Diy led

[kakalakasha]

I'm gunna set up a retrofit for a 14"x14"x12" tank, I was thinking maybe 12 or 15 leds? maybe 8 white 4 RB or 10 white and 5 RB?

Since everyone is setting this all up, I was wondering if anyone had 10-15 leds leftover they'd be willing to sell to me. Maybe some extra C channel? just a little piece... anywhere from 8"-12"?


Is this driver dimmable? http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/the-3/driver-700ma-48v-drivers/Detail

 

[hobbydave]

First of all, I want to thank everyone for this great thread. It has really helped make sense of the LED stuff. I was going to switch from T5 to MH but now I think LED is the way to go.
A few questions:
1-Anyone setup a 125 long (72"x24"x18") yet?
2-I am thinking about 108 (3 rows of 36)total with a 2:1 White to Blue
3-Fedy LED's with meanwell drivers-what size driver and how many?
4-I am going to use Alum channel 3" x 2" x .125", will that be enough to disperse the heat? It will be in a hood so not opposed to adding some fans

Let me know what you guys think of this setup. Thanks

 

[bigt0706]

First of all, I want to thank everyone for this great thread. It has really helped make sense of the LED stuff. I was going to switch from T5 to MH but now I think LED is the way to go.
A few questions:
1-Anyone setup a 125 long (72"x24"x18") yet?
2-I am thinking about 108 (3 rows of 36)total with a 2:1 White to Blue
3-Fedy LED's with meanwell drivers-what size driver and how many?
4-I am going to use Alum channel 3" x 2" x .125", will that be enough to disperse the heat? It will be in a hood so not opposed to adding some fans

Let me know what you guys think of this setup. Thanks

im running mine on a 120 five foot i am runing 4 four foot rows with 100 total leds

 

[hobbydave]

im running mine on a 120 five foot i am runing 4 four foot rows with 100 total leds

What is your power setup? Lenses? I think you have posted your setup info before, do you have the link so you dont have to keep posting it? Thanks BigT

 

[josephv]

leds

leds

First of all, I want to thank everyone for this great thread. It has really helped make sense of the LED stuff. I was going to switch from T5 to MH but now I think LED is the way to go.
A few questions:
1-Anyone setup a 125 long (72"x24"x18") yet?
2-I am thinking about 108 (3 rows of 36)total with a 2:1 White to Blue
3-Fedy LED's with meanwell drivers-what size driver and how many?
4-I am going to use Alum channel 3" x 2" x .125", will that be enough to disperse the heat? It will be in a hood so not opposed to adding some fans

Let me know what you guys think of this setup. Thanks[/QUOT
1--yes
2 --I did 3 rows 80 leds Plenty of par.
3--I used fedy leds and fedy driver.meanwell very expencive--$39for fedy compared to 149 for meanwell
4 heat sink fine
5 Love my leds.Never going back.

 

[brassmonkyballs]

First of all, I want to thank everyone for this great thread. It has really helped make sense of the LED stuff. I was going to switch from T5 to MH but now I think LED is the way to go.
A few questions:
1-Anyone setup a 125 long (72"x24"x18") yet?
2-I am thinking about 108 (3 rows of 36)total with a 2:1 White to Blue
3-Fedy LED's with meanwell drivers-what size driver and how many?
4-I am going to use Alum channel 3" x 2" x .125", will that be enough to disperse the heat? It will be in a hood so not opposed to adding some fans

Let me know what you guys think of this setup. Thanks

(2) I think the count is fine.
(3) i don't personally have a FEDY driver but I have worked offline with several people now trying to troubleshoot and take reliable readings and based on this I myself would not buy one, regardless of how cheap they are (which is actually the problem). The facts are: The Meanwell ELN 60-48 (P or D) is $30. The user can set the voltage and current output. It's dimmable, comes with 2 year warranty, has over voltage, over current, short circuit protection, and is water resistant. The Meanwell ELN 60-48 can run 28 FEDY LEDs @ a true 700ma...I did it. It's not the best driver out there but it is the best bang for the buck. http://www.meanwell.com/search/eln-60/default.htm

The higher cost models can run many many more LEDs on a single unit. I myself have several higher end Meanwells on order because I don't want 6 or 8 drivers to deal with on a large setup and I want the control. Not to mention the power supply end has built in Power Factor Correction on the higher end units.

(4) I can't imagine running on channel and can't recommend it. I'm glad some people are successful but I believe just as many people are dealing with heat issues including some running full blown large heatsinks, myself included. Its mostly about proper airflow though to keep these things cool though. If you're going to be up tight in closed canopy you will need to keep air moving in and out of it.

 

[Blackhawk007]

So my fixture is complete. My camera DROIDX captures mostly the blue light. So the images are more blue than they look in real life.

This is 1/2 way done, with the moon lights and day channels on, along with the first sunrise/sunset channel complete.

Function testing. All 7 channels are on. 1 channel is for moon lights, 2 for all day, and 4 to simulate sunrise/sunset.

Complete, I left room for any needed additions in case I'm not happy with spectrum or intensity.

This was before with my T-5's

 

[brassmonkyballs]

So my fixture is complete. My camera DROIDX captures mostly the blue light. So the images are more blue than they look in real life.

