To dim or not??
- Thread starter lbannie
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acrylic51
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not#post_3496448
Shawn, Can you clarify more on this?
You know that I have great respect for your electronic know-how, but I want to ask an honest question....and maybe I'm just not seeing the "big picture," so I'd be grateful for your thoughts on this.
How is it that LED fixtures that are Blue and White can be "lacking," when the old standby fixtures only contained these spectrums? Let's use the basic standard 4-bulb HO T5 light for our example. You'd have two bulbs that were rated as, say, 420-460nm actinic blues, and two bulbs that were rated at 10,000 kelvin white. I'm going to say that 85% of the long-timers on these boards had one of these fixtures at SOME point in their hobby.....probably more than 85% in fact.
We've all seen coral flourish and grow under these bulbs and light choices, with no observable adverse affects as long as we took the coral's light absorption into account.
Now along come LEDs, with similar color temperatures and wavelengths to the above mentioned T5 bulbs. You can find 3w LEDs that are rated for 460, 420, etc nm wavelength for deep blues, and as many LEDs that are Kelvin-rated for our white bulbs. With those quantifiers in mind......how can they be "lacking" in spectrum?
I do understand that LEDs put out a very specific wavelength....that's what they are meant to do. Do the T5 bulbs, or MH's, have a wider range of generated wavelengths that the LEDs don't replicate?? Or is this actually new research that has shown up with the recent LED fixtures?
Now....to get this back on track....LeAnne, I DO have two modules of the Chinese LED fixtures, and I don't think I would be nearly as happy with mine if they weren't dimmable. Besides, I suspect that the dimmable Chinese fixtures may be able to be DIYed with an aquarium controller at some point as well...it's something I intend to experiment with if I ever decide to take the controller plunge.
As for my LED fixture......I really love the color of the blue and white, but I do plan on adding a diy strip or two with some alternate color choices to supplement the Chinese units.
Nova GeoJ posted a very good graph to compare the differences.....It has long been posted and noted by real knowledgeable people in the lighting area that the white/blue spectrum doesn't em compass all the spectrum we need......Again if you look at the real players (major) in the LED business that is why they added and have changed different LEDs.....Some of the LEDs possibly added are more for our aesthetic pleasure or our viewing preference. Even if you look at the different blues that are available you'll see that they cover similar parts of the spectrum but they also vary......Just as there's been controversy about using certain whites vs adding reds, because of the overall spectrum each covers....Some might argue that you don't need the reds depending on which whites you'd choose.....
Missed a question you had earlier, but covered by GeoJ......The old standby fixtures (T5) might appear on the outside to be cut, clean and dry white and blue, but if you look at the spectral graphs that each bulb covers you will see it's not that cut and dry.
If you look at greens, there is still skepticism if they are really beneficial but some like how it enhances colors in their corals.....UV would be another area of controversy IMHO......Again I think (JMHO) that this is a beneficial aspect.....If you look at MH's they do give off a bit of UV, and depending on the LED chosen you could come close, but again some use it to highlight certain color corals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvmyreef http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not#post_3496435
Shawn, I have said it before, why don't you start a led light business? I will be first in line to purchase a custom set up for my 180!! Seriously!!!
Your funny!!!!!! Work consumes way to much time, and things evolve way to quick for 1 person to tackle.......
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not#post_3496448
Shawn, Can you clarify more on this?
You know that I have great respect for your electronic know-how, but I want to ask an honest question....and maybe I'm just not seeing the "big picture," so I'd be grateful for your thoughts on this.
How is it that LED fixtures that are Blue and White can be "lacking," when the old standby fixtures only contained these spectrums? Let's use the basic standard 4-bulb HO T5 light for our example. You'd have two bulbs that were rated as, say, 420-460nm actinic blues, and two bulbs that were rated at 10,000 kelvin white. I'm going to say that 85% of the long-timers on these boards had one of these fixtures at SOME point in their hobby.....probably more than 85% in fact.
Now along come LEDs, with similar color temperatures and wavelengths to the above mentioned T5 bulbs. You can find 3w LEDs that are rated for 460, 420, etc nm wavelength for deep blues, and as many LEDs that are Kelvin-rated for our white bulbs. With those quantifiers in mind......how can they be "lacking" in spectrum?
I do understand that LEDs put out a very specific wavelength....that's what they are meant to do. Do the T5 bulbs, or MH's, have a wider range of generated wavelengths that the LEDs don't replicate?? Or is this actually new research that has shown up with the recent LED fixtures?
Now....to get this back on track....LeAnne, I DO have two modules of the Chinese LED fixtures, and I don't think I would be nearly as happy with mine if they weren't dimmable. Besides, I suspect that the dimmable Chinese fixtures may be able to be DIYed with an aquarium controller at some point as well...it's something I intend to experiment with if I ever decide to take the controller plunge.
As for my LED fixture......I really love the color of the blue and white, but I do plan on adding a diy strip or two with some alternate color choices to supplement the Chinese units.
Nova GeoJ posted a very good graph to compare the differences.....It has long been posted and noted by real knowledgeable people in the lighting area that the white/blue spectrum doesn't em compass all the spectrum we need......Again if you look at the real players (major) in the LED business that is why they added and have changed different LEDs.....Some of the LEDs possibly added are more for our aesthetic pleasure or our viewing preference. Even if you look at the different blues that are available you'll see that they cover similar parts of the spectrum but they also vary......Just as there's been controversy about using certain whites vs adding reds, because of the overall spectrum each covers....Some might argue that you don't need the reds depending on which whites you'd choose.....
Missed a question you had earlier, but covered by GeoJ......The old standby fixtures (T5) might appear on the outside to be cut, clean and dry white and blue, but if you look at the spectral graphs that each bulb covers you will see it's not that cut and dry.
If you look at greens, there is still skepticism if they are really beneficial but some like how it enhances colors in their corals.....UV would be another area of controversy IMHO......Again I think (JMHO) that this is a beneficial aspect.....If you look at MH's they do give off a bit of UV, and depending on the LED chosen you could come close, but again some use it to highlight certain color corals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvmyreef http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not#post_3496435
Shawn, I have said it before, why don't you start a led light business? I will be first in line to purchase a custom set up for my 180!! Seriously!!!
Your funny!!!!!! Work consumes way to much time, and things evolve way to quick for 1 person to tackle.......
luvmyreef
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not/20#post_3496498
Your funny!!!!!! Work consumes way to much time, and things evolve way to quick for 1 person to tackle.......
Well.........Atleast I can say I tried lol.
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not/20#post_3496498
Your funny!!!!!! Work consumes way to much time, and things evolve way to quick for 1 person to tackle.......
Well.........Atleast I can say I tried lol.
acrylic51
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvmyreef http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not/20#post_3496511
I might be able to do that!! Thanks for offering.
Originally Posted by luvmyreef http:///t/393193/to-dim-or-not/20#post_3496511
I might be able to do that!! Thanks for offering.