Visual comparison of SKY with and without kessil

[dedragon]

100% agree there is definitely a mark up, but black box leds usually use lower quality components, non ul listed, and all standard lens components to make them cheaper. This can make for a very high powered led but isnt as regulated and I would worry more about led color spectrum shift overtime. Also discoball effect is annoying with a lot of these but I have heard of people using acrylic diffusers to overcome it

Neptune probably is using top bin leds (not sure as it is hard to find exact leds they are using). But certifications also cost money, as well as proprietary cases, lenses, and the meanwell drivers.
They definitely mark it up a lot at the end too but that is pretty much true for any name brand product regardless of it being an aquarium product.

 

[Chrisv.]

100% agree there is definitely a mark up, but black box leds usually use lower quality components, non ul listed, and all standard components to make them cheaper. This can make for a very high powered led but isnt as regulated and I would worry more about led color spectrum shift overtime. Also discoball effect is annoying with a lot of these but I have heard of people using acrylic diffusers to overcome it

Neptune probably is using top bin leds (not sure as it is hard to find exact leds they are using). But certifications also cost money, as well as proprietary cases, lenses, and the meanwell drivers.
They definitely mark it up a lot at the end too but that is pretty much true for any name brand product regardless of it being an aquarium product.

Oh I'm not saying that a Neptune should cost $100. But if a black box costs $100 then it maybe has $50 of components. I think $500-600 is reasonable for a led light fixture-- but I know everyone has a different budget in mind.

Either way, for the price they charge for a sky, I expect it to be perfect with no supplemental kessil. Especially when they claim to have addressed the shimmer issue.

 

[dedragon]

Yeah i agree with the 500-600, that is really where they should land. AI hydra 64 hd started at that price and then just kept rising. Then pandemic crap made everything electronic even more expensive (graphic cards were the worst offenders). i thought at first you were talking way cheaper.

 

[minus9]

After seeing the Sky in person and witnessing the “flexible” panel, it’s barely a $500 light. But that’s just me. I’ve been saying this has been the missing combo ever since I started using LEDs, not one manufacturer is making a fixture that addresses spread, spectrum and contrast (shimmer) in one. That’s why you see so many hybrid/combo fixtures together. Imagine the Straton with dense matrix built in, or any other panel style with that combo. You can dial in the shimmer you desire or none at all. I think the coral care 2 was on to something, but not quite there.

 

[dedragon]

The problem as chrisv pointed out was that a kessil was needed with the neptune sky to get the desired shimmer. I think the sky is close as well, but there has been an irrefutable rise in prices of led lights. Ecotech and ai have seen the biggest rises and Neptune is now a part of their brand

 

[Bpb]

I can’t assume anyone is using top bin diodes unless they provide that information. When you keep your diode information under such tight lock and key, you have zero responsibility to provide top bin diodes. 99.9% of people will never know the difference between an inexpensive bulk bridgelux diode vs a top bin Philips or Cree diode. Especially just looking at a panel running.

 

[Chrisv.]

I think OP really hit the nail on the head with this combo. Looks great --even if Neptune couldn't figure it out on their own.

 

[Jon's Reef]

Sometimes it is good to just let each company do its thing best. Rather than Neptune try to develop a dense array... just add a Kessil. Rather than Kessil add large array of lights.... just use a panel or bars.

For me, the integration is a very important aspect. I want everything in one app. For the A160... I can just run a 0-10V cable and it is done.

The markup on the premium fixtures (Radions, Neptune, etc) is actually not too bad. When you take into account the 20% dealer cut, the patent licenses, warranty costs and other things they are making a few hundred bucks a light. It was confirmed that they are using upper bin (not going to say top) LEDs from the big names (Cree, Phillips, Semiled, etc).

 

[Bpb]

Sometimes it is good to just let each company do its thing best. Rather than Neptune try to develop a dense array... just add a Kessil. Rather than Kessil add large array of lights.... just use a panel or bars.

For me, the integration is a very important aspect. I want everything in one app. For the A160... I can just run a 0-10V cable and it is done.

