(Another) DIY LED Build - Linear Design

[katchupoy]

Dan. Did you incorporate the potentiometer? If not then you need to reconfig your code/sketch to a lower jntensity settings. Maybe start with 50%. Then go up from there weekly.

if not then old school way, raise your lighting up way up, or put screens....

.

 

[wardda]

Nope, I'll just mod the sketch, I'm pretty comfortable with code so a little tweak here and there isn't a big deal.

 

[katchupoy]

Haha, thats good. when youre done with the sketch, if i can have a copy, that would be awesome.... I have been thinkering about that too..

Thanks.

 

[wardda]

Katchupoy,

Any specific goals you have? If so I can try and add them. I would love to give back to this project, as you have done so much already for all of us following it.

Dan

Haha, thats good. when youre done with the sketch, if i can have a copy, that would be awesome.... I have been thinkering about that too..

Thanks.

 

[ruiny]

I would like to ask the experts here what their thoughts are.
I have a 93 cube 30x30 x27 high
My plan was to use a 250w MH with LED for actinic and some white.
The plan was to have the LEDs come on first, then around 5pm have the mh on with the LEDs to 10ish then the MH goes off, at 11ish the LEDs go off.

I don't think I need dimmable?
I don't know what mix of LED to use
I am looking on the rapidled websit and it seems like the 24 ultra premium kit could work

http://www.rapidled.com/24-ultra-premium-led-do-it-yourself-retrofit-kit/

Thoughts?
Thanks

 

[TropTrea]

I would like to ask the experts here what their thoughts are.
I have a 93 cube 30x30 x27 high
My plan was to use a 250w MH with LED for actinic and some white.
The plan was to have the LEDs come on first, then around 5pm have the mh on with the LEDs to 10ish then the MH goes off, at 11ish the LEDs go off.

I don't think I need dimmable?
I don't know what mix of LED to use
I am looking on the rapidled websit and it seems like the 24 ultra premium kit could work

http://www.rapidled.com/24-ultra-premium-led-do-it-yourself-retrofit-kit/

Thoughts?
Thanks

My thoughts here are not using the MH's but instead using about 60 3 Watt Cree LED's. You could split them up 12 neutral whites, 24 Blues, and 24 Royal Blues. Run 2" channeling for your heat sinks and with a 30 X 30 tank you can easily run 8 seperate channl with a 1 inch spacing bewtween them.
This would allow you room for a 4" spacing and with 2" channeling you would get 32 square inces of cooling per LED which is more than enough without using fans. Rapid LED's heat sinks are great for tight spacing but all heat sinks are expensive and in your case you can get away without them.

The only issue is what size lenses would work on your system best. With 27" of hight You probably want to use them. But the big variable is how high above the substrate your LED's will be.

No Lens = 120 degrees for full bottom coverage = 18" over the substrate.
80 degree lenses = 23" over the substrate.
60 degree lenses = 30" over the substrate
40 degree lenses = 42" over the substrate.

Now if you decide to still go with the MH's I suggest you run the LED suplement on two rails one in the back and one in the front of the tank. Put the rails so the LED's are at a 45 degree angle without lenses facing the oposite corner on the bottom of the tank. This will give maximium shimmer. Run the LED's 3" apart so you have maximium shimmer. Run 10 LED's on each rail alternating them between royal blue and blue. Total 20 LED's. Also use two LPC 35-700 Drivers one for each rail.

 

[ruiny]

I was going to use the MH because I have it from a old setup.
I have both 250w and 400w ballasts.
I figured I could start with the LEDs for supplement lighting for now and change to full by adding more later. Does this sound reasonable, or am I missing something?

Also is that combo of royal blue and blue and replacment for atinic?
Thanks for the input.

 

[TropTrea]

I was going to use the MH because I have it from a old setup.
I have both 250w and 400w ballasts.
I figured I could start with the LEDs for supplement lighting for now and change to full by adding more later. Does this sound reasonable, or am I missing something?

