# Beamswork LEDs? What do you guys think?



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

mistuhmarc said:


> I'm trying to do some research on future LEDs for some projects I'm planning to do in the future. The beamswork LED was found to have a cheap price, with promising specs.
> 
> The one in particular I was looking at said it had "0.2w" leds. Does anyone know the PAR on these fixtures? In addition, what are your experiences with this type of lighting?
> 
> Thanks .


find the 1/2W or better.


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

I have a Beamswork for my 36" X 18" X 24" high tank, with 121 - 0,2W 10000K leds and 8 actinics 0,2 watts and happy with it. I consider it's low light and I have it since january 2013.

Lately I did add a second led fixture from Finnex with it.

Michel.


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## TekWarren (Oct 6, 2013)

I run Beamsworks on all my tanks at home, great lights for the cost. I run 2 36" .5w 6500k units on my 40 breeder and the same model in 30" on my 20 long. Before that I had just one 36" .2w unit on the 40 breeder and it was okay for a while until the plants reached the surface then it wasn't enough. The 6500k models seem to sell out pretty fast, there is a seller on ebay I've purchased. Lighting wise, these lights have been great for me growing anything I've tried. Can't beat fitting 2 fixtures on a 40b for $100 when other fancier models cost twice that or more. I would avoid anything with blue lights...they are not necessary unless you want them for some specific look but they take away from total count of lights that will actually aide in plant growth.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

TekWarren said:


> I run Beamsworks on all my tanks at home, great lights for the cost. I run 2 36" .5w 6500k units on my 40 breeder and the same model in 30" on my 20 long. Before that I had just one 36" .2w unit on the 40 breeder and it was okay for a while until the plants reached the surface then it wasn't enough. The 6500k models seem to sell out pretty fast, there is a seller on ebay I've purchased. Lighting wise, these lights have been great for me growing anything I've tried. Can't beat fitting 2 fixtures on a 40b for $100 when other fancier models cost twice that or more. I would avoid anything with blue lights...they are not necessary unless you want them for some specific look but they take away from total count of lights that will actually aide in plant growth.



Topdogsellers.. also has "refurbished" (I assume just returns) once in awhile if you want to experiment on the cheap-ish..


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I have one of the "single bright" fixtures on my nano with the .1 watt LED's. It surprisingly does the job, it replaced 2x13 watt CFL's which did better but not all that much better. This is not the light you would want to buy but I didn't do my research, I impulse bought it at a shop and it does do the job better than I would have thought (after I started my research).


I am unfamiliar with the planted one but please do yourself a favor and get the right spectrum. I have my 3 antic LED's covered but it's way too blue for my tastes still. Looks over 10,000k to me.

The build quality is very cheap feeling and since I am using a 45 CM fixture on a 45 CM tank, I cannot use the metal "legs". That causes two issues, first it's not totally flat so it can wobble a bit. Secondly, it is not very secure that way. Being that it is very light weight, it has gone into the tank twice so far. Even though the build quality doesn't feel good, the actual appearance of the light is surprisingly good, I find mine to look very nice, even though it's plastic, it's a nice, shiny black that looks expensive before you touch it. 

I have heard of these failing quickly, mine a bit less than a year old. I can't comment on the longevity but something to keep in mind because if one fails, they are not so cheap that they are worth buying twice compared to some other options.

I don't know if I would buy again, my main complaint is the build quality and size but I didn't pick the right one for what I wanted so it's a bit unfair for me to complain about light output or color on my fixture. 

I would likely consider a Current fixture instead, the Satellite (non Plus) isn't much more expensive and may be a better alternative to my particular fixture but I don't know how it would compare to the higher wattage fixtures. 

I also paid than what I am seeing on Amazon so I am likely happier with mine than had I paid those prices. All in all, I still consider these fixtures a bit of a gamble but if mine lasts for 3-4 years, I will eat my words.


