Kessil Club

[Damphair]

Originally Posted by madweazl

Dirt/dust will kill these lights prematurely due to excess heat. Unfortunately, the only way to properly clean them is to disassemble them. It's a pain over some of the other options but if you do it, they'll last. The two A360WEs on my tank were purchased used to begin with and have been on my tank two and a half years now. Once they're gone, I don't believe you'll get the functionality back but you can try to open and clean it.

I pulled apart the A160 at the recommendation of Kessil, and it was basically spotless inside(just an extremely light coating of dust, which I cleaned while I had it apart). I always maintain my equipment, and especially so with the 160 after my 150 failed. There's a can of compressed air in my stand just for the purpose of regular blowing the dust out as recommended by Kessil.

It is what it is, but it's also frustrating. I've read enough forum threads and reviews to know that I'm not alone in this issue with the A160. With a one year warranty I guess it's not surprising that issues start popping up after 2 years, but it makes it feel like LED isn't quite as economical as they would have you think since the fixtures (especially Kessil) aren't user repairable in any way; once they're dead, you chuck them and buy a whole new one.

[madweazl]

Originally Posted by Damphair

I pulled apart the A160 at the recommendation of Kessil, and it was basically spotless inside(just an extremely light coating of dust, which I cleaned while I had it apart). I always maintain my equipment, and especially so with the 160 after my 150 failed. There's a can of compressed air in my stand just for the purpose of regular blowing the dust out as recommended by Kessil.

It is what it is, but it's also frustrating. I've read enough forum threads and reviews to know that I'm not alone in this issue with the A160. With a one year warranty I guess it's not surprising that issues start popping up after 2 years, but it makes it feel like LED isn't quite as economical as they would have you think since the fixtures (especially Kessil) aren't user repairable in any way; once they're dead, you chuck them and buy a whole new one.

I understand the frustration. I am a bit surprised it was very clean inside which makes me wonder if the fan wasn't operating properly. Cleaning them out with compressed air cant keep the heatsink clean which is why they have to be pulled completely apart (poor design choice on their part in that regard). One other thing I'll mention is the need to keep the fan stationary while you clean them; letting them spin freely under compressed air or a compressor will damage the fan (this is true for all similar fans such as desktops and laptops as well). Just something else to consider going forward.

Kessil has changed the heatsink and fan on the A360X but only time will tell if that ends up being a better solution or not (I hope so as I've already started converting over to them).

[ComforablyNumb]

Their warranty is actually 2 years for Canada (if you demand).

They tried to give me the same excuse because I live in Canada too. The fan stopped on mine.

They tried to say it was because of Europe mostly runs on 220v ..when I pointed out the Canadian and American grids are intertwined and both run at 120, they relented. Full replacement, I only had to pay shipping.

I have had 2 360's for 4 years. Just blow them out with compressed air once or twice a year when they are cool. Also, from the previous page, my 160 works like a charm. Freshwater shimmer!

[Damphair]

Originally Posted by madweazl

I understand the frustration. I am a bit surprised it was very clean inside which makes me wonder if the fan wasn't operating properly. Cleaning them out with compressed air cant keep the heatsink clean which is why they have to be pulled completely apart (poor design choice on their part in that regard). One other thing I'll mention is the need to keep the fan stationary while you clean them; letting them spin freely under compressed air or a compressor will damage the fan (this is true for all similar fans such as desktops and laptops as well). Just something else to consider going forward.

Kessil has changed the heatsink and fan on the A360X but only time will tell if that ends up being a better solution or not (I hope so as I've already started converting over to them).

That's interesting.. I always felt I could clean the heatsink pretty well with the compressed air, I just basically give a couple short blasts through every slit in the housing. If you're saying they still tend to accumulate dust then something is off with mine, because all the fins were clean. I know my A160 is vastly quieter than my A150 was, but I chalked that up to a better design (and I never ran my A160 at max intensity, the A150 didn't have any ability to adjust it).

[Damphair]

Originally Posted by ComforablyNumb

Their warranty is actually 2 years for Canada (if you demand).

They tried to give me the same excuse because I live in Canada too. The fan stopped on mine.

They tried to say it was because of Europe mostly runs on 220v ..when I pointed out the Canadian and American grids are intertwined and both run at 120, they relented. Full replacement, I only had to pay shipping.

I have had 2 360's for 4 years. Just blow them out with compressed air once or twice a year when they are cool. Also, from the previous page, my 160 works like a charm. Freshwater shimmer!

Unfortunately I'm still over the 2 year mark at 2.5 years. after I completely disassembled and cleaned the unit meticulously (just surface dust, it was already very clean), and did all their other testing (removed timers/power bars, unplug for 15 minutes, etc etc) they haven't responded to my emails. I'm guessing I'm out of luck here.

I really love the lights, especially the shimmer, but my bad luck with them has me leaning towards changing to a different brand for my next light.

