Diffusing a Radion

[ConnorFood]

So I've been a bit of a Kessil fanboy, you can't beat that shimmer, but lately I'm losing trust in their quality, after 3 broken A160 lights. I'm making the move to EcoTech instead, biting the expensive bullet, and picking up two XR15 Pro lights to replace my two A160WE lights. My question though, is has anyone tried putting a layer of diffusion material (like frosted glass) under a radion, to result in a better mixed colour (remove the disco effect caused by colour banding) and provide a bit more even spread with less shadowing like t5. I feel like if you had them high enough off the water you would still end up with some shimmer as it would still be a point source, and that you could just turn up the radion's power to make up for any lost par due to the added hight and diffusion material since most people only run radions at 30% anyway. What do people think?

 

[reeferfoxx]

I think T5 actually provide more coverage and reduce shadowing. In fact LEDs tend to add to penetration which in turn would create more shadowing. Small cluster puck LEDs would increase shadowing too. These aren't feelings but more so thoughts and facts. You need to decide on what you want. A combination of T5 or long rail LEDs with COB or Clusters would prove coverage and shimmer. Shimmer is also a preference rather than a necessity.

 

[tankstudy]

If you raise up the radion, it will provide better blending in the space that we intend to grow the corals. Like you said, you can just crank up the intensity to recover the par lost by raising the radion.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

two things on diffusion.
If you put the diffusion ON the light it softens it and adds a bit of spread to the light, it does this "spreading" the light more.
Using a diffusion closer to the subject being lit creates a very large source. this is what stops shadowing in t5 besides the soft nature of the light.
An easy experiment is a stationary bright flashlight and a piece of thin paper moved from the source to the subject while observing the subject.

The trick is finding a material that is not too dense and if the diffusion is on the light, finding the spot that is most optimal for the "New" spread.
The same effect can also be accomplished by removing lenses, as the spread goes from the 40 or so degrees to 160 180 degrees of a bare led.

for all applications you'll need to compensate the intensity.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/canopy-diffuser.277783/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-can-be-used-as-a-diffuser.273917/

Last week I put the lenses back into my AI Sol's hung at 8in, and places a lightly sanded piece of acrylic over the lenses. I did get better spread.