New to forum and new to Reef Angel

[jplong]

I just want to say hello first. And secondly this thing is awesome! Im sure going to need some help with code on this bad boy but I think its all doable.

Right now I'll have the angel control what it does with defaults with a few exceptions. I purchased 2 Jebao cables so id like to use the actinic and Dimmer PWMs to control them. I also bought an Expansion Dimming Module for my LED drivers. Those 2 things for now ill have to read up on. Saw some posts about them earlier.

eventually Id like to add some more probes and Wifi.

For now my challenge is deciding to keep my current Meanwell LED drivers (silly 10V PWM) or goto a LDD type driver (proper 5v PWM) (better with dimming ive heard)

Thanks for the space...ill do my best to search before asking repeated questions.

[cosmith71]

Welcome!

Get the WiFi sooner rather than later. Trust me on this. It's indispensable.

I like the LDD drivers for both the fast response (lightning effects) and the fact they dim very low (moonlights). It can also be cheaper to add more channels.

--Colin

[jplong]

Yeah I have heard that about the Wifi. and the LDDs for that matter. just gotta pull the trigger I guess.

[MDB1029]

I like the LDD drivers for both the fast response (lightning effects) and the fact they dim very low (moonlights). It can also be cheaper to add more channels.

--Colin

With LDD you can get them low enough for moonlighting?

[cosmith71]

Yep. I run mine at 16 out of 4096 (about 0.4%), although even up to 1% works for me, too. Any lower than that doesn't fire.

--Colin

[MDB1029]

So would it work for a lunar cycle then? or would the lunar mod be necessary for that?

[lnevo]

If you're sharing your main blue channel with moonlight the problem is more that you won't have much range for a lunar cycle. For instance if you followin Colin's example and 1% is the max you'd want to run the channel for moonlighting, you're range would be approximately 0-41. You'd have to take the 0-100% you get from MoonPhase() and map it down to 0-41. Not really much of a difference, but just something to keep in mind. Also to note is that the standard dimming channels are 8bit which means 0-4096 are already getting mapped down to 0-255. So you're really only getting to get 0-3 for increments in the 0-1% range. If that makes any sense...

[MDB1029]

So I would be better off with the lunar module for this?

[lnevo]

No it really depends on what you have for moonlights. The lunar module isn't going to change if the LED channel you want to use for moonlights is too bright and being used as a main channel

[MDB1029]

No it really depends on what you have for moonlights. The lunar module isn't going to change if the LED channel you want to use for moonlights is too bright and being used as a main channel

So what if I add one seperate channel with an LDD-300 with say 4 RB diodes? Would this work better for doing moonlights on a lunar cycle? If not what would you recommend? I am very open to suggestion, i don't want to buy something and realize a month later i should have bought something else. Already done that once this year already.

[lnevo]

How big is the tank? The ReefAngel moonlights are cheap and easy and work phenomenally actually.

[MDB1029]

I have a 55g until my wife allows me to get a bigger tank. I had thought about using the RA ones. Is that what you use?

[rimai]

I think with high power LEDs, you will not have the same kind of effect.
But this is all subjective too.
I personally don't like it to be too bright.
I use only 2 moonlight modules on a 60G and I divide the intensity by 5, cause I think 100% is way too bright for my taste.

[MDB1029]

I think with high power LEDs, you will not have the same kind of effect.
But this is all subjective too.
I personally don't like it to be too bright.
I use only 2 moonlight modules on a 60G and I divide the intensity by 5, cause I think 100% is way too bright for my taste.

I was thinking the same about it being too bright, but i still want to be able to simulate the lunar cycle which is what the lunar mod does, correct?

[lnevo]

The lunar module just lets you connect a lot more moonlights to one dimming channel. Let's say for your 55 you want two moonlights but only have one dimming port free. Anyway 2 RA moonlights should cover you fine and 100% is not too bright for me plus its only that bright a few nights a month

[MDB1029]

I appreciate all your help!