Awsome T5 Pendants By Fauna Marin

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by Aqua-Digital

Very interesting, just been on RG web site and they have removed ATI from the site.

Wander why

I can not find anywhere in the whole of North America selling this fixture.

So back to the Great new fauna fixture then

Canadian also brings up a valid point here that is a direct benefit to all Canada consumers. The Fauna products are purchased in Euro's converted into CAD and as such not effected by the inflated USD, so you really will pay less than you would for any comparible unit coming out the States for sure, including no import Tax or crazy shipping prices

The biggest benefit for the canadian consumer is stability in retail price. We are getting more an more enquires from new European manufacturers seeking a canada based distributor exactly for this reason.

I don't know what you're seeing when you go on reefgeek.com but unless I have a cached version of the site in my browser the ATI Powermodule is still on reefgeek.com for sale. If it's not showing up when you go to the site either my browser is keeping a copy of the site in my temporary files despite me deleting all my cookies and temporary files or you're not following the "T5 Fluorescent" link and only looking at the home page.

If Greg has discontinued selling the ATI lights (which at this point I don't see any evidence of) I would guess after speaking with Greg a couple weeks ago that it would be due to protracted wait times causing a considerable loss of sales. Additionally, and you and Fauna Marin might not be aware of this, Greg is now building his own dimmable T5 lights which are reported to possibly be ready for early 2009. So there will be another new kid on the block at about the same time that Fauna Marin comes out with their offering. And that new offering will also be dimmable with what have been reported to be some of the best reflectors available (and they'll be made in the USA).

[Aqua-Digital]

Nope looked on two pc's definately not there which sort of confirms my research

Yes i saw the module they have built and dimmable, but working on Dali, which will only work on their controller. The Fauna Light with its dimmable option will naturally work on the GHL as being the most likely partner with its advanced lighting control that no other controller comes close to matching, so much so aquarium illuminaton chose the GHL as its main stay LED light controller. But also the Fuana system will work on other types of systems as well.

There will be an option to purchase the GHL Light II controller with interface with the dimming light units for those who dont have a GHL at a special reduced price, this will give you full light control and climate moon pahsing aswell as temp control and Tunze stream control as well So we are working on some very advanced lighting packages for everyone.

Now you did not think we would get left behind did you

How the fauna Dimmables work will not be released right now due to competition, but we hope to have the first batches early next year

Following on from that later next year will also be Dali BUT only once the technology has settled down and of course GHL have intergrated the control with the ProfiLux (possibly with the awaited Profilux III)

The other issue I see, again is price, North American fixtures for the Canadian market will hold a 20% uplift premium due to exchange rate as mentioned in my previous post.

I have not researched more on the RG unit but from the photos it looks more like retofit than pendant, but could be wrong.

I think next year will see some great lighting options for everyone to choose from, you just need to decide, do you want USA technology (usually with European parts anyway) or European technology throughout. Thats not for us to decide, only you the buying public

[Aqua-Digital]

Some more info for you

Light switching - one powerline from Fixtures to a control unit at the moment is planned that you can control every pair.

Sizes are planned to be -
24 Watt = 650 mm
39 Watt = 950 mm
54 Watt = 1250 mm
80 Watt = 1550 mm

Standard - width with 6 tube units will be 395mm then add a further 100mm per extra tube.

We have chosen as retail standard the following

24w = 6 tube
39w = 8 tube
54w = 10 tube
80w = 10 tube

Anyone wanting different than the retail standard is no trouble but falls into custom order with approx 6 week delivery

Supply - earliest supply from Fauna can be the first week in January. I think but more around the 15th January due to holiday times. Please allow sea Freight shipping time to get to retailers.

Dimming - This will follow on in second wave of production

[trilinearmipmap]

My point is if I am spending over $1000.00 I will go with what has been proven and generally recognized as an excellent fixture. Plenty of amazing tanks are running these Powermodules and many are TOTM quality or better. For a new fixture without a track record I am not going to pay top dollar.

If the Powermodules are indeed no longer available then that is a shame.

[Aqua-Digital]

Well if it is not available at least we are providing you with an extremely worthy replacement that actually has more functionality, such as variable active cooling, and industry trusted and recognised ballasts.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap

My point is if I am spending over $1000.00 I will go with what has been proven and generally recognized as an excellent fixture. Plenty of amazing tanks are running these Powermodules and many are TOTM quality or better.

I wouldn't even pay over 600.00 especially for a florescent setup.

I can't get over the prices of equipment in this hobby, take a 5.00 chunk of metal, bend it, powder cote it, add a 6 buck reflector, and 20.00 worth of hardware. then sell it for over 1000.00 ops, I forgot the 40.00 worth of light bulbs for a 8 light set up.

I know the money is in the set up and tooling of the factory, and no one wants to wait to recover there investment, but why can't company's price more realistically. If this was a shop light with out the bulbs it would sell for 30 to 60 bucks tops and the same work and material would have went into it.

Steve

[Aqua-Digital]

Well considering "GOOD" ballasts that are able to cope with the spectrum required for Reef tanks, come in at trade cost around $75 before any wiring, quick fire end caps.

Ballasts normally will fire 2 tubes so before you even get off the starting block you are upto $300 trade cost in ballasts before anything else for your 8 lamp set up.

Extrusion is very expensive also and so too is UV protected clear acrylic for bulb protection. I wish it was as easy as you say, bend a lump of metal! Hmmm you seen the tooling involved to get cnc precise fixtures?

Add to that, polished single reflectors, electronics etc etc it does not take much to work out where most the cost lies

If you can find tubes for $5 a piece ($40 stated 8 x 5 ) that produce the correct spectrum also, I will buy 1,000 from you today!!

To get a lamp less than $500 I would be very concerned to what i was buying.

Remember you cant put a shop light in the same catagory as a lamp for a dedicated reef system, they are two completely different beasts. One is there just to produce a visual illumination, the other is to replicate the natural sun. Not an easy task.

[Aqua-Digital]

OK new information -

lamps will come with control module so there will be only one power line coming out of the module, unlike other Fixtures that have 2 or more and maybe a DC line also

ALL lamps will come with LED moon lights installed, when the lamps go off the moon lights come on.

Dimming - To begin with 24w 39w and 54w will be made available in dimming, the dimming will be controlled by GHL ProfiLux, the ProfiLux simply plugs into the control module of the lamp fixture. 80w dimming will follow on possibly in February

The fixtures will be slightly wider than originally planned to incorporate the latest additions

Later next year there will be further advances in the dimming options

Availability - orders can be taken from late December for first wave shipping in late january, from then on there will be steady supply.

Thats it for now but i am sure you will agree this fixture is turning out to be hard to beat

[Powertec]

Most ballasts can fire more than 2 lamps at a time.
If you are paying 75 for ballasts find a new manufacturer.
Considering most ballasts come from only three different suppliers in the world a compariable replacement is easy. Advance, workhorse ballasts for example come from GE manufacturing faciltiy

[Aqua-Digital]

You will not find dimmable ballasts that fire more than 2

And we are supplied with Advance and Sylvania at present and trust me the price of $75 is far less than we actually are quoted.

NON dimmable are cheaper of course, but still does not equate to building a "quality lamp fixture" for less than $500

Anyways, trying to keep this thread on track about the new fixture, if you have any questions directly about this great new fixture please post here If anyone wants to debate fixtures in general please start a thread on the open forum. I will happily chip in

Back to the topic, I will have prices this week guys and many thanks for the growing list of pre orders being emailed to me.