VESA LCD swing-arm mounted Radions on 150DD build.

BigKahuna · 01/20/2012, 12:18 AM

I posted some early photos of my 150DD mount in another thread but finally got the Radions fitted and fired up over the empty tank for a look see. I currently have the pair of Rads over another tank which will be broken down in the near future but I decided to get them over the new tank temporarily to see how they light it up. I was concerned about lighting the 36x36 tank and wanted flexibility to move the lights at will so I decided to use a multi LCD swingarm by securing them to a post to the back of the stand. I used some stainless rivets to secure projector extension brackets to the standard VESA plate and they turned out to be the perfect size for the Radion hole spacing. It isn't the most elegant looking thing but I like the look and it came out pretty nice IMHO, not to mention I can move them around to suit my aquascape. Following are some photos:

Back post

Brackets

Stainless rivets for strength and they look nice to boot on my PS template.

Over the tank

Couple of closer looks:

Fired up and in position they look super bright and overlap a decent amount from the 9 inches they are over where I project the water level to be. The overlap should help the PAR down lower.

Closer look at the spread:

With the right unit off the spread of one alone looks pretty impressive so the two together should do nicely as a PAR multiplier and give decent coverage IMHO:

I'm pretty happy with the way it all came out, I just can't wait to get this whole build up and running. Hope everyone enjoyed the photo tour

rainmkr07 · 01/20/2012, 05:58 AM

I think that is awesome. Great work!

Jamesus · 01/20/2012, 01:30 PM

That looks fantastic!

BigKahuna · 01/20/2012, 02:11 PM

Thanks for the kind words. Just FYI the mount was just over $60 on Amazon, it's a 3 arm mount but I took the center one off, and the projector extensions brackets were $10 for each set of 4 so the whole thing came in at around $85 + scraps of wood I had around for the post. Not too shabby when each hanging kit would have cost me $50 alone.

Stoneyscoral · 01/21/2012, 02:40 PM

I think it looks fantastic and darn clever!

BigKahuna · 01/21/2012, 03:37 PM

Thanks, the only other changes I may make are to possibly cut off the top section of the support pole that sticks up above the arms to make it look cleaner and tidy up the way the cables look when I finish it all up. The arms have little clips on the bottom for cable management but I might put some black plastic channel underneath to make it a little more neat looking.

larrybeck · 01/22/2012, 12:22 AM

Wow, that's a great idea! I've been struggling with how to mount my units over my new tank in a few months... it's 48x60... but I think this just might work. Can you provide a link or enough keywords to find those mounts?

BigKahuna · 01/22/2012, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrybeck

Wow, that's a great idea! I've been struggling with how to mount my units over my new tank in a few months... it's 48x60... but I think this just might work. Can you provide a link or enough keywords to find those mounts?

I think the forum here blocks external links but the mount and projector extensions Amazon ASIN numbers are B0023ED22Y and B0032HHXVM respectively. That mount I went with is actually a 3xLCD one but I'm not using the middle mount, more of a stubby bracket, because the two arms are very long to allow them to extend out enough to have three 21" LCD's all side by side.

The mount is built like a tank in very heavy steel so they should have zero problem supporting the light weight Radions and the arms only move in the horizontal plane so they could never fail by loosening at a joint and send the lights into the drink. The support post does have many screw holes so you can set the height or even drill some new ones if you want it a little lower.

brianmsu80 · 01/22/2012, 09:28 AM

Really cool! I really like the look! But I don't have room behind my tank, I regretfully backed it up tight against the wall. I can't tell from the photos here or on Amazon, but I'm trying to determine if the support arm could be modified to be mounted horizontally (just above my tank back wall). Does the mount allow for that 90 degree turn, while still only allowing the swing arms to move in the horizontal plane? Does it rotate at that junction/union?

Thanks!

BigKahuna · 01/22/2012, 01:35 PM

The only part that fully rotates is the actual VESA plate where you'd mount the LCD which allowed me to face them down to mount the Radions facing down. Each arm has three articulations that only move horizontally left or right. I'm not 100% sure I'm understanding what you are asking though.

brianmsu80 · 01/22/2012, 02:36 PM

The support arm with the clamp that you have behind your tank. I'd like to flip that arm horizontal instead of vertical like you have it, but also want to maintain that the swing arms stay swinging only in the horizontal plane. So I'm wondering if that joint at the support arm is fixed or adjustable to 90 degrees.