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## randpost (Feb 9, 2014)

I have two 30" 110 x .5w Beamswork fixtures. These are excellent fixtures. Even though the price is already cheap, you can submit a best offer and reduce the price even further on EEbay.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

talontsiawd said:


> The build quality is very cheap feeling and since I am using a 45 CM fixture on a 45 CM tank, I cannot use the metal "legs". That causes two issues, first it's not totally flat so it can wobble a bit. Secondly, it is not very secure that way. Being that it is very light weight, *it has gone into the tank twice so far.*


And it is still working but the build quality is "poor"??? Really???

LOL.. Anyways I do understand that that isn't really a statement of quality.. but.... SURE isn't terrible.

On a side note : these seem to be "constant voltage" LED's soo.. Nothing on the boards but LED's and resistors..and wire

PS is separate.. and replaceable ( abit pricy @ "beamswork").. and as some have done here.. not really propitiatory.. and w/ enough DIY you can dim them w/ out the (really cheap) $12 timer module...

Only problems would be 1)heat related damage to LED's.. (change PS, but lose some output) which can probably be repaired w/ some good soldering techniques..
2) PS failure (not unusual for any product coming out of China after 3 years)
3)possible SMD resistor failure.. unlikely event AFAICT

Yep they may not last 3 years but I believe it can be easily fixed..

just go through this thread a bit...........
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=627826&page=3&highlight=beamswork

Oh the .5W's are nothing more than the 5630 SMD's...
Beamswork w/ 5050smd RGB strips added.. I love that one..


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## blackacura (May 4, 2014)

Bought a .2w 36 inch for my tank and I think it's great for the price, looks clean on my rimless


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

jeffkrol said:


> And it is still working but the build quality is "poor"??? Really???
> 
> LOL.. Anyways I do understand that that isn't really a statement of quality.. but.... SURE isn't terrible.


I am not the most clumsy in the world but it's not my first light to go in the water, I have had lights go in the water as many times and are still going to this day. I haven't ever had a light fail because it went into the water so that doesn't say much for me personally. 

Maybe poor build quality isn't the right word as I really haven't taken it apart or anything. I am just saying that they (or mine) feels cheap, does not seem sturdy, feels like it can break easily. Now, that isn't really important if it stays on the tank. But when your store things for years, it can be. Most my other fixtures I could probably stand on without issue, my 4 bulb Aquaticlife fixture is a tank compared to this thing, however, it's also uglier. So it's all relative.

I know this is cheaper than Current but their lights have a much better look and feel to them. I think the Satellite (non plus) is close enough in price to what I have to be comparable. It has better materials, is more attractive, and seems to be higher quality all around. 

That said, I don't think anyone is buying these lights to get the look and feel of a super high end fixture, just to get something that works. Again, I do think mine is attractive, though a bit wider than I would like, and I like mine fine. However, if going with another brand that wasn't at the bottom of the spectrum, I would be disappointed with what I would call the "build quality".


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## dcutl002 (Apr 8, 2014)

I gotta go with Finnex Fugeray Planted Plus. Sorry guys. 


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## foster (Sep 23, 2012)

Probably going to make some enemies with this statement but----- Anything made by Odysea is JUNK. Plain and simple.
I fell for the cheap price trap to, and pulled the trigger on several T-5 HO quad fixtures. The ballasts went out in a matter of months, and the bulbs were off spectrum in a matter of weeks.
I have tossed, or trashed everyone of them, and went to quality fixtures.


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## treben (Jun 26, 2013)

I just ordered the 30" 6500k .5w x 110 fixture. I was wondering about how much par this light puts out over say a 20 long. How would it compare in terms of brightness to a 30" finnex ray II?



randpost said:


> I have two 30" 110 x .5w Beamswork fixtures. These are excellent fixtures. Even though the price is already cheap, you can submit a best offer and reduce the price even further on EEbay.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

I've been running my 18 inch 300 lumen Beamswork for 14 months with nothing but success. It's growing UG right now, i'd say its doing nice.


