Noopsyche K7 Pro II - Crimson's Review and Growth Thread

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Crimsonvice

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First off, I wanted to give a shout out to everyone involved at Noopsyche and allowing us to review the product. I was given four lights, four mounting brackets, and 1 controller for my 48x24x24" 120 mixed reef. I am SPS dominate, but I do love my zoas and LPS as well. More information about my system can be seen in my build thread here.

This is my tank prior to trialing the Noopsyche K7 Pro II​

IMG_20181218_182623.jpg

(AquaticsLife Hybrid T5 with Ocean Revive Leds)



I am going to break down my review into sections to help keep me on track as well as hopefully make it easier for you, the reader.

Packaging
The package was shipped to my door straight from Hong Kong. I have not received many packages directly from China, but the ones that I have seem to take a week if not longer to receive. This was not the case with the package. I received a shipping notification on Thursday and I received it on Tuesday. Everything came packaged very well and did not show any signs of damage.

IMG_20181218_184211.jpg

IMG_20181218_184335.jpg

IMG_20181218_184400.jpg


This was the part I was most excited about! I wanted to see these new lights and compare them to what I have currently. The lights themselves were packed extremely well and the box included the power cable, light fixture, and operating instructions.

IMG_20181218_184417.jpg


Mounts
The mounts seem to be quality material. All the pieces came individually wrapped and the hardware was in four bags, one for each mount. One thing that I liked about the mount was that the wet side of the mount is made of plastic. I have used mounts for my Kessil and AI lights, and they are made of metal. This confuses me, because even though the light mount should not be getting wet, it is possible if it is on the inside of the tank. This is not the case here. Nice planning.

A few hiccups with the mounting systems. Firstly, no instructions are included. A picture of the mount is included, but no instructions on how to assemble it. For someone who is handy, it is easy to figure out, but there are about ten screws that I had to figure out where they all went. It would be nice to have an easy reference just to double check myself. The other issue I ran into with mounting the lights is the casing on my tank. The casing on my tank is 1.5", and the mount opening is 1.25".
MVIMG_20181218_203811.jpg


IMG_20181218_203844.jpg


So with a little fiddling and spacers, I was able to get them mounted. This may not be an issue for those that have rimless tanks, but if you are using these lights on standard 120+ tanks, you may run into an issue with the casing being larger than the mount allows.

Light
The light itself is very attractive. It measures 7.5"x4.5", so it is relatively compact. The top is a black heat sink with a single fan for ventilation. The bottom of the fixture is made of a nice molded plastic (that I believe comes in white and black) and has two lenses.

IMG_20181218_184607.jpg


IMG_20181218_184546.jpg


MVIMG_20181218_184557.jpg


When inspecting the unit, I did place the lenses down on the table and noticed that they protrude out past the plastic mold. So be careful if you set them down on the lenses, it could scratch or worse break them.

The light has 7 channels: Cool white, light blue, dark blue, violet, uv, red, and green.

On the bottom/side of the unit, there is a button, a status led, and micro SD slot for uploading programming and software. The button will allow you to change from Manual to Auto modes for lighting. However, you will need to use the remote to alter intensities of each color spectrum as this cannot be completed on the unit itself. The status LED will illuminate blue or red depending on which mode of operation you are in.

The included power supply is approximately 8 ft long. There is an initial pigtail that you connect to a brick and three prong plug. I was happy with the length, because I constantly find myself looking for extension cords. I did run into some problems with the pigtail from the light and the connection to the brick. You really have to put some force behind them, to have them connect properly. I didn't realize this upon initial install. Once they are connected, it makes a very secure connection.

The programming of the light was okay. The included instructions need to be revised (Which I believe is being worked on as we speak), just because translation is not exactly correct. You can make it out though, it just takes a second. The included controller is very basic, scroll and click. You cannot really mess this up. One bonus though, they included a nice micro usb cord and power supply to recharge the remote as well as a holding dock.

IMG_20181218_185327.jpg


I altered my initial settings until I am able to use a PAR meter to get exact readings on the PAR that is being generated. The current settings will ramp up to 55% blue and white, and will gradually ramp down. I will update the thread with my exact settings and PAR readings as soon as I am able.

Overall the lighting produced is very nice! It has A LOT of shimmer. I did not notice any disco ball effects, so I am assuming the lenses help blend the colors well. Due to the size and style of my aquascape, I did notice some shadowing, but this is not uncommon in my situation. This is why I added the AquaticLife T5 to my previous LEDs, to help eliminate shadowing around the overhangs. I had contemplated adding another LED in the center of my fixture to help even out the PAR in the center of the tank, but with these four lights, I think there is very good coverage.

