AliExpress A8SE Reef Light

[leblasco]

I private messaged multiple people on here who have been running them but none have responded yet.

Working with the seller at this very moment to solve my issues

Could you fix it? im in same situation as you, I have tied everything and no luck.

 

[Shooter6]

Could you fix it? im in same situation as you, I have tied everything and no luck.

Yes I believe I've got it figured out.

Step 1 put your phone or tablet to your routers wifi but be sure it's on 2.4g.

Once that is done open the app. Search device.
Click device.

When it ask to direct connect -no.

Switch wifi on ph to the lights wifi. Type in the wifi and password. Once that connects exit out. Put ph back on routers wifi 2.4g.

Open app again. Click the light again.

Now you have to put in the time zone ( does not correspond to your area. I'm in Texas. At 1040 pm I had to put it on -0600 I think to get it to be on the correct timezone.

No I personally modified the ab+ by moving the on and off times and adjusting the whites up to be more 14k mh look for 4hrs. Also the ramp down I stretched out an additional hr at a very low light deepblue period. I saved it and it's been working perfectly.

When the next 3 lights arrive within the next week all connect them to the same group.

 

[Shooter6]

Uv and warm

Uv is separate from the purple? And the whites is split into 2 channels?

 

[RoanokeReef]

Uv is separate from the purple? And the whites is split into 2 channels?

Yes - UV and Warm. The link I quoted you with one page back shows you the app interface with the extra channels.

Also, if notice anything weird with the lights ungroup them as its super buggy. And once you have them working 100% I would ignore any "update packs" that your prompted with when opening the app as it's a 50/50 chance it works or breaks something.

 

[Shooter6]

Yes - UV and Warm. The link I quoted you with one page back shows you the app interface with the extra channels.

Also, if notice anything weird with the lights ungroup them as its super buggy. And once you have them working 100% I would ignore any "update packs" that your prompted with when opening the app as it's a 50/50 chance it works or breaks something.

Appreciate it. I've got the 8s and 3 more on the way. I assume it's the same for them?

 

[RoanokeReef]

Appreciate it. I've got the 8s and 3 more on the way. I assume it's the same for them?

Since they’re basically all the same I’d think so.

 

[OscarHaglund]

Im having huge problems with the lights arbitrarily changing the time.
Its not a slow drift. One day they are all the same and the next day two of the lights might show 22 and another light show 04 and the fourth 17.

At this rate i might end up treating them like a set of undimmable t5 bulbs and just have a timer that turns them on or off. Its really itritating that the software is so poor.

The lights claim there is a firmware update but if i try to update it will just say (in chinese) that it failed with no other information.

 

[disaster999]

Im having huge problems with the lights arbitrarily changing the time.
Its not a slow drift. One day they are all the same and the next day two of the lights might show 22 and another light show 04 and the fourth 17.

At this rate i might end up treating them like a set of undimmable t5 bulbs and just have a timer that turns them on or off. Its really itritating that the software is so poor.

The lights claim there is a firmware update but if i try to update it will just say (in chinese) that it failed with no other information.

It was a problem for me where it changed the time a few times for me but it havent done it in a while now...the issue just sort of goes away. How often do you need to sync up the times for your lights?

 

[OscarHaglund]

It was a problem for me where it changed the time a few times for me but it havent done it in a while now...the issue just sort of goes away. How often do you need to sync up the times for your lights?

3 out of 4 lights never sync to the correct time. They are consistently 3 hours out of sync. This is not really a problem because its consistent.

The issue is that they also drop an arbitrary number of hours out of sync every few days

 

[leblasco]

Yes I believe I've got it figured out.

Step 1 put your phone or tablet to your routers wifi but be sure it's on 2.4g.

Once that is done open the app. Search device.
Click device.

When it ask to direct connect -no.

Switch wifi on ph to the lights wifi. Type in the wifi and password. Once that connects exit out. Put ph back on routers wifi 2.4g.