Interesting that you also had an issue and you're in Canada though.. I've noticed that Canadian sites generally have far worse reviews for Kessils than the larger international sites. JLAquatics for example has awful reviews for the 160, with a couple describing exactly the problem I have (one with blues staying off, one with whites). I wonder if there's something to that.

[ComforablyNumb]

I wonder if there's something to that.

Could be. Hasnt been my experience ..but my 160 is the sun version. Are there other manufacturers that offer a longer warranty than 2 yrs?

I switched from t5's to the kessil..plants grow well and the change from the flat appearance is quite nice. I bought all my Kessils from Reef Supplies in Montreal. Same price as anywhere else in Canada I guess.

[Damphair]

I don't know about longer warranties, I doubt it. Like I mentioned the warranty for Canada is only 1 year as well, you got lucky with getting them to give you 2 but all the paperwork says 1 so it's entirely up to them to be generous or not.

They offered me a discount on buying a new A160WE for 230 CAD. I can get one new for 300. When my A150W failed I took them up on their discount, but the shipping/duties added almost $100 to the cost, making it cost the same as going to the store and paying full price. So their deal isn't worth it for me, if I got $100 additional fees this time it would be more expensive than going to the store and buying one. I made one last plea for them to work with me a little more, long shot but nothing to lose now.

I'm probably going to switch to an AI Prime HD. Good reviews, built in controller, cheaper than the 160 while still being strong enough for my nano from what I've read. I really love Kessil but I can't keep dropping money into them when they don't last (in my experience).

[nycman]

Just got a pair of A360X Tuna Blues with the new controller. Mounted them from the ceiling using a "y" cable from Amazon. No tank brackets as my set up is peninsula. Tank will be 245g freshwater Mbuna Cichlids.

I started programming the Kessils using the controller. Questions I cannot find answers to...

1) Are the manual effect (clouds, storms) etc. just that, manual only? Meaning you cannot add them to your program so that they occur randomly all day over time, like with the GHL Mitras? If so, boo.

2) Can you determine the Kelvin (color temp) of you programmed color and intensity setting, again like that of other LEDS, like the Mitras? If not, boo again.

3) They say that the light range (Tuna Blue) is 10K to 20K (or so). But there is a Violet Red and Green LED that can be varied in intensity as well. Seems that this may make the light more white, and lower than 10K? Again, it would be helpful to have the controller reflect back to you the Kelvin in the program.

4) What is the purpose of the Group setting? Seems unnecessary from what I have used thus far. I have both lights in synch varying in color and intensity over a 24 hour schedule, with the 8 time increments that are allowable. While 8 seems low, compared to the Mitras, it is sufficient for my needs on this tank.

[ComforablyNumb]

"shipping/duties added almost $100 to the cost"

wow, thats gone up. Must be new Trump tariffs or something because my total costs were $40 USD from California for the replacement 360, with no tariff or border surcharges. When I complained about mine, I got the same runaround as you I think, but I was insistent. Bumped to a supervisor and got it, but mine was 20 months old. As long as its within 24 months of purchase, you should be covered. They didnt even want the old unit back, which I found surprising.

[nycman]

Originally Posted by nycman

Just got a pair of A360X Tuna Blues with the new controller. Mounted them from the ceiling using a "y" cable from Amazon. No tank brackets as my set up is peninsula. Tank will be 245g freshwater Mbuna Cichlids.

I started programming the Kessils using the controller. Questions I cannot find answers to...

1) Are the manual effect (clouds, storms) etc. just that, manual only? Meaning you cannot add them to your program so that they occur randomly all day over time, like with the GHL Mitras? If so, boo.

2) Can you determine the Kelvin (color temp) of you programmed color and intensity setting, again like that of other LEDS, like the Mitras? If not, boo again.

3) They say that the light range (Tuna Blue) is 10K to 20K (or so). But there is a Violet Red and Green LED that can be varied in intensity as well. Seems that this may make the light more white, and lower than 10K? Again, it would be helpful to have the controller reflect back to you the Kelvin in the program.

4) What is the purpose of the Group setting? Seems unnecessary from what I have used thus far. I have both lights in synch varying in color and intensity over a 24 hour schedule, with the 8 time increments that are allowable. While 8 seems low, compared to the Mitras, it is sufficient for my needs on this tank.

I received answers from Kessil today. Very helpful. Here they are...

You can add the effects of your customized schedule. When you go into one of your 8-time slots under your program, you can change your color settings and intensity, on that same page, there is a tab that says "effects" right next to the "color" tab. See photo below highlighted in yellow.

The controller will not show Kelvin value, unfortunately- you will have to calculate the Kelvin. I.e. at 100% color, the Kelvin is at 20,000 and at 0% color, Kelvin is at 10,000. When you add the other colors in it, the amount of the color spectrum of the violet, red, and green are so minimal that it does not usually affect much of the Kelvin you get if you have the color % at 100% or 0%. This is what makes our lights quite unique, the feature of Kessil logic which locks in the wavelength so visual effects can become personalized.

