Celestial/geographic light system

Hello all,

I'm just now entering the reef community, and with an ambitious project. I'm only feeling out the landscape (reefscape?) right now to see how feasible this is.

I want to make a light system that, as a base line, imitates the position, intensity and spectrum of the sun and moon, based on real time and geographic location. On top of that, I want to give it modes of operation where the user can cause or prevent certain events or behaviors in the tank by changing the light output program. I'd like it to be an all-LED based system that is modular to fit a variety of tanks.

I understand there is a lot to consider, and I don't know what most of it is yet. I'm fully immersed in research on reef lighting techniques and tools right now. I would be grateful to hear from anyone with some advice or sources of information on the subject. Obviously, I am already combing through this site, but if you know of some specific threads, please post the links.

Thanks!
Mark-

 

I guess if I don't ask any questions, I can't expect any responses.

So here's some:
Where are good sources of information about light spectrums and intensities at various geographies, depths and times of the year?

What is your (expert?) opinion on light configurations, given specific organisms and desired behaviors?

What do you think of splitting a tank (and thus the lights) into zones for organisms that normally exist at different depths?

Cheers!
Mark-

 

You would probably want to ask Dana Riddle for his research. He has been taking lighting measurements around Hawaii for many years measuring PAR, spectrum and the like.

I'm sending his email address via PM rather than just putting it right on the forum.

 

Wow, OK. So after doing some research on LED systems, I've discovered there is litigation going on right now about patents for LED reef lights. What a shame. The patent office has in effect killed an industry by issuing a patent so general and vague that the holder (who appears to not be doing anything with it) is the only company that can make LED aquarium lights.

I am unable to identify any product made by the patent holder, which only serves to frustrate me further.

Soooooo, I have to shelf this project until I have time to produce something for the Open Source/GNU community that won't be for profit.