Ecotech Radion G5 Speculation

[psiconauta]

He means they've been on the market for a while. Released a while ago. Available for a while.

Not "out" as in "no more".

Oh, my bad!
Well still they havent even bee out for a year

 

[RoyinSpain]

Got my G4 pros 6 months ago. Never had such amazing growth, polyp extension, control ... and colour? Don't really like the colour though despite trying all sorts of channel mixes. A couple of T5s might help.... But I guess it's the corals' response which is more important.

 

[sebastiaan1985]

The winds of change are in the air in LED look at the Phillip's fixture. The completion is heating up and the design is getting old really and you can buy used Radion's every day of the week not a good thing for the brand.

Agree with this statement, in aquarium-business, LED is evolving. But Philips LED is based on a real old design and older technology. Very decent lights, don't get me wrong. But not new technology, just adaptation of old technology so it will suit an aquarium.

 

[kennedpa]

Radions are great if you can afford them. Obviously it's all personal choice and people kill it with lesser LEDs in the SPS world.

For an sps dominant tank, I honestly believe that's what is needed. When you have smaller sps colonies, you won't even notice a difference. But once they start growing into medium to large colonies, that's when you will need 1 per foot. I don't care how rich some hobbyists are, $5600 is a tough pill to swallow.

Agreed!! I need two over one of my 40B grow out tanks. I wanted all G4 (which whoever said they look better - I also agree vs G3). Looks like it's a big mix for me, which is fun. We're black box LED, radion G4, halide, and T5. Whatever gets the job done!

 

[kingdog22]

Hasn't even been a year! lol....yes a G5 is in the works but will be awhile before it hits the market!

 

[AquariumSpecialty]

I believe Ecotech is doing upgrades every 2 years at best. Really no reason for them to do it any more often at this point. Spread is pretty darn good on the G4. I was really impressed with what I saw at WWC earlier this month.

Hey Greg. Everywhere I looked at WWC (including the coral farm) they were using Gen 3 lights. Perhaps they had some on one of their reef displays but I didn't notice if they did. I expected to see the Gen4 lights on their farm since it's a new setup. We are running the Gen 4 lights on our farm and they are amazing! The Gen 3 lights are good as well but the spread on the Gen 4 lights is phenomenal. Guessing they got a really good deal on some G3 units for the farm.

Good seeing you at RAP!

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Some day we need to get you out to Orlando! The experience will make you question all that you think you know regarding lighting.

Yep totally agree!!!

 

[s2nhle]

I hope when the G5 come out I can upgrade the led clusters not the whole thing.

 

[Water Dog]

I hope when the G5 come out I can upgrade the led clusters not the whole thing.

Earlier in the thread, someone inquired about this and it seems as though there will not be an upgrade path from the G4s to the next generations. Hence the speculation of a whole redesign... perhaps something like the multiple puck design of the GHL Mitras or a diffused multiple strip design like the Philips CoralCare to address shadowing...

 

[Water Dog]

Here's the quote...

When I asked this question to the top brass at Ecotech they said earliest would be two years. An there will not be an upgrade path form G4 to G5 asked that too [emoji3]I would like them to go in a whole new direction. Get a way for the puck design especially if they do not palm to upgrade the light anymore.

 

[s2nhle]

Wow, Thank for pointing it out. it is getting more expensive now.

 

[HmoneyReefOkc]

I've got 4 Gen 3 Pro's on my 6 ft tank and its jamming. I'm nervous yet excited to see how many i'll need for my new build... I am going with a 13.7', 36", 36" tank.. and thinking I will run 6 T5's, and can't decide how many radions i'll need.. but already have 2 Gen4Pros to add to my 4 Gen3s... I honestly might add a couple Radions and double up my T5s on front and back.

 

[gcarroll]

Hey Greg. Everywhere I looked at WWC (including the coral farm) they were using Gen 3 lights. Perhaps they had some on one of their reef displays but I didn't notice if they did. I expected to see the Gen4 lights on their farm since it's a new setup. We are running the Gen 4 lights on our farm and they are amazing! The Gen 3 lights are good as well but the spread on the Gen 4 lights is phenomenal. Guessing they got a really good deal on some G3 units for the farm.

Good seeing you at RAP!

