Taiwanese lighting brand Illumagic is to launch an inline LED light controller capable of adding dimmer and timer functions to the previously uncontrollable Vitamini light bar and new piXel LED puck. Light bars are gaining massively in popularity as reefers seek to even out their light spread and gain extra pop, but light bars do divide into two types – those you can control, and those you can’t. The Vitamini was previously in the latter camp, but now due to the new add-on controller, you will be able to fade the light bar in and out for dawn and dusk functions plus set when the light comes on, and when it goes off. The upcoming piXel light puck looks super flexible and affordable too but again was in danger of having to be controlled simply on/off by way of a third-party plug-in timer. In the future, when it launches, it will now have some simple control options which will help to make it more automatic, and aquarium user-friendly.
The inline controller will be able to offer wired control to several lights with a combined power draw of up to 120 watts. That would enable the control of two supplementary Vitamini bars up to 120cm (and 50 watts,) for example, or 2 x 90cm (36 watts,) Vitamini strips, and 2 x piXel LED pucks (at 20 watts each,) all off the one controller. Being passively cooled, you would be getting a run-silent dynamic-looking Illumagic lighting rig too.
Virtually every week we see Illumagic come up with new ways of utilizing their RMS modular mounting system from being able to clip Illumagic onto other brands of lights like AI Hydras to hinges, side mounts, shade flaps, hoods, and even camera lighting, so the system may suit those who like to invent, build and play with their lighting systems. It doesn’t enable wireless app control either of the Vitamini or PiXel, (when some competing light bars do,) but it does take one positive step towards the one thing we want from all our lights – control.
