Analysis Paralysis: LED Bars

[bishoptf]

@bishoptf...got them done yesterday. The bar looks to be a custom AliE populargrow bar with dimmer that's putting out almost triple the average PAR of my 24" bar. I've misplaced my Kill-A-Watt (cleaned the garage...grrr), so I didn't grab wattage, but it's running warmer than a stock 24" populargrow bar. I expect to see more energy from the bluer spectrum, but not triple. I'd be concerned that the bar is being driven hard, and that the diodes might take a beating, but I sure do like that 420ish. Given that you shared it's running maybe 60W, that's double than expected. I also might be remembering wrong, so please share when you grab the wattage data.

The PopBloom offers a very basic spectrum. I tested with all channels at 100%, and as you can see, it really doesn't offer anything exciting in terms of spectrum. Regarding your settings, I don't think it matters too much. Turn up the blue and midnight, then bring up the whites so it looks nice.

I can't explain the 102 measurement. Checked it several times, and am assuming it was a diffuser anomaly.

Running them together would give you decent coverage and I'd expect the color to be nice.

Both were tested over the same grid and the face of the lights were measured at 24" above the meter. I used the Apogee MQ-500.

So here is the killwatt measurements via the dimmer steps for the led strip UV bar 36", 4w, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20, 23, 27, 30 and full on is 34w.

 

[TX_REEF]

it looks like you may have already made a decision, but wanted to share that I'm in the same boat as you - I prefer natural daylight spectrum, and run a full spectrum setting on my kessil ap9x. I added an aorphek OR3 blue plus bar for added pop, PAR and shadowing reduction. I paired the bar with a Kasa smart dimmer plug, which allows dimming and scheduling via the free app. You could likely use this with any LED light that otherwise lacks a controller.

Kasa Smart Dimmer: https://amzn.to/43pMKtJ

 

[bishoptf]

it looks like you may have already made a decision, but wanted to share that I'm in the same boat as you - I prefer natural daylight spectrum, and run a full spectrum setting on my kessil ap9x. I added an aorphek OR3 blue plus bar for added pop, PAR and shadowing reduction. I paired the bar with a Kasa smart dimmer plug, which allows dimming and scheduling via the free app. You could likely use this with any LED light that otherwise lacks a controller.

Kasa Smart Dimmer: https://amzn.to/43pMKtJ

My understand is the led circuits have to support dimming and hard to know if it will work with all the led strips, maybe it would but hard to say. Maybe @oreo54 or someone can chime in. The alix express are nice uv blue spectrum and dimmable, just would like something with some white, the popbloom ones with white are not dimmable from what I can see they come with a constant current driver I believe. I think I like my combination, these lights - cover the white and some blue and pair them with the UV strips and cheap combination that covers most of the spectrum at least for shallow tanks.

 

[Naekuh]

Thanks for the write up.
I got 2 of those chinese bar's coming in with the dimmer option.
I just wanted something i can make my tank turn windex blue when i want to WOW guest with color snap.

I got the ones with the blue/Uv mix.
I assume i got the right ones to make my coral light up?

 

[bishoptf]

Thanks for the write up.
I got 2 of those chinese bar's coming in with the dimmer option.
I just wanted something i can make my tank turn windex blue when i want to WOW guest with color snap.

I got the ones with the blue/Uv mix.
I assume i got the right ones to make my coral light up?

Thats hard to say since everyone is different in what they want look wise, but you can see the range they cover they only cover the blue range, the ones I got were the UV Blue version and that is what @telegraham posted specturm wise.

 

[oreo54]

My understand is the led circuits have to support dimming and hard to know if it will work with all the led strips, maybe it would but hard to say. Maybe @oreo54 or someone can chime in. The alix express are nice uv blue spectrum and dimmable, just would like something with some white, the popbloom ones with white are not dimmable from what I can see they come with a constant current driver I believe. I think I like my combination, these lights - cover the white and some blue and pair them with the UV strips and cheap combination that covers most of the spectrum at least for shallow tanks.

Yea the kasa dimmer seems to be for line voltage LEDs that can do triac type dimming
Won't work for anything aquarium useable except possibly some flood lights and like par38 bulbs that are listed as dimmable on the 110 line.

 

[oreo54]

it looks like you may have already made a decision, but wanted to share that I'm in the same boat as you - I prefer natural daylight spectrum, and run a full spectrum setting on my kessil ap9x. I added an aorphek OR3 blue plus bar for added pop, PAR and shadowing reduction. I paired the bar with a Kasa smart dimmer plug, which allows dimming and scheduling via the free app. You could likely use this with any LED light that otherwise lacks a controller.

Kasa Smart Dimmer: https://amzn.to/43pMKtJ

Not sure why that works..shouldn't

 

[TX_REEF]

Not sure why that works..shouldn't

I believe Orphek hardware is supportive of dimming - but not all of their products have the software integration to allow it.

 

[oreo54]

I believe Orphek hardware is supportive of dimming - but not all of their products have the software integration to allow it.

Dimming on the driver not at the wall.
That's the confusing part.
And for constant voltage run stuff . Sure chop the dc output with a mosfet all you like but you don't pulse a power supply.

Hmm well that would work actually BUT not sure the effects on a power supply being turned off and on 60 plus times per second on 110v side

A Quick And Deep Understanding Of TRIAC Dimmer & Dimming – superlightingled.com blog

Read this blog article to quickly and deeply learn about TRIAC dimmer and TRIAC dimming, TRIAC dimming vs. 0-10V dimming, TRIAC dimming vs. PWM dimming.

www.superlightingled.com

Feels.....wrong

There is 110 dimming and dc / driver dimming.

