Orphek LED revolution DIF100

Orphek LED revolution DIF 100
This is Part two in a series of articles and this article will focus on the development of the DIF 100 series and further improvements that were made in chronological order.


Orphek DIF 100 XP LED

March 29 2011 – DIF 100

Orphek engineers wanted to design and build a pendant that would allow hobbyists with deep tanks to take advantage of the energy savings of LEDs while providing an excellent PUR range while providing a high PAR level necessary for these systems. 


DIF 100 and DIF 100 B+UV




Tank with Orphek DIF 100

The DIF 100 was designed so that different lenses could be used depending on the user’s application.  Four different lenses are available in the following degrees; 45, 60, 90, and 120.

The 45 degree lens allows users to penetrate deeper tanks with the needed PAR level while the 120 degree lens offers more coverage for shallow aquariums such as coral display tanks.  And, all this is accomplished without the need of a cooling fan by using a revolutionary extruded aluminum heat sink.



The heat sink used in all DIF series pendants is fabricated by extrusion.  This process involves heating the aluminum bar stock and pulling it through a die to form the heat sink.  In general, heat sinks that are fabricated from a solid piece of metal will outperform heat sinks where the fins are bonded to the base with a bonding agent.  With this method, thermal transfer is inhibited by the bonding agent itself.  Die casting is another method of forming heat sinks but has one drawback.  As the molten metal cools in the die, it inherently expands creating voids in the structure. The porous interior weakens the structure, inhibits thermal performance, and is difficult to machine.  Orphek chose to use the more expensive method of extrusion and incorporates extruded aluminum heat sinks for all DIF series Pendants.  This method greatly increases the life span of the LEDs and electronics by efficiently dissipating more heat, and without the need of a noisy cooling fan.


April 2012 – DIF 100XP


Orphek’s engineers decided to improve the DIF 100’s performance by adding a new multichip which now include red and UV LEDs.


new orphek dif 100 XP LED

The new multichip LED is made up of:

60 – 18Kwhite
10 – 450nm blue
10 – 430nm actinic
10 – 410nm UV
6 – 590nm orange
4 – 660nm red



Power Supplies

            Model                          Dimming                 Power Supplies

DIF100 , DIF100 XP            NO                   Mean well CLG-150-36A

DIF100 , DIF100 XP            YES                 Mean well HLG-120H-36B

DIF50   , DIF50 XP              NO                    Mean well LPF-60-36

DIF50   , DIF50 XP             YES                   Mean well LPF-60D-36

This improvement boosted the spectral response in the PUR range which includes chlorophyll A and B. This offers better color, florescence, and improved growth of corals. To further improve the efficiency of the already efficient DIF 100, a new industrial quality driver was used. The driver is manufactured by Mean Well and features a constant current driver with EMI filtering and auto over current shut off. The voltage and current are regulated to within +/- 0.5 percent and the driver carries a two year warranty.



Reef Aquarium Photos with DIF100 :

Reef Aquarium with no corals 9000G

Tanks Size: 5m X 2,5m X 2,5m  = 16.4' X 8.2' X 8.2 H

3x DIF100 18K 90 Degree

2x DIF 100 18K 60 Degree

Total 500W

Reef Aquarium with no corals 9000 G


Reef Aquarium with no corals 9000 G

Reef aquarium Mix corals

2x DIF 100 18K 90 D

Total 200W


reef tank mix corals with 2x DIF 100 18K



Orphek DIF series units installed by Wet Work of New Orleans, Louisiana over a 42″ deep,
 479-gallon reef system replacing 1600 watts of metal halide.

2x  Orphek DIF 100 18k with 90 degree lens

2x  Orphek DIF 100 25k  with 90 degree lens

2x Orphek DIF 30  blue with 120 degree lens

Total 460W LED  VS 1600 W MH


42″ deep, 479-gallon reef system replacing 1600 watts of metal halide



Reef aquarium SPS corals

Tanks Size: 2mx1m = 6.5'x3.2'

3x DIF 100 XP 90 D

Total 300W

SPS tank with orphek dif 100 XP LED

SPS Corals Under Orphek DIF 100 XP

500 corals under DIF 100 XP

Related links:

