Who has the Popular Grow/AliExpress Bars?

[unchaotic]

I ordered two custom LED layout Bluetooth controllable PopularGrow bars. Can anyone who has these maybe show me what the driver looks like. I’m assuming the driver will have the Bluetooth module in it.

I can’t connect to my lights nor can I find a Bluetooth signal coming from them. I’ve contacted the manufacturer and they are still claiming they are the correct lights. Here’s what I’ve got:

 

[oreo54]

Not seeing that as anything more than a 20-33v 660mA driver.

Not even dimmable.

 

[unchaotic]

Not seeing that as anything more than a 20-33v 660mA driver.

Not even dimmable.

Yeah, that's what I thought. I sent them a picture but I probably won't hear anything back until late tonight.

I tried to prevent this but they assured me they would be Bluetooth.

 

[oreo54]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I sent them a picture but I probably won't hear anything back until late tonight.

I tried to prevent this but they assured me they would be Bluetooth.

You could put it on a smart outlet with bluetooth.
Just on/off though.
Populargrow official store:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1100882080?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000007.1.10cf4ad8OzURWM

A lot of brands go through like 3rd party vendors. Can get tricky especially with pricing.

Example of a bluetooth driver..

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804956971298.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.95.224579d1nhbQXF&algo_pvid=6872cf27-5555-4955-a1f4-ffd19cdc11b4&algo_exp_id=6872cf27-5555-4955-a1f4-ffd19cdc11b4-47&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21USD%2127.0%2127.0%21%21%21%21%21%4021224e9b16824505025178247d074d%2112000031837469103%21sea%21US%21721248960&curPageLogUid=l14PrxaGnprW

There is a 9-42V driver there that "should" work for you.
I'd need to check a bit though.

 

[unchaotic]

You could put it on a smart outlet with bluetooth.
Just on/off though.

That's my plan assuming they don't blow my mind by sending replacements.

If anyone else runs into this post and is planning to order custom PopularGrow LED bars I have some advise on the ordering process. The way they had me order the lights was to pay for one of the normal listings and then they sent me a link to a temporary listing to cover the extra expenses. I noticed the standard listing they told me to order was not the Bluetooth version and questioned it but they assured me that they would make them controllable. So if that happens to you I highly recommend you do not complete the purchase with the non-Bluetooth model.

 

[unchaotic]

This has been a roller-coaster ride. They admitted they failed to give me Bluetooth control and gave me a little money back (I'm honestly pretty sure they didn't charge me for that feature in the first place).

Then yesterday I get a UPS delivery notification for a rush shipment from China and I thought that maybe they got some wires crossed and were still sending me the correct units. I get home to find some really nice 4' long lights (I had ordered 2') with Bluetooth control. I had no idea how they messed up that bad but I thought these new lights would look great over my 60g.

Then, overnight, they contacted me asking about the extra lights and if I could forward them on to the correct customer. Sometimes being an honest person sucks.

 

[jtone_philthy_aquatics]

That's my plan assuming they don't blow my mind by sending replacements.

If anyone else runs into this post and is planning to order custom PopularGrow LED bars I have some advise on the ordering process. The way they had me order the lights was to pay for one of the normal listings and then they sent me a link to a temporary listing to cover the extra expenses. I noticed the standard listing they told me to order was not the Bluetooth version and questioned it but they assured me that they would make them controllable. So if that happens to you I highly recommend you do not complete the purchase with the non-Bluetooth model.

The Bluetooth model is a nightmare. They’ve promised me regular handheld controllers for maybe 3 months now. AliExpress actually reached them and attempted to defend my case because I was able to prove that the Bluetooth modules don’t work and that they wrote a message claiming to have sent me the controllers that they used to offer. I was planning on swapping out the connections so that the old handheld controllers would be compatible and I’d just remove the BT module from the fixtures all together that my models came with. They lied to AliExpress and said they sent my controllers and that they would give me the tracking the night that they spoke. That wasn’t true. Im not one to bash companies within this hobby but I will just say….. careful and make sure you know exactly what they will be shipping out before hand and seriously ask EVERY SINGLE QUESTION THAT COMES TO YOU lol. The Bluetooth modules themselves work it’s the 3rd party app that’s going to fail you. It seems popular grow just made a deal to use their already existing platform. Doesn’t seem like anyone took into consideration that this is for live animals because thanks to the app I had quite a few sticks burned because the schedule kept turning itself off but what was weird is the schedule turns off by itself yet the led bars will still turn on sometimes. When they do it typically ignores my intensity settings and goes right to 100% power. Other times the led bars never turned on at all. It was a nightmare tbh. Im currently doing some diy work to all of them so I can use a different controller for each of them.


Tbh they are catching so much heat for selling those Bluetooth modules to reek keepers that they might just do away with them. I told them that If they don’t intend on working with the developer to provide a better app for these animals then it’s just pointless to sell them at all because yall will just get torn up left and right once more ppl become aware that it’s the app and not the light itself. My Bluetooth worked for months and months on 4 different led bars (all custom spectrum ranging from 395nm-450nm) and things were great until the developer did an update that drastically changed the entire system for the worst. With those, radions, t5ho I had so much sps LPs growth happening before that update. My parameters are and have been stable yet I’m in recovery mode with a handful of corals due to those technical difficulties. It’s a bummer. Sorry for the rant I just really don’t want anyone else having this issue because in the end I’d have saved money just purchasing name brand bars after counting the corals that were killed off. AliExpress actually took over the communications in order to get me the controllers they promised that they sent me. They recently admitted they didn’t send me anything months ago. lol I was just like “uhhhh I kinda figured that was the case” not even alie could convince them to do the right thing. Crazy stuff be careful and choose wisely and ask tons of questions no matter how annoying it may seem. Happy reefing everyone