 

[TX_REEF]

Dimming on the driver not at the wall.
That's the confusing part.
And for constant voltage run stuff . Sure chop the dc output with a mosfet all you like but you don't pulse a power supply.

Hmm well that would work actually BUT not sure the effects on a power supply being turned off and on 60 plus times per second on 110v side

A Quick And Deep Understanding Of TRIAC Dimmer & Dimming – superlightingled.com blog

Read this blog article to quickly and deeply learn about TRIAC dimmer and TRIAC dimming, TRIAC dimming vs. 0-10V dimming, TRIAC dimming vs. PWM dimming.

www.superlightingled.com

Feels.....wrong

There is 110 dimming and dc / driver dimming.

Well I can confirm it works for me... if my light fails or something I'll be sure to post about that

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

@telegraham so it sounds like you’re at least a little impressed with the blue/uv bar?

I’ve been happy with the two on my DT and just ordered 3 more for the new frag tank.

 

[telegraham]

So here is the killwatt measurements via the dimmer steps for the led strip UV bar 36", 4w, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20, 23, 27, 30 and full on is 34w.

Ok...I take back my cooking the LEDs thing. I have no concerns!

 

[telegraham]

@telegraham so it sounds like you’re at least a little impressed with the blue/uv bar?

I’ve been happy with the two on my DT and just ordered 3 more for the new frag tank.

I purchased my first AliE popular grow bar over four years ago, and it still works. I've modified another in the oven, and it still works. I have several others around here doing nothing (but they sill work). And at 20W for the 24" bar, they will run for a while. These bars fitted with any combination of LEDs that make sense for you will work well. I just suggest that you don't go with more than three different spectrum LEDs per bar, as they don't blend well with 4+.

These lights will serve you well. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832657411052.html Ask the seller for custom diode configs.

That's not an affiliate link. I earn nothing from recommendations.

 

[bishoptf]

I purchased my first AliE popular grow bar over four years ago, and it still works. I've modified another in the oven, and it still works. I have several others around here doing nothing (but they sill work). And at 20W for the 24" bar, they will run for a while. These bars fitted with any combination of LEDs that make sense for you will work well. I just suggest that you don't go with more than three different spectrum LEDs per bar, as they don't blend well with 4+.

These lights will serve you well. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832657411052.html Ask the seller for custom diode configs.

That's not an affiliate link. I earn nothing from recommendations.

Major props for @telegraham taking time out to shoot them for me, really nice thing to do, again really appreciate it. I was just curious as to what the spectrum looked like.

Here is the spectrum Allie called out:

Here is what @telegraham documented along with PAR #'s

 

[oreo54]

@bishoptf...got them done yesterday. The bar looks to be a custom AliE populargrow bar with dimmer that's putting out almost triple the average PAR of my 24" bar. I've misplaced my Kill-A-Watt (cleaned the garage...grrr), so I didn't grab wattage, but it's running warmer than a stock 24" populargrow bar. I expect to see more energy from the bluer spectrum, but not triple. I'd be concerned that the bar is being driven hard, and that the diodes might take a beating, but I sure do like that 420ish. Given that you shared it's running maybe 60W, that's double than expected. I also might be remembering wrong, so please share when you grab the wattage data.

The PopBloom offers a very basic spectrum. I tested with all channels at 100%, and as you can see, it really doesn't offer anything exciting in terms of spectrum. Regarding your settings, I don't think it matters too much. Turn up the blue and midnight, then bring up the whites so it looks nice.

I can't explain the 102 measurement. Checked it several times, and am assuming it was a diffuser anomaly.

Running them together would give you decent coverage and I'd expect the color to be nice.

Both were tested over the same grid and the face of the lights were measured at 24" above the meter. I used the Apogee MQ-500.

That bar looks more like the reefbrite spectrum

Certainly not a 4 color bar with the supposed following nm:
410,430,450 and 470nm

Yea this is at 1:1:1:1 ratio though w/ other assumptions. But no matter vand should be wider and the peaks are wrong.

 

[telegraham]

That bar looks more like the reefbrite spectrum

That's a bit misleading. This is the Reef Brite XHO ghosted over what bishoptf sent. Reef Brite is only 450/470.

And if you wanted to get technical, this is the same with the Reef Brite scaled for average PAR.

The XHO's spread is significantly better, but at the expense of downrange PAR. Just like the G5/6 Radions vs G4.

 

[oreo54]

That's a bit misleading. This is the Reef Brite XHO ghosted over what bishoptf sent. Reef Brite is only 450/470.

And if you wanted to get technical, this is the same with the Reef Brite scaled for average PAR.

The XHO's spread is significantly better, but at the expense of downrange PAR. Just like the G5/6 Radions vs G4.

Yea I should have checked the RB peaks.

 

[telegraham]

No worries. Something else I try to do is capture data with the same instrument. Like what you shared for Reef Brite applies only to that instrument. If I capture the same with another, the peaks might be different relative to each other and relative to the graph's maximum. You can see that when comparing what we've both shared. No clue which is more of a true representation of the light's performance.

 

[Royal_pudding]

This is a fascinating talk.
Thank you guys for the effort and sharing with others

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

That bar looks more like the reefbrite spectrum

Certainly not a 4 color bar with the supposed following nm:
410,430,450 and 470nm

Yea this is at 1:1:1:1 ratio though w/ other assumptions. But no matter vand should be wider and the peaks are wrong.

Interesting observation, and I see your point. @telegraham would you expect to see four distinct peaks if there were four different LEDs? Or is it possible that the 410s and 430s are "blending" together to create that ~425 peak? When you look at the bar, visually can you see more than two different colored diodes?