Introducing the Photon V2!

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jason2459

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All the LEDs are working and playing with the color combination. The coverage is amazing. Two rows of fixtures + T5 and there is most definitely full coverage and absolutely 0 shadowing from my braces. Its awesome. I have them going up to 15% to start for the max peak for the day to start. I'll try to get par and pur measurements later.

I decided not to pull the lenses on the red and greens. With the 100 degree lens and two rows the alternating red green and the flip red green on the other side works out very well and spreads nicely. I have no disco effect or spot lighting at all even with just reds or just greens on. Again, it's awesome.

This wasn't cheap (but not nearly as much as "higher end" fixture) and getting so many LEDs was not about brightness but about spread and full coverage on top, sides, and under the corals. I think I've succeeded.

The remote and programming seems easy for someone absolutely new to programing LEDs. I really like as going through the custom programming it actually tells the lights to do whats on that hour so no guessing what it looks like until after saving.

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jason2459

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I did get a quick par reading last night. I have a MQ-510 Apogee par meter on hand that I used and will get more readings and comparisons vs. the Seneye reef monitor.

Right in the middle of the tank on the sand (~3" of sand there) Par was about 160. That's pretty awesome as I have a LOT more power to move that up very very easily. I'm glad the Photon v2 can go up in 1% jumps and not 10% jumps I've seen some Chinese LEDs do.

Right now, if my memory serves me right, at peak my settings are

Red Channel 1: 2
Green Channel 2: 2
Royal Blue Channel 3: 18
White Channel 4: 10
Cool Blue Channel 5: 18
Violet Channel 6: 18

That is not going to be my final ratio as I'm still playing around with the colors. That's just to give what was producing that Par above. Plus there's the two 80 watt T5's down the middle which are right now ATI Coral Plus bulbs. I'm liking the angle of the LEDs so far but will see more about that as I test out different channels individually and par measurements and will really see how the angles effect things.

I'm thinking I might be able to play around with Blue Plus and True Actinic's now. The White's on the Photon seem more Yellowish or warm white to me. Which with the Red's and Green's actually not spot lighting anymore I could turn those up for those colors that the Coral Plus bulbs provides.

I'm very happy I have some options now to play around with, power to drive the brightness (Par/Pur), and some amazing spread. Which I certainly hope so as I decided to shotgun it and put up 288 LED's and two strips of T5's down the middle.

Which I really feel that putting the T5's down the middle is better then supplementing them on the outsides. You don't put Baby in the corner... lol
This really softens and blends everything together nicely with still a hint of shimmer from the LEDs. LEDs seem to be so focused on a certain wavelength while the T5 blends smoother from one wavelength to another in a single bulb stretching the entire tank. Very different looks in lighting but when put together really creates a perfect blend. IMO.
 

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