ORPHEK DIF 50 XP LED PENDANT review

Orphek Drops a Pendant LED Bomb: DIF 100/50 XP

Orphek DIF XP Series Gets Refined Before Final Release

Orphek DIF30 Refugium Monster

Photos 500 corals - DIF 100 XP corals.no

Aquatic Exhibits International Dual 3,500gal

Orphek LED revolution PR156

Orphek LED revolution PR156

This is Part one in a series of articles and this article will focus on the development of the PR156 series and further improvements that were made in chronological order


2009

In 2009, Orphek designed and built the first LED fixture capable of growing all types of corals without regard to coral placement due to insufficient PAR levels at depths where other LED companies failed to succeed. The revolutionary PR156 allowed aquarists to freely aquascape their aquariums by placing corals where they looked best. There was no need to place light loving corals near the surface and graduating downward with corals requiring less light. The PR156 provided the necessary PAR/PUR at the deeper zones of the aquarium to support all photosynthetic life forms.

Orphek’s design goal was to provide good penetration by using lenses which would achieve high PAR/PUR values at depths over 36 inches. The lens was designed to narrow the beam which allowed better light penetration for tanks 36 inches and deeper. The idea behind this design was that multiple fixtures could then be used to cover longer lengths of aquariums while still providing high PAR/PUR levels to the deeper zones of the aquarium. Until the PR156 was developed, no other LED fixture manufacturer was able to do this.

Here are some examples of deep tanks illuminated by the Orphek PR156.


Here are some examples of frag tank Tank is 200cm x 120cm x 27cm
illuminated by the Orphek PR156 LENS OUT


Also here is PAR map provided By Sanjay Joshi, Ph.D.





The Orphek PR156 uses three watt LEDs but runs them at two watts to reduce heat and provide better longevity for the LEDs. Heat is a common enemy of all electronics and this method has proven itself as over 60,000 LEDs have been used in PR156 pendants with a very low percentage of failure due to heat…less than one percent. The PR156 was equipped with a two channel timer which allowed a sunrise to sunset effect by controlling the blue LEDs with one channel and the white LEDs with the second channel. There was no good reason to develop and use a dimming feature which would thereby increase the cost of the unit while providing no real benefit.

Orphek uses proprietary 16K white LEDs to increase the PUR value and reduce the amount of blue LEDs which have a very low Lumens per watt ratio. In this regard the PR156 provided the highest Lumens per watt on the market and arguably the best performer. The PR156 can also be custom ordered in any configuration of blue and white LEDs the customer may want.

Another design goal of the PR156 was to provide a slim unit with a separate power supply and timers incorporated into one control box. This allowed the electronics to be safely placed away from the harsh salt water environment.

PR156W

The first generation PR156 came equipped with 90 degree lenses which still remain the standard today. The PR156W incorporates a 120 degree lens which gives a wider spread of light which is more suitable for wider and shallower tanks. For larger tanks, the length, width, and height of the pendant will determine the number of units needed to provide effective PAR levels. For SPS coral growth in deeper aquariums, the PR156 is the recommended fixture.



2010

In 2010 a honeycomb lens was developed that did not change the light spread much but reduced the focus effect. This wider lens is also recommended for deeper tanks.

PR156UV

In 2010, Orphek added four UV LEDs to the PR156. The UV LEDs are high range and posed no danger to human eyesight. This development increased coral florescence and covered the chlorophyll A range.

2012 to Present

PR156 PLUS

At the end of 2012 Orphek launched the PR156 PLUS series which incorporated a better power supply and higher Lumens per watt LEDS. The Meanwell Power Supply offered better cooling and lower noise while still providing two channels of control.

PR156 PLUS XP

In addition to the UV LEDs, two red LEDs were added which increased the spectrum to include chlorophyll B in addition to the already present chlorophyll A which was added with the PR156UV series. This new development along with the new Mean Well driver increases the PAR and the PUR wavelength which provides even better coral growth and appearance. The color pop in red pigmented corals is stunning.