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

micheljq said:


> I have a Beamswork for my 36" X 18" X 24" high tank, with 121 - 0,2W 10000K leds and 8 actinics 0,2 watts and happy with it. I consider it's low light and I have it since january 2013.
> 
> Lately I did add a second led fixture from Finnex with it.
> 
> Michel.


Oh that's interesting, my tank might be the same dimensions. Do you know the PAR rating for the light?

Thanks for the responses guys! Means a lot to me


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## etk300ex (May 1, 2013)

I got this over a 15 gal: EVO Clip-on LED 11" 6x 3W 6500K. Probably had it 6 months now, it still works and it certainly grows plants.


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

mistuhmarc said:


> Oh that's interesting, my tank might be the same dimensions. Do you know the PAR rating for the light?
> 
> Thanks for the responses guys! Means a lot to me


No I don't.


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## GoodOldDays (Mar 24, 2014)

foster said:


> Probably going to make some enemies with this statement but----- Anything made by Odysea is JUNK. Plain and simple.
> I fell for the cheap price trap to, and pulled the trigger on several T-5 HO quad fixtures. The ballasts went out in a matter of months, and the bulbs were off spectrum in a matter of weeks.
> I have tossed, or trashed everyone of them, and went to quality fixtures.


Ditto. I'll stick with satellite planted + if I want to be able to dim or Finnex planted if I want a bit more light than the Satellite.


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## dcutl002 (Apr 8, 2014)

GoodOldDays said:


> Ditto. I'll stick with satellite planted + if I want to be able to dim or Finnex planted if I want a bit more light than the Satellite.



Agreed. I would rather spend money once and get quality. 


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## bhazard451 (Jan 24, 2013)

dcutl002 said:


> Agreed. I would rather spend money once and get quality.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


What quality do you think you are getting over the Beamswork? SMD leds are sourced from the same place... China. What you may get is a better warranty, not performance.

For example, the 30" Finnex Ray 2 outputs less than half of what the Beamswork 30" .5w fixture does, and the Beamswork is half the price.

I have a PAR meter for my reef, and just started planted. I might take measurements over my 23 gallon soon.

I ran into the same negative thinking with reef leds when I measured Evergrow/Reefbuilders Chinese leds which put out more PAR than an Ecotech Radion over a year ago, and now they sell like crazy. Not everything out of China is crap.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

bhazard451 said:


> What quality do you think you are getting over the Beamswork? SMD leds are sourced from the same place... China. What you may get is a better warranty, not performance.
> 
> For example, the 30" Finnex Ray 2 outputs less than half of what the Beamswork 30" .5w fixture does, and the Beamswork is half the price.
> 
> ...


Samsung (s. Korea) makes a ton of 5630's... 
I'm not going to argue about these "little guys".. There is more difference between 5050 and 5630's than between various brands of 5050's ect. 

And the size of the resistor (current limiting) on these series/parallel strings.. means even more. 

I will say I favor Beamsworks "external" power supplies over any "internal" circuit board based units.. no matter how well built for these "commercial" units..
Everything is built at "just good enough" and a "reasonable" failure rate at the price levels we are talking about here....

Besides who really knows.. CREE buys chinese COTCO, Epistar buys Epitaisis.. ect .ect..

Pretty soon "CREE" labelled LEDs are coming out of a chinese factory line that produced the very same LED'S "nobody" liked..

LIKE anything though.. "usually" the "best" are sold to manufacturers who buy in volume and can pay a premium per piece for the "better grade"..

Like you want good steaks.. you buy them from a restaurant supplier.. at a premium price.. 

What does this really translate too???

buy a light that meets "your" specifications.. 

I've "pushed" Finnex planted plus (love 660nm) and Beamsworks .5W panels as a bang for your buck unit..

