(Another) DIY LED Build - Linear Design
- Thread starter katchupoy
- Start date
TheFishMan65
New member
It is a little bit of wste of power (1 wat at one amp), but I owuld leave it place so a month later you can check easily.
katchupoy
New member
Also, specially like me, where I cant decide what setting of potentiometer im running, I always check my reading... lol... not needed though.
At first I thought that if maybe turning max my potentiometer is 100% and finding the middle of it is 50%. I was totally wrong and off.
And because of this resistor, I was able to mark my potentiometer, where is the 375 ma as 50% in my potentiometer. And also marked 250 ma and 500 ma. Now i know if i turn my potentiometer, I know for sure that it is indeed running at 50%.
Now at any time I can say, let me try 500 ma on Blue and 500 ma on white. Even though Im running different ma on blues and whites...
Hope this helps.
At first I thought that if maybe turning max my potentiometer is 100% and finding the middle of it is 50%. I was totally wrong and off.
And because of this resistor, I was able to mark my potentiometer, where is the 375 ma as 50% in my potentiometer. And also marked 250 ma and 500 ma. Now i know if i turn my potentiometer, I know for sure that it is indeed running at 50%.
Now at any time I can say, let me try 500 ma on Blue and 500 ma on white. Even though Im running different ma on blues and whites...
Hope this helps.
levischilz
New member
I'm looking to do something like this for my 210 but am having trouble finding info on larger scale. Are there drivers that would run more than 12 per driver? I'm looking at the rapidled site and am guessing I will need 3x36 or 3x48 sets to make this work on my tank. The tank is 72x24x29.
Also just wanted to ask, I think i understand the pots for dimming, if i was upward of running 100-140 LEDs I would guess i would need a few 10v adapters for all the drivers. Besides the dimming portion. The feed out from the driver that goes to the LEDs I don't have to have anymore equipment correct? The adjustment inside the drive is the control for that? Or you just set the max in the driver to your desired peak and then the pot would dim from nothing to your set max?
Thanks Levi
Also just wanted to ask, I think i understand the pots for dimming, if i was upward of running 100-140 LEDs I would guess i would need a few 10v adapters for all the drivers. Besides the dimming portion. The feed out from the driver that goes to the LEDs I don't have to have anymore equipment correct? The adjustment inside the drive is the control for that? Or you just set the max in the driver to your desired peak and then the pot would dim from nothing to your set max?
Thanks Levi
Great points! Makes good sense to me. Do you guys do any moonlighting with your setups? If so do you just use your RBs on a low setting or did you actually put in moon light LEDs? Maybe a few 1W LEDs?
I've decided on a 36 LED dimmable setup for my 65g. 18 Cre XP-G Cool Whites and 18 XP-E RBs. I think I'm going to use (4) ELN-60-48D drivers. Each driver will run (9) LEDs. This way I can control CW and RB individually and I think I'm going to set it up to where I can set intensity on different halves of the tank as well.
I'm pretty sure I'll do 3 rows of 6 on each half of the tank and probably just alternate RB and CW in each row.
I've decided on a 36 LED dimmable setup for my 65g. 18 Cre XP-G Cool Whites and 18 XP-E RBs. I think I'm going to use (4) ELN-60-48D drivers. Each driver will run (9) LEDs. This way I can control CW and RB individually and I think I'm going to set it up to where I can set intensity on different halves of the tank as well.
I'm pretty sure I'll do 3 rows of 6 on each half of the tank and probably just alternate RB and CW in each row.
As long as your 10V supply can handle 1000mah (which is what the radioshack one is rated for) you should be fine for using around 15 or so drivers on it, maybe even a couple more. I was just asking how much the dimmer side of the driver uses and katchupoy mentioned around 50mah.
katchupoy
New member
Levis, please read this thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=18188752
Or you just set the max in the driver to your desired peak and then the pot would dim from nothing to your set max?
Yes you are correct on this.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=18188752
Or you just set the max in the driver to your desired peak and then the pot would dim from nothing to your set max?
Yes you are correct on this.
katchupoy
New member
the HP led's is too bright even on the lowest setting. 1 watt led's might be the answer. I am using "led flexible light bar" $20 from Autozone. 2x1 foot strips of blue led on a variable voltage adaptor. You can cut it and solder.
unbreakable
D:
What do you think about doing 36 LEDs, having 24 XR-E Royal Blues and then having 12 XP-G Cool whites in the middle? I would like it to be for a 75g all SPS tank. RC has been so slow, reading through this thread is taking so long 
TheFishMan65
New member
unbreakaboe, I think you will need more light for an SPS in a 75 (depending on how high you want them) I would suggest 24/24 (or maybe mix a few blue in with the whites and wathc the current) on dimmable drivers.
unbreakable
D:
I know in the beginning it says to do about 48 for a 75g, Just didn't know how it would look to have 4 48" long heat sinks each having 2 heat sinks of 12 XP-G Cool whites each and 2 heat sinks of XR-E Royal Blues each.. what the end result in the overall color would be. I could always hook it up to my controller and dim down the lights. I'm checking out the heat sinks and the kit at rapid led:
http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-142/1.1"-x-48"-Aluminum/Detail
http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-57/48-Ultra-Premium-LED/Detail
http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-142/1.1"-x-48"-Aluminum/Detail
http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-57/48-Ultra-Premium-LED/Detail
TheFishMan65
New member
I interspersed mine so I can't really say about look. I just think that 36 is not enough for SPS. You could go to 60 and do BWBWB, but I am not sure how much better that would be.
katchupoy
New member
What do you think about doing 36 LEDs, having 24 XR-E Royal Blues and then having 12 XP-G Cool whites in the middle? I would like it to be for a 75g all SPS tank. RC has been so slow, reading through this thread is taking so long
Haha, I thought Im the only one experiencing this (unbearable) lag here at RC. I thought maybe because Im not Premium Member????
Honestly? I dont have par meter thats why Im just giving you my educated guess. The good thing with this LINEAR approach is it can be modular. If you feel 35 is not enough then add another 12 in the future. In my case 36 is already good and no plans on adding more. I have SPS too.
I just upgraded to 36 LEDs now, and your planned setup is what I have right now. I added 12 XP-E RB's, so right now I have 2:1.
I thought that if added 12 more RBs, I am just extending the actinic color to the back of my tank, since I have RB, CW, RB configuration front to back. I am wrong, RB + RB = really really bright actinic. Its so bright that it looks you added cyan in there or a little white. Before you can only see the greens and then the rest is black/dark. Now I can see more details. Thinking that if I added another 12 RBs totalling 36, I can remove my 12 CW's and run it like 20k radiums. This is just my observation and can be different with everybody else. So take it as a grain of salt.
Remember I ran my LEDs 12 inches off the water, so my 45 degree optics on my XP-G can cover 18" front to back tank. But if I may recommend to even order a wider like 50? or 60? optic for XP-G.
Also, right now im running all of my LED's at 500 ma. I believe its still too early to move up. My corals are reacting to it.
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katchupoy
New member
thats a good aluminum bar but i believe expensive. Im using 1 inch square bar from home depot. 8 feet costs 15 bucks.
katchupoy
New member
Almost similar to this one, just darker. I will try post tonight. Im at work right now.....
100% (750 ma) ROYAL BLUE XR-E
100% (1000 ma) COOL WHITE XP-G
