Ecotech radion g5 knock off found!

[Beefyreefy]

Check this out, appears to be a perfect clone of the g5 radion. Who wants to be a Guinea pig and order one? I’m curious, is this a copy, a scam or does a factory in china make the radions for ecotech? Either way I’d be interested in playing with one. I’m not going to claim that radions aren’t great but the newest version does look an awful lot like a black box.
https://m.alibaba.com/product/16004...7.8.2_share","cacheTime":"1800000"}}&from=IOS

 

[_AV]

Very interesting! From the pictures it looks nearly identical to a G5. Although the power input is only 31V DC, which is different from the original's 36V. Also, it only has 6 channel control vs 10 in G5. So it does look like a cheaper knockoff.
Here's a non mobile link to the listing: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/215-watt-Full-Spectrum-Aquarium-LED_1600428417163.html

 

[Beefyreefy]

Very interesting! From the pictures it looks nearly identical to a G5. Although the power input is only 31V DC, which is different from the original's 36V. Also, it only has 6 channel control vs 10 in G5. So it does look like a cheaper knockoff.
Here's a non mobile link to the listing: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/215-watt-Full-Spectrum-Aquarium-LED_1600428417163.html

Thanks for clarification of the differences. I don’t own a gen5 so I am not super familiar with the specs.

 

[plankton]

Interested in knock off mobius rf modules!!

 

[mdb_talon]

I have not tried this one, but will say that I recently tried some of the knockoff kessil a360 from the same company and they appeared just as capable. Par numbers/spread were very similar to my kessil. I do not have the ability to test spectrum so I cant say anything to that other than it seemed similar as well (however the knockoffs come with wifi control without buying an extra piece of equipment like the kessil so for me they end up giving much better control of spectrum since with kessil I only have the knob control)

 

[dedragon]

honestly hit or miss from alibaba but sometimes they do get the exact same components probably from the same factory as well and just sell them off as non ecotech, kessil, etc products. Cool find i hope someone does a test with them just hard to put down 460 on a knockoff

 

[Acros]

I saw these ones while ordering some custom LED bars from AliExpress. I thought it was a scam and people would not receive any product. Interesting that some of us have actually received these knockoffs. I wonder how good the spectrum is.

I was under the impression that ecotech manufactures their products in the USA. I can swear I saw it on a box somewhere, but cannot locate it on my boxes now.

 

[afrokobe]

I saw these ones while ordering some custom LED bars from AliExpress. I thought it was a scam and people would not receive any product. Interesting that some of us have actually received these knockoffs. I wonder how good the spectrum is.

I was under the impression that ecotech manufactures their products in the USA. I can swear I saw it on a box somewhere, but cannot locate it on my boxes now.

A lot of companies say they manufacturer in the USA or somewhere else, but that's honestly just the end step where they assemble. All of the components still come from somewhere else. Its very easy for a chinese factory to start slapping parts together to come up with knockoff product. It happens in pretty much every industry...

 

[rtparty]

Yes, let's continue to support companies that provide absolutely nothing to the hobby. No innovation. No R&D. Very little, if any, support when you need it.

Rewarding thieves isn't on the top of my list personally. Just go get the Viparspectra Black Box and be done if you want "budget conscious" lights

 

[Eric R.]

@telegraham know anything about these?

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Lol still a lot of money for a gamble. 500-600 per unit.

 

[mdb_talon]

Yes, let's continue to support companies that provide absolutely nothing to the hobby. No innovation. No R&D. Very little, if any, support when you need it.

Rewarding thieves isn't on the top of my list personally. Just go get the Viparspectra Black Box and be done if you want "budget conscious" lights

I get your point, but I would argue that bringing budget friendly lighting to the hobby does an awful lot for the hobby. Its nice to have choices and honestly some knockoff Orphek LED bars are the favorite lights I have ever bought regardless of price. Just like you presumably wont support the companies that provides these lights thankfully we are all free to make our own choices (for example I wont support Bertram capital, but more than happy to buy lights similar to what their companies produce).

 

[Lokipsl]

I get your point, but I would argue that bringing budget friendly lighting to the hobby does an awful lot for the hobby. Its nice to have choices and honestly some knockoff Orphek LED bars are the favorite lights I have ever bought regardless of price. Just like you presumably wont support the companies that provides these lights thankfully we are all free to make our own choices (for example I wont support Bertram capital, but more than happy to buy lights similar to what their companies produce).

Reefbreeders has a great budget friendly light. Support the community

 

[rtparty]

I get your point, but I would argue that bringing budget friendly lighting to the hobby does an awful lot for the hobby. Its nice to have choices and honestly some knockoff Orphek LED bars are the favorite lights I have ever bought regardless of price. Just like you presumably wont support the companies that provides these lights thankfully we are all free to make our own choices (for example I wont support Bertram capital, but more than happy to buy lights similar to what their companies produce).

