Ecotech Marine’s Radion XR30w wins the 2011 Reef Builders LED showdown
 

http://reefbuilders.com/2012/01/10/2011-led-showdow/

Kind of figured this would be a given but no way should the Maxpect Mazzara been one of the final two! I am a Radion user and a fan but will admit this kind of sounds bogus when the Vertex Illumina is not included in the competition???

Pretty sure I read somewhere that reviews were for paying reviewees...

I'm not surprised.

If you read there are comments from them on why they chose who they chose. Doesn't really matter it was pretty funny. Fixtures were randomly paired up (nano stuff against normal stuff etc). It was just an elaborate ad for Ecotech who is a paying customer there.

is it just me or do I not see AI SOL white or blue in there just the nano? I think I remember markoD doing a side by side with the radion (I think it was marko) and the sol was much bright with much better spread.

They only chose stuff released brand new this year apparently. I'm sure they didn't want the Radion to have any competition from AI, Vertex or Orphek lol.

With all the politics between paid reviews, blogs, manufacturers... you name it... I'm 100% convinced that the most useful thing to us are each others personal experiences with all of thiss tuff.

Ok brand new in 2011 now that makes sence why there is no Vertex Illumina or AI Sol included.

The Radion doesn't have to worry about competition from the AI. The Vertex Illumina maybe but definately not the AI

I didn't necessarily mean the AI is a better unit but with their price-point they are selling a ton of them. That's something for any competitor to worry about!

All reviews of the Radions are balogna.

No one who just spent thousands of dollars would admit that they made the wrong decision and say they the lights are no good.

Anyone getting paid to write a review, is obviously biased.

Any store or supplier is obviously going to push them to make money.



The only honest reviews (good or bad) will come after a couple years when the price drops and when the hype dies down.

Why do you make this statement? There seem to be alot of people happy with the AI fixtures. Have you tried them both?

On the other side of the coin, by the same above standard, anyone owning AI would also be a biased fanboi.

Anyone I've talked to whom has owned and used both has stated the Radion is the better of the two...including unclesalty.

This whole "Coke" vs "Pepsi" argument is getting old, to the point of being pathetic...That's all this has become. Buy the fixture you can afford with the features you require, enough said.

AI has new units coming out...I'm surprised that they have taken this long. I saw them at MACNA and they were quite nice. Used the XM-L chips, nice software and everything.

I also really liked the look of the Maxspect. I know there's been good and bad reviews from purchasers...but the same could be said of the Radion.

I have both radion and ai at the moment and I can truly say I'd rather have 2 ai over 1 radion.

Agreed, but i'm waiting on the AI Phoenix/Vega to come out before I make any decisions on LED's. Should apparently be soon but the release keeps getting pushed.

And that's your personal choice...For me the AI doesn't offer any of the features I want (wireless, spectrums etc.), That's my choice and not a mistake as you previously elude to...given the choice again, with the currently available fixtures I would still choose the Radion over the AI product. As a matter of fact I just bought two more Radion fixtures.

Yes I have owned them both and I also own a par meter! Nothing wrong with the AI but the Radion is just a better all-round fixture with nicer spectrum and features.

I don't want to argue. But I've had the radion for over a week now. And all those "features" that it has seems like they were made for 12 year olds to think they're cool. I still think thunderstorms are pointless and stupid.

My main concern is to grow corals. Not having a disco in my fish tank

But youre right. It's a personal choice so no point in arguing

You don't want to argue so you Troll instead...???

Features I look for; Wireless connectivity, Spectrum choices to include RGB, etc.

How is that 'Trolling'? He has a 100% relevant opinion based on his experience after having owned and tried BOTH units. I agree with Marko 100%... to me the Thunderstorms and technocolor are novelty. I have the Sols. I have the thunderstorms enabled... they amuse me. As for the red and green... meah. We'll see if it proves usefull.

AI will have wireless connectivity coming out at the same time as the new phoenix. You really need this??? How often do you adjust your lights? I've now got mine ramped up almost to where I want them, and don't really plan on touching them after that. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need to connect to one ofthe radions via USB cable? If that's the case, that WIRE kind of takes the 'less' out of 'wireless'.... No?