This is 1/2 way done, with the moon lights and day channels on, along with the first sunrise/sunset channel complete.

Function testing. All 7 channels are on. 1 channel is for moon lights, 2 for all day, and 4 to simulate sunrise/sunset.

Complete, I left room for any needed additions in case I'm not happy with spectrum or intensity.

This was before with my T-5's

So what are your initial thoughts? What did you have in for T5s and is the white to RB ratio 2-1?...much more blue than the T5s.

 

[Blackhawk007]

In my T-5 fixture I had 12 bulbs, each was 60" and 80watt. I had 3 10,000k, 3 Fiji Pink, 3 420nm, and 3 460nm.

The LED's have 100 Royal Blue, and 110 18,000k.

The T-5 photo was taken during the day with normal light in my place ( look at the blinds behind the tank). I think this made the photo look a bit more white than normal.
The LED photo was taken at night with all lights off in my house. I will be taking a day time photo tomorrow to make this a bit more fair of a comparison.

 

[Blackhawk007]

Oh the biggest problem...HEAT. With all channels on for more than an hour the heat sink is hot to touch. Much hotter than I would like it to be.

 

[bigt0706]

What is your power setup? Lenses? I think you have posted your setup info before, do you have the link so you dont have to keep posting it? Thanks BigT

i am runnning two of the fedy 85w balast with 35 bulbs on each manage to get them to 600ma and then im running two meanwell ballast on 30rb 15 each driver with rapid dimmer with the ability to run them from 500ma-850ma
i am runnin 3-1 on the day strips and 60 degree optics on the white -1800k bulbs im going to test par and see what i get might end up going all meanwell

 

[bigt0706]

Oh the biggest problem...HEAT. With all channels on for more than an hour the heat sink is hot to touch. Much hotter than I would like it to be.

u running any fans thats alot of led on only two heatsinks without air movement

 

[Blackhawk007]

u running any fans thats alot of led on only two heatsinks without air movement

I'm not sure if I posted the size of the heat sink but 1 its rather large 71"X18"X1.3" total. Much more surface area than C-channel. 2 its warm even when 1/2 are off. No fans. If anything I would have to place a fan on the 7 drivers because they are also quite warm.

As I discussed with BMB the drivers are not outputting clean power at all.

 

[hobbydave]

(2) I think the count is fine.
(3) i don't personally have a FEDY driver but I have worked offline with several people now trying to troubleshoot and take reliable readings and based on this I myself would not buy one, regardless of how cheap they are (which is actually the problem). The facts are: The Meanwell ELN 60-48 (P or D) is $30. The user can set the voltage and current output. It's dimmable, comes with 2 year warranty, has over voltage, over current, short circuit protection, and is water resistant. The Meanwell ELN 60-48 can run 28 FEDY LEDs @ a true 700ma...I did it. It's not the best driver out there but it is the best bang for the buck. http://www.meanwell.com/search/eln-60/default.htm

The higher cost models can run many many more LEDs on a single unit. I myself have several higher end Meanwells on order because I don't want 6 or 8 drivers to deal with on a large setup and I want the control. Not to mention the power supply end has built in Power Factor Correction on the higher end units.

(4) I can't imagine running on channel and can't recommend it. I'm glad some people are successful but I believe just as many people are dealing with heat issues including some running full blown large heatsinks, myself included. Its mostly about proper airflow though to keep these things cool though. If you're going to be up tight in closed canopy you will need to keep air moving in and out of it.

Im looking into heatsinkusa instead of the channel. Do you think its better to run separate pieces like 3 x 4" wide rather than 1 large 10"?

I am thinking about doing the 2:1 so 80 whites, 40 RB and 12 Blue for moonlight. It would be great to run all this on the least number of drivers. What do you recommend? What are the bigger drivers from meanwell?

 

[crooks]

I am getting ready to put an order in but have a few questions I have to double check before I do.

With these leds whats a good ratio for a 20k look? 2 18k white to 1 Royal Blue?
I can string 28 leds on one meanwel 48d correct?
Will 168 leds able enough to light a 6' tank?

 

[bigt0706]

I am getting ready to put an order in but have a few questions I have to double check before I do.

With these leds whats a good ratio for a 20k look? 2 18k white to 1 Royal Blue?
I can string 28 leds on one meanwel 48d correct?
Will 168 leds able enough to light a 6' tank?

if your not going to run an all rb stip then, i would sugest 2-18k led/1rb led
with the meanwell 48d u can run two strings of 14 leds for total of 28leds per ballast i would look into the larger meanwell ballast u can run 4 stings of 14 for total of 52 per ballast but these are not dimable , what size 6 foot tank ?

 

[crooks]

180 gallon. I have 250 Watt raduims now and want that look. What do you think?

 

[bigt0706]

180 gallon. I have 250 Watt raduims now and want that look. What do you think?

168 would be plenty i would go with the 2-1 ratio or make a royal blue stip on the dimable ballast and controll the blue pop that u want

 

[bigt0706]

180 gallon. I have 250 Watt raduims now and want that look. What do you think?

rimless ?

 

[crooks]

Not rimless