The PR156 PLUS XP is the culmination of two years of research beginning with the original PR156. Our latest model is also available as the PR156 PLUS XP Profilux GHL and PR156 PLUS XP Neptune Apex. These units are fitted with the proper connectors which will allow the LEDs to be controlled by either of the above controller’s external hardware. In the case of the Neptune Apex, connectors will be installed to connect to the Neptune Variable Speed Dimming Module. For the GHL Profilux controller, the PR156 will be set up to use with the GHL LED Control 4-Passive Module. They will be configured for two channel operation. One channel will control the blue LEDs and the other channel will control the white LEDs. Orphek can also provide the GHL EVG interface expansion module if needed.

As in previous models, the PR156 PLUS XP can be custom ordered with any color ratio of LEDs the customer may desire

ORPHEK DIF 50 XP LED PENDANT

ORPHEK DIF 50 XP LED PENDANT

Reviewed by James Gasta (wetwebmedia)



 

Pendant LED lighting has become increasingly popular in the last two years. The Orphek DIF 50 XP Pendant provides a means to effectively illuminate both shallow and deep tanks (depending on the lens used) with enough PAR/PUR to support corals and other photosynthetic life. Orphek’s engineers have given the Orphek DIF (diffused) 50 Pendant a makeover by introducing a new multi-chip LED which incorporates some high range UV along with some added red. The UV starts out at 380nm, peaks sharply to 410nm, and rapidly falls off. UV radiation in this range is safe for humans according to NASA standards. It also mimics the wavelength of chlorophyllA and B as the spectrograph below will show. This is the first LED fixture that I am aware of that produces blue light without the use of energy wasting blue LEDs which have very low lumens per watt ratio. The Orphek DIF pendants are very versatile. Depending on the lens used, they can be used for cube tanks, large systems, and aquaculture facilities.

... Continue reading

 

The Four Masters Video Series

The Four Masters Video Series
Coral Tank from Canada (1350gal Display Tank)





"Update as promised
Its been a long while since any updates. We have been very busy with the build and have lots to talk about. We have been shooting videos for the last six weeks and have put together a 6 minute first episode to get some feedback before we release any others. This first episode is designed to give the first time visitor a general high level overview of this build and introduce the Four Masters who were inspirational in this build for both design and best practices.

This video also marks the milestone of 100% LED lights over the display tank. As I have noted earlier I am very impressed with the results and firmly believe that LED's now represent a best practice for our hobby. I am planning a full episode devoted to lighting to discuss the evolution of lighting with this build from the beginning as well as a look into the future as we further develop the quality and capability of this technology.

It was a challenge to release this episode as there were a million things and ideas we wanted to improve on but we realized just like everything else in this hobby there is a learning curve that we need to respect. That means we hopefully will get better with time and practice. The original source file was shot in 1080P and Phanfare lets you choose the resolution based on your equipment and bandwidth availability.

The 1080P is the best resolution but may not be suitable for everyone. If the video seems jerky or out of sync with the audio the choose a lower resolution. The levels are ‘LO’ ‘MED’ ‘HI’ and ‘HD’ . HD is 1080P and should be best on a high end system. ‘HI’ is 720P and is much easier to use for most folks. We are looking for feedback so please let us know.

The equipment used was the Gopro Hero2 with the 'BlurFix' lens attachment, Canon 5D II with a variety of L lenses, Canon XF 100 video camera. There's a bunch more accessories including lights, mikes etc but Rob Baxter our videographer was the real magic in the mix from my point of view.

The first question that I can anticipate will be “when is the next one” and I can say that we want to get some feedback before we do any more to hopefully improve the format to everyone’s’ benefit.

So with that brief introduction I will ask Dave M to post the video and hopefully find out it was worth while………

Peter "

About Corals

About Light,Coral,and Photosynthesis

Many factors can affect coral growth

Lightning, water temperature, feeding strategies, and water chemistry all affect coral growth and appearance.  Proper lighting is one of the most important aspects of any reef aquarium. The Zooxanthellae that live in coral tissues depends heavily on specific types of light energy to flourish in a symbiotic relationship with the host coral. The lighting we provide for the aquarium as hobbyists needs to simulate this as closely as possible.

There are a few properties and measurements of light that should be considered when one wishes to successfully maintain and grow coral.

Lumens

are the international unit of luminous flux used to measure the total amount of visible light emitted. The more lumens, the "brighter" or more "intense" the light looks to the human eye, so lumens are a measure of the power of the visible to the human eye.