Also is that combo of royal blue and blue and replacment for atinic?
Thanks for the input.

since you already have the MH's then it sounds more than reasonable. Do you know what kind of bulb you will be using for the MH's? If your using something like a 20,000K bulb you will want more of a 1 White 1 blue, 1 Royal blue in your Mix of LED's While if your using a 10,000K or 6,500K bulb you mah want to go with Royal Blues and Blues on a 50/50 mix.

You could say Blues are just lightly more blue than a 20,000K MH bulb. The Royal Blues are more Blue Blue Violet than even atinics. I like the look of a 50/50 mix between these. With White LED's it does not take a lot to start neutralizing the blue. I'm running 8 Royal Blues, 8 Blues, 2 Cyan and 2 Neutral Whites on my 40 gallon and it is close to a 20,000K look. When I order LED's next I'll be upping it to 6 Whites total hoping it does not get too white for my tastes.

If you run the 10 Blues and 10 Royal blues at 700 ma you will have 20 Watts of LED's which is the equivelent of about 120 watts of average T-5's or 180 Watts of PC atinics. Use the 45 angle on these and you will love the shimmer effect. Later you can add another 3 or 4 Strips of LED's when you decide to get ride of your MH's.

This is basicly what I'm doing with my 120 gallon only I have T-5's I'm suplementing with LED's for now.

 

[beginnersluckpg]

well i getting close i think

well i getting close i think

So here goes, not really sure how to alternate the leds but tried the best i could tell me what you think and please offer criticsm......

thanks guys

 

[beginnersluckpg]

oops forgot picture

oops forgot picture

OK some specs now
each module.....only building one to start.

the channel is 1 x 1 aluminum u channel
there will be 8 rows, 18 inches in length
the cahnnels will be 1 inch spaced except for the outer row which will be 1.5 inches and this row will also be tilted at a 30-45 degree angle pointing to the center of the tank. Another great suggestion I thought.
6 leds per row at 3 inch spacing, and it will be ran by 4 dimmamable drivers


20 Blue XPE
16 Royal Blue XPE
8 Natural White XPG
4 Cyan Phillips Rebel

This is the current breakdown of the LEDS there will be 4 phases in each module as suggested by a very helpful sole. So i will end up having a simple dawn and dusk affect.

 

[katchupoy]

will you be wiring them by color together? example: all blues? or will you be wiring them by linear strips?

 

[beginnersluckpg]

Phases

Phases

I will be wiring them by color. So four phases.

Phase one
12 blue
Phase two
8 royal blue+ 4 cyan
Phase three
8 blue + 4 neutral white
Phase four
8 royal blue + 4 neutral white

 

[TropTrea]

I will be wiring them by color. So four phases.

Phase one
12 blue
Phase two
8 royal blue+ 4 cyan
Phase three
8 blue + 4 neutral white
Phase four
8 royal blue + 4 neutral white

Your laypout looks good. however I would split up the LED's a little differently. Mainly using the Royal Blues and only 2 whites on the thrird phase with 6 blues and 6 Whites on the final.

However this is a color preference that is personal. I like the tank to get Whiter as well as brighter as it progresses to midday. Your lay out is simular to mine in other regards with total end ratio.

mine Phase 1 = 6 Royal Blues + 2 Blues.
Phase 2 = 2 Cyan + 4 Blues + 2 Royal Blues.
Phase 3 = 4 neutral whites + 4 Blues

I'm contemplating swapping the 2 Cyan for Whites or going with 6 neutral whites and 2 blues in phase 3. I want the mid day lighting just a slight bit whiter. But as I often say this is personal taste after the switch might end up likinking it better the way it was.

 

[beginnersluckpg]

Color make up??

Color make up??

Should I be adding some more whites? I just wonder if it will be over powering, with ll the blue. And do you think the actual bulb layout was ok to. I appreciate your guys help by the way.