ReefBreeders, AquaMaxx, Noopsyche, ViparSpectra, and countless others are already out there. Buying knock offs from a company willing to steal designs that blatantly is ridiculous IMO. I can buy used legit Radions aroudn the cost of a knockoff. Why buy the knockoff? Why support them for theft? Because you dislike Bertram that much? PLENTY of lights available that Betram doesn't own.

 

[mdb_talon]

ReefBreeders, AquaMaxx, Noopsyche, ViparSpectra, and countless others are already out there. Buying knock offs from a company willing to steal designs that blatantly is ridiculous IMO. I can buy used legit Radions aroudn the cost of a knockoff. Why buy the knockoff? Why support them for theft? Because you dislike Bertram that much? PLENTY of lights available that Betram doesn't own.

LOL again luckily we are both free to choose how we spend our money in the hobby.

 

[mdb_talon]

Reefbreeders has a great budget friendly light. Support the community

I have actually bought reefbreeders (not sure how you differentiate between them and the other knockoffs and why they are better though).

In any case I laugh at this "support the community" stuff. You think Bertram runs 1/2 the industry now because they care about the hobby? Like all companies their goal is to make money (based off increasing prices yet lot of product being out of stock I am betting they are doing well lol). Unless I have personal relationships with the owners(like some smaller vendors here on R2R) of companies my purchasing decisions will be based off what makes sense for me not some crazy idea that I should be subsidizing a for-profit company in the name of "community". Again though I would argue cheaper alternatives do support the community. Even as crazy as the prices of the premium brands have gotten could you imagine how high they would get if left unchecked by lower cost competitors?

 

[rtparty]

I have actually bought reefbreeders (not sure how you differentiate between them and the other knockoffs and why they are better though).

In any case I laugh at this "support the community" stuff. You think Bertram runs 1/2 the industry now because they care about the hobby? Like all companies their goal is to make money (based off increasing prices yet lot of product being out of stock I am betting they are doing well lol). Unless I have personal relationships with the owners(like some smaller vendors here on R2R) of companies my purchasing decisions will be based off what makes sense for me not some crazy idea that I should be subsidizing a for-profit company in the name of "community". Again though I would argue cheaper alternatives do support the community. Even as crazy as the prices of the premium brands have gotten could you imagine how high they would get if left unchecked by lower cost competitors?

The higher end stuff is slowly pricing themselves out. That has nothing to do with the cheaper stuff. Ecotech doesn't care what the cheap stuff is priced at. They know their costs and their margins. They price according to that. That is how any successful business runs.

If the majority of people buy knockoffs, there will be no one to knock off at some point. Plenty of cheap options out there already from companies that actually took some time to create something instead of just steal it.

Peace

 

[mdb_talon]

That has nothing to do with the cheaper stuff. Ecotech doesn't care what the cheap stuff is priced at. They know their costs and their margins. They price according to that. That is how any successful business runs.

Lol if you believe that. Businesses maximize margins and profits. Cheaper alternatives are a huge factor in that equation. If you dont think so tell me why as soon as a drug patent ends and competitors rush in the price of the name brand drops? Speaking of which i sure hope you follow the same approach with prescription drugs....always buy the original not the generic. Its important to support that community lol.

 

[afrokobe]

The higher end stuff is slowly pricing themselves out. That has nothing to do with the cheaper stuff. Ecotech doesn't care what the cheap stuff is priced at. They know their costs and their margins. They price according to that. That is how any successful business runs.

If the majority of people buy knockoffs, there will be no one to knock off at some point. Plenty of cheap options out there already from companies that actually took some time to create something instead of just steal it.

Peace

How do you think companies decide how much margin they can get on a product? its all based on how much a consumer is willing to pay. Companies can price their product at whatever price they want.

Even with all the supply chain issues going on, I bet ecotech had a record year last year with the amount of new people coming into the hobby. Im sure that increase in revenue could easily offset any increase in costs that they have. But they have set a margin they want to achieve and the only way to get that is to raise prices.

I have no skin in the game and I dont condone people buying knockoffs. But if these niche companies are charging an outrageous price just because we are a niche hobby and we have to buy it, that puts a bad taste in my mouth. I welcome anything that will help drive prices down. If you don't, you are just gate keeping the hobby.

 

[afrokobe]

Lol if you believe that. Businesses maximize margins and profits. Cheaper alternatives are a huge factor in that equation. If you dont think so tell me why as soon as a drug patent ends and competitors rush in the price of the name brand drops? Speaking of which i sure hope you follow the same approach with prescription drugs....always buy the original not the generic. Its important to support that community lol.

believing businesses will set prices and margins fairly is the reason we are in an inflationary period right now. Nearly every company had a record year last year. Sure supply chain was an issue and labor costs are going up, but the companies don't have to raise the prices at the same rate. If they are already profitable and costs are going up 10%, do they need to raise prices 10% to justify the same margin percentage?