SB Reef Lights

[SB Reef Lights]

id love to see a tear down of popular grow vs evergrow vs sb wifi lights and see what the real difference is.

i find it interesting sb lights has not done this to show their superior quality. i am just a skeptic here. although appearances can be deceiving, it would be a good selling feature to show the inferior quality of other's products in comparison to your own.

im not doubting anyone. i am just stating these are decisions i make as a consumer.

if a $100 light has a 1 year warranty. im good with that.

Skepticism is healthy, no worries. On FB we have done just that with MarsAqua and a couple other ebay brands. We have not done Evergrow yet, perhaps I can get my hands on one. Evergrow makes Reef Breeders which are well liked lights. That's a plus for them.

There's more to it than just diodes, though 420nm diodes are more expensive, and with 27% of our blue channel violet it does make a difference plus the addition of Cyan. Also add in quieter fans with higher CFM, mounting legs a thicker PCB board and 2 year warranty. For many the value is there. For some, maybe not.

 

[Russ265]

There are photos of the led board thickness. Mike doesnt bash other blackboxes is part of the problem. They are also good lights, the SB is just better.

im not talking a mars aqua typical black box vs the newer wifi boxes.

chinese improve their products as well. otherwise they fail.

comparing a typical $75 mars aqua box to the newer wifi boxes (which mars aqua doesnt make) is moot.

these guys are all in for our dollars.

it is great there is a 2 year warranty on sb lights. that is double the typical black box. just show us

im not here to make waves and i am a part of mike's fb group. i just would like a bit more info than "hey my rebranded black box is better than theirs" when he uses the typical black box form factor.

this will confuse ALL consumers. including myself.

this is just my feedback.

 

[NanaReefer]

I do know they use Epistar Diodes and not Bridgelux. Which is just a step below the more expensive Cree. I've spoken a lot with whom ever runs their FB page. I think I irritated him with all the questions [emoji2]

 

[Russ265]

I do know they use Epistar Diodes and not Bridgelux. Which is just a step below the more expensive Cree. I've spoken a lot with whom ever runs their FB page. I think I irritated him with all the questions [emoji2]

http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eB...1856&category=46314&pm=1&ds=0&t=1451620994202

so do populargrow

i chose bridgelux because they are proven. this is the first time i have heard epistar are "better".

please realize i only challenge, not to troll. but to explain to me as the consumer why i should jump on this bandwagon.

atm... i see another rebrand. whether it is correct or not.

see what i mean?

 

[Pfisherman]

T5 for life!

 

[Russ265]

T5 for life!

pipe down. adults are speaking.

i kid!

happy new year!

 

[ndz98]

T5 for life!

I was waiting for your kind to chime in....lol

 

[Pfisherman]

Seriously though, I'm sure they will grow corals at some rate. I can not say much for the Facebook group though, as most of the blackox buyers are newcomers to reefing and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying that they don't know the difference between what crap in a shiny package can do compared to a couple 14k Phoenix bulbs complimented by some vho actinics or a six or eight bulb T5 ho on its own.

 

[Russ265]

Seriously though, I'm sure they will grow corals at some rate. I can not say much for the Facebook group though, as most of the blackox buyers are newcomers to reefing and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying that they don't know the difference between what crap in a shiny package can do compared to a couple 14k Phoenix bulbs complimented by some vho actinics or a six or eight bulb T5 ho on its own.

meh. 2010 is calling. they stated phoenix bulbs went the way of the 8 track.

i wouldnt knock that group though. those boxes grow coral impressively.

 

[SB Reef Lights]

Good read on why some red is good, yet too much is not. Lights with too much warm white and red can impact some corals negatively. One of the reasons we use far less red and more blue, violet and cyan. When I switched from the heavy warm white / red layout of the MarsAqua, my growth went up across the board. Color development improved also.

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0092781

 

[Pfisherman]

My friend I will not knock at all. I'm subscribed to the black box group and I do own a coral compulsion CC-120p black box, it was my attempt to jump over to led. I am going to add also that of the new age of reefers that are born with led are the ones who will completely master it. It's my opinion that we still are not quite there with the technology and there are so many different fixtures with tons of led colors and layouts and programming options.... Mastering the art is where its at. T5 and MH are easy because there are only so many variables and that's what makes it the best option for me.

