Radions Brightness vs intensity clarification.

smallreef · 11/18/2017, 05:07 PM

I'm using a radion G3 pro over an elos midi, but never really looked too much at the settings as has been fish only for last several months. I recently added the first corals and want to adjust the settings but having trouble understanding.

I have another tank (nuvo 20) with an AI prime over it. I run it on the following schedule below and want to mimic it with the radions on the midi as have had good success with it. On the Nuvo 20 with AI prime I keep the lights on for 14 hours but longer ramp rates with mostly blues and only 4 hours of peak @ 80% 20K. After 4 hours fo peak @ 80% 20K, I lower the whites 2% for rest of day and at 10pm whites are off. I like this as I can have the lights on for longer to enjoy the tank, with slow up and down ramps its not really generating much par so not overdoing it with the corals. I get to enjoy the blue spectrum for longer which make the corals look great, while ensuring max peak @ 20K last for several hours a day to ensure giving corals intensity / par they need.

Ai Prime / Nuvo 20: Lights go on at 9am and ramp up very slowly to 12:30 at full intensity which is 80% @ 20K. After around 4-5 hours at full intensity I start ramping down the whites @ 2% every 30 minutes until 10pm at which they are completely off and remaining blues lower intensity until completely off at 11pm.

Radion: I chose the AB+ and modified the ramp times and moved spectrum to 20K, which lowers the intensity a bit. I am confused with the brightness bar vs intensity. At full peak on 30% brightness the intensity only shows 19%. I understand this as if I were to raise the other channels to 100% that this would potentially equal 30% brightness (correct me if im wrong). If not, then if the brightness setting 30%, shoudn't the intensity be at 30% for the peak? I then chose the whites to Lower 2% ever 30 minutes starting at 6pm.

When I am running at full peak on this schedule is the radion using 30% of its potential power or 19%? When people say they are running their radions at lets say 25%. Is this brightness set at 25% or intensity @ 25% and the brightness setting is higher?

confused..

d2mini · 11/18/2017, 08:17 PM

In order for it to show 100%, you would have to have all channels at 100% plus the intensity set to 100%.
So if your blues are at 100% but your other channels are reduced, the total will be less than 100% even if your intensity is set to 100%. Make sense?

I usually specify that I’m running the AB+ at 70%. Because my intensity slider is at 70%. But overall, the fixture is putting out less than 70%.

smallreef · 11/18/2017, 11:53 PM

yes that makes sense thank you. So if someone says they are running at 70%, its most likely thats what they have the brightness set at, but in realty not running at 70% of fixture output unless all channels are at 100%.

Makes sense now thanks.

If I'm running at 20K on an elos midi (36 gallon) can anyone recommend good settings for brightness, taking into effect it would be less based on individual channel intensity. (SPS tank) I dont have a PAR meter.

Captain smoke · 11/19/2017, 11:05 AM

I have a Gen 3 XR30 non pro with TIR lenses and I just document my tank with a par meter. I tested AB+ at 50% and 100%.

My tank is 4ft x20"x20" with two XR30s both on RMS mounts.

I did the test on AB+ with TIR and wide angle TIR

11/18/2017, 05:07 PM	#1
smallreef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 534	Radions Brightness vs intensity clarification. I'm using a radion G3 pro over an elos midi, but never really looked too much at the settings as has been fish only for last several months. I recently added the first corals and want to adjust the settings but having trouble understanding. I have another tank (nuvo 20) with an AI prime over it. I run it on the following schedule below and want to mimic it with the radions on the midi as have had good success with it. On the Nuvo 20 with AI prime I keep the lights on for 14 hours but longer ramp rates with mostly blues and only 4 hours of peak @ 80% 20K. After 4 hours fo peak @ 80% 20K, I lower the whites 2% for rest of day and at 10pm whites are off. I like this as I can have the lights on for longer to enjoy the tank, with slow up and down ramps its not really generating much par so not overdoing it with the corals. I get to enjoy the blue spectrum for longer which make the corals look great, while ensuring max peak @ 20K last for several hours a day to ensure giving corals intensity / par they need. Ai Prime / Nuvo 20: Lights go on at 9am and ramp up very slowly to 12:30 at full intensity which is 80% @ 20K. After around 4-5 hours at full intensity I start ramping down the whites @ 2% every 30 minutes until 10pm at which they are completely off and remaining blues lower intensity until completely off at 11pm. Radion: I chose the AB+ and modified the ramp times and moved spectrum to 20K, which lowers the intensity a bit. I am confused with the brightness bar vs intensity. At full peak on 30% brightness the intensity only shows 19%. I understand this as if I were to raise the other channels to 100% that this would potentially equal 30% brightness (correct me if im wrong). If not, then if the brightness setting 30%, shoudn't the intensity be at 30% for the peak? I then chose the whites to Lower 2% ever 30 minutes starting at 6pm. When I am running at full peak on this schedule is the radion using 30% of its potential power or 19%? When people say they are running their radions at lets say 25%. Is this brightness set at 25% or intensity @ 25% and the brightness setting is higher? confused..

11/18/2017, 08:17 PM	#2
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	In order for it to show 100%, you would have to have all channels at 100% plus the intensity set to 100%. So if your blues are at 100% but your other channels are reduced, the total will be less than 100% even if your intensity is set to 100%. Make sense? I usually specify that I’m running the AB+ at 70%. Because my intensity slider is at 70%. But overall, the fixture is putting out less than 70%. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

11/18/2017, 11:53 PM	#3
smallreef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 534	yes that makes sense thank you. So if someone says they are running at 70%, its most likely thats what they have the brightness set at, but in realty not running at 70% of fixture output unless all channels are at 100%. Makes sense now thanks. If I'm running at 20K on an elos midi (36 gallon) can anyone recommend good settings for brightness, taking into effect it would be less based on individual channel intensity. (SPS tank) I dont have a PAR meter.