Skep18
Valuable Member
I have a 6ft tank running 2x 32in Photon V2+ modules. I've had these since setting up the tank 6 years ago. I'm not sure what a reasonable amount of time one should expect from LED fixtures but I can't say I'm overall unhappy with this product. I hesitated to post this as I am not trying to suggest anything negative about the product nor the parent company. I have reached out to Logan a number of times with various issues or concerns (a power supply went bad, I bought a replacement, etc.) and he has been very responsive and reasonable. It's actually because I like the product and think it is a good fixture that I am posting this in hopes to help anyone else out who might find themselves in my position.
As of the last couple of years I'd say, my 6 year old fixtures have started drifting out of sync in terms of their program timer. It started with one light going out 5min before the other at night, stuff like that. Over time, this has gotten a bit worse. Logan was able to provided support as to advise by holding the "LEFT" and "RIGHT" arrows simultaneously, I think it re-marries the remote to the fixtures or something. Either way, that has successfully worked for me in the past and buys me some time before they drift apart again.
As of more recently, I've started to encounter a more frustrating issue. I'd like to reiterate this is probably to be considered an old fixture at this point. Sometimes, more intermittently, one fixture might just not turn off at all or randomly turn on at some inopportune time such as 2am. This has been intermittent enough though mostly that it hasn't been a real issue I've chosen to address.
Now the the primary tip I'm trying to relay in this thread. Lately my two fixtures seem to not uniformly respond to my remote commands. For instance, this AM I come downstairs to find one light fixture still off 50min after it should have turned on. In my attempt to correct the issue, I turn on the remove and just switch the lights from PROFILE MODE to NIGHT MODE, hoping to jog the programming and sync the two fixtures. Now for the frustration. Without any pattern I can find, one unit will accept the command, the other will note. Or both units won't respond to the remote inputs. I can never tell if I'm waiting for a lagged response or if they command just didn't get to the fixture(s). So after a few seconds, I try another setting. Again, random feedback. But after a dozen tries, none are in sync nor on which setting they're supposed to be on. I power cycle the units a couple of times and do all this some more. The frustration is it takes probably10-20min of messing with it and each time you never know how you're going to remedy this. To further test response, I go into PROFILE MODE and turn my whites off. Usually they respond in real time as you turn the percentage up and down. This time one unit still had whites fully on, another unit seemed to stop taking commands at some low percentage of white that is not zero. They're on, but dim. How can I know what PAR I'm putting out without getting out my PAR meter? All these things leave some concern...
Now for the pro tip! It may be obvious to some, especially after reading it. But in my 6 years of use and maybe 2 years of weird issues, it never occurred to me. If the units are showing signs of not responding or synchronizing, just spam the MENU then OK buttons over and over as fast as you'd like. That seems to manage to get the signal to the fixtures pretty reliably after a couple of dozen spams. This way you don't risk one getting in the wrong mode or something.
Not sure if anyone else will find this helpful but maybe it will. For now, this will keep me from ordering Radions or something. Lord knows I like the output of these fixtures and don't wanna spend $3k on new Radions. lol.
CLIFFNOTES: If your Photon V2+ is having sync issues, spam the MENU then OK buttons over and over a couple of dozen times.
As of the last couple of years I'd say, my 6 year old fixtures have started drifting out of sync in terms of their program timer. It started with one light going out 5min before the other at night, stuff like that. Over time, this has gotten a bit worse. Logan was able to provided support as to advise by holding the "LEFT" and "RIGHT" arrows simultaneously, I think it re-marries the remote to the fixtures or something. Either way, that has successfully worked for me in the past and buys me some time before they drift apart again.
As of more recently, I've started to encounter a more frustrating issue. I'd like to reiterate this is probably to be considered an old fixture at this point. Sometimes, more intermittently, one fixture might just not turn off at all or randomly turn on at some inopportune time such as 2am. This has been intermittent enough though mostly that it hasn't been a real issue I've chosen to address.
Now the the primary tip I'm trying to relay in this thread. Lately my two fixtures seem to not uniformly respond to my remote commands. For instance, this AM I come downstairs to find one light fixture still off 50min after it should have turned on. In my attempt to correct the issue, I turn on the remove and just switch the lights from PROFILE MODE to NIGHT MODE, hoping to jog the programming and sync the two fixtures. Now for the frustration. Without any pattern I can find, one unit will accept the command, the other will note. Or both units won't respond to the remote inputs. I can never tell if I'm waiting for a lagged response or if they command just didn't get to the fixture(s). So after a few seconds, I try another setting. Again, random feedback. But after a dozen tries, none are in sync nor on which setting they're supposed to be on. I power cycle the units a couple of times and do all this some more. The frustration is it takes probably10-20min of messing with it and each time you never know how you're going to remedy this. To further test response, I go into PROFILE MODE and turn my whites off. Usually they respond in real time as you turn the percentage up and down. This time one unit still had whites fully on, another unit seemed to stop taking commands at some low percentage of white that is not zero. They're on, but dim. How can I know what PAR I'm putting out without getting out my PAR meter? All these things leave some concern...
Now for the pro tip! It may be obvious to some, especially after reading it. But in my 6 years of use and maybe 2 years of weird issues, it never occurred to me. If the units are showing signs of not responding or synchronizing, just spam the MENU then OK buttons over and over as fast as you'd like. That seems to manage to get the signal to the fixtures pretty reliably after a couple of dozen spams. This way you don't risk one getting in the wrong mode or something.
Not sure if anyone else will find this helpful but maybe it will. For now, this will keep me from ordering Radions or something. Lord knows I like the output of these fixtures and don't wanna spend $3k on new Radions. lol.
CLIFFNOTES: If your Photon V2+ is having sync issues, spam the MENU then OK buttons over and over a couple of dozen times.
