DIY LEDs - The write-up

[marc111]

You probably want to be in the 140 - 160 range for LED count. 700mA or 1000mA drive current thanks to your deep tank, and 40 or 60 degree optics.

For spacing, just figure your heatsinks to come within a few inches of the area for each of your openings, and space the LEDs evenly across them.

Thank you sir. I appreciate the help. Once I get materials I will post an update.

Mark

 

[widmer]

I'm guessing no one was probably wondering (lol) but I ended up tracking down a high power LED that puts out 660 nm red light, made by LedEngin of California. This is unique based on the fact that every other red high power LED in existence puts out ~630 nm light which is totally useless for exciting chlorophyll A. Assuming the data sheet is not fraudulent, it looks like a serious contender for terrestrial plants/macroalgae, and due to its firing characteristics it could be put right in line with Crees for anyone out there planning an LED refugium light:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...EpiMZZMt82OzCyDsLFBwAhP8XkNCwtI/2QZ%2bk%2bVI=

 

[widmer]

Also, I'd like to renew my call for someone, anyone, who is capable of measuring light emission spectra to test out the Cree cool white LEDs. I am very highly suspecting that there are probably disparities which aren't accurately depicted in Cree's data sheets.

 

[n0rk]

As far as I know, evilc66 on nano-reef has plans to do testing of the spectra of various LEDs sometime in the next little while. As I recall he was going to test Cool Whites compared to Luxeons to see how they correlated spectrally. If/when he does release this data I'll post it back here.

 

[crvz]

You're correct about the power requirements of the separate drivers. Since the Cree LEDs will top out at 1000 mA drive current, this means that each buck puck driven string of them will take an amp. So for the case of the buck puck drivers, you need a power supply with appropriate amperage to handle the number of buck pucks you use. IE for 5 buck pucks ~ 5 amps you would want a ~6 amp power supply so that you are leaving some breathing room for it when everything is under full load.

The meanwells are like a buck puck with built in power supply so that they just plug into the wall. They are what folks are primarily using, as far as I know, if they want their lighting to be controlled by their reefkeeper etc...

Thanks. So would you recommend the ELN-60-48P or ELN-60-48D? And is there a best place to buy them?

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

P type is for PWM dimming, D type is for 0-10v analog dimming. If you have a controller or will be getting one soon, get the type that matches your controller. If you don't want a controller, the D-type is probably easier to "build a knob" for if you want to adjust dimming by hand.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Also, I'd like to renew my call for someone, anyone, who is capable of measuring light emission spectra to test out the Cree cool white LEDs. I am very highly suspecting that there are probably disparities which aren't accurately depicted in Cree's data sheets.

Someone did that at one point in one of the threads in here, but of course I can't find it now. The plot didn't strike me as outrageous, but iirc there were some weird spikes in the plot and the resident experts were debating if that was actually a sign of the LED producing an odd spectrum or just a measurement error.

 

[adova]

New Project

New Project

Hi All -

I am about to give this a shot and wanted to get some input before buying the materials.

The tank:

225g 72 x 30 x 24

With the Eurobraces, there are 3 sections with openings measuring - 2 @ 21" x 20" and 1 @ 23" x 16"

The plan (if I have this understood at all):

For each section - On a 20" x 10" heatsink (or maybe 2 @ 10" x 10"), I want to run 36 RB and 36 Cool White w/ 40 degree optics in the matrix design (6 x 6 per color) with a ELN-60-48d for each color.

Height availability to hang above the tank is not a big deal as I have about 20" or more.

Questions:

Are fans required for this setup?

Was there a concensus that the Maxtrix design was going to be ok?

Is there an updated resource for purchasing lately. I would hate to have to buy from 10 places. I.e. I see Cree Q5 for $4.36 at dealextreme and then the Royals at LED supply for $7.18 - ouch!

Thanks in advance!

Shawn

 

[Neogenocide]

I purchased mine from RapidLed.com Given I may have payed a bit more than some of the rock bottom prices you listed above, but they have great customer service and take care of any problems very fast.

Scott

 

[widmer]

Questions:

Are fans required for this setup?

Was there a concensus that the Maxtrix design was going to be ok?

Is there an updated resource for purchasing lately. I would hate to have to buy from 10 places. I.e. I see Cree Q5 for $4.36 at dealextreme and then the Royals at LED supply for $7.18 - ouch!

Thanks in advance!

Shawn

If you're referring to the 10.05" wide heatsink from heatsinkusa, I highly doubt you would need any fan. I run nine LEDs on a 1.25" strip of that stuff and when they've all been running at full blast, the temp doesn't climb above like 115 F. If I understand your plan correctly, then every 9 LEDs will get a 2.5" strip of that stuff.. Just remember, when you have it in pieces that large it gets heavy.

If by matrix you mean alternating, yea that's what pretty much everyone does. You could even do just parallel strings of blues and whites in a row and the color would likely blend just fine. If you're referring to some alternative way of wiring them up, I was tuned out of that conversation :lol:

Lots of people are shopping at cutter.com.au now. You can get XP-G's for basically what LEDSupply charges for XR-E's, and cutter's XP-E's are for sure cheaper. The last groop buy at another huge reefing forum which is named after little tanks :idea: got the XP-G's for $5.30 each and the meanwells for $26 each.

 

[crvz]

P type is for PWM dimming, D type is for 0-10v analog dimming. If you have a controller or will be getting one soon, get the type that matches your controller. If you don't want a controller, the D-type is probably easier to "build a knob" for if you want to adjust dimming by hand.

I've got the neptune AC3, which would be better applied to that controller?

 

[adova]

Well, after re-reading the concept of the matrix, I think I need to scrap it and just continue with the standard one driver per 12 LEDs. I was not realizing that the amps were going to be distributed over each "row" and giving me such a low input into the LEDs.

However, I do think I am going to do something more modular and try to create 10" x 3.33" sections that can slip into another container to build an array to suit my needs as they may change over time...

 

[dnahas]

i've got the neptune ac3, which would be better applied to that controller?

eln-60-48d

 

[jrizo1]

I've got the neptune apex which driver do i nedd

 

[jrizo1]

I've got the neptune apex which driver do i need?

 

[jrizo1]

I've got the neptune apex which driver do i nedd?

 

[jrizo1]

P type is for PWM dimming, D type is for 0-10v analog dimming. If you have a controller or will be getting one soon, get the type that matches your controller. If you don't want a controller, the D-type is probably easier to "build a knob" for if you want to adjust dimming by hand.

I've got the neptune apex which driver do i nedd?

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Nearly all off-the-shelf commercial drivers that have "dimming controls" will be a 0-10v analog signal, since that's more or less the standard for conventional dimmable lighting (stage lighting, dimmable fluorescents, etc.) So, if you have a commercial reef controller that has dimming capabilities, you probably want the D type.

 

[widmer]

Quick elementary question:

Say I've got a string of ten Cree XR-Es in series on a standard meanwell ELN-60-48-D running at 1000 mA, but I want to add two red Crees which spec a max of 700 mA. Can I put the two of them in parallel with each other on the string and expect that 500 mA is directing somewhat evenly through them (enough to not have to worry about it)?

I feel like there was debate a while back regarding this but I didn't feel like it would be applicable to me so I didn't keep up with it.

 

[n0rk]

Where abouts in the string were you planning on putting them, widmer?