 

[beginnersluckpg]

Sorry shouldn't skim read

Sorry shouldn't skim read

I see your blue to white is very similar as what I proposed.

 

[beginnersluckpg]

Might be a stupid question but could u powder coat the outer faces of the aluminum channel .. Will the adhesive still work??? Or is there a type of paint ? Going to drill holes for all the wires so i can hide them and build a aluminum lid vented with a cooling fan. would like to make the aluminum back round white.

 

[beginnersluckpg]

I have also decided to phase the colors a little differently.
1. 12 blue
2. 8 royal blue + 2 cyan + 2 neutral white
3. 6 blue + 2cyan + 4 neutral whites
4. 8 royal blue + 2 neutral whites + 2 blue

 

[TropTrea]

Might be a stupid question but could u powder coat the outer faces of the aluminum channel .. Will the adhesive still work??? Or is there a type of paint ? Going to drill holes for all the wires so i can hide them and build a aluminum lid vented with a cooling fan. would like to make the aluminum back round white.

Paint is basicly an insulator to the heat. What will happen is the heat will not properly transfer from the alumnium star to the channeling. Instead it will build up on the Star untill it gets hot enough to either start burning the paint or overheat the LED causing a failure. Either way you will get some fumes and some foul oders.

T0 color the alumnium what they usualy do is anodize it with an elctro plating type operation. It is simular to to the way they used to plate car bumpers years ago onlyt instead of using chrome they use other chemicals. It is very inexpensive on a mass production bases but just doing individual pieces for someone does become costly with set up fees.

 

[TropTrea]

I have also decided to phase the colors a little differently.
1. 12 blue
2. 8 royal blue + 2 cyan + 2 neutral white
3. 6 blue + 2cyan + 4 neutral whites
4. 8 royal blue + 2 neutral whites + 2 blue

I think you will like this much better it is close to what I would do with 48 LED's. But I look at a more stepped aproach to the whites. Which is personal preference. you have 8 Whites total and 4 Cyan. So I would put
no whites or cyans on the 1st driver
all for Cyan's on the second driver
4 whites on the third driver
4 whites on the fourth driver.

I would also misx some of the Blues and Royal Blues into that first driver. But that is my personal color taste since I do not like all Blue or all Royal blues by themselves.

But keep in mind once it is up and running you can always fine tune it. I have done it several times myself and usualy after about 2 weeks of running Ill look at it and think it is too blue or purple then swap a couple LED's around whith an initial pleasing effect but then after a while start thinking back it looked like I over did the change and change something else.

 

[wardda]

Which Lenses?

Which Lenses?

TropTrea and Katchupoy,

I could use some advice on lenses. I'm thinking I should change the lenses I'm using. I currently have 80 deg lenses on all led's.

If I move to the layout proposed by TropTrea below on a standard 90g tank, 36 led XTE Royal Blues and XPG mix of CW and NW. 12 leds on each 48" rail. Here are the key dimensions so you can help me with this decision.

• The LED's are 9" above the water.
• The LED's are 31" above the substrate.
• Left to right LED spacing is 3" center to center, except at the center brace which they are 4"
• Blues are either 3" apart or 6" if there is a white between (left to right)
• Whites are 9" apart (left to right)
• Spacing of rails front to back is glass - 4" to rail 1, rail 1 center to rail 2 center is 5", rail 2 center to rail 3 center is 5", rail 3 center to glass is 4"

My current thought is to go to 40 or 60 deg lenses on the blues and stay with 80 deg on the whites or possibly drop to 60 deg lenses.

Is there a benefit to go to 40 deg lenses on the blues in the front where the substrate is lower (no major rock formations) and to keep extra light off the front glass?

Any and all comments appreciated.

Dan

From the lay out you listed I see banding issues with the whites all lined up..
consider something like this

B W B B W B B W B B W B
B B W B B W B B W B B W
W B B W B B W B B W B B