Open app again. Click the light again.

Now you have to put in the time zone ( does not correspond to your area. I'm in Texas. At 1040 pm I had to put it on -0600 I think to get it to be on the correct timezone.

No I personally modified the ab+ by moving the on and off times and adjusting the whites up to be more 14k mh look for 4hrs. Also the ramp down I stretched out an additional hr at a very low light deepblue period. I saved it and it's been working perfectly.

When the next 3 lights arrive within the next week all connect them to the same group.

thanks! I will do that tonight and let our know if I could

 

[Shooter6]

3 more lights arrived today. Cost was less then for 1 radion version shipped to my door step.

 

[disaster999]

3 out of 4 lights never sync to the correct time. They are consistently 3 hours out of sync. This is not really a problem because its consistent.

The issue is that they also drop an arbitrary number of hours out of sync every few days

Cant really give you any real help. All I can say is Ive experienced my lights turning on at random times. It happened like 3 times at most in a span of a week or 2 and then it "magically" stopped doing so.

I have 2 over my tank and they are not synced as for some reason they refuse to have the same lighting program when synced. Whenever I see the light turning on a random times I just go into the app and connect to the light with the messed up time and it will automatically sync up the to my phone's local time. After a few times I guess the light finally realized it should stay synced and it never happened again.

 

[spartanman22]

Can someone educate me on ordering these. Do you have to pay import and duty taxes on these on top of the listed price? I've never ordered from Aliexpress or Alibaba before. I reached out to the seller on Aliexpress asking if the A8 Pro's came with the Meanwell power supplies. The answer I got was that the ones on their Alibaba site included the meanwell power supplies. Is ordering from aliexpress better than alibaba or vice versa?

 

[RoanokeReef]

Aliexpress seems to have some from of customer service vs alibaba. If you're in the states I've never paid import / duty.

Just my two cents, I wouldn't spring for the Pro unless you really want the 8 channel. Side by side they look identical to the other fixtures with exception of the X30 (more blue). The Meanwell doesn't seem to be any higher quality than the Chinese power supply and if I had to guess is just a knock off anyways. You're also trusting that the Chinese are actually using Cree LEDs which if I was a betting man .........

 

[Shooter6]

Can someone educate me on ordering these. Do you have to pay import and duty taxes on these on top of the listed price? I've never ordered from Aliexpress or Alibaba before. I reached out to the seller on Aliexpress asking if the A8 Pro's came with the Meanwell power supplies. The answer I got was that the ones on their Alibaba site included the meanwell power supplies. Is ordering from aliexpress better than alibaba or vice versa?

I ordered from Alibaba.
2 orders. I asked for the A8S with meanwell drivers . From placing my order using PayPal to receiving them took 6 days.
Picture shows full cost delivered to my door, ( texas). No issues with ordering for me. It was my first time using that site as well.

 

[disaster999]

Can someone educate me on ordering these. Do you have to pay import and duty taxes on these on top of the listed price? I've never ordered from Aliexpress or Alibaba before. I reached out to the seller on Aliexpress asking if the A8 Pro's came with the Meanwell power supplies. The answer I got was that the ones on their Alibaba site included the meanwell power supplies. Is ordering from aliexpress better than alibaba or vice versa?

Alibaba/Aliexpress is pretty much the same. One is more geared towards buinesses and bulk buyers and the other is more geared towards individuals. From what I gathered, there are 5 versions of these lights floating around. Just make sure you buy the correct version.

A8: Chinese LED chips, Chinese PS
A8s: Chinese LED chips, Meanwell PS
A8se: Cree LED chips, Meanwell PS
A8 Pro: G6 layout, 8 channel control, Cree LED chips, Meanwell PS
X30: Blue version of the A8, Chinese LED chips, Meanwell PS

There are no taxes when buying these lights. Import taxes really depends where you live.

 

[SanFernandoValleyAIOReef]

Well here is my 6 month review.

