Excellent lamp!  Better than many brand product, quality is very good, excellent light output despite China Leds

Excellent lamp! Better than many brand product, quality is very good, excellent light output despite China Leds

TaoTronics ® TT-AL12 120W Programmable Intelligent LED aquarium lighting LED lights for coral reef fish tank algae, Run Sunrise Sunset Daylight and moonlight automatically (Misc.)

Customer Review

Update 11/21/2014:
I have thrilled the lamp for the past few weeks in operation and I am still. All LEDs are working well and the lamp is still nice and quiet. My corals also grow super. There is only one negative point: The lamp sometimes saves the changed settings do not correctly, making it necessary to readjust all switching times. This is troublesome and debilitating. I remain nevertheless at my original 5 star rating because there is nothing comparable on the market. And it also provides not everyday the whole lamp to ...

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Preface: (jumping at any interest please directly down to the test)

I am working for several years with the topic LED lighting for my aquarium. I have contacted the matter long before the mass production apart. Since I live in a loft apartment, I have always been in the summer of a problem with the temperature in my tanks and am therefore steadily reduce in search of ways to heat entry.

I run both freshwater and some even seawater pool.

I already have many LED lamps tried more or less successfully.
And I have come to the conclusion that a viable lighting much easier to realize with LED in seawater field than in the freshwater area.

In seawater, I have a Maxspect G2, Maxspect Mazarra, Maxspect R420R, Ecotech Radion XR30W, Econlux Solar Stinger and PAR38 LED spotlights used.

Really good results I had only limited with all the lights.
My indicator Coral is my bilious green Sinularia SP, which has even come close reveals a good polyp under no LED lamp. Only under the PAR38 Spots she was at least no longer shrink on. Because of this, I had to stop the test of various LED lamps and always bring with HQI the coral back to life. That's annoying in the long run and for the biological population anything but good. Since the coral is very rare, I could not go into the risk of loss of coral.

Then I stumbled upon this LED lighting here on Amazon and have decided after detailed information on buying.

After only 2 days with the lamp my corals are open, even the Sinularia already shows a few polyps.
Let's see what time brings.

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Test the TaoTronics AL-12:

The LED is very well packed in a cardboard box. The lamp is padded with resistant molded foam.
Another package in my opinion is not necessary.
In the package there is still a bit too short power cord, a badly translated manual and probably for many to short hanger for mounting on the ceiling.

The lamp itself makes a very sophisticated look. It is immaculately painted matt black. The LEDs at the bottom are well soldered on an aluminum plate and equipped with 90 degree lenses. The cover is fixed with silicone glued to the housing and therefore not interchangeable. But since it is a glass plate, which should not be a disadvantage, as they do not deteriorate or glass is fragile. The cooling openings are perfectly milled without edges or burrs. Only the outer frame are the welds under the paint easily recognizable
The cooling plate is finally (in contrast to many previous versions) provided with a heat sink, the temperature falls by the fact that much lower. The Konstantstomquellen located on the left and right directly in the housing and are waterproof (IP67). You have an active power factor of 0.95 and an efficiency of 92%. The Three moonlight LEDs are controlled directly via the computer and specially lit only with a maximum 1W. All other LEDs are with max. 550mA operated, so what the life certainly increased with approximately 2.2W.
Dimming is realized via a 1-10V interface and takes place silently. This solution allows a dimming below 10% do not, but that's not so tragic. The installed LEDs are really 3W emitter that can be seen from the emitter layer size.
Installed are Übrigem following LEDs: 22x Royal blue 450nm, 9x Neutral White 4000K Warm White 3000K 8x, 8x Blue 465nm, 420nm Violet 5x, 2x Green 525nm, Red 630nm 1x.

The two built-in fans are probably not ball bearings (no branding) and the service life is therefore questionable. At least no bearing noise are present, which after all is a good sign.

There is a small microcomputer for lighting control at the front. The display is really a touch screen which responds very well. The display is very high quality and the contrast is impeccable. In general, the entire computer is very high and can be compared with those of the problem Lost expensive brand lamps. Only the backlight can not turn off or dim. But that's the only criticism.

One can argue with the LED array / selection so I will not dwell on it. The installed LEDs are well mixed and the color choices useful.

