DIY LED Club

[AQD_ottawa]

Due to requests we are setting up here a DIY profilux LED build thread where you can share your LED build ideas and concepts.

In the next few weeks we hope to arrange through GHL Direct website and LED kit, we are hoping this will include a meanwell driver pack and also EVG cards.

More news on that shortly.

Please feel free to use this thread for all DIY LED stuff

 

[boboxx]

sweet! adding any LED?

 

[MSHUR]

Michael,
If i have LED from Reefbright is it possable to get a adapter/controller with 1-10v to dim them with my Profilux?

Here is some pics how i mount them into my Sfiligoi fixure:

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Hi Mike

If the reef Bright has a 1-10v dimmable input then all you need is the EVG-AP2F PCB.

If it does not have a 1-10v interface then ya outta luck

Some LED maufacturers are waking up to Triac dimming, this is basically lighting wall socket AC dimming, and can be controlled through the profiLux with the PowerBar-2Dim which is a 1-10V controlled AC dimmable device.

Ecoxotic are the first to utilise this and we have been in contact with them, so if you are looking at Ecoxotic LED's the GHL ProfiLux will control them.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

You could also use the LBF-AP box if you dont need to switch the AC off at 0V for the reef bright

 

[MSHUR]

Well,
Reefbright comes with a controler and i can adjust brightness only manually. ther eis a switch.
What i can do with LBF-AP box ?

mike

 

[AQD_ottawa]

its just an interface box it provides the wiring into the profilux and then gives you a terminal block for your own wiring to the device.

You will need to know what the control line is on the reef bright to know if it is 1-10V or AC or something else.

 

[MSHUR]

I think AC , but i will have to do some more research.

BTW, reefbright is awesome! I see some colors that i never saw before

 

[hlsooner]

I just completed a DIY LED build over my tank. The Meanwells are wired to an extension cord plugged into a Profilux power bar. I wired the L1-L4 circuits to control the 0-10v dimming circuits on the Meanwells. Because of the dimming circuit current draw, I arranged the L1-L4 circuits to a maximum of 3 Meanwells per circuit.

The L1-L4 values are set for 1-10V rather than 0-10V because the Meanwell does not begin at all until 1V applied to the dimming circuit. I don't really see the need for the EVG boards unless you don't have a free plug on one of your power bars. Even turning off the mains power is really unnecessary as the Meanwells shut down when less than 1V is applied to the dimming circuits.

I love the controllability of the Meanwells with the Profilux. I had some dimmable T5 ballasts before but the Meanwells offer much more control. I especially love cloud simulation now.

 

[jameshongth]

I just completed a DIY LED build over my tank. The Meanwells are wired to an extension cord plugged into a Profilux power bar. I wired the L1-L4 circuits to control the 0-10v dimming circuits on the Meanwells. Because of the dimming circuit current draw, I arranged the L1-L4 circuits to a maximum of 3 Meanwells per circuit.

The L1-L4 values are set for 1-10V rather than 0-10V because the Meanwell does not begin at all until 1V applied to the dimming circuit. I don't really see the need for the EVG boards unless you don't have a free plug on one of your power bars. Even turning off the mains power is really unnecessary as the Meanwells shut down when less than 1V is applied to the dimming circuits.

I love the controllability of the Meanwells with the Profilux. I had some dimmable T5 ballasts before but the Meanwells offer much more control. I especially love cloud simulation now.

Awesome. I'm still waiting for my ProfiLux Light II to be arrived and can't wait to fix it up.

btw, can you show me the picture of your connection from Meanwell to PII?

Thanks.

 

[hlsooner]

The pin out diagram from GHL is available here that lists the functions of the wires coming out of an L1-L2 port.
http://www.aquariumcomputer.com/Download/Manual_EVG-AP2_V400.pdf

I already had a cable with bare wires from an EVG board, otherwise you can just cut the connector end of an existing L1-L2 cable.

Inside the cable there are six wires I believe, but you are only going to use three. There are two 0-10V dimming wires which use a common ground. The wires are color coded and identified in the posted wire diagram, making them easy to locate. But for good measure I used my multimeter to verify the two voltage wires and ground. Just set the illumination output at 50% and L1-L2 at 0-10V and make sure you get 5V on each wire.

The wires in the cable are very tiny, so I put a bit of solder on them to make them easier to handle. Then I secured them to a small screw down terminal block I bought at Home Depot, together with the 22 gauge wire I ran up to the Meanwells mounted up on top of the tank. It makes a secure connection and is easy to remove and reconfigure at any time.

 

[jameshongth]

The pin out diagram from GHL is available here that lists the functions of the wires coming out of an L1-L2 port.
http://www.aquariumcomputer.com/Download/Manual_EVG-AP2_V400.pdf

I already had a cable with bare wires from an EVG board, otherwise you can just cut the connector end of an existing L1-L2 cable.

Inside the cable there are six wires I believe, but you are only going to use three. There are two 0-10V dimming wires which use a common ground. The wires are color coded and identified in the posted wire diagram, making them easy to locate. But for good measure I used my multimeter to verify the two voltage wires and ground. Just set the illumination output at 50% and L1-L2 at 0-10V and make sure you get 5V on each wire.

The wires in the cable are very tiny, so I put a bit of solder on them to make them easier to handle. Then I secured them to a small screw down terminal block I bought at Home Depot, together with the 22 gauge wire I ran up to the Meanwells mounted up on top of the tank. It makes a secure connection and is easy to remove and reconfigure at any time.

Hi hlsooner,

Thanks for your reply.

:bounce2:

 

[camnbron]

This is my work in progress DIY LED lighting for my 5foot mixed reef upgrade.

Display tank has 2 of 3 LED modules installed running at 50% (left has no lenses, right has 40degree lenses)

Its profilux controlling meanwell drivers driving Cree XPG cool whites (L3) and XPE Royal blues (L4). 2 Drivers per module and aiming to have 3 modules
Pic of panel with lenses over LEDs - if goes white blue white blue... except for where there is one blue missing -limit of LED driver and forward voltage

I'm using 10mm squares for the boards the LED's are mounted to with carlico (spelling?) lenses.
My drivers and the associated EVG board are located in "the cabinet" (it'll have one once the panels arrive to cover the steel frame).