Change to LED from T5s RSM 130D

[tlhood]

I currently use the stock lighting that comes with the Red Sea Max 130D, which are 10,000 K actinic T5 compacts. I am looking to change to using LEDs, but I want to keep the RSM hood. I am not electronically savvy, so I was looking to see if anyone had any experience/suggestions regarding this.

Firstly I need to figure out which kind of fixtures I could use to replace the T5 ones, and how all the electrical doodads fit together, and preferably which would be the easiest way to get everything put together, with minimal steps for me to screw up.

Any advice?

[Craigdillman]

Check out rapidled.com they make awesome retrofit kits for RSM

[RSM]

My buddy put a radion g2 in a rsm hood. The only problem is that it is not high enough to spread out the light properly. It still looks good.

[tlhood]

Check out rapidled.com they make awesome retrofit kits for RSM

I like that option (I also saw a similar item at "stevesleds"). I saw that rapid LED has a "dimmable" versus regular retrofit kit. (Looking under the solderless, the less I have to do the better!)

What would you recommend? Is having the lights be dimmable really worth it? (Because then I assume they need to put in more fancy parts and I would need a controller and such...)

I'm leaning more towards just the regular one, however imput is appreciated.

I also want to take a peek to see if modularleds has anything but their website is down at the moment.

[Craigdillman]

Totally up to you, I went with dimmable ones gives you little more control and you can pick the colour ratio you like maybe you like the whites at 40% and the blues at 90% or maybe you like 50% 50% who knows, yes you will need a controller but its almost no more work to do a dimmable then not just more money.

If your going to set it and forget it then don't worry about dimmable just pick a good blues to whites ratio and go from there

[Craigdillman]

Also i perfer rapidled.com over stoves there cosumoer service is wicked, but I'm biased cause i have had 2 set ups from them

[Stones]

I put a DIY LED kit into a RSM 130D but not from rapidled. I would highly recommend you go with a dimmable kit as I'm only running my whites at 50% intensity. If you are not very good with a soldering iron I would suggest you stick with the solderless LEDS.

Once you open up your RSM hood, its very easy to remove the PC ballast which exposed the hot and neutral wires you need to use to connect your LED driver. This way, the timer on RSM hood will still control your lighting cycle. I kept the stock LED moonlights as well and just fixed them to the sides of my heatsink.

[tlhood]

Also i perfer rapidled.com over stoves there cosumoer service is wicked, but I'm biased cause i have had 2 set ups from them

Did you buy one of the dimmable controllers they offer on the website?

[Craigdillman]

i have the pwm controller its simple works good, but I'm sure there are better options out there like the storm ones

[tlhood]

So I've bought the rapidled rsm solderless dimmable kit, full spectrum, with the storm controller (not the storm x).

I liked the pricing and the options with rapidled compared to stevesled. I was reading that rapidled are really good with their shipping, so hopefully I will have it by end next week at the latest. With the USD CAD conversion right now I wanted to cry for my wallet, but I think it is worth it in the long run.

Thanks for your help guys, will let you know how it turns out.

[tlhood]

Thanks for all your help guys. I opted for the rapidLED kit, and will be posting my struggles in the DIY thread.

[Craigdillman]

Awesome if you need any help email rapid led first they are wicked helpand quick