The Radion G2 will be Ecotech Marine’s refresh of the Radion XR30w to include TIR lenses, upgraded Cree XTE LEDs and a sizable price drop. Just a year after its introduction the venerable Radion LED light is already hitting the second generation mark. Ecotech Marine already announce the impressive Radion Pro with all of these features and more colors of LEDs and one more channel of control but with the Radion G2 now dropping to $649, discerning reef hobbyists will have to think long and hard about how badly they want those extra LED colors.
The biggest improvements to light output in the second generation Radion is the inclusion of the TIR lens which bumps the light output by at least 30% on average. The other major change to the Radion G2 is the use of XTE LEDs, with higher drive currents and lower forward voltage yet more lumens. Only the white and royal blue LEDs get the XTE makeover but whereas the Radion G1 originally had five royal blues running at 3 watts each, the Radion G2 is loaded up with four diodes running at 5 watts each. Like Clive Bentley memorably put it “With the current at maximum, that gives you up to a mind numbing 1705mW of 455nm light [per LED]”.
The full specs of the Gen 2 Radion are already featured on Ecotech’s website, and we are told to expect a late November ship date. But what about the current generation Radion G1 you say? Ecotech has been shipping Radion G1 at a small discount for a few weeks now and have suggested a lower retail price of $599 but only while supplies last, at which point the cost of entry for joining the Radion club is going to be $649. We are told that there will be a very affordable upgrade path for current Radion G1 owners available in the first quarter of 2013, and an additional rebate for people who bought one within the last 30 days. The full details of the upgrade from Radion G1 to Radion G2 will be released forthly.
Meanwhile, the Radion G2 joins the Illumina LED lights in being the first to stuff top shelf Cree XTE LEDs into theirexisting hardware and proving to us that the fixture and primary components of their LED light, the power supply, drivers, heatsink and software are worthwhile investments through this and future LED upgrades. The first generation Radion G1 still features great performance but the refreshed Radion G2 now delivers more light for even less money, and that’s great news for reefers.
Model – Radion XR30w (G2)
LEDs
• White: 8 Cree XT-E Cool White (5W each)
• Red: 4 Osram Oslon SSL Hyper Red (3W each)
• Green: 4 Cree XP-E Green (3W each)
• Blue: 8 Cree XP-E Blue (3W each)
• Royal Blue: 8Cree XT-E Royal Blue (5W each)*All wavelengths are the peak emitted wavelength of the LED.
Dimensions
Length: 11.8 inches (30 cm)
Width: 7 inches (18 cm)
Thickness: 1.5 inches (3.9 cm)Wattage
Max Wattage of Radion Fixture: 140 Watts
Max Wattage of LED Channels: 130 Watts
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