Orphek OR4 + Universal Mounting Kit + Extension Arms

Over the holidays I received 2 mystery packages from our friends at Orphek.  It ended up being their new OR4 iCon Sun & Moon Sync Led Bars and their 3-in-1 Universal Mounting Kit I immediately began installation on my Reef Casa Studio 12 Corallimorpharian nano tank in my foyer as a nice color/spread upgrade over the stock Reef Casa Halo.

What’s New!

At first glance, the main physical difference is the existence of a small WIFI antennae and an on/off toggle switch on each of the power supplies, allowing each to be individually controlled with the same iCon App. I already control the OR3 + Osix Controller and the Atlantik iCon fixtures on the same app so it’s nice to use a common platform.

The 12″ LED bars sent were the following color combination for a reef aquarium.

• Blue Plus
• Blue Sky
• UV/Violet
• Reef Day

All the great hardware features such as build quality, dimming functionality, and color spectrum are carried over. The key functionality addition is in the software to enable synchronizing the lights to the Sun & Moon in your local area or anywhere based on the longitude and latitude coordinates selected on the map in the app.

If controlling each LED bar individually is too cumbersome, the OSix controller can control all the bars in a single color mapping screen.

Pros:

• Great coverage over the entire tank (if sized appropriately)
• Customizable color combinations

Cons:

• Harness management can be bulky to address.
• Multiple power supplies and outlets needed. (But OSix Controller is an alternative to consolidate)

Mounting Kit

The Universal Mounting Kit with Extension Arms is new to me. I had to do a little homework to decipher which solution I wanted to use and how to apply it. This kit included the following 3 options:

• Hanging Solution
• Tank Mounted Solution
• Cabinet Mounted Solution

Due to my cathedral ceiling, the hanging solution was out. The thin glass of this tiny tank also prohibits the tank mounting option.  So cabinet mounting with the extension arms was best for my application.  I ended up mocking it up in CAD but simple measurements can land you with the proper 4 drilling positions as long as they are square.

The Pros:

• Sturdy quality components
• All components included for each of the 3 solutions
• Instructional Videos available on Orphek website

The Cons:

• Can be considered a bulky mounting solution compared to those attached to other lighting solutions.
• Hardware packs are not clearly labeled for each solution which may be confusing at first.
• May not be perfect for small systems. In my case, the arms on which the LED bars are mounted are a bit too long for my application. They stick out and are somewhat unsightly per my wife. So the depth of your tank needs to be at least 20″ front glass to back of the Extension arm.

iCon App

The Ophek iCon App is pretty intuitive. If you are setting it up for the first time, refer to the online manual for the latest information.

Once I turned on each OR4 bar and selected + Add Device it detected the new device and connected in a few minutes.  Below are some of the basic screens; I decided on using the Default Helius Profile for now.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately the results from the light spectrum is aesthetically pleasing and the livestock has shown a positive response so far. There are a few aesthetic nit-picks on the mounting bar for my application. If the exceptional growth and coloration performance is an indicator with the 4′ OR3 bars I ran for over a year on another system, I believe these will be just as good on this smaller system.

I will check back after 6 months for some longer use updates.