BigKahuna · 01/22/2012, 03:03 PM

Ah, I see. The arms interface with the support post by way of a large ring that doesn't appear to be adjustable. Basically the support post is a 2" diameter pipe on a mounting plate base and the armature assembly interfaces with this by way of a floating ring that can slide up and down the pipe where it can be bolted in at a number of heights. The only other way I could see this working with zero clearance behind the tank would be to invert the whole thing and essentially mount it upside down and secure it to the wall from the top. I can take some closer photos of the way the mount is put together to show you what it looks like back there.

brianmsu80 · 01/22/2012, 07:24 PM

I appreciate the offer. But don't worry about the pics. I'm just gonna go with two of these: B000ID7QNI and just mount each to a wall stud.. With these I get free shipping. It will be a much cleaner look since I can't hide that support arm clamp behind my tank. Also ordered some of those extensions. Great find on those, it's good to know ahead of time they'll fit. Thanks again for sharing the idea!

brianmsu80 · 02/29/2012, 05:03 PM

What size rivets did you use? 3/16 in. x 1/4 in.?

BigKahuna · 02/29/2012, 05:36 PM

Yeah, 3/16"x1/4" with an aluminum back-up washer between the two. The extenders worked w/o issue but the VESA plate from the mount has slightly undersized holes so I drilled them out ever so slightly to get the rivet in there. Other than that it makes for a strong attachment that looks cleaner and will never come loose like nuts and bolts. You could probably get away with using 1/8" rivets or even aluminum ones as the Radions aren't heavy at all but if you go stainless make sure your either using a pneumatic riveter or something stronger than those little hand riveters.

Chebby · 03/01/2012, 01:52 PM

I going to use this idea on my new build. I'll use three dual-mounts for 6 lights total. Easy to swing out of the way when needed and flexability to adjust placement over colonies that need the most light. I am a little bit uncertain how the back metal post will hold up to salt over time.

BigKahuna · 03/01/2012, 02:50 PM

I did give some thought to that as well but when you consider many lighting fixtures themselves and mounting poles for hanging kits are just painted steel I don't see why this would be that much worse. The mount I have is heavy steel with what appears to be a powder-coat finish which should hold up decently well. That said an open top w/o a canopy should be a much less corrosive environment than inside a canopy.

hkmhrns · 05/10/2012, 09:57 AM

I've been searching like a mad man trying to figure out the best way to mount my radions on my 72 gallon bow front inside the canopy. Just wanted to say you've inspired me Sir.. Thanks for the idea and all the information you've shared. Now the only question is- what's the best way to mount this on my system? It's already setup against the wall with about a 2, or 3" gap. Either way- making progress... : )

fishmaster2 · 05/10/2012, 10:40 AM

That's pretty cool. I was looking at the manufacturers other mounts. If you are not using the center one, I think the two screen mount is cheaper. I went to the manufacturer's site and found the dual screen stand.

Logzor · 05/10/2012, 10:50 AM

Nice work, that looks fantastic.

BigKahuna · 05/10/2012, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkmhrns

I've been searching like a mad man trying to figure out the best way to mount my radions on my 72 gallon bow front inside the canopy. Just wanted to say you've inspired me Sir.. Thanks for the idea and all the information you've shared. Now the only question is- what's the best way to mount this on my system? It's already setup against the wall with about a 2, or 3" gap. Either way- making progress... : )

You could make the post and drop it down behind the tank and then put some screws into it through the back of the stand. It wouldn't be as easy as doing it with the tank away from the wall but doable nonetheless.

BigKahuna · 05/10/2012, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishmaster2

That's pretty cool. I was looking at the manufacturers other mounts. If you are not using the center one, I think the two screen mount is cheaper. I went to the manufacturer's site and found the dual screen stand.

Yeah with those extender brackets as long as you buy any standard VESA mount it should just work out to have the right dimensions to fit the Radion on the end. The reason I went with the three arm was the way it was built actually gives the arms a couple more inches of forward reach which in my case was desirable as my 150DD is 36" front to back. I needed a minimum of 18" and the three arm mount looked like it easily provided this, it looks to have more like 21"+ forward reach so it worked even better than I thought. Since I started this thread the only change I've made is to use a pipe-cutter and chop the top of the post down a bit so it only protrudes a little above the arm mount, it looks a little cleaner this way IMHO.