 

[SB Reef Lights]

idk. i got some evergrow (reef breeders rebranded lights) wifi for $260 for 2x.

total purchase for 6 was $850.

wifi + 1 year warranty

ive seen many black boxes using epistar, however i am not convinced they are better than bridgelux. the $75 mars aquas are epistar iirc.

i am all for supporting for american. but you cannot state you swapped a couple bulbs, larger heatsink and charge 100% more for me to get onboard.

my .02

Hey Russ265, quick question, does your wifi app let you control all 6 lights at the same time in manual mode, or do you have to connect to them one at a time? Also if you program one light can you copy the program to the other 5? Or do you have to program each one? Just trying to get info on other lights. Thank you sir!

 

[dcarwile]

i chose bridgelux because they are proven. this is the first time i have heard epistar are "better".

Odd. Epistar is Taiwanese and is the leader in the platform since 2012. They are the most efficient on their platform and considered the same quality as CREE. Not only has Epistar made LEDs for CREE and sold as CREE; just a few months ago, Epistar and CREE reached a deal where Epistar could improve CREE products on their own and pay licensing fees to use the patents CREE already holds. Epistar is a true force in modern LED lighting; I'm not sure where people are getting these negative connotations?

http://www.epistar.com.tw/_english/04_pr/02_detail.php?SID=50
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/optoelectronics/better-chips-for-better-led-bulbs

 

[ndz98]

For all those in the Eastern time zone, Happy New Years! I'm still in 2015 guys...lol

 

[domination2580]

For all those in the Eastern time zone, Happy New Years! I'm still in 2015 guys...lol

Same here

 

[Russ265]

Hey Russ265, quick question, does your wifi app let you control all 6 lights at the same time in manual mode, or do you have to connect to them one at a time? Also if you program one light can you copy the program to the other 5? Or do you have to program each one? Just trying to get info on other lights. Thank you sir!

the evergrows do not allow me to control all at once. i have to connect to each wifi point individually which is kinda crappy. i have 6 lights and will have to mark each box with an id as their wifi point.

i dont expect everyone to find this as annoying as i do as most may use 1-3. but when you have 6.... lol. which is which?

they do automatically use the program i set on my phone though. so i do not have to preset the stuff every time. i just connect and set whatever i programmed in my phone previously.

modifying each one requires connection to the hotspot. would have been cool to have a "master" box and the rest as slaves but i wont complain for the price paid.

just my initial review as i just put them up a few hours ago.

 

[Russ265]

Odd. Epistar is Taiwanese and is the leader in the platform since 2012. They are the most efficient on their platform and considered the same quality as CREE. Not only has Epistar made LEDs for CREE and sold as CREE; just a few months ago, Epistar and CREE reached a deal where Epistar could improve CREE products on their own and pay licensing fees to use the patents CREE already holds. Epistar is a true force in modern LED lighting; I'm not sure where people are getting these negative connotations?

http://www.epistar.com.tw/_english/04_pr/02_detail.php?SID=50
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/optoelectronics/better-chips-for-better-led-bulbs

did not realize. learned something today. i did know they werent junk. i just didnt know they were this esteemed.

still... i think led fight offs will continue long after this thread dies.

 

[SB Reef Lights]

Anyone that has questions about LEDs in general, spectrum, single point verse array, or even other types of lighting there is a solid facebook group with a few of the best experts in the lighting field hanging out there. Swing by and ask questions. Folks like Dana Riddle, Tullio Dellaquila, Cruz Arius and others. Lots of knowledge. Beginners as well.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/aquariumlighting/

 

[domination2580]

did not realize. learned something today. i did know they werent junk. i just didnt know they were this esteemed.

still... i think led fight offs will continue long after this thread dies.

The only question is when it will die off... Lol

 

[Russ265]

The only question is when it will die off... Lol

ahahha
ask t5 boy (i kid)