Q&A and Troubleshooting

The Aquorea Mk3 LED spec says the lamp output is 15,000 lumens, but the strobe output is 32,000 lumens. Why the difference?	The LED and pulse is charged at high current for strobing. SubC’s LED design is different in that it is a hybrid lamp and strobe.
Is the light output level controllable?	Yes. Via the Rayfin Control Software (RCS) the light output can be controlled by adjusting the lamp brightness. It can also be set using the API for scripting in the RCS.
Can the LEDs be networked on a common RS485 line?	Yes, it is possible but 8x LEDs running on a single 485 line has not been tested by SubC. RS-485 is multi-drop, and addressability has been added to the command API. See Camera + LED Separate Power Sources
Can the beam spread be adjusted to a wider, more uniform coverage?	A beam diffuser can be attached to the front of the LED to spread out the light. SubC can provide some diffusers for you to experiment with. Contact team@subcimaging.com for more information.
Is the Aquorea Mk3 COB or SMD?	White LEDs: COB Colored LEDs: SMD
STROBE
What strobe light quantity is recommended for: 5m altitude What would you recommend for min/max separation of the camera and lights for operation at the two altitudes above?	Strobe light quantity recommended: 5m altitude: Two strobes recommended To reduce backscatter, maximizing the separation of the LEDs from the camera is recommended for optimal photo and video quality. See the SubC Underwater Photography Guide for more information.

What is the strobe duration and is it adjustable?	The Rayfin Control Software controls the strobe brightness and duration to sync with the exposure time. It can also be set using the API for scripting via the RCS.
What is a typical strobe duration and the corresponding power consumption?	The strobe has active power-limiting and attempts to keep the power at 48W maximum @ 2Amps. The power limit is adjustable to 5A via special command to get even more light. Options for powering the LEDs: Powered from the cameras: limit of 2A per camera - 8,000 lumen lamp, 15,000 lumen strobe Power from the vehicle: limit of 5A per camera - 15,000 lumen lamp, 30,000 lumen strobe
What is the max strobe rate for the Aquorea Mk3 LED?	The max strobe frequency depends on the exposure duration of the camera. The LED has no issues maintaining the camera’s frequency.
What is the strobe rate maximum?	The Aquorea Mk3 LED has a reaction time of about 190microseconds (us). See Aquorea Datasheet Based on this, accounting for ramp down and rounding up numbers, we can assume a minimum time between strobes of 400-500us. If you have a 5ms pulse length, you could get about 180 pulses per second. SubC doesn’t run our strobes at this frequency so we recommend testing it with your camera system. If you need the quickest response times, the LED responds faster if left at 1% lamp output, and then pulsed.
What is the strobing power draw at 1Hz and typical pulse lengths?	Strobe output power is adjustable via serial commands. There is a settable current limit of 2A and 5A in the LED via the Control API.