I have very little faith in manufacturers though.. w/ some exceptions.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

I LOVE reading these LED's wars....
http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/led...se-light-emitting-diodess-bad-inferior-2.html

bhazard451 are you over "there"????


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

On the flip side, lets be real, in any market/hobby, not all Chinese products are created equally. Some are total garbage, some have unacceptable failure rates, etc. Rarely do Chinese products have vastly inferior components, it's design and quality control. 

I am not knocking Chinese products, I selectively use them in many of my hobbies and even one I would consider myself a semi-professional in, but I don't go running out for more than a few models, not even brands. This can even go for things designed elsewhere but manufactured in China, some companies really dropped off. The perfect example is the Chinese condenser microphone, some are amazing for the money, most have an issue or two that makes them a great mic for a beginner but should never be used on a serious album. Others have such poor quality control that you may get two mics so different that they may as well be two models.

In the Bay Area, and especially LA, you can often buy some Chinese LED lights retail, I bought my Beamswork in SF. I went to LA, intrigued by some show tanks in a little spot, he pulled a smaller version out. The first, half would turn on, the other would not. The second, flickered and shut off. He said he used them for years but the first two out the box failed for me so I walked away from that. 

Just saying, even if the high end Cree's are made in the same factory as the next, that doesn't mean they are the same. More so, make a Chinese fixture with knock off Cree's and all other high end components and it may be amazing, it may be amazing and break, or it may be poorly designed. That's where a reputable company with a good warranty makes some of us sleep better.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?274785-My-LED-light-just-crapped-out

See post 1 and 6....



> Actually, overheating is my fault because I'm using 17 volts instead of factory spec 12 volts to crank out lots more light from this unit.


As to warranties... IF it is not over 3 years .. pretty worthless.. 

Really what can be "cheap"????  It's just one big circuit board..


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## dcutl002 (Apr 8, 2014)

bhazard451 said:


> What quality do you think you are getting over the Beamswork? SMD leds are sourced from the same place... China. What you may get is a better warranty, not performance.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I guess it is kinda like the Toyota and Kia argument. Yeah, Kia probably makes a good car, but I'm putting my money in the Toyota. 



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## DizzyD (Apr 24, 2013)

I'm currently in the middle of trying to get my Finnex planted plus replaced. I bought it in December and about 1/4th of the white LEDs are not working anymore. I'm outside of their warranty range so I don't think they are going to replace it, but I figured I would try anyway. I have a beamworks on another aquarium and use it for low light only. It has done great for 2 years now. No complaints at all. I feel kinda ripped off my Finnex right now. I only have experience with the one fixture, but seriously, it failed right after the warrantee is up. I know it would be impossible for them in engineer it that way, but its just annoying. Light output is great on the finnex but I'm just frustrated with them right now. I'm trying to wait until I see how their customer service handles it before I go bashing them too much.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I fully advocate both topdogsellers and Beamswork lights from him. I've had three fixtures, an 18", a 30" and a 36", the latter two being double bright. I've had nothing but great luck with them. The 18" is 2 years strong. 

They aren't cheap feeling by the way. My bodies are metal bodies, and the splash guard is plastic, but these are Chinese LEDs in housing with a circuit board. 

You're buying brand name and a better warranty with other fixtures.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Thinking of picking up a 48" to go on my 75G in addition to the Current Sat+. I figure I can't be more than about 25 par currently, and I'd like it to be higher than that since I am dosing and using glut.

My thought is to use both lights during a "high noon" period and then use the Sat+ only during off hours for viewing lights. Anybody get par data on these lights yet? I don't want to get too much power, though I suppose I don't have to run the Sat+ at full intensity either.

Edit: And now i realize they have like 12 different applicable lights ... so asking for the PAR info is not exactly clear!


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

"some" data that might help:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=415522&highlight=beamswork+par

Like I mentioned (or should have).. .5-1-3W is the way to go..


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