Upgrade lighting for Reefer 350

[Intheflesh]

I currently have 2 x kessil 360WE Tuna Blues over my 350. (48x22x20H I believe are the dimensions).

One of the lights is on its way out: Flickering, Intensity controls not working, etc. Its out of warranty, so I can't get a replacement (already replaced 4 lights during the warranty period with these Kessils - their customer service has been top notch). I'm pretty sure I am going to just sell the one good light, and do something else rather than buy a new Kessil.
One option is Radion. Not sure if I want to do 3x xr15 or 2x xr30. I am thinking the 3 light set up would give a better spread at the expense of less intensity (3 LED pucks vs 4). Similarly I am considering 3x AI Hydra 26HD or 2x 52HD. From a pure aesthetics point of view, I am more inclined towards the AI, because I think their mounts are a lot cleaner looking. On the other hand, I like Radion because replacement parts are available and user serviceable. I know both have their own software controls, but which has better Apex compatibility? What about long term reliability?

Thanks in advance

 

[Arsalan]

I haven’t had my radions long term but I definitely love them. The lighting itself is better than AI in my opinion.

I’ve had numerous AIs and also love them. They are very easy to use and durable. I’ve had those for long term and no issues. If any issues, their customer support is decent, as in they’ll take in old broken lights out of warranty and give you new ones at a much lower cost.

One pro I’d say the AI has over Radion is the user experience. The Hydra HDs can be accessed by an app or pc very easily and reliably. The radions however require a PC to use without reeflink. This UI is not user friendly, and not very reliable. The connection gets lost often and can become a pain to pair lights. The reeflink lets you access them wirelessly from any device anywhere but that also tends to have WiFi / connectivity issues time to time.

If you plan to get lights, program them, and not mess with the settings for a long time to come, AND price isn’t a concern, I’d definitely go with radions.

If you can’t justify the cost but still want a great light, hydras are awesome too.
Hope this is helpful.



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[Intheflesh]

Great response.

If i were to go radion, I would most likely hold out and search for a used Gen 3 pro set. You bring up a good point here. Ideally, I would like to program once, set and forget.

If you plan to get lights, program them, and not mess with the settings for a long time to come, AND price isn’t a concern, I’d definitely go with radions.