Anyways, they're both good fixtures, I own and am happy with the Sols.

The only thing that really impresses me about the Radions is the Storm mode interface to the MP's... but I run Tunzes, so no benefit.

The Troll is quite obvious, someone posts that they bought the Radion for the features, then the troll is "And all those "features" that it has seems like they were made for 12 year olds to think they're cool."

Tell me that was not meant to be an inflammatory comment.

100% Troll...

I want the wireless to run the lighting on several different tanks all running the same lighting in different rooms as I now currently run my MP40wES's. Wireless IMO is also cleaner looking over my tank.

RBG is mostly for my own enjoyment and veiwing pleasure.

Pretty sure AIs can connect directly to profilux which will enable endless amounts of features including thunderstorms, tunze AND vortech connecting, true wireless control via iphone/other, and even the ability to add additional led bars of various colors. Not sure if Radions can connect to different controllers which limits them in the long run.

I own neither but I do own an LED light with various extra colors, the reds and greens do very little for aesthetics, mostly they just increase algae growth. The novelty of it were's off extremely fast.

The Radion is a new player on the market, the software is still evolving... I control my MP40wES's with my Apex wireless controller, Radion is not far behind and will work from the same controller.

The reds on my Radion remind me of the fiji purple T5's I used to run and have missed since switching to LED, they make an obvious differance to me, making the pinks and purples really pop. I haven't seen any excess algae growth since switching from the Pacific Sun 200W Blues/white LED fixture.

I really do like my Radions. The 12 hour "natural" program is sweet, and since I have mp40's I like the way the lights have them go into sleep mode at dark time.

I can not wrap my head around the software tho. For what ever reason I can't program them to do anything.. Art can every time first try:razz:

I keep getting positive rep points, finally someone saying something.

Wireless connectivity is another "noob" feature. Who cares if they talk wirelessly if you still have cords and that big dumb ballast. And the wireless connectivity with the pumps is a novelty too.

And the fact that you need a laptop or computer close enough to your lights is lame. While they were making it wireless, why not wireless connectivity to a computer?

Spectrum? Like I've said before, the green and red LEDs are so insignificant compared to the white and blue that they are not even noticeable when the whites and blues are on.

The only cool thing I've found with the radions is adding red to the moonlight so it looks more purple...... But that also got kinda old after a few days

Noob feature??? what's that?

Name calling? Who did I call what name?

lol wow this thread is getting interesting

Kein, can I have some popcorn? :lol:

It's a feature that someone who's "new" to the hobby or not in the hobby at all would think is cool, when in fact it's a novelty and pointless.

For examples: lightning storm. All your friends that don't know much about reef tanks would say "wow, that's so amazing".....

Guys, let's just do the "agree to disagree" thing, ok?

Useless post....

+1

I agree with the whole BS Reef Builders scandal, regardless I own 6 of the Radions and have had improved growth in color over the last 2 months (compared to my halides/t5 combo). Marko your seriously wrong on your interpretation of peoples reactions, again like previously stated if I dropped 5 grand on lighting and thought it was garbage I would not hesitate to say so.

The results speak for themselves, these are on the sand bed of my 22" tank with the Radions mounted about 8" above the surface.

Got these paly's on 11-03-2011, added the Radions about 3 days after this.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7093/img4396i.jpg

This is a 2 month growth shot.
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4061/mg5602a.jpg

Take a look at the back ground corals too, easy to notice growth all around.

The only reason I even say anything is because some person on the Internet might one day read these posts before making a decision and I wouldnt want someone to make a decision without seeing both sides. It's easy to be persuaded by all the spec sheets and fancy graphics and charts and paid reviews

Why am I having different results with my radion. A month with ai sols and everything was good. I put a radion on the right sideof my tank and kept ai sols on the left. I have my sols at 90% power and radion at 65% and wall my Zoe's under the radion have been closed for about a week now. I can't even tell if they're alive.

Last night i put radion on the far left and moved a sol to the far right. I'm gonna give it a week to see if anything rebounds

Also I never intended to come across as saying that radions are garbage. I'm just saying that from my limited experience I've noticed more benefit from 2 ai sols than with 1 radion