Groups are only applicable if you want to keep the lights on different programs. If both lights are in the same group, you can ignore the group function. Hope this explains a little more!

[madweazl]

Originally Posted by nycman

I received answers from Kessil today. Very helpful. Here they are...

The controller will not show Kelvin value, unfortunately- you will have to calculate the Kelvin. I.e. at 100% color, the Kelvin is at 20,000 and at 0% color, Kelvin is at 10,000. When you add the other colors in it, the amount of the color spectrum of the violet, red, and green are so minimal that it does not usually affect much of the Kelvin you get if you have the color % at 100% or 0%. This is what makes our lights quite unique, the feature of Kessil logic which locks in the wavelength so visual effects can become personalized.

The 0% and 100% values are inverted. The whole "kelvin" rating is rather ridiculous to begin with as it only goes to 10,000k. The industry has so many arbitrary measures for this hobby.

[Esage]

Can you use the old a-series spectral controller with the new 360X? I know wouldn't get control of the violet, red, and green

[Damphair]

Originally Posted by ComforablyNumb

"shipping/duties added almost $100 to the cost"

wow, thats gone up. Must be new Trump tariffs or something because my total costs were $40 USD from California for the replacement 360, with no tariff or border surcharges. When I complained about mine, I got the same runaround as you I think, but I was insistent. Bumped to a supervisor and got it, but mine was 20 months old. As long as its within 24 months of purchase, you should be covered. They didnt even want the old unit back, which I found surprising.

This was long before Trump. I mentioned the ridiculous costs to them as a courtesy so that they could investigate and maybe use a different shipping method in the future and that was the end of it.

I bought an AI Prime HD, so we'll see how this one looks in a couple years. They have their own share of quality and support horror stories, but for the features, the size, and the price it was the best option for me outside of Kessil.

[Forgiven1973]

Well finally got the tank ready and adding some coral from a swap tomorrow. Have the 360we tuna blue. I have a rainbow bubble tip about 4inches off the sand bed, adding an acan or two and some zoas to the sand bed and a couple chalices and I believe one green pocillopora near top. What’s recommendations for intensity and color or what’s everyone running with similar positioning of coral.

[parrot1012]

I just got the 360X and the X controller to replace the maxspect razor, the kessils seem good but the controller is a PITA and the down load manual is “limited” in info is there any where else to go to try and figure this out nothin worse than thinking you have it right and watching it ramp down to moonlight then a couple hrs later get up and look and it daylite in the tank at 1:00 am, don’t think fish and coral appreciates this!

[parrot1012]

Oh yeah and I did contact Kessil and they did call back and give me a number to call for support , they said that they would be able to help me but all I get is voice mail and no return call

[GardenVariety]

My 200 Gallon Mixed Reef with 7 Kessil 360WE's

[GardenVariety]

Originally Posted by Forgiven1973

Well finally got the tank ready and adding some coral from a swap tomorrow. Have the 360we tuna blue. I have a rainbow bubble tip about 4inches off the sand bed, adding an acan or two and some zoas to the sand bed and a couple chalices and I believe one green pocillopora near top. What’s recommendations for intensity and color or what’s everyone running with similar positioning of coral.

How many lights are you running? How high are they mounted? What’s the tank depth?

[layz79]

Just purchased a 130 gallon waterbox tank. The dimensions are 55"x24"x26"w. I also purchased 3 a360x's hoping this will be strong enough to do an SPS mixed reef. They will be my only light source. Any thoughts on whether this is a good recipe for success par wise?

[shred5]

Originally Posted by layz79

Just purchased a 130 gallon waterbox tank. The dimensions are 55"x24"x26"w. I also purchased 3 a360x's hoping this will be strong enough to do an SPS mixed reef. They will be my only light source. Any thoughts on whether this is a good recipe for success par wise?

I think you should be good for a mixed reef.

[WVH]

After a 10 year hiatus I am back. 72 bow display with 6 old T5s with reflectors still on tank. Am thinking of one AP 700 as a replacement for the T5s. I love the look of shimmer like old MH days they have. One thing I worry about is the one AP700 adequate on the 48 inch wide without having to hang it abnormally high to cover the width? The info they provide says about 18 inches to get the 48 inch spread well , but that just seems a bit high for appearance sake and penetration . Or any other suggestions welcome too but I do like the Kessels .... Thanks

[chjay00]

I’m joining the club. I just got 2 A360X for my 100g mix reef build. I will eventually get another A360X once tank is mature.

[makers marc]

Does anyone run a succesful Acropora tank, using the AP700s only?

Can't seem to find anyone to speak up. And I hope someone does.

If you do, please show pics of your setup, mount height, and light schedule.


Pllleeeaasse! Before I force myself to buy t5s to supplement.

[rappyfly]

My kessil tank.

[makers marc]

Originally Posted by rappyfly

My kessil tank.

Beautiful.

But is this with ap700s only and if so, please share your lighting schedule and layout, and time you've had it?

I tried searching your posts to answer my Qs but didn't find a build thread