I am writing up this review because there seems to be no independent review on this light online. When choosing a LED light I had so many different lights to choose from.
For example here is a list of competitors:
1. Up aqua pro Z
2. Aqua zonic leds
3. Ista LEDs
4. Citii Aqua
5. Aware
6. Kessil
Why Comboray?
You may be wondering why i chose this light. After all, I did spent over $300AUD on this light and I could have easily chosen a Kessil instead. The DIY light build is approximately $200 if done right but requires a bit of time and effort. Basically it comes down to four reasons:
1. I wanted flexibility to switch and choose my LEDs
2. I wanted something guaranteed to grow a HC carpet
3. I wanted something that I could upgrade later on. (whether it is to marine or a larger tank).
4. It had low power consumption yet could grow HC to a depth of 1 inch
5. I wanted a light in which the internals could be upgraded later on easily as technology phases out
First impressions
First impressions were very good. I purchased this light from Dalua and it arrived via a courier. The light was packaged pre-assembled. The first thing i noticed was the way everything was packaged very neatly to avoid damage. The build quality of the light is fantastic. The light is thin and looks very durable without compromising its look. The aluminium housing has smooth curved edges and looks sleek. The screws fit perfectly and is not too tight or too loose. The sliding cover to the LEDs is sturdy and very clear. Everything just seems to fit into place without being too loose or tight. Even the rail slides in and out with minimal friction. Instructions are very simple and almost too simple (especially with the remote).
The remote control is small, light and quite thin. However it is made of plastic which was a little disappointing. It works out of the box. (I had to install the IR chip but it was very easy). There are three channels to the light. The first and second channels light up odd and even LEDs and can be dimmed separately. It even comes with a day night cycle programmed into it. Just hold the up button for 5 seconds and wait for the beep. The third channel seems to be reserved for something I have yet to figure it out.
I found the lens click into place and is quite easy to lever out using my fingernail. I was able to replace the 2x NW LEDs with CW LEDs easily without damaging the lens. The LEDs are held in by screws that you can loosen and you can easily slip a finger nail under the lens to click it out and push it into the desired lens.
What do you get?
I purchased the freshwater package $290 AUD with the Rotatable Mounting stand $50 AUD.
The package is advertised to come with the following:
6 X 2 watt Cree LED's
Neutral white, cool white, Blue, UV and cyan (green) 10,000k
LED's 390(UV) up to 500nm
300mm x 87mm x 25mm
12 Watt power consumption
90 Degree lenses
One power cord
Here is a more detailed description of what i got
8 X 2 watt Cree LEDs (2 x spare whites)
Illumagic ComboRay LED Bulb - Cyan (500nm) x 1
Illumagic ComboRay LED Bulb - UV (400nm) x 1
Illumagic ComboRay LED Bulb - Neutral White (4000K) x 4
Illumagic ComboRay LED Bulb - Cool White (7000K) x 2
IR Remote x 1 (battery included)
Power cord / pack with on/off switch
90 degree angle LED lens x 4
Default Stand
Thermopaste (not reusable as there is no lid)
Swivel Stand with silicon scratch protective covers(optional)
Here are some other Light Choices
● 400nm Near UV (SemiLEDs C-35L-U50)
● 420nm Violet (SemiLEDs C-35L-U70)
● 450nm Royal Blue (CREE Xlamp XT-E)
● 475nm Blue (CREE Xlamp XP-E)
● 500nm Cyan (SemiLEDs C-35L-C)
● 670nm Red (SemiLEDs C-35L-C?) - Yes it does. Dalua sells it.
● 5000～8300k Cool white (CREE Xlamp XP-G R5 139lm)
● 3700～5000k Neutral white (CREE Xlamp XP-G R3 122lm)
How well does it grow plants?
I am still testing this light but be sure to check back later.
In summary
The good
- Quality build
- Came pre-assembled
- Good value (when you factor in programmable remote)
- Quite bright (will test plant growth later)
- Easy to build with little fuss
- Day Night function with 2 separately dimmable channels
The bad
No real major disadvantages that i can think of:
- Instructions at times are too simple. The board to the remote is too close to the LEDs. Instructions should clearly give some warning about this.
- Remote is made of plastic. Appears a little flimsy.
Light choice
I have been doing a little research on light choices. Plants use a lot of the red and blue spectrum for photosynthesis. The blue penetrates water a lot better than the red but they also utilise red a lot more efficiently compared to the blue spectrum. Plants also use green but not very efficiently but the inclusion of cyan i believe is to bring out the green colour of plants as well as to balance out the red and blue spectrum. I also read somewhere that too much red can lead to algae issues and should be avoided. If I were to choose my own LEDs i would have probably gone with a similar setup to what was given to me. The only thing i would have done different is included a royal blue or violet instead of UV. The two cool white LEDs came in handy as the overall look of the light looked too much like sunlight without it.
Overall i consider this light a very good buy.
The more i use this light the more hidden functions i find.
Only the following months will tell how well it performs!
No comments:
Post a Comment