IMG_20181218_185719.jpg


IMG_20181218_185727.jpg



So after a long initial review here is my tank with four Noopsyche K7 Pro II's.
MVIMG_20181218_213456.jpg




Final Thoughts
I think the construction of the light is sound and that it packs a punch for being such a small fixture. Programming of the light is easy enough once you understand how to do it, and it is nice to be able to control 7 channels in a light for under $200.

After the month is complete I will update this post as to whether or not I would purchase this fixture.

IMG_20181218_185927.jpg






 
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Crimsonvice

Crimsonvice

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Week one video

Went ahead and changed to a modified SPS mode. Still waiting on par meter from local club.

 
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MSB123

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Just a quick piece of advice, if you push the two ends of the power cable together (The brick to the light), the brick side of the cable will stretch around the light (Male) end and make a watertight secure fit
 

MSB123

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It took me awhile to figure it out ;)
 
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Crimsonvice

Crimsonvice

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Just a quick piece of advice, if you push the two ends of the power cable together (The brick to the light), the brick side of the cable will stretch around the light (Male) end and make a watertight secure fit
I will have to look at it again. Everything I tried they ended up being loose.
 

TheHarold

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@Crimsonvice you did not assemble that "loose" connection properly. Twist them while pushing them together. One goes inside the other, forming a rubber seal and protecting the connection from water.

It is super strong, and a great connection to use in a humid environment!

Yh23aQN.jpg




As for wiring- I believe that it is supposed to be like this. Your current bundle of wires seems odd, and I would discourage having the connection right above the water. Instead, the wire feeds through the hole in the mount and down. @MSB123 right?

@noopsyche Maybe an image of an assembled unit would be helpful on the instructions, like this:

LnIQvOJ.jpg
 
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dantimdad

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Yeah. I think this might be a good option for you. We will see what results bring over the next few weeks.


Well, I have a DIY light on it now that looks nice, but I would really like to see what this thing can do myself.
 
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Crimsonvice

Crimsonvice

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@Crimsonvice you did not assemble that "loose" connection properly. Twist them while pushing them together. One goes inside the other, forming a rubber seal and protecting the connection from water.

It is super strong, and a great connection to use in a humid environment!

Yh23aQN.jpg




As for wiring- I believe that it is supposed to be like this. Your current bundle of wires seems odd, and I would discourage having the connection right above the water. Instead, the wire feeds through the hole in the mount and down. @MSB123 right?

@noopsyche Maybe an image of an assembled unit would be helpful on the instructions, like this:

LnIQvOJ.jpg
Ok. I guess I am just dumb. I put some force behind it last night, but apparently not enough. You really have to push the connections together. No tape or wire ties needed. I will alter my initial post to reflect my stupidity. Lol
 

TheHarold

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Ok. I guess I am just dumb. I put some force behind it last night, but apparently not enough. You really have to push the connections together. No tape or wire ties needed. I will alter my initial post to reflect my stupidity. Lol

No worries! I agree the instructions were “not great”, lol.
 

Waboss

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Ok. I guess I am just dumb. I put some force behind it last night, but apparently not enough. You really have to push the connections together. No tape or wire ties needed. I will alter my initial post to reflect my stupidity. Lol

Don't feel bad, I did the same thing and ended up twist-pushing them together and it slipped right up and sealed it.....
 

noopsyche

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First off, I wanted to give a shout out to everyone involved at Noopsyche and allowing us to review the product. I was given four lights, four mounting brackets, and 1 controller for my 48x24x24" 120 mixed reef. I am SPS dominate, but I do love my zoas and LPS as well. More information about my system can be seen in my build thread here.

This is my tank prior to trialing the Noopsyche K7 Pro II​

IMG_20181218_182623.jpg

(AquaticsLife Hybrid T5 with Ocean Revive Leds)



I am going to break down my review into sections to help keep me on track as well as hopefully make it easier for you, the reader.

Packaging
The package was shipped to my door straight from Hong Kong. I have not received many packages directly from China, but the ones that I have seem to take a week if not longer to receive. This was not the case with the package. I received a shipping notification on Thursday and I received it on Tuesday. Everything came packaged very well and did not show any signs of damage.

IMG_20181218_184211.jpg

IMG_20181218_184335.jpg

IMG_20181218_184400.jpg


This was the part I was most excited about! I wanted to see these new lights and compare them to what I have currently. The lights themselves were packed extremely well and the box included the power cable, light fixture, and operating instructions.

IMG_20181218_184417.jpg


Mounts
The mounts seem to be quality material. All the pieces came individually wrapped and the hardware was in four bags, one for each mount. One thing that I liked about the mount was that the wet side of the mount is made of plastic. I have used mounts for my Kessil and AI lights, and they are made of metal. This confuses me, because even though the light mount should not be getting wet, it is possible if it is on the inside of the tank. This is not the case here. Nice planning.

