank. No idea what the PAR is, however, never measured it. Reduced intensity as it looked too dang bright, but who knows?

While I typically take BRS tests and results with a grain of salt, the lighting series did provide some decent measurement data with regard to distance vs par and hotspots for most major fixtures and think that it is a decent reference for a starting point.

 

[Garf]

While I typically take BRS tests and results with a grain of salt, the lighting series did provide some decent measurement data with regard to distance vs par and hotspots for most major fixtures and think that it is a decent reference for a starting point.

Perhaps they will re do the series, this time with the lenses off, lol.

 

[oreo54]

Ok so you are running the them at 25% power. That's nice. Whey should run for a very long time.

But your driver choice is a bit strange. The strips need 24V 1.8A but the driver puts out 48V at 0.9A. I am sure you have figured that all out, but I personally would have looked for a driver with 24v 1.8A output and put the four strips parallel to make the wiring more simple. These aren't dimmable right?

WAY o/t but i got curious as to the Samsung 301's.
Lists 90 cri. 3030 footprint

0.3 W class middle power LED
 Mold resin for high reliability
 Standard form factor for design flexibility (3.0 × 3.0 mm

This is arguably "the best" of the lot. There are 3 bins and this is just one. Digikey does NOT guarantee binning.
Anyways any of the 3 would be good. Of course you need to reflow your own boards. Loose diodes only.
$70/500

 

[alton]

I can’t believe I read all 13 pages mostly of the same 15 year old arguments on RC. I started with T12 with one Philips 03 and 3 T12 Cool whites. We didn’t have corals we just needed our fish to look good.

Went to Compact fluorescents and although looked great, grew things well, didn’t last very long. Dropped like a rock after six months.

Then came Coral Vue double ended lamps which only lasted 6 months before dropping to 50%. T12 VHO actinic lamps ran on electronic ballast and Radium / Phoenix 14K metal halide lamps with my Coral Vue Electronic Ballast. Which the old guys on here would argue that the electronic ballast where junk and only M80 ballast was the correct ballast. Yea, Yea, Yea.

Both Phoenix and Radium lasted an average of 16 months before dropping 10% in Par or foot candles. Had one Radium last 24 months. I had some reefers over and not one could pick which lamp was Phoenix, which was Radium, which was one month old or 24 months old, you see most times our eyes are liars they can’t tell anything, and if you can see the difference you definitely have issues. 2012 I switched out the VHO’s to Build My Leds from Austin, Texas In 2016 I went to a 180 down from a 300 DD and decided to go 100% LED. At the time BML made LEDs that created a Radium look and spectrum. I waited for the electricity savings in the summer and it never happened. In the winter I had to add a heater, first time ever. It seemed my wife’s cooking, clothes washer, dryer, hot water heater used more than my aquariums. I bought black boxes once and ran them at 50%, the second year I had to move them up to 100% to get the same Par levels.

I now use Radion’s, BML changed names and only makes lighting for pot growers, I mean horticulturist. I liked the Radion 5’s more than the 6’s. The 6’s have too big of a foot print/spread and I have to build a support to stop them from blinding me.

In closing MH was the easiest to grow things, the negative was the very large Coral Vue Pendants. The 11 year old BML’s still work although all the UV diodes are shot. Just remember there are different qualities of diodes. So not all LED’s are the same and last the same. If I ever went back to a 300+ gallon tank it would have MH, too expensive to use LED, unless I win the lottery.

Compact Fluorescents

158 gallon with Coral Vue 12K MH x 3 in a Compact fluorescent Light

300DD MH / BML

180 BML Leds

 

[Bpb]

I'm thinking I might light my next reef with candles...

FOOT candles

 

[MnFish1]

I can’t believe I read all 13 pages mostly of the same 15 year old arguments on RC. I started with T12 with one Philips 03 and 3 T12 Cool whites. We didn’t have corals we just needed our fish to look good.

Went to Compact fluorescents and although looked great, grew things well, didn’t last very long. Dropped like a rock after six months.

Then came Coral Vue double ended lamps which only lasted 6 months before dropping to 50%. T12 VHO actinic lamps ran on electronic ballast and Radium / Phoenix 14K metal halide lamps with my Coral Vue Electronic Ballast. Which the old guys on here would argue that the electronic ballast where junk and only M80 ballast was the correct ballast. Yea, Yea, Yea.

Both Phoenix and Radium lasted an average of 16 months before dropping 10% in Par or foot candles. Had one Radium last 24 months. I had some reefers over and not one could pick which lamp was Phoenix, which was Radium, which was one month old or 24 months old, you see most times our eyes are liars they can’t tell anything, and if you can see the difference you definitely have issues. 2012 I switched out the VHO’s to Build My Leds from Austin, Texas In 2016 I went to a 180 down from a 300 DD and decided to go 100% LED. At the time BML made LEDs that created a Radium look and spectrum. I waited for the electricity savings in the summer and it never happened. In the winter I had to add a heater, first time ever. It seemed my wife’s cooking, clothes washer, dryer, hot water heater used more than my aquariums. I bought black boxes once and ran them at 50%, the second year I had to move them up to 100% to get the same Par levels.

I now use Radion’s, BML changed names and only makes lighting for pot growers, I mean horticulturist. I liked the Radion 5’s more than the 6’s. The 6’s have too big of a foot print/spread and I have to build a support to stop them from blinding me.

In closing MH was the easiest to grow things, the negative was the very large Coral Vue Pendants. The 11 year old BML’s still work although all the UV diodes are shot. Just remember there are different qualities of diodes. So not all LED’s are the same and last the same. If I ever went back to a 300+ gallon tank it would have MH, too expensive to use LED, unless I win the lottery.

Compact Fluorescents

158 gallon with Coral Vue 12K MH x 3 in a Compact fluorescent Light

300DD MH / BML

180 BML Leds

What's interesting about the pictures to me is 1. your low stocking density, and 2. The number of corals that have grown and the number that have gone over the time period. Can you summarize (briefly) - which corals from the first pictures are still in the tank>. Clearly some of them are - but many are not?

 

[Daniel@R2R]

The canopy of my next reef tank.

 

[Spare time]

The canopy of my next reef tank.

Are those candles blutooth enabled?