Light is energy, and travels in light waves.  The wavelength of light is measured in nanometers, with violet and blue at the lower end of the visible spectrum (400-470nm) and the red is at the higher end (at around 700nm). The color spectrum is very important for coral growth in your aquarium, because certain wavelengths are more beneficial to coral than others.

Corals found in shallow reefs and tide pools receive a greater portion of the light spectrum and intensity of natural sunlight because there is not enough water to significantly filter  the light (water absorbs certain wavelengths of light more readily than others).  Corals found in deeper parts of the reef receive more of the blue spectrum and less intense light, because the water has absorbed much of the red and yellow wavelengths.

The Orphek PR-156 LED aquarium light is designed to penetrate over 48" (122cm) so that coral can be illuminated effectively in deeper aquariums with LED lights - no longer must reef aquarists rely on expensive and extremely hot 400w metal halide lights.

Temperature:

Zooxanthellae are not very flexible when it comes to water temperature; they do best at temperatures between 23-28 C(73-82 F). These algae also need a lot of light, which is why shallow coral reefs are only found in tropical, clear waters where temperatures do not fluctuate too much during the year. In the summer, temperatures sometimes get above30 C(86 F), causing the zooxanthellae to die off. As a result, the corals expel these symbiotic algae. This is called bleaching, and it is now a common process on coral reefs worldwide.

Global warming has caused summer temperatures to become higher, and or longer periods of time. The corals and the zooxanthellae have trouble with adapting to this fast changing climate. It is important that we try to slow down climate change by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases we produce. Traditional light systems generate high heat, changing the temperature on the surface of the aquarium. Our system reduces heat, consequentially costs of maintenance of chillers to control the temperature of the water.

Therefore, by choosing Orphek aquarium led lighting system you Will have to spend less Money to mantain the temperature controled to avoid bleaching. Basically this means that by choosing Orphek aquarium led lighting system, not only your corals Will grow faster their colors Will be more vivid, more intense!

Happy Easter! Hag Pessach Sameach!

Dear Orphek Clients, Partners, Supporters & Friends

As the spring season approaches, it is time to remember the symbols of this season. Spring refers to ideas of rebirth, renewal and re-growth.

Orphek has embraced this season’s spirit and renewed its line of products, offering you new LED Lighting Solutions launches.

Nilus: a dimmable solution capable to maintain the spectrum output while being dimmed!

Power Reef 156 Plus (PR-156+):  our newest flagship fixture exclusively developed for deep reef aquariums, and to replace 250-400w Metal Halides light fixtures. Offering a better spectrum & efficiency than our regular PR-156!

DIF 100/50 XP: our pendants have also been improved providing an ideal spectrum with 100% output for coral growth and color. Chlorphyll A and B wavelengths are also provided to further improve coral growth.

* Please check our website for more detailed information about these products.

Orphek Team would like this opportunity to send seasons greetings with all good wishes for you, and your beloved ones.

Happy Easter! Hag Pessach Sameach!

Orphek Led Lighting Solutions Staff

DIF 100 XP new orphek led lighting

DIF 100 XP new orphek led lighting

Orphek Drops a Pendant LED Bomb DIF 100/50 XP

Orphek Drops a Pendant LED Bomb DIF 100/50 XP

January 29th, 2012 Michael Rice (Dr. Feel Good)

Pendants seem to be the future of LED technology with their tight, halide simulating arrays and ability to pound power deep, but there is yet to be a multi spectrum pendant on the market. That is until Orphek dropped the bomb that is the DIF XP series today. These new lights, DIF100XP and DIF50XP play off the success of their previous pendants, but inside is packed a huge array of spectrum that will blow your mind! This one may just be the beginning of the future. Read on after the break.





You may have heard the term XP in reference to Orphek’s products before. I tested the PR-156 version of their XP series recently and was more than pleased with its performance. This series is the top build quality from Orphek and there is no feature un-turned with these lights.

The new DIF100XP and DIF50XP got a big make-over in the spectrum department with the inclusion of a myriad of new colored diodes.

Included diodes:

White
20,000k
Violet 430nm
410nm UV
640nm Red
660nm Red

As you can see from the list of LED colors and from the spectrograph, this is truly the full spectrum LED pendant I’ve been hoping for.