A few hiccups with the mounting systems. Firstly, no instructions are included. A picture of the mount is included, but no instructions on how to assemble it. For someone who is handy, it is easy to figure out, but there are about ten screws that I had to figure out where they all went. It would be nice to have an easy reference just to double check myself. The other issue I ran into with mounting the lights is the casing on my tank. The casing on my tank is 1.5", and the mount opening is 1.25".
MVIMG_20181218_203811.jpg


IMG_20181218_203844.jpg


So with a little fiddling and spacers, I was able to get them mounted. This may not be an issue for those that have rimless tanks, but if you are using these lights on standard 120+ tanks, you may run into an issue with the casing being larger than the mount allows.

Light
The light itself is very attractive. It measures 7.5"x4.5", so it is relatively compact. The top is a black heat sink with a single fan for ventilation. The bottom of the fixture is made of a nice molded plastic (that I believe comes in white and black) and has two lenses.

IMG_20181218_184607.jpg


IMG_20181218_184546.jpg


MVIMG_20181218_184557.jpg


When inspecting the unit, I did place the lenses down on the table and noticed that they protrude out past the plastic mold. So be careful if you set them down on the lenses, it could scratch or worse break them.

The light has 7 channels: Cool white, light blue, dark blue, violet, uv, red, and green.

On the bottom/side of the unit, there is a button, a status led, and micro SD slot for uploading programming and software. The button will allow you to change from Manual to Auto modes for lighting. However, you will need to use the remote to alter intensities of each color spectrum as this cannot be completed on the unit itself. The status LED will illuminate blue or red depending on which mode of operation you are in.

The included power supply is approximately 8 ft long. There is an initial pigtail that you connect to a brick and three prong plug. I was happy with the length, because I constantly find myself looking for extension cords. However, this is really all I was happy with when it came to the power supply. The connection between the fixture pigtail and the brick is extremely weak. I have a tall stand (37") and the weight of the power brick would unplug it from the fixtures pigtail. I was provided four fixtures, and three of the four power supplies had to be placed at an awkward angle to insure connection was made. Otherwise, they would flicker on and off as the connection was made intermittently. This was disappointing. I ended up using electrical tape to help secure the connections so they would not disconnect, and then used a wire tie to help hold them to the light mounting hardware.

IMG_20181218_185927.jpg








The programming of the light was okay. The included instructions need to be revised (Which I believe is being worked on as we speak), just because translation is not exactly correct. You can make it out though, it just takes a second. The included controller is very basic, scroll and click. You cannot really mess this up. One bonus though, they included a nice micro usb cord and power supply to recharge the remote as well as a holding dock.

IMG_20181218_185327.jpg


I altered my initial settings until I am able to use a PAR meter to get exact readings on the PAR that is being generated. The current settings will ramp up to 55% blue and white, and will gradually ramp down. I will update the thread with my exact settings and PAR readings as soon as I am able.

Overall the lighting produced is very nice! It has A LOT of shimmer. I did not notice any disco ball effects, so I am assuming the lenses help blend the colors well. Due to the size and style of my aquascape, I did notice some shadowing, but this is not uncommon in my situation. This is why I added the AquaticLife T5 to my previous LEDs, to help eliminate shadowing around the overhangs. I had contemplated adding another LED in the center of my fixture to help even out the PAR in the center of the tank, but with these four lights, I think there is very good coverage.

IMG_20181218_185719.jpg


IMG_20181218_185727.jpg



So after a long initial review here is my tank with four Noopsyche K7 Pro II's.
MVIMG_20181218_213456.jpg




Final Thoughts
I think the construction of the light is sound and that it packs a punch for being such a small fixture. I think changes need to be made to the power supply so that a secure connection can be made. Programming of the light is easy enough once you understand how to do it, and it is nice to be able to control 7 channels in a light for under $200.

After the month is complete I will update this post as to whether or not I would purchase this fixture.



Hello, The bracket design is designed as a plastic material due to the ease of oxidation of the metal material. Of course, I don't object to thinking that metal materials design will be more force. There are always two things in things.
 

noopsyche

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The light will flash under different operating conditions. If it is convenient, please take a video and let us know that you can solve the problem.:)
 
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Crimsonvice

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Hello, The bracket design is designed as a plastic material due to the ease of oxidation of the metal material. Of course, I don't object to thinking that metal materials design will be more force. There are always two things in things.
Correct! I like the fact that the Noopsyche mount has plastic on the inside of the tank. Less likely to have unwanted metals in the tank!

The light will flash under different operating conditions. If it is convenient, please take a video and let us know that you can solve the problem.:)
I am not having a problem with flashing lights. Everything is working perfectly!
 
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