Meridian 45 rolling pattern using camera

[exnisstech]

Not sure what to call but I just set up a meridian 45 and when I try to use a camera I get a rolling change of light. It reminds me if an old film projector slapping the end of a roll of film over and over for lack of a better description. Young folks may not get it. I have a lot of different lights including a meridian 11 and this is the only light that causes this. I've changed light setting and used filters with no change.
I figure it must have something to do with the leds but am curious since it's only this one light.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

is this the same light that you have @VintageReefer ?

 

[VintageReefer]

That’s crazy, I don’t get that effect on video. Can You record in a different fps or hz?

 

[oreo54]

Not sure what to call but I just set up a meridian 45 and when I try to use a camera I get a rolling change of light. It reminds me if an old film projector slapping the end of a roll of film over and over for lack of a better description. Young folks may not get it. I have a lot of different lights including a meridian 11 and this is the only light that causes this. I've changed light setting and used filters with no change.
I figure it must have something to do with the leds but am curious since it's only this one light.

Most LEDs use pwm to dim LEDs.
This can cause the effect you see depending on shutter speed and pwm frequency.
The frequency is usually software determined.
If all channels are at 100 ( or 0) you normally won't see it
Many use (d) like 500-ish hz.

 

[fish_collector]

^^^This

It's the frequency of the LEDs turning on and off that your camera is capturing.

 

[exnisstech]

That’s crazy, I don’t get that effect on video. Can You record in a different fps or hz?

It fits the exact same thing even taking still shot.

^^^This

It's the frequency of the LEDs turning on and off that your camera is capturing.

Most LEDs use pwm to dim LEDs.
This can cause the effect you see depending on shutter speed and pwm frequency.
The frequency is usually software determined.
If all channels are at 100 ( or 0) you normally won't see it
Many use (d) like 500-ish hz.

Im running the same program on the 45 as my meridian 11 but this effect only happens with the meridian 45. The effect is present viewing through the camera and not even taking a photo or video which doesn't make sense to me.
I have radions, noopsyche, Hydra, black boxes, photons and two meridians but only the meridian 45 causes this effect.

 

[oreo54]

It fits the exact same thing even taking still shot.



Im running the same program on the 45 as my meridian 11 but this effect only happens with the meridian 45. The effect is present viewing through the camera and not even taking a photo or video which doesn't make sense to me.
I have radions, noopsyche, Hydra, black boxes, photons and two meridians but only the meridian 45 causes this effect.

Your " viewing" has a frame rate.
It's not continuous.

And other lights are irrelevant.

45's software ( firmware ) has its own rate and others have theirs.

Now is this " normal" for a 45?

That is the question.

For fun you can run it at .25 speed in you tube.

 

[exnisstech]

Your " viewing" has a frame rate.
It's not continuous.

And other lights are irrelevant.

45's software ( firmware ) has its own rate and others have theirs.

Now is this " normal" for a 45?

That is the question.

For fun you can run it at .25 speed in you tube.

I see the effect slowed down. It looks like blue cycling on and off. It's baffling to me because the effect is present even just being viewed through the camera without activating the shutter to make a recording of a video or still image. What the video shows is exact what the camera shows as soon as it starts getting close to the tank lightning.
I guess I just won't be taking any tank shots or videos of this set up lol. The light seems normal to the naked eye.
@Reef Breeders is this anything you've seen on other meridian 45s?

 

[oreo54]

I see the effect slowed down. It looks like blue cycling on and off. It's baffling to me because the effect is present even just being viewed through the camera without activating the shutter to make a recording of a video or still image. What the video shows is exact what the camera shows as soon as it starts getting close to the tank lightning.
I guess I just won't be taking any tank shots or videos of this set up lol. The light seems normal to the naked eye.
@Reef Breeders is this anything you've seen on other meridian 45s?

All LED channels set to 100 would ( could/ should) eliminate that.

Btw think about your TV ..which is what the phone screen really is. What is its frame rate (screens/ second)?

Eyes have a hard time seeing " flicker" at more than 60Hz.
I've never known LEDs to use less than 500Hz for the PWM dimming.
Of course I've not measured all of them.
Aduino based has 490- ish as it's default pwm.
Not sure about esp32 microprocessors "default" if there is one.
It can be set from 1Hz to dozens of kHz depending.

It's a bit more complicated though.

 

[tharbin]

That is very odd if your other Meridians are running the same schedule. Does it do it the same at different light intensities? It is probably the worst case of shutter to PWM mismatch I've seen. Are all of your Meridians the same generation and type (shallow reef or original).