I have had the light running on my sps only tank (6 months old) since January of this year. I bought it for $250 USD shipped with a North American power supply. It is as close to a radion as you will ever see. The fans are the same, the lens cover is the same, the housing is near identical with the main difference being the cord runs through the back of this light. The LED count, color and type is the same. I have dissembled my radion G5s to compare components and the only striking difference is the radions run a 10 channel system controlling all colors of leds while the A8 runs 6 and the radion uses Bluetooth connectivity while the A8 uses wifi (will touch more on this).

I currently have the light running beside two g5 XR30 blues and 95% of people would not be able to tell the difference. The color blends perfectly and the par is actually slightly higher than that produced by the radions. The A8 runs a warmer color overall and more closely resembles the pro version of the radion but with minor tweaks in color you can produce the “radion blue” look with very similar par results. With the light set to full intensity I was pushing well over 800 par in the upper parts of the tank. I currently have it set to about 75% blue channels and 20-30% whites and reds and am achieving 600+ par at the top 6” and 150-250 on the bottom 24” down.

Upon first setup I initially struggled with programming the light as it is in Chinese and the English app was not functional at the time. With the help of Google translate and some back and fourth with the supplier I managed to get the Chinese app working while they made improvements to the English app (which is now fully functional). After setup I took the time to create a manual for the light that I provided to the supplier with illustrations on how to program the Chinese app if you only know English. Feel free to reach out and I will provide the document.

As for the connection. I have found it more reliable than the radions Mobius. I have come home many times to my radions being out of schedule, changing times, and only running red/green/individual channels. In all my time with the A8 I only lost connectivity twice. The first time the power went out and the light was running 1h behind schedule until I opened the app and set to current time. The other time the light must have completely lost connectivity and reset to the default 5% on all channels until I reconnected.

Now does it grow coral? Absolutely and oddly enough all my most vivid pieces are underneath the A8.

I have been so impressed with this light that I put my radion G5s up for sale. I figured for the price I sell my G5s for I can purchase about 10 of these lights as they give a discount on 10 units. In all aspects I see that as a win.

Ya I bet their factory is across the street from where they make radions lol , I worked at this commercial light bulb place for a few weeks where all we did 8 hr a day was unpack fluorescent light bulbs take of made in china stickers and put on the company stickers that was buying and reselling them lol

 

[Shooter6]

Alibaba/Aliexpress is pretty much the same. One is more geared towards buinesses and bulk buyers and the other is more geared towards individuals. From what I gathered, there are 5 versions of these lights floating around. Just make sure you buy the correct version.

A8: Chinese LED chips, Chinese PS
A8s: Chinese LED chips, Meanwell PS
A8se: Cree LED chips, Meanwell PS
A8 Pro: G6 layout, 8 channel control, Cree LED chips, Meanwell PS
X30: Blue version of the A8, Chinese LED chips, Meanwell PS

There are no taxes when buying these lights. Import taxes really depends where you live.

You have the a8s and se mixed up. Se has the Chinese leds and cost less. The s has Cree leds and cost slightly more

 

[disaster999]

You have the a8s and se mixed up. Se has the Chinese leds and cost less. The s has Cree leds and cost slightly more

oops your right, got that mixed up

 

[spartanman22]

Alibaba/Aliexpress is pretty much the same. One is more geared towards buinesses and bulk buyers and the other is more geared towards individuals. From what I gathered, there are 5 versions of these lights floating around. Just make sure you buy the correct version.

A8: Chinese LED chips, Chinese PS
A8s: Chinese LED chips, Meanwell PS
A8se: Cree LED chips, Meanwell PS
A8 Pro: G6 layout, 8 channel control, Cree LED chips, Meanwell PS
X30: Blue version of the A8, Chinese LED chips, Meanwell PS

There are no taxes when buying these lights. Import taxes really depends where you live.

Thanks appreciate it! Looking at the A8 Pros with mean well power supplies. Just trying to decide between these or Noopsyches.