Lumenarc 3

[Texreefer]

thinking about getting two of these.... any thoughts on price Etc.

http://www.reeftanksupply.com/product_info.php?products_id=443

[LoneStar]

you can also get them at
www.reefexotics.com

From what I have read and seen, these are the best reflectors out there. Their the ones I'm going to use :)

[JimD]

www.coralreefbazaar.com has them also, and theyre a maast sponsor.

[Texreefer]

ok so $114 at reefexotics, $179 at coralreefbazzar and $108 at reeftanksupply.. any reason why ihouldn't go with the cheapest?

[moneytank]

most places will match prices. When i bought my dart pump reeftanksupply was a lot cheaper. Almost to cheap to be good type thing, so called premium aquatics. They looked up the web site and then matched the price. Actually was a few dollars cheaper with shipping added.

Not that reeftanksupply is a bad place, just was unsure of ordering from them when every where else was 40-50 dollars more

[LoneStar]

Well if the reflector at reeftanksupply comes with the mogul base too (I know reefexotics does) then save a few bucks and go with the cheaper site. It may cover shipping that way ;)

[thedude]

I see 124.95 on coral reef bazaar. http://coralreefbazaar.com/product_info.php?cPath=43_48_57&products_id=186

[Richard]

Coralvue also came out with lumenarc reflectors so you might check with Frederick on those. I'm going to replace my lighting with them. The difference between a lumenarc reflector and a spiderlight type reflector is ridiculous.

[hobogato]

you are a handy guy mike, you could just make your own out of solartube material, i have templates i'd loan ya :)

[LoneStar]

hmmmm how much does the material run?

[hobogato]

not sure about the full size luminarcs, it would either be $60 or $80 to get enough material to make two. all you have to do is score with a box knife and then and bend back n forth to cut it, and then drill holes and pop rivet it together. it is time consuming tho.

[LoneStar]

not sure about the full size luminarcs, it would either be $60 or $80 to get enough material to make two. all you have to do is score with a box knife and then and bend back n forth to cut it, and then drill holes and pop rivet it together. it is time consuming tho.


Sounds easy enough. I do the same sort of hands on manufacturing at work. I don't remember when you did yours, were the templates the full size lumenarcs or were they the smaller version? Where did you end up buying the material at?

[hobogato]

the ones i built are modified versions of the minis, but im sure i could find a full size one to measure to make a full size template ;)

[markgsa]

When i checked at Lowes they were 32 bucks for a sheet of solar tubing.

[hobogato]

32 or 50 depending on size. i think for the full size luminarc you could get two out of one $32 piece and one $50 piece.

[LoneStar]

i think for the full size luminarc you could get two out of one $32 piece and one $50 piece.


:huh

2 out of the $50 and 1 out of the $32??

I gotta swing by Lowes this weekend and check it out.

[hobogato]

no. you would have to buy about $80 of the material (a $30 and a $50) to get enough to make 2 of them.

[BIGBIRD123]

I got a couple that Ace made for me that are 14" x 14" for mogul sockets that I'm not using... :innocent :shades

Steve

[LoneStar]

no. you would have to buy about $80 of the material (a $30 and a $50) to get enough to make 2 of them.

Ahh gotcha....its been a long week....glad its the weekend already! (for me at least) :wacko

[BIGBIRD123]

I'll post pix tomorrow night when I get home.

Steve

[LoneStar]

thanks steve

[matt]

I would not DIY these reflectors. The exact angles are probably crucial and the bulb placement definitely is, plus you'd need a light meter to have any idea if they were working like the actual lumenarcs.

[hobogato]

The exact angles are probably crucial and the bulb placement definitely is

you are correct, that is why i measured a real luminarc to get the precise measurements and shapes so all of the faces are at the correct angle and the bulb is in the correct place. it is pretty much a 3D parabola, with the bulb at the focus. the DIY ones that i added to my tank made the tank appear almost twice as bright as it was with the spider reflectors, but i dont have a light meter, so i dont know how much they actually increased the PAR.

[BIGBIRD123]

I agree with Ace. They were taken from Real LIII, so the angles are correct but I can't afford a light meter, so...they are Purty Dang bright!

Steve

[matt]

I'd be really curious to see how they compare, in measured PAR, to the manufactured lumenarcs. I'm sure the DIY ones are an improvement over the spider reflectors.

As far as "the angles being correct" I don't think you can say that unless you have some pretty sophisticated measuring tools. Eyeballing is probably not close enough in this case. Just my opinion.

