Since the initial release of the Radion XR30w LED light Ecotech Marine has steadily improved the platform with new Radion “models” announced for the near future. These new LED lights from Ecotech Marine including the Radion Pro and Radion G2 use essentially the same power supply, driver heatsink and housing so the only real difference is the choice of LED cluster and lenses. What that means for early adopters of the Radion is that you have several choices for increasing the performance to your current LED light should you so desire.
By far the best bang for your buck for boosting the Radion’s light output is the addition of the TIR Lens cluster. A simple $30 add-on, the Radion TIR Lens clusters boost average light output by 30% and it’s the simplest upgrade to the Radion LED possible and that you can perform at home. The graphs provided below show how light distribution is increased when you take the first gen Radion and stock with this effective light-collecting accessory.
If you really want/need to upgrade your original Radion G1 to the latest and greatest, Ecotech Marine has set up an interesting program whereby you’ll be able to get both new XTE-equipped LED clusters and lenses for only $150 per fixture or $120 if you already have TIR lenses.
Starting in Q1 2013, customers that own a first generation (G1) Radion will be able to upgrade their lights to the second generation (G2) build which consists of two (2) G2 LED and two (2) TIR lenses. This upgrade option will cost $150. For those customers that already have TIR lenses installed on their G1 Radions, the upgrade will be available at a reduced cost of $120 per unit. All G2 LED clusters require the use of the TIR lenses.
Part of the reason that the upgrade to the Radion G2 is so cheap is that Ecotech doesn’t really want you opening the Radion and servicing it yourself, and they want to harvest your old LED clusters. This is done by essentially replacing your existing Radion with a new one that has factory installed Radion G2 LED clusters and TIR lenses, and you’ll have to send back your current light. The full details of how this is accomplished is explained on the Ecotech’s webpage about the Radion G2 upgrade options.
The only thing left for Ecotech Marine to tell us is how much it’ll cost to upgrade Radion G1 LEDs to the LED cluster and lens of the hot-rod Radion Pro. Now there’s been a lot of noise made about the (now) $300 difference in price between the suggested retail of the Radion Pro and the Radion G2. When asked about this gulf in pricing Ecotech Marine simply responded with “no comment” leading us to believe that we might see the final retail price of the Radion Pro coming well under the originally advertised price of $950. Likewise, we expect the upgrade path for the Radion G1 to the Radion Pro, also slated for Q1 of 2013 to follow a similar exchange model as that being offered for the second generation Radion components. The cost of upgrading from the Radion G1 to the Radion Pro will also probably be quite affordable, yet still more than $150 per fixture to take into account the extra LEDs and the use of exotic (and expensive) near-UV diodes.
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