Neptune SKY LED

[bcarl77]

Can someone please do a shadow test of a G5 Pro…. Bonus points if you also do it with the diffuser

 

[Jon's Reef]

the G4 XR-30 had basically the same spread as the Sky, but marginally less par.

Based on the table at 1:13, does not look the same or marginal.

Spread (Average of outer divided by center):
Radion G4 XR30: 76%
SKY: 88%
Change: 16% better spread in SKY ((88-76)/76)

PAR (Average of all 9 points)
Radion G4 XR30: 278
SKY: 359
Change: 29% more par in SKY ((359-278)/278)

Overall, the negative tone toward shadowing of point source lighting is a little overboard... i mean, IMO, flat lights with no shadowing, contrast, shimmer, or movement, kinda suck....

As my corals grow from frags to colonies, my issue has become wrap around coverage, not empty tank spread. This is why my lighting grew from just the Radion/ Kessils to adding bars.

After actually owning one (and having owned Radions, Kessil, reef brites and T5), the SKY has a good balance of coverage, contrast, shimmer and movement. More contrast on the corals/ aquascape than T5 and more shimmer/ movement compared to G5 Radion with Diffuser. And I have no need for extra bars.

 

[SeeFu]

well mr saltwater is using both sky and xr30 on his700 gal

 

[SeeFu]

I like the review. Pictures not working. At the end it says advertising claims were accurate. I dont think i agree with all of that.

How do you think the sky compares to the Radion G5 XR-30 as to spread, par, spectrum, construction materials and design, and app?

I already brought this up when BRS did their review of the SKY. radeon has it beat on spread uniformity. i would assume since the SKY has a larger panel than the radion, that the SKY would have better shadow coverage though.

The Radion does beat the Sky by a significant amount on uniformity though.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Based on the table at 1:13, does not look the same or marginal.

Spread (Average of outer divided by center):
Radion G4 XR30: 76%
SKY: 88%
Change: 16% better spread in SKY ((88-76)/76)

PAR (Average of all 9 points)
Radion G4 XR30: 278
SKY: 359
Change: 29% more par in SKY ((359-278)/278)



As my corals grow from frags to colonies, my issue has become wrap around coverage, not empty tank spread. This is why my lighting grew from just the Radion/ Kessils to adding bars.

After actually owning one (and having owned Radions, Kessil, reef brites and T5), the SKY has a good balance of coverage, contrast, shimmer and movement. More contrast on the corals/ aquascape than T5 and more shimmer/ movement compared to G5 Radion with Diffuser. And I have no need for extra bars.

The par chart i looked at during the video looked about the same over water.

Maybe post a video of your tank? I have yet to see any tank with skys with any real shimmer, contrast, or movement... even those with large colonies

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

It is a great review. Unbiased and presents the data for the hobbyist to interpret. He also does a great job of explaining terms and what they do. As it relates to the rest of us agreeing or not that is just our opinions. I'll just go out on a limb here and say that Dana has worked in the field testing light and its effects on corals and many published articles on the subject. I don't think very many hobbyists who tests lights can say that here or anywhere else. He is also a 2011 (I believe that was it) MANCA award recipient.



I don't believe that is something he does. Has it relates to light reviews he isn't comparing brand A to brand B or disassembling a product for review. He is assessing the unit under test.

Part of the answer to your question though is in the BRS SKY video. They mention the G5 when they are talking about price per par (I think that was their term) and saying the G5 was actually better or the best. There is more to the answer but I'll leave it be.

All the best.

The problem with reviews without comparisons is that without direct comparison all reviews can make all products sound great... limited helpfulness without compsrison to other lights. The data is great, dont misunderstand me, but context in king

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

I already brought this up when BRS did their review of the SKY. radeon has it beat on spread uniformity. i would assume since the SKY has a larger panel than the radion, that the SKY would have better shadow coverage though.

The Radion does beat the Sky by a significant amount on uniformity though.

Yeah i kind of understood Terrance's "marketing strategy" answer to why they did not compare the sky's par or spread to the G5 was that the Sky could not and was never designed/marketed to compete with the G5.

In sum, Sky isnt terrible, is prwtty good, it competes with radions previous no longer sold generation light, g4.... but it does not compete with the G5, and Neptune isnt going to put the G5 and sky in the same ring together knowing the result...

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

So what’s the best buy? Radion XR30 G5 or Neptune SKY?

G5 for sure.

 

[WDKegge]

How I feel as a Orphek users watching people fight over spread ;Woot

 

[jcates]

G5 for sure.

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't you say you have T5's? Maybe you have owned both G5 and Sky so that you can fairly compare but I certainly didn't get that impression from all you comments on this rather lengthy thread that really says nothing.

I also noticed you are looking to Dana asking for comparison because context being king and all.. how is it that you can say which light is better or worse having never personally invested in either..? I am sorry but that makes zero sense to me. Having never owned a G5 I can't and won't say you're not correct either

I would encourage anyone in the market to pick either light after you've done your own research because I'd be willing to be either one is going to make the end user very happy.