Some may think that full spectrum LED is just a passing fad, but I think anything we can do to make these lights look more like our tried and true technology, metal halides, is a step in the right direction. With the new DIF100XP and DIF50XP not only will users get that awesome pendant shine, but they will now get the full spectrum of halides as well.

Orphek not only considered filling out the spectrum with this one, but they also targeted photosynthesis with some well placed spectral peaks. As you can see from the chart below, both chlorophyll a and b are directly targeted by the spectral output of these XP series DIFs.

http://wp.me/p1HhmG-Cf

Orphek Drops a Pendant LED Bomb: DIF 100/50 XP

Orphek Nilus -Orphek Nilus's channel

Orphek Nilus

Orphek Nilus's channel

1.  Setting the time

Video #1 in the series of programming your new Orpehk Nilus unit. This unit is designed for coral reef tanks containing SPS, LPS, soft corals, clams and anemones. They also provide perfect lighting for FOWLR systems and predator tanks.





2. Setting the daylight

Video #2 in the series of programming your new Orpehk Nilus unit.

3. Setting the moonlight

Video #3 in the series of programming your new Orpehk Nilus unit.



where to buy:

Marinedepot.com  Orphek Nilus 24 Inch LED Light Fixture - Black

coralreefshop.com  Thread: Orphek LED fixtures



Read More:

marine-engineers.org   Orphek Brings on the Dimmers With “Nilus” 120 Watt LED

reefbuilders.com            Orphek Nilus LED is a 120 watt multicolor SPS coral light

blog.aquanerd.com       Orphek Releases Their New Nilus LED Fixture

reeftools.com                  Orphek Nilus – 24” 120 Watt LED Fixture











coralreefshop.com  Thread: Orphek LED fixtures

coralreefshop.com  Thread: Orphek LED fixtures



coralreefshop.com  Thread: Orphek LED fixtures



coralreefshop.com  Thread: Orphek LED fixtures



coralreefshop.com  Thread: Orphek LED fixtures

Orphek review

Orphek review by:clients

"Pictures tell a thousand words."

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2096730&page=5





Video Links:

"amazing reef"

"We are extremely happy with theses lights. They are a showboat for shimmer and growth."

"Link"

Nice tank



Ying and Yang" shaped tanks at a Children's Hospital in upstate NY.

Orphek DONATED all of the DIF-30 units we used to light them!

The pic makes them look darker but they actually light the tanks well and they aren't even mounted at the right height yet in the pic. Those are 6' deep tanks by the way.

Thanks again Orphek you guys are the best!"

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=300952443290253&set=o.170548713004448&type=1&theater

Comments and Photos of Orphek client’s tanks

http://orphek.com/led/2011/10/comments-and-photos-of-orphek-clients-tanks/

"Re: ORPHEK PR-156 LED Lights

by Juzza34 » Sun 25 Sep, 2011 11:13 am

And IMO you couldnt have gotten better or quicker service. I will always speak highly of this company and their product. I definitly will be buying three more units from them for my new build.

I have recently had a guy from Oceanreefs in Perth come have a look/experiment and was quite taken back on the style,brightness, build etc of the lights but what got him most was we have done an experiment with some acros under these lights and the growth and colour has been exceptional....Considering i never had any under there before and am still suffering from NEW tank blues............Orphek say these lights are replacements for 250W-400W metal halides and thats exactly what they do.........."

“It took me maybe 5 minutes to figure out the timer, pretty easy the only negative is the button are very close together and small so sometimes you hit 2 button at once. No big deal really, how often do we mess around with timers, the unit is very sweet it looks sharp and well build, the fans are really quiet. I am very happy with it.”

Link

“Today is the first day the Orphek has been running. I really can’t believe the size of the corals in particular the acans.

They are huge and the colour is amazing, they were never this size under the previos lighting.

This has to be the best mod so far on this tank and for lps highly recommended.”

