Cheap LED Group Buy! ($1.39/each)
- Thread starter JMcAz7
- Start date
bluelair
New member
Hi,
I'm still on halides, but I was looking to add a string of blue LEDs to even out the colors in my tank. Would the blue ones in this thread be suitable for that?
I'm running 10000k 2 x 150w halides currently. Would the blue color here work and how many would you suggest I use? Also nice would be to be able to wire only like 3-4 of the lamps to stay on as moonlights when the mains are off.
I'm still on halides, but I was looking to add a string of blue LEDs to even out the colors in my tank. Would the blue ones in this thread be suitable for that?
I'm running 10000k 2 x 150w halides currently. Would the blue color here work and how many would you suggest I use? Also nice would be to be able to wire only like 3-4 of the lamps to stay on as moonlights when the mains are off.
JMcAz7
Vanilla Ice Impersonator
Yeah. It's 2-3 days processing time and 1-2 weeks shipping per their website. We can upgrade the shipping to DHL air which basically doubles the cost of shipping, but that's 2-3 days shipping.
JMcAz7
Vanilla Ice Impersonator
The royal blues would be good for evening out the tank, and if you're only looking to even out the colors you probably wouldn't need a ton. They may be a bit overkill for moonlights, unless they were on a dimmer and you turned them way down at night.
With as much light as you already have on that tank, I'd throw 12-16 blues on it and call it a day. Optics are optional, but I'd get them anyway because it may or may not look better with them. Driver-wise, you could do 2 drivers: 1 to drive most of them (which doesn't even really need to be dimmable since the halides aren't dimmable either), and 1 to drive 4-6 of them as moonlights on a dimmable driver.
I like the cheap DIY idea but trying to decide the if easier route is for me. reefledlights has cree strips with 6 leds per strip already wired - (no soldering required - I haven't soldered before but have seen videos and am pretty handy - but seems like a pain to do). Then just glue onto C channel and get dimmable drivers. I like the Inventronics driver that nanocustoms and reefledlights uses because all you need is a potentiometer for dimming and no adjustments inside the driver are needed. Money vs simple?
Also I don't want to use fans to cool the heatsink. Would a real heatsink give me a better chance of no fan or will c channel be ok?
I am going to use this over a 10 gallon nano. Was thinking 6-8 RB and 6-8 W on dimmable seperate drivers for dawn/dusk effect.
Also I don't want to use fans to cool the heatsink. Would a real heatsink give me a better chance of no fan or will c channel be ok?
I am going to use this over a 10 gallon nano. Was thinking 6-8 RB and 6-8 W on dimmable seperate drivers for dawn/dusk effect.
JMcAz7
Vanilla Ice Impersonator
Hey chockodile, I'm more than willing to give a crash course in soldering, and for the amount of LEDS you plan on running I doubt you'll even need a fan. Yes, a machined finished heat sink would look nice and stay cooler but it $50 you don't need to spend. The C channel should be fine.
Your driver plan sounds like it would work perfectly.
Your driver plan sounds like it would work perfectly.
JMcAz7 - I think I may want to go DIY less money. Do you have many takers for the order yet? I will pm you once I decide - before Friday.
do you know if the $24 meanwells at nanotuners need to be opened up and adjust the pot for output current? I gather that the meanwell drivers are outputting too much current off the shelf and need to be adjusted? Not exactly sure what that is but I have seen it on a few posts and then on reefledlights it has a youtube video on how to do it.
Also if the meanwell is dimable and I hook up one of the $3.50 potentiometers I see online, do I also have to hook up a 10v power source? The inventronics 40w 700mA don't need to be adjusted and don't need a 10v power supply for the potentiometer.
Just trying to understand what I need before I committ.
do you know if the $24 meanwells at nanotuners need to be opened up and adjust the pot for output current? I gather that the meanwell drivers are outputting too much current off the shelf and need to be adjusted? Not exactly sure what that is but I have seen it on a few posts and then on reefledlights it has a youtube video on how to do it.
Also if the meanwell is dimable and I hook up one of the $3.50 potentiometers I see online, do I also have to hook up a 10v power source? The inventronics 40w 700mA don't need to be adjusted and don't need a 10v power supply for the potentiometer.
Just trying to understand what I need before I committ.
JMcAz7
Vanilla Ice Impersonator
chocodile- I have quite a few people interested, but no one has given me their order as of yet (there'll be a round of PMs going out Thursday night.)
Yes, those drivers will need the internal current output pot adjusted.
Yes, you need a 10v power source for dimming. You can accomplish this by either wiring up a 10k pot to a 9v "wall-wart" adapter, or buy an adapter with variable voltage ala: http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=119. Either are really simple.