The installation is a bit tedious, since the hanger in my opinion is too short. It is only about 1 meter long and could therefore quickly for high ceilings are too short. The rope can not replace the this is riveted at the end. Furthermore, the power cable with 1.5 meters is too short. This could be 2 feet long quiet. But since it is a normal cable with IEC connector, this can easily be replaced with a longer one.
The hanger can be Easily extend by pinch off the rivet at the end. So the cable can be easily against a longer cable (eg brake cable for wheels) exchange.

The illumination is very good (lamp 25cm above the water level), there are no color spots on the ground visible.
The coral shine more beautiful than I've ever seen it with the other lamps. The brightness is good, but not outstanding (but can be explained by the higher number of blue LEDs). On the whole, the color is very beautiful.

The programming of the lamp is a bit tedious. The language is set and locked in English and can not be changed.
The time (real time) and date are set.
The 3 basic modes (sunny, cloudy, moon light) can be adjusted, but are not programmable! These modes are only suitable for experimentation or rapid change of light output.
You can only adjust both channels fix in these modes. The mode is "manual" also usable only fix for both channels. Why this mode exists questionable. The only programmable mode is "custom". This mode can be programmed for 0.5 or 1 hour either. If, in this mode, the two channels for each half or full hour. The programming is tedious and takes a little to one every 24 hours has. Both channels are set accurately percent otherwise. The white channel goes on at 1 percent. The blue channel is programmed a little different. From 1% to 9% here only light up the 3 moonlight LEDs from 10% go the other blue LEDs in addition to. Therefore, the blue channel starts at 10% rather than 1% as the white channel. This must be taken into account in the programming.
Otherwise the programming is easily performed.
One criticism is that the lamp between Dimmzeitpunkten not up or down-dims. This means that the LED switches immediately to the programmed value every half or whole hour to.

The control with the remote control is very good, but you have to drive the lamp directly as they would otherwise not responding. Use the remote control probably will be very rare, so that's no problem.

In operation, the light is soft and non-irritating for sensitive people but probably a bit too loud. Each channel runs one of the two fans. The lamp is also not very hot during operation. Many of the previous versions did not have a heatsink and the fans were in operation, according to that is not the case here. The heat sink reaches a maximum of a temperature of 45 degrees at maximum lamp power and 25 degrees room temperature (infrared thermometer). The emitter layer of the LEDs with 60 degree absolutely fine (the Maxspect R420R here reached 90 degrees).

The lamp consumes maximum power 125W, the pure LED power is about 115W, which can be combined with the efficiency of the LED driver.

Here all the facts are again summarized:

+ Good workmanship
+ Glass made of real glass
+ 90degrees lenses
+ Aluminum heat sinks
+ Fan without bearing noise
+ Quiet operation
+ No light spots visible
+ 2 programmable channels
+ Very nice color display
+ Good built LED driver
+ Good touch screen
+ Extremely appealing price
+ LEDs are operated with 550mA
+ No high temperatures in the interior of the lamp and on the emitter layer

o sufficient brightness
o Bridgelux Leds

- Suspension too short
- Power cord is too short
- Dimming not possible below 10%
- No up and down dimming possible between switching times
- Language not adjustable
- LED placement could be better
- Fan possibly too noisy for sensitive persons
- Welds from nearby minimally recognizable

In summary, I can present this lamp to anyone fond of! With this lamp you get a solid technology with dimming device at an unbeatable price. The few drawbacks are bearable.
As the lamp makes the passage of time and develop the corals will be seen.
At the moment, I forgive for the lamp nevertheless the full 5 stars!
By full spectrum composition of Leds I hope something of the lamp!

PS:
Practiced can (with loss of the guarantee) the Leds swap at will and replace the fan against quieter. The LEDs are soldered clean and can therefore easily off and on again-soldered. Personally, I would replace 4 of the warm white LEDs to cold white LEDs, two 420nm to 400nm, 8 royal blue LEDs to 480nm, the two green LEDs to Cyan 505nm and a neutral white LED and red LED to 2 deep-red LEDs with 660nm. So I would have the best possible placement in my opinion, for maximum light-recoverability.
At the moment I let the lamp some time to run in the stock speakers and will be watching the development of my corals and also report constantly.

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