Scott, I am referring to the display tanks. The rest of the farm is running G3s as they got them
just before the G4 was announced.

Hope to see you at the next month's RAP as well!

 

[Clayalaleona]

Absolutely, they use similar diodes and AI is actually owned by ecotech.

I beg to differ. When PAR mapped Radions have always tested a little higher for me.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I beg to differ. When PAR mapped Radions have always tested a little higher for me.

So radions pushing slightly more PAR under 100% all channels means AI lights are some how inferior? I'm sorry, I like Radions but to say a bit more PAR at max drive (ecotech just pushes more power to the led's at max then AI) makes them unequivocally superior just does not hold water for me.

Under real world use users rarely max out all channels so max drive PAR means little in the end. Also, both lights use a combination of standard high end diodes from Phillips/osram, semiled and cree. If your argument was Radions are superior because the lenses diffuse light better then the AI frosted diffusion plate and that Radions build quality is superior I would not be arguing. I just hate PAR being the end all be all when it's a flawed measurement to begin with. My own experience and that of others that run AI lights show that AI lighting can and does produce similarly great results when compared to Radions.

 

[Clayalaleona]

So radions pushing slightly more PAR under 100% all channels means AI lights are some how inferior? I'm sorry, I like Radions but to say a bit more PAR at max drive (ecotech just pushes more power to the led's at max then AI) makes them unequivocally superior just does not hold water for me.

Under real world use users rarely max out all channels so max drive PAR means little in the end. Also, both lights use a combination of standard high end diodes from Phillips/osram, semiled and cree. If your argument was Radions are superior because the lenses diffuse light better then the AI frosted diffusion plate and that Radions build quality is superior I would not be arguing. I just hate PAR being the end all be all when it's a flawed measurement to begin with. My own experience and that of others that run AI lights show that AI lighting can and does produce similarly great results when compared to Radions.

Although PAR isn't THE most important part of aquarium lighting( most corals do excellently under 100-200 PAR or less) it's still important to me because 99% of what I have are acros. I have to be able to provide light that is diffused properly and is still intense. That being said, build quality, accessories you can combine with them and the software are my most important points.
AI is fantastic but sometimes I have to be picky.
We've had a lot of issues with AI recently, namely 6 lights that were for the same person were faulty.
They're less expensive and fantastic for LPS, Zoas, etc but I've yet to see them pack a punch like a radion does. Not only that but the mounting options look a little... flimsy(obviously this doesn't have to do with the functionality)
I've had that option to go with either of them and I end up preferring the look and function of a radion, always.
Yes, I'm an ecotech fan girl but there's a reason why a lot of the big boys are using ecotech and not AI.












And yes, we're both arguing stupid points because at the end of the day the same people get our money regardless which one we buy hahaha [emoji23][emoji23]

 

[GoVols]

Earlier in the thread, someone inquired about this and it seems as though there will not be an upgrade path from the G4s to the next generations. Hence the speculation of a whole redesign... perhaps something like the multiple puck design of the GHL Mitras or a diffused multiple strip design like the Philips CoralCare to address shadowing...

+1
Phillips and GHL are on the right path and some of the other companies better be taking notice.

When the G5 comes out and if it's not a total re-design then Ecotech has missed the boat.

 

[WWC]

+1
Phillips and GHL are on the right path and some of the other companies better be taking notice.

When the G5 comes out and if it's not a total re-design then Ecotech has missed the boat.

Sorry but I found this to be very funny

 

[Water Dog]

I dunno... the fact that it doesn't look like there will be an upgrade path from the current G4 to the next generation, at the surface, seems to indicate a wholesale redesign to me, which I thought that was what the G4s were. Seems plausible that it may be a concept change altogether? Time will tell...

 

[hart24601]

I am using the ecotech rail mount, when doing my daily maintenance I just slide the radions an inch or two and rotate them slightly. It's quick and easy and I can't say yet that prevents shading (I have 2 G3 over a 24" cube so there isn't really shading to start) I don't foresee any issues. What would be slick is if the rail system or the twisting mount was motorized even just slowly moving the lights a few inches a day to a foot (programmed with your lighting schedule) would pretty much cover shading issues. Just would be nice to have it in the sleek mounting options they offer now.

Anyone else remember morotrized raids for MH back in the day because of the shading they had?