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LED on ebay? (1 Viewer)

liono

liono

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Are these LED lights any good?

MIX-LEDPNL50.02.BW__1.jpg


Features & Benefits: Item Includes:

Each light contains 112 pieces, 4.5-deciwatt, 10mm LEDs
White/blue ratio of 1:1 (56-white, 56-blue LEDs / panel)
Precision blue LEDs from Bridgelux USA
Precision phosphor-coated white LEDs from Bridgelux USA
Wide-angle LEDs are used for max coverage & output
Silver-reflective boards under LEDs increases efficiency
No infrared rays or ultraviolet radiation
LEDs emit light without using filaments; lights run cool
Built-in, ballast-free, power supply circuitry
PC boards have oversized, 1¼" wide traces for min. loss
10-years or more life-expectancy with minimum decay
Uses 110-120 volts; standard USA power cords included
Built-in, pre-drilled holes for easy mounting & hanging
CE & ROHS compliant
Brand new in original boxes
Risk free purchase; 30-day money back guarantee


2 - 50w Xen-lux LED panels
2 - 110v 5' power cords
Specifications:

Number of panels: 2
LEDs per panel: 112
Total 10mm LEDs: 224
Color: White/Blue mix
Blue 455-460nm
White 7000k
1100lm
Power per panel: 50w
Panel size: 12.25" x 12.25"
Panel height: 1.5"
Frame: Composite

They sell them on Ebay for $100 a pop. Any experience with these. Or are they a waste of money. They do have a 30 risk free money back guarantee.
 
If it is indeed a risk free 30 day money back guarantee, then you really have nothing to lose but the cost of shipping by trying them.
 
They're weak LEDs (about 0.5W each) but they make up for it by brute force (112 per square foot!).

50W per square foot is a little low. The last time I did DIY LED research the suggested was at least 72W per square foot (using 3W Cree LEDs). That being said, they're also less than half the cost of a DIY Cree setup.

My guess is these would be great for softies and LPS, but probably not intense enough for SPS.
 
From what I've read on LED if it's not cree then pass. These are low watt and some other brand leds.

If you don't get the right LEDs, short term may look great but your corals can turn funky colors long term.

If you don't have the money for a more proven quality led system then I'd stick with T5s for now.
 
David Grigor said:
From what I've read on LED if it's not cree then pass. These are low watt and some other brand leds.

If you don't get the right LEDs, short term may look great but your corals can turn funky colors long term.

If you don't have the money for a more proven quality led system then I'd stick with T5s for now.
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How so? If it can match the lumen and wavelength output of Crees, how could it be any different for corals? Granted these are underpowered compared to Cree, but they have the proper wavelengths. These seem to be to Cree like compact fluorescents are to metal halides.
 
Different LEDs can really create funky colors in your corals long term. It could be the specific brand, combination or what I don't know. Its a big enough wildcard I wouldn't buy from some no-name ebay site. Nor would I purchase a LED fixture that hasn't been out for more than a year.
 
Cree makes nice LEDS but Luxeon makes some nice ones as well :) I will agree with DG though I personally would stick with the big names. Poorly made LEDs tend to yellow as well
 
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Chem Guy said:
How so? If it can match the lumen and wavelength output of Crees, how could it be any different for corals? Granted these are underpowered compared to Cree, but they have the proper wavelengths. These seem to be to Cree like compact fluorescents are to metal halides.
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The lumens listed for these LED's compared to Cree are bunk. It depends on what kind of sensor your testing with, and I doubt the people selling these are using Cree quality testing equipment.
You can get the same lumen output from a .5 watt LED as a 3W, IF the three watt is tested on a larger sensor.
Lumens depend on the reflector of the LED, distance from the sensor, and the size of the test surface. So here LUX would be a better measurement, and probably isn't mentioned as Cree would be much much higher.

And as far as wavelengths, you can't be sure with cheap LED's. And with color temperature ratings, it's all calculated by computer. So a 10,000 of one brand can be pretty different than on from another. This is important here as the computer will still read it as 10,000k despite having, say a peak in the infrared spectrum (which we know can bleach corals)
 
30 day risk free; get it & test it out. I'm sure some of the members here would have the right equipment to test it out (maybe the same thats used for T5's or MH's...its light right?) & publish some figures here.

Got a link to the item on ebay?
 
Fb Joe said:
The lumens listed for these LED's compared to Cree are bunk. It depends on what kind of sensor your testing with, and I doubt the people selling these are using Cree quality testing equipment.
You can get the same lumen output from a .5 watt LED as a 3W, IF the three watt is tested on a larger sensor.
Lumens depend on the reflector of the LED, distance from the sensor, and the size of the test surface. So here LUX would be a better measurement, and probably isn't mentioned as Cree would be much much higher.

And as far as wavelengths, you can't be sure with cheap LED's. And with color temperature ratings, it's all calculated by computer. So a 10,000 of one brand can be pretty different than on from another. This is important here as the computer will still read it as 10,000k despite having, say a peak in the infrared spectrum (which we know can bleach corals)
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I'll buy that. :) I guess I was assuming their values were accurate and comparable. Of course if a particular brand cheats or flat out lies on their specs, you should avoid them at all costs.

I'm using Cree and would be happy to volunteer my tank for LUX or PAR tests if someone wants to compare.
 
Chem Guy said:
I'll buy that. :) I guess I was assuming their values were accurate and comparable. Of course if a particular brand cheats or flat out lies on their specs, you should avoid them at all costs.

I'm using Cree and would be happy to volunteer my tank for LUX or PAR tests if someone wants to compare.
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Seems we get cheated a lot by companys.

That would be awesome, I'd love to!
Any threads on your DIY Cree?
I might be able to get Crees at cost :biggrin:
 
Taklu said:
Not to derail the thread, but are these the new CREE's? which bin?
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not to further de-rail the thread but nano-reef.com has group buys on crees all the time. There was just a thread offering Cree XR-E Q5 white/blue for under $5 a pop for a good bin. If your looking for a good price, that community had the buying power to do it, unfortunately TCMAS is not as large or supportive of LEDs (Not saying we're not supportive, just nano-reef seems to be all about the LEDs).
 
Fb Joe said:
Seems we get cheated a lot by companys.

That would be awesome, I'd love to!
Any threads on your DIY Cree?
I might be able to get Crees at cost :biggrin:
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I don't have any measurement equipment, but yeah, it's an open ended offer, if you have a PAR meter come by and measure.

As for the DIY build, I mostly followed RC threads, but I did take a few random pictures and I could write it all up if requested. I got all my LEDs/drivers from rapidled.com and the controller is a DIY arduino board. If you're serious about going LED I'm happy to help you out. It's been a few months though, so like bemi said, there may be some good deals right now I'm not aware of.
 
Chem Guy said:
I don't have any measurement equipment, but yeah, it's an open ended offer, if you have a PAR meter come by and measure.

As for the DIY build, I mostly followed RC threads, but I did take a few random pictures and I could write it all up if requested. I got all my LEDs/drivers from rapidled.com and the controller is a DIY arduino board. If you're serious about going LED I'm happy to help you out. It's been a few months though, so like bemi said, there may be some good deals right now I'm not aware of.
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Working on getting a PAR meter. I have a LUX atm, and its good for telling me when to change bulbs. Its bad for comparing two different kinds of lights.

Thanks! I will definitely be down for some help. My dad works for a computer wafer company and he is an electrical engineer, so we have all we need but Crees, which I'll try to get through his supplier. I'll also check out that site. And he has plenty of installers that would love to put it all together. Laser precision cuts :biggthumpup:
 
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