Kessil AP700 vs Radion G4

Thor2j · 09/19/2016, 02:45 PM

Anybody have any real world comparisons?? Have a reefer 525xl, 59" long. Currently have 4 Kessil 360we , thinking about switching to 2 ap700s or 4/5 radeon xr15s g4. Want more color control. Mixed tank.

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slief · 09/19/2016, 02:59 PM

I can't give you a comparison of the two but really like them both. I would also suggest looking at the GHL Mitra's. They offer similar control to the Radion's but have better spread and more intensity. There are 6 pucks on the Mitra's which provide better spread than the Radion's without the disco effect that you get from the Radion's where you can see the individual LED colors in the sand bed. Having had some experience with the Mitra's as I have one over one of my tanks and the Kessil 360WE's which I run 10 of on my big tank, I've come to really love the Mitra's for the spread, color and control. You can also control the intensity of each of the pucks on the Mitra's indivually which is a nice feature if you have them on the ends of the tank and don't want the extra intensity hitting the viewing panes. The GHL light composer is pretty slick too and makes tuning the lights for specific kelvins as simple as choosing the kelvin you want. It does the rest and from there, all you need to do is adjust the intensity. This is really helpful since there are 9 channels of LED colors that you have individual control over.

Having said that, you really can't go wrong with any of the 3. They are all terrific lights. I just think you get more bang for the buck with the GHL and they are German made, well built and very well priced.

yifan917 · 09/19/2016, 07:50 PM

There are a few Mitra models, which model are you referring to? Thanks!

slief · 09/19/2016, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yifan917

There are a few Mitra models, which model are you referring to? Thanks!

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Thor2j · 09/20/2016, 08:26 AM

According to brs par video it looks like the G4 xr30 pros will cover a better area then the AP700. But yet everyone says 2 AP700s is plenty for a 59" tank yet 2 xr30s aren't enough. Don't get it.

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texdoc77 · 09/20/2016, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor2j

According to brs par video it looks like the G4 xr30 pros will cover a better area then the AP700. But yet everyone says 2 AP700s is plenty for a 59" tank yet 2 xr30s aren't enough. Don't get it.

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For some reason the dense matrix LED's that Kessil uses don't test well with most PAR meters. For this reason they read historically low, when real world experience indicates the Kessil's are very competitive with their counterparts.

I have an ap700 and really love the shimmer, color and controllability. As others have noted the software can be a challenge. Currently I have needed to dedicate an older iPad specifically to controlling the light.

trueperc · 09/20/2016, 11:19 AM

One thing to really think about is what are you going to do when the warranty runs out. What is nice about the radions is that you can buy replacement parts and in future, upgrades with out having to buy a whole new fixture. As far as I know kessil you can not. Coverage for both fixture really depends on the life stock you want to keep. Also another thing to think about is, look at the really successful led tanks and you will see the are usually running double what the manufactor recommends. Also both radion and and the ap700 have good threads going on, best check them out. Mitra is nice, they are coming out with a new fixture in a couple of months. If the philips coralcare led comes to US, it will be another one to look out for. Have you thought about using a combo of T5 and leds? Many led users are or have added t5 to thier mix.

gus6464 · 09/20/2016, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texdoc77

For some reason the dense matrix LED's that Kessil uses don't test well with most PAR meters. For this reason they read historically low, when real world experience indicates the Kessil's are very competitive with their counterparts.

I have an ap700 and really love the shimmer, color and controllability. As others have noted the software can be a challenge. Currently I have needed to dedicate an older iPad specifically to controlling the light.

What's your phone? At MACNA the rep told me that the android app is now on par with ipad. The tablet android app on the other hand is a version behind. Considering that universal apps on android has been around for a while Kessil needs to hire better coders.

09/19/2016, 02:45 PM	#1
Thor2j Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 230	Kessil AP700 vs Radion G4 Anybody have any real world comparisons?? Have a reefer 525xl, 59" long. Currently have 4 Kessil 360we , thinking about switching to 2 ap700s or 4/5 radeon xr15s g4. Want more color control. Mixed tank. Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

09/19/2016, 02:59 PM	#2
slief RC Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 14,173	I can't give you a comparison of the two but really like them both. I would also suggest looking at the GHL Mitra's. They offer similar control to the Radion's but have better spread and more intensity. There are 6 pucks on the Mitra's which provide better spread than the Radion's without the disco effect that you get from the Radion's where you can see the individual LED colors in the sand bed. Having had some experience with the Mitra's as I have one over one of my tanks and the Kessil 360WE's which I run 10 of on my big tank, I've come to really love the Mitra's for the spread, color and control. You can also control the intensity of each of the pucks on the Mitra's indivually which is a nice feature if you have them on the ends of the tank and don't want the extra intensity hitting the viewing panes. The GHL light composer is pretty slick too and makes tuning the lights for specific kelvins as simple as choosing the kelvin you want. It does the rest and from there, all you need to do is adjust the intensity. This is really helpful since there are 9 channels of LED colors that you have individual control over. Having said that, you really can't go wrong with any of the 3. They are all terrific lights. I just think you get more bang for the buck with the GHL and they are German made, well built and very well priced. __________________ Director Customer Support Royal Exclusiv USA For All Royal Exclusiv & Bubble King questions please refer to our Sponsor forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745 Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476

09/19/2016, 07:50 PM	#3
yifan917 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: La Ilha Formosa Posts: 291	There are a few Mitra models, which model are you referring to? Thanks!

09/20/2016, 08:26 AM	#5
Thor2j Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 230	According to brs par video it looks like the G4 xr30 pros will cover a better area then the AP700. But yet everyone says 2 AP700s is plenty for a 59" tank yet 2 xr30s aren't enough. Don't get it. Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

09/20/2016, 11:19 AM	#7
trueperc Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ottawa, On, Canada Posts: 788	One thing to really think about is what are you going to do when the warranty runs out. What is nice about the radions is that you can buy replacement parts and in future, upgrades with out having to buy a whole new fixture. As far as I know kessil you can not. Coverage for both fixture really depends on the life stock you want to keep. Also another thing to think about is, look at the really successful led tanks and you will see the are usually running double what the manufactor recommends. Also both radion and and the ap700 have good threads going on, best check them out. Mitra is nice, they are coming out with a new fixture in a couple of months. If the philips coralcare led comes to US, it will be another one to look out for. Have you thought about using a combo of T5 and leds? Many led users are or have added t5 to thier mix.