Link“with 4 fixtures, they equal to 480w compared to 800w of the 2 x radium. So in a long run it would save me electric and running fan from the heat. the color is very bright, but I don’t get the spread like the 2 x radium. I noticed that there are spots with low light. However when I compared the PAR reading, I am getting much more from the ORPHEK LED. The color is a little more toward 10-12k, if they take out the white and add more blue bulbs, maybe 4 more. This unit would be a great 20k color. It’s pretty much new, so maybe my eyes are not adjust or use to the changes. But I like it for sure. The system is long and wide, 96″ long and it’s 36″ wide. for regular tank like 36″ long, 1 unit would be great for regular tank like 48″ long, 2 unit would be great and so on.”

Link

“As for my new LED’s I am very happy with them so far. I can wait to see how my power bill would be this quarter?”

Link

“Hi All,
Here’s my tank under two Orphek PR156W’s… i really like the colour they put out.”

Link

“at last our Orphek lights are over our 6ft tank and they look the dogies do dars”

Link

” We are now the proud owners of 2 Orphek Lights the are destined to go over our 6ft tank but for now we are trying one out on our 165ltr cube and are well pleased with them”

Link

“Here is mine”

Link

“Very nice spread on these lights. My tank is 48″x48″x21″

Link

“The corals are looking real good, polyp extension like crazy and my acans are huge!”

Link

“30 Gallon Upgrade with Orphek PR-25UV LEDs”

Link

“Mounted both the Orpheks must say one difference I find is the shimmer which is excellant. The UV brings out blue color more.Worth a buy anytime.Diehard Orphek Fan….”

Link 

“I now have two of these lights…. OMG is all i can say “

Link



We’ve seen several local hobyists cautiously try out one Orphek unit before committing to buy more,

without exception, once the first unit is operating, they ALL quickly bought the remainder and haven’t looked back.

We’ve had ours since Oct 2010 and loving the colours it produces, far better than what we were getting with out MH & T5 setups.
Check out this link …..!!

Link

“I have to say that at the moment I am very happy with them. All corals are coming out better than ever, and seem to be happier.”

Link

“All;
Just thought that I would put a quick picture up of the coral which I had put in a number of months ago.
This coral was given to me as a free bee from an Aquarium store down here in Adelaide
because it was nearly bleached and all colour was lost (looked brown in the coloured parts).
Hope you guys can see a difference, look closely at it.”

Link

Color pop.

Sunday, February 12, 2012 10:51 PM

I gotta be doing something right. This came to me a couple of weeks ago. It was purple and fadedand none of that blue. It’s got purple polyps and the purple/blue color is amazing. Purporites. It’s already encrusting the rock that I glued it onto. This photo is untouched by photoshop. THANKS ORPHEK!!!!



January 15, 2012 5:16 AM

" Here's some preliminary photos of the lights.  Has unpacking through installation and operation.  I improvised using the hardware you sent with the lights.  It is working perfectly, and there are many other ways to do it.

David"

[nggallery id=26]



Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 4:34 AM

"2 units have arrived perfectly packed and secured.

It was immediately installed with no problems providing good coverage all around.

Attached please find my aquarium diagram. It was installed 30cm above water level.



I'd like to thank you for the best service and above all superior product.



How can I make best use of the fact that It has 16 programs on the timer?

Each unit start with the night light first and continue with the day light and goes off the opposite way.

What use can I do with other programs?



Regards,

Eyal."



August 19, 2011 12:37 AM

"I hung the new lights and purchased new corals last weekend.  The fluorescence under the blue light is incredible!

I am very happy with your products, and hope to improve my coral skills.

Gary"



Monday, February 13, 2012 7:17 AM

"I am very satisfied and we have a lot of interested customers .

The lamp are hanging on the definitely place now.

In the attachment I send you some pictures .the colors are very beautiful.

Greetings arie"





Monday, February 20, 2012

" I have had many compliments on the lights.  They not only meet the corals needs, they look fabulous.
Thank you !!!  Doreen"

Re: ORPHEK PR-156 LED Lights

by Gibbon01 » Sun 25 Sep, 2011 11:35 am

 
Thanks for sharing Justin, we've had the same experiences with our tanks, which are now all running on Orphek LED models PR-156 & PR-156W.
We used to have both 400W & 250W MH's plus a few T5's, but our tanks have certainly improved since these LEDs were installed.
Customer service between us and Orphek have been execellent at every step of the way for over a year now.
Can't recommend them more highly enough. A certain individual at the Gold Coast could learn a very valuable lesson from them..... 

Testimonial by clients