BigKahuna · 06/01/2012, 04:38 PM

Just an update after getting most of my equipment up and running on the new 150DD with the lights finally in action over the running tank, all the corals are just sitting on the bottom til I find where I want them:

Ignore the wires from the Vortech and the Sea Swirl for which I'm still building the plumbing to go on the back

I settled on a slightly splayed stance for the lights as it works better with my rock work's large overhangs so I'm really happy I have the built in adjustability to move them at will and to move them out of the way if need be.

The temporary daylight bulbs I was using over the tank really made the brown phase of the new tank particularly bad but it already looks like it is dying off as the new lights are decidedly more blue… I hope.

brianmsu80 · 06/01/2012, 08:16 PM

Again, this was such a great idea. I'm glad I went this route as well. Flexibility is great. Thanks again for sharing the idea.

BigKahuna · 06/01/2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianmsu80

Again, this was such a great idea. I'm glad I went this route as well. Flexibility is great. Thanks again for sharing the idea.

Thanks. So how did yours turn out? Any photos?

01/20/2012, 12:18 AM	#1
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	VESA LCD swing-arm mounted Radions on 150DD build. I posted some early photos of my 150DD mount in another thread but finally got the Radions fitted and fired up over the empty tank for a look see. I currently have the pair of Rads over another tank which will be broken down in the near future but I decided to get them over the new tank temporarily to see how they light it up. I was concerned about lighting the 36x36 tank and wanted flexibility to move the lights at will so I decided to use a multi LCD swingarm by securing them to a post to the back of the stand. I used some stainless rivets to secure projector extension brackets to the standard VESA plate and they turned out to be the perfect size for the Radion hole spacing. It isn't the most elegant looking thing but I like the look and it came out pretty nice IMHO, not to mention I can move them around to suit my aquascape. Following are some photos: Back post Brackets Stainless rivets for strength and they look nice to boot on my PS template. Over the tank Couple of closer looks: Fired up and in position they look super bright and overlap a decent amount from the 9 inches they are over where I project the water level to be. The overlap should help the PAR down lower. Closer look at the spread: With the right unit off the spread of one alone looks pretty impressive so the two together should do nicely as a PAR multiplier and give decent coverage IMHO: I'm pretty happy with the way it all came out, I just can't wait to get this whole build up and running. Hope everyone enjoyed the photo tour

02/29/2012, 05:36 PM	#15
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	Yeah, 3/16"x1/4" with an aluminum back-up washer between the two. The extenders worked w/o issue but the VESA plate from the mount has slightly undersized holes so I drilled them out ever so slightly to get the rivet in there. Other than that it makes for a strong attachment that looks cleaner and will never come loose like nuts and bolts. You could probably get away with using 1/8" rivets or even aluminum ones as the Radions aren't heavy at all but if you go stainless make sure your either using a pneumatic riveter or something stronger than those little hand riveters. Last edited by BigKahuna; 02/29/2012 at 06:09 PM.

05/10/2012, 10:40 AM	#19
fishmaster2 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1	Dual vs Triple That's pretty cool. I was looking at the manufacturers other mounts. If you are not using the center one, I think the two screen mount is cheaper. I went to the manufacturer's site and found the dual screen stand.

06/01/2012, 04:38 PM	#23
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	Just an update after getting most of my equipment up and running on the new 150DD with the lights finally in action over the running tank, all the corals are just sitting on the bottom til I find where I want them: Ignore the wires from the Vortech and the Sea Swirl for which I'm still building the plumbing to go on the back I settled on a slightly splayed stance for the lights as it works better with my rock work's large overhangs so I'm really happy I have the built in adjustability to move them at will and to move them out of the way if need be. The temporary daylight bulbs I was using over the tank really made the brown phase of the new tank particularly bad but it already looks like it is dying off as the new lights are decidedly more blue… I hope. Last edited by BigKahuna; 06/01/2012 at 04:49 PM.

01/20/2012, 05:58 AM	#2
rainmkr07 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 472	I think that is awesome. Great work!

01/20/2012, 01:30 PM	#3
Jamesus Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 171	That looks fantastic!

01/20/2012, 02:11 PM	#4
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	Thanks for the kind words. Just FYI the mount was just over $60 on Amazon, it's a 3 arm mount but I took the center one off, and the projector extensions brackets were $10 for each set of 4 so the whole thing came in at around $85 + scraps of wood I had around for the post. Not too shabby when each hanging kit would have cost me $50 alone.