[hobogato]

As far as "the angles being correct" I don't think you can say that unless you have some pretty sophisticated measuring tools. Eyeballing is probably not close enough in this case. Just my opinion.

the panels of the reflector are simply geometric shapes - kite, isosceles trapezoid and octagon. they can only fit together at the correct angles if the measurements of the side lengths are correct. i guess you just have to see how they are put together to see what i mean.

[SaltyJim]

Hey Ace,

I'd like to see the modified drawings if you still have them. The plan I'm working with from RC still needs to be modified to fit in my canopy, so I think your mod might work for me too. I need something in the 14" to <18" range too.

Can you send to me too?

Thanks

[hobogato]

the ones i made for my tank are a copy of the minis, but more narrow, so they are 14" long X 12" wide. i can measure a normal one and modify it to the size you need. geve me length and width dimensions and ill see what i can come up with. the regular luminarcs are 17.5" square i believe.

[SaltyJim]

Yeah, I think they are closer to 18.5" at least that is what I have seen. 14" is just about right, but I need to see how many I can squeeze in there before I can say the width is good. Thanks.

[ou812pezz]

Hey ace I'm interested in making 3 of these the same dimensions you made yours. How many and what size material wood I need? Can I get a copy of your template? Also how did you mount your mogal socket to the reflector?

[LoneStar]

Thanks for helping me cut out the templates Ace.

Here is one I made last night (the 2nd will be done by tonight). I am going to copy their sliding mogul mount. If your a good DIY person, go for it.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine5.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine2.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine3.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine4.jpg

As for any comparison between these and the Lumenarcs, I used the same material that the Lumenarcs are made of ;) Its the same pattern size; 1:1 ratio. I may have a small gap here and there, but I don't mind losing those few photons of light :lol

[BIGBIRD123]

Nice job Mike...

[urban79]

I tried to find this stuff and I cant.. Where would it be by.

[hobogato]

WOW! those look MUCH nicer than the ones i made - im not helping you with anything else :lol

[Ram_Puppy]

they do look nice...

now, i think in the pictures of luminarcs that i have seen before there is like a bulge or something on two sides... are those heat vents and where the bulb goes in? how are you going to mount your bulbs? (sorry if i missed that!)

this is really cool!!!!

[LoneStar]

WOW! those look MUCH nicer than the ones i made - im not helping you with anything else :lol

:lol Thanks for the compliment



As for the bulges, there are 2 different styles of the Lumenarcs. A standard one and another that has 2 circular vents on the top of the reflector itself. As for the bulges on the sides, they have a sliding rail that allows you to center the mogul socket in the middle of the reflector. They did this since not all bulb brands are the same length. So if you are hanging the reflector, it will be balanced. I still gotta make the mogul rail (working on that today). I couldn't make it till I had the shape of the reflector made (that way I could figure out the angles).

[LoneStar]

I tried to find this stuff and I cant.. Where would it be by.

I found the material here:
http://www.aquatictech.com/aquarium_lighting.html

Actually someone on RC told me where to find it. I had mixed feelings ordering through these guys (Aquatic Technology) so I'm going to see if I can find a different source ;)

Ace can tell you where he found his material at. I believe it was solar tube at Lowes.

[erikharrison]

LoneStar owns the rivet. :shades

[josephatmbimortgage]

That looks great!!! Can you make the smaller Mogul luminacs? 14 w by 14 L x 6 inch high?

-Joseph

[LoneStar]

That looks great!!! Can you make the smaller Mogul luminacs? 14 w by 14 L x 6 inch high?

-Joseph

I only have the patterns for the standard/large Lumenarcs. Ace has some....or had some.

Or if you have some mechanical sense, this is a link to drawings for both the large and small versions. Their a put together a little different than the ones I did, but essentially will be the same thing.

http://www.thebrian.net/reflector/

[LoneStar]

Ok here is the sliding mogul attachment. This will move the light bulb in and out, centering it in the reflector.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine7.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine8.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine9.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine010.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/LoneStarSA/156g%20build/lumenmine011.jpg

[markgsa]

Sweet job!! It looks like one of those battle bots.

[urban79]

nice.. if you need more practice your more than welcome to make couple for me :P

[erikharrison]

Wow, that it craftsmanship. You need to add this to your diary! or at least a link!!! You can't help oooing and ahhhhing over the little alan wrench slider! AwesomeEeEeE :D

[oceancube]

thats awsome work, i also want to try and make my own but im in the middle of deciding to buy a regular... nice work ace and lonestar!!

[josephatmbimortgage]

Looks fantastic!!

-Joseph