 

[Naturalreef]

Well, I ordered a sky for apex integration and eventual coverage with full sps colonies. I receive it tomorrow and can still return if unopened. Can anyone who owns one tell me difference in pop between G5 blue/Neptune ? I love going deep blue during water changes to see my Sps pop. Very important to me…. I read reviews saying pop is just as good as a G5 blue? Thank you!

 

[rtparty]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't you say you have T5's? Maybe you have owned both G5 and Sky so that you can fairly compare but I certainly didn't get that impression from all you comments on this rather lengthy thread that really says nothing.

I also noticed you are looking to Dana asking for comparison because context being king and all.. how is it that you can say which light is better or worse having never personally invested in either..? I am sorry but that makes zero sense to me. Having never owned a G5 I can't and won't say you're not correct either

I would encourage anyone in the market to pick either light after you've done your own research because I'd be willing to be either one is going to make the end user very happy.

I owned G5 Blue and G5 Pro fixtures. Ran the Pros for close to a year. Got to see the SKY over the BRS900 before release.

After seeing the data for both, it is not hard to say one is the better than the other when it comes to PAR per dollar and unifrom spread. You don't need to own either of them to look at charts and figure it all out.

What one could argue is what LOOKS better to a certain user and what control platform they like more. That is all personal. The numbers are not personal though. They are what they are.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

How I feel as a Orphek users watching people fight over spread ;Woot

I dont even use a

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't you say you have T5's? Maybe you have owned both G5 and Sky so that you can fairly compare but I certainly didn't get that impression from all you comments on this rather lengthy thread that really says nothing.

I also noticed you are looking to Dana asking for comparison because context being king and all.. how is it that you can say which light is better or worse having never personally invested in either..? I am sorry but that makes zero sense to me. Having never owned a G5 I can't and won't say you're not correct either

I would encourage anyone in the market to pick either light after you've done your own research because I'd be willing to be either one is going to make the end user very happy.

G5.... its the standard for LEDs, i think thats hard to argue otherwise... sky is another panel and owner of the company wont even do par or spread tests against the G5.... speaks volumes IMO

Also just drives me nuts Neptune marketing.... "beat the BRS test" and "3 sky replace 5 radions".... no need to own to call out as bs.... G5 does better on the BRS test... 3 sky in no way "replace" 5 g5's...

If Neptune would keep its foot out of its mouth, i have nothing to say...

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

At about 23 minutes or so...

Sky "does not stand shoulder to shoulder with [Kessil] AP 9X] or [Radion] XR 30 [Gen 5]"

"after taking this apart and running on tank" Sky "would have nailed it if was $600.00"

"Two XR 15 [gen 5] runs circles around the Sky"

So either Jake is out to lunch (unlikely) or the point that Sky is overhyped and overpriced is pretty much fact...

 

[SeeFu]

2 xr 15's will run circles around 1 xr30 too. we've always known 2 smaller fixtures will out perform 1 larger fixture, so that's really an unfair statement by reefbuilder

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

2 xr 15's will run circles around 1 xr30 too. we've always known 2 smaller fixtures will out perform 1 larger fixture, so that's really an unfair statement by reefbuilder

He was saying for the cost..... Why spend $900 on a sky when you could get two XR 15's...

He said Sky would be great.... for $600... "game changer" even for that price...

Edit: One point i want to make is that Neptune made clear they were rushing this to market without its own tank mount... Terrance was like "why wait?" to send this out to market without stand mount... In other words, it's about getting into the lighting market as quickly as possible (for a premium price and for a not so premium product) for neptune... it's not about making the best light IMO... I like that ecotech has basically ignored the Sky's existence and marketing when neptune directed it at ecotech. What makes ecotech more attractive to me is that it doesn't rely on hyped marketing... it just makes nice products that sell themselves... I am tired of hyped products driving up prices in this hobby...

 

[Ryan Avery]

2 xr 15's will run circles around 1 xr30 too. we've always known 2 smaller fixtures will out perform 1 larger fixture, so that's really an unfair statement by reefbuilder

That’s true, but in reef dudes live stream yesterday Terrance stated the sky would out perform 2 xr15’s which is absurd

 

[SeeFu]

That’s true, but in reef dudes live stream yesterday Terrance stated the sky would out perform 2 xr15’s which is absurd

you could say that about the xr15 vs xr 30. why buy a xr30 when 2 xr15's will out perform it at the same price.

What i can see about the Sky is that the xr30 g5 out performs on how evenly par is spread. but it appears that sky is better at mixing the light and chances are it'll be better at handling shadows. the price doesn't seem unfair when you compare it to the xr30 since it does something things better and its also got apex integration.

 

[SeeFu]

That’s true, but in reef dudes live stream yesterday Terrance stated the sky would out perform 2 xr15’s which is absurd

oh i must have skipped that part. that video was long so i jumped around. if neptune believes that they should show the data. i'd put my money on 2 xr15's for sure over 1 sky

 

[Ryan Avery]

Totally agree

oh i must have skipped that part. that video was long so i jumped around. if neptune believes that they should show the data. i'd put my money on 2 xr15's for sure over 1 sky

its at about 1:45 in. I think it’s statements like that that really rub people the wrong way.