01/21/2012, 02:40 PM	#5
Stoneyscoral Registered Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,620	I think it looks fantastic and darn clever!

01/21/2012, 03:37 PM	#6
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	Thanks, the only other changes I may make are to possibly cut off the top section of the support pole that sticks up above the arms to make it look cleaner and tidy up the way the cables look when I finish it all up. The arms have little clips on the bottom for cable management but I might put some black plastic channel underneath to make it a little more neat looking.

01/22/2012, 12:22 AM	#7
larrybeck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 52	Wow, that's a great idea! I've been struggling with how to mount my units over my new tank in a few months... it's 48x60... but I think this just might work. Can you provide a link or enough keywords to find those mounts?

01/22/2012, 09:28 AM	#9
brianmsu80 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 44	Really cool! I really like the look! But I don't have room behind my tank, I regretfully backed it up tight against the wall. I can't tell from the photos here or on Amazon, but I'm trying to determine if the support arm could be modified to be mounted horizontally (just above my tank back wall). Does the mount allow for that 90 degree turn, while still only allowing the swing arms to move in the horizontal plane? Does it rotate at that junction/union? Thanks!

01/22/2012, 01:35 PM	#10
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	The only part that fully rotates is the actual VESA plate where you'd mount the LCD which allowed me to face them down to mount the Radions facing down. Each arm has three articulations that only move horizontally left or right. I'm not 100% sure I'm understanding what you are asking though.

01/22/2012, 02:36 PM	#11
brianmsu80 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 44	The support arm with the clamp that you have behind your tank. I'd like to flip that arm horizontal instead of vertical like you have it, but also want to maintain that the swing arms stay swinging only in the horizontal plane. So I'm wondering if that joint at the support arm is fixed or adjustable to 90 degrees.

01/22/2012, 03:03 PM	#12
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	Ah, I see. The arms interface with the support post by way of a large ring that doesn't appear to be adjustable. Basically the support post is a 2" diameter pipe on a mounting plate base and the armature assembly interfaces with this by way of a floating ring that can slide up and down the pipe where it can be bolted in at a number of heights. The only other way I could see this working with zero clearance behind the tank would be to invert the whole thing and essentially mount it upside down and secure it to the wall from the top. I can take some closer photos of the way the mount is put together to show you what it looks like back there.

01/22/2012, 07:24 PM	#13
brianmsu80 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 44	I appreciate the offer. But don't worry about the pics. I'm just gonna go with two of these: B000ID7QNI and just mount each to a wall stud.. With these I get free shipping. It will be a much cleaner look since I can't hide that support arm clamp behind my tank. Also ordered some of those extensions. Great find on those, it's good to know ahead of time they'll fit. Thanks again for sharing the idea!

02/29/2012, 05:03 PM	#14
brianmsu80 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 44	What size rivets did you use? 3/16 in. x 1/4 in.?

03/01/2012, 01:52 PM	#16
Chebby Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Folsom, CA Posts: 19	I going to use this idea on my new build. I'll use three dual-mounts for 6 lights total. Easy to swing out of the way when needed and flexability to adjust placement over colonies that need the most light. I am a little bit uncertain how the back metal post will hold up to salt over time.

03/01/2012, 02:50 PM	#17
BigKahuna Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NY Posts: 910	I did give some thought to that as well but when you consider many lighting fixtures themselves and mounting poles for hanging kits are just painted steel I don't see why this would be that much worse. The mount I have is heavy steel with what appears to be a powder-coat finish which should hold up decently well. That said an open top w/o a canopy should be a much less corrosive environment than inside a canopy.

05/10/2012, 09:57 AM	#18
hkmhrns Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 30	I've been searching like a mad man trying to figure out the best way to mount my radions on my 72 gallon bow front inside the canopy. Just wanted to say you've inspired me Sir.. Thanks for the idea and all the information you've shared. Now the only question is- what's the best way to mount this on my system? It's already setup against the wall with about a 2, or 3" gap. Either way- making progress... : )

05/10/2012, 10:50 AM	#20
Logzor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Kenwood, Ohio Posts: 3,966	Nice work, that looks fantastic.

06/01/2012, 08:16 PM	#24
brianmsu80 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Okemos, MI Posts: 44	Again, this was such a great idea. I'm glad I went this route as well. Flexibility is great. Thanks again for sharing the idea.