The markup on the premium fixtures (Radions, Neptune, etc) is actually not too bad. When you take into account the 20% dealer cut, the patent licenses, warranty costs and other things they are making a few hundred bucks a light. It was confirmed that they are using upper bin (not going to say top) LEDs from the big names (Cree, Phillips, Semiled, etc).

Not calling you a liar, or saying I don’t believe you. But do you have a link of the diode source info? Just out of my own curiosity. I didn’t read every post of the mega thread

 

[Jon's Reef]

Not calling you a liar, or saying I don’t believe you. But do you have a link of the diode source info? Just out of my own curiosity. I didn’t read every post of the mega thread

It is mentioned in the video that is linked here. It came up several times when the light first was released.

LED - Neptune Sky video

So interesting you think so, am pretty sure the pricing of sky had the strategy of pushing reefers to think its direct competitor and equal product. I personally do not think for a min its the case. Ecotech actual experience and hands on in LED would dwarf Neptunes experience "if any". But...

humble.fish

 

[areefer01]

Isn't it such a bummer that for the price they ask for a sky, it's still nessecary to add a kessil to get that punch? They even know it's a problem. They market the shimmer producing ability that comes with the unfrosted area of the panel.

The results you have achieved are what a high end light like the sky should just be able to do. It's great that you solved this for them but how disappointing that they didn't get there on their own.

Couldn't be further from the truth - you just need to read what the OP said and remove your personal bias:

Sky the par - The kessil is providing the shimmer

This has been stated multiple times by fellow hobbyists and Neptune. If you are used to Kessil shimmer or prefer that look then the SKY kit is not for you. Plain and simple. As a user of both Kessil a360x and SKY's I can say that the SKY's do provide shimmer but not to the degree of the a360x's. Even on a 30" tall display.

The SKY is subtle. The Kessil is pronounced (a swimming pool).

 

[areefer01]

Oh I'm not saying that a Neptune should cost $100. But if a black box costs $100 then it maybe has $50 of components. I think $500-600 is reasonable for a led light fixture-- but I know everyone has a different budget in mind.

How much should an ATI Straton, or Ecotech G5, or Mitra, or Phillips Gen 2 cost?

Either way, for the price they charge for a sky, I expect it to be perfect with no supplemental kessil. Especially when they claim to have addressed the shimmer issue.

Can you point me in the direction of where Neptune said they addressed "any" shimmer issue?

 

[Chrisv.]

Couldn't be further from the truth - you just need to read what the OP said and remove your personal bias:

Sky the par - The kessil is providing the shimmer

This has been stated multiple times by fellow hobbyists and Neptune. If you are used to Kessil shimmer or prefer that look then the SKY kit is not for you. Plain and simple. As a user of both Kessil a360x and SKY's I can say that the SKY's do provide shimmer but not to the degree of the a360x's. Even on a 30" tall display.

The SKY is subtle. The Kessil is pronounced (a swimming pool).

Gosh, thanks for explaining this to me. How could I not have seen it?

 

[areefer01]

Gosh, thanks for explaining this to me. How could I not have seen it?

That is what I was wondering...

Chrisv. said:
Isn't it such a bummer that for the price they ask for a sky, it's still nessecary to add a kessil to get that punch? They even know it's a problem. They market the shimmer producing ability that comes with the unfrosted area of the panel.

 

[Chrisv.]

It's amazing how well the "ignore" feature works on this site.

 

[n1ng]

I did the same, added one a160 to my two XR15 pros. Missed the shimmer. Was originally going to added a MH. Maybe in the future.

Btw what are your intensity/color settings on the kessil?

 

[Jon's Reef]

what are your intensity/color settings on the kessil?

50% color at start and end of day, 100% color at mid day. 50-100% intensity on same schedule as color.

 

[SoggyNW]

I'd love to see a video of this setup. I've always thought it might look cool to have blue panels with a warmer point light to make contrasting shimmer lines, looks like that might be what you are doing.

 

[Jon's Reef]

Here it is. I changed to an a360x.

 

[n1ng]

That's awesome. I actually have another a160we was going to setup the second to create intersecting shimmer.