Icecap Reef Illuminations vs. Current Outer Orbit MH/T5 combo?

[Dylan]

Which lighting would you choose? I was looking at the outer orbit, but I noticed icecap came out with one very similar. They're both 2x250w halides with 2x54w T5s.

The icecap: 4' IceCap Reef Illuminations MH/T5/LED combo fixture

The Outer Orbit: Outer Orbit HQI | Current What's Next

I know the outer orbit is discontinued but how do they compare to eachother? It looks to me like Icecap makes superior lighting. The LED's on the icecap are pretty nice too.

Thanks!

 

[xrayrider]

I don't see a price for comparison that way on the outer orbit. I have always loved the quality of Icecap products. They usually have better warranties, and stand behind thier product better. The outer orbit only has 150 watt halides, and the icecap has 250 watt halides. I would not want less than 250 watt halides myself.

Go Icecap!

 

[Acroholic]

If nothing else, you might want to consider the IceCap because it is a current product, and not a discontinued one. In the long run it would probably be easier to get replacement parts for the IceCap product.

 

[Neptune Aquatics]

You can't beat the 660 ballast that IceCap used on RI fixture. We like them so much we'll have a bunch coming in soon. Go IceCap.

 

[Supreme Reefs]

Ice cap all the way!

 

[ksc]

I don't believe IC uses the 660 or 430 in their new fixtures. I know they use a standard ho t5 ballast in the all t5/led fixture. The 660 is not a good choice for a t5 fixture as it uses much more electricity for little to no gain in par. I'm guessing IC knows this....

 

[Steven Pro]

I don't believe IC uses the 660 or 430 in their new fixtures. I know they use a standard ho t5 ballast in the all t5/led fixture.

Correct. The current Reef Illuminations fixtures offered use a standard T5HO ballast, not the 430 or 660. We are developing a 660 driven T5/LED fixture with a novel cooling mechanism, but that is still in prototype and testing phase.

The 660 is not a good choice for a t5 fixture as it uses much more electricity for little to no gain in par. I'm guessing IC knows this....

Incorrect. The 430 and 660 use about 30% more electricity, but generate 35%+ PAR. The PAR increase varies depending on the lamp used, but all show a bigger increase than watt consumed. Don't believe me, check with Steve Larsen, aka The Grim Reefer.

 

[ksc]

"but generate 35%+ PAR" Compared to what? All the IC 660 driven retro kits I've seen have only been able to generate 5-600 par on the surface, wheras an ATI ho fixture can achieve 900-1000 par on the surface using ho ballasts.

 

[Steven Pro]

"but generate 35%+ PAR" Compared to what?

Same lamps with the same reflectors, only switching the ballasts showed a 30% increase in electrical consumption but a 35%+ increase in PAR.

 

[ksc]

Come on, "some guy on some message board says..." There were many people eagerly waiting for the results from your lab that you were going to post over a year ago, including me. Searching around the web the best par numbers I could find for a 660 powered t5 setup was 5-600 par. Do you have any numbers for the Aquatinics Solarflare? Do you think you could gain 35% by switching out the ho ballasts in an ATI Powermodule and replacing them with IC 660's? I don't, as I believe overdriving t5's produces too much heat, which in turn reduces the par.

 

[mike ftw]

Come on, "some guy on some message board says..." There were many people eagerly waiting for the results from your lab that you were going to post over a year ago, including me. Searching around the web the best par numbers I could find for a 660 powered t5 setup was 5-600 par. Do you have any numbers for the Aquatinics Solarflare? Do you think you could gain 35% by switching out the ho ballasts in an ATI Powermodule and replacing them with IC 660's? I don't, as I believe overdriving t5's produces too much heat, which in turn reduces the par.

indeed overdriving does cause additonal heat. you have to overdrive your cooling so to speak, when you're overdriving your bulbs.

 

[gilmour01]

i dont like overdriven actinics

i do however love my 250w, icecap, halide ballast

 

[Tenacious716]

I had the pleasure of toying with the IceCap fixture yesterday, the LEDs are AWESOME; can't wait until the shorter versions are released!

 

[george_n_jo]

The 4' IceCap Reef Illuminations MH/T5/LED combo fixture has a 3 year warranty thats nice. But the darn thing weight like 40 lbs. I just got mine and it is a bit more unwieldy then I imagined but it is very nice.

 

[Dylan]

I am going with T5s now. I have halides on my biocube 29 and I can't stand how there are shaded areas.