Looking at it from your perspective, the inventronics driver is probably the simpler route. My controller has the 0-10VDC output, so the meanwell makes more sense for me.
Yes, those drivers will need the internal current output pot adjusted.
Yes, you need a 10v power source for dimming. You can accomplish this by either wiring up a 10k pot to a 9v "wall-wart" adapter, or buy an adapter with variable voltage ala: http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=119. Either are really simple.
Looking at it from your perspective, the inventronics driver is probably the simpler route. My controller has the 0-10VDC output, so the meanwell makes more sense for me.
JMcAz7
Vanilla Ice Impersonator
I'm going to do my build 2:1 white/blue. The LEDS have a temp range from 5700-6300k, but I have heard they appear on the blue end. I personally like the bluer look as my tank has a lot of blues and greens coral-wise.
My personal advice? I'd run 2:1 White/blue and order some extra whites just in case you want to swap them out. I'm also gonna be ordering extras so I'll have a small stash if anyone needs some.
savageAJC
New member
jM thanks for the heads up, I will most likely get in on this along with my buddy. Im only planning on getting about 6 of each color.
fwiw I have a diy fixture over my tank now and i definately like the ratio more in favor of the blues. Too many whites and not enough blues wash out the color of the corals. I was first running an even amount but had to up the amount of blue leds.
fwiw I have a diy fixture over my tank now and i definately like the ratio more in favor of the blues. Too many whites and not enough blues wash out the color of the corals. I was first running an even amount but had to up the amount of blue leds.
Seems like most of the threads are 1:1 or 2:1 blue:white. I'm going 1:1 but bought a couple extra of each color just in case I need to adjust. Also I am going to use dimmers that will also allow me to adjust colors. Seems most threads talk about how they only run LEDs at 30-50%.
Yeah Choc I saw that 2. saw one guy say he is running 48 leds on a 90 and has them at 40%. that's interesting considering I thought I would need double that for my 90. Thats the confusing part, there is not set answer to what to run and it makes it hard to choose. Been leaning toward 2:1 myself and throwing in a couple of reds just for grins to see how things work out but I'm still pretty undecided
JMcAz7
Vanilla Ice Impersonator
Tank depth and optics play a lot into it. I'm going to be adding in a few reds as well to make the reds and oranges pop a bit. Better to overbuild and back it off then to come up short.
savageAJC
New member
agree. first diy fixture I built I burned out a few leds..boy was I mad, had to wait another week for the replacements.
LEDs are tricky because they dont seem that bright when looking at your tank, but if you start them off to high they will torch your corals.
JMcAz7
Vanilla Ice Impersonator
Sorry for the delayed response. I wanted to work this out before I gave a suggestion,
For a tank that tall you'll want to run a fairly dense arrangement of LEDs with optics to keep the PARs up all the way down to your sandbed.
So, I worked out an idea of what I would do, and I'll run it by you. It works out by using an aluminum C channel framework and 126 LEDs (88 White/38 Blue, spaced ~4" apart. The excel image is drawn to scale (1"/square hoizontally, 1/2"/square vertically.). Anyway, it's a 2.3/1 ration white to blue, and it should give you good coverage and good PARs for a minimum number of LEDs. You can always go up from there if you want to, but this should cover you for almost anything you want to keep in your tank. You could also toss in a few reds (4-8 tops) to make the reds and oranges stand out a bit.
I've got all those parts priced in the thread above. You'll also need drivers, and your choices are several small ones or a couple of large ones. I'd personally suggest going big, because even though they aren't dimmable, they are a LOT cheaper and you can turn down the current in the driver if it's too bright for your tank.
I'd recommend the HLG-240H-54 Drivers. They're ~$110/each, but each one will run 70 LEDS (5 strings of 14).
http://wattsupply.com/s.nl/it.A/id.3056/.f
There are cheaper drivers out there, but not that much cheaper (maybe $15/each), but Meanwell is a solid company and I'd suggest staying with a brand name for drivers.
JMcAZ7 sent you a PM. Dont want LEDS.
What is the thickness of the C channel? I have found 1/16 inch and 1/8 inch online.
If anyone interested in a simple driver solution that is dimmable, I found Inventronics dimmable 40w 700mA driver like out of stock one at nanotuners and reefledlights. I ordered them yesterday from futureelectronics . com and they shipped today 2-3 day fedex. Reefledlights has a great youtube video that shows how to hoot up a pot to the driver.
What is the thickness of the C channel? I have found 1/16 inch and 1/8 inch online.
If anyone interested in a simple driver solution that is dimmable, I found Inventronics dimmable 40w 700mA driver like out of stock one at nanotuners and reefledlights. I ordered them yesterday from futureelectronics . com and they shipped today 2-3 day fedex. Reefledlights has a great youtube video that shows how to hoot up a pot to the driver.
