DIY LEDs - The write-up

[mstng67]

Yes - plug that into your 12v wall wart and adjust the pot on it for a 10v max (check with a multimeter) then plug in your meanwell and it'll run at 100%.

You could even use that as a dimming control by adjusting the pot to lower voltages, but you MUST be careful to not go over the 10v limit.

Thanks for the quick feedback. It looked like it would work, but I wanted to check before I used one.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

People have posted LM317 circuits a few times for controlling the D-type meanwells - that's basically a premade version of the same thing. You could probably build it yourself for two bucks, but by the time you paid shipping on parts, put it together, etc. the $4 saved probably isn't worth it unless you really just want to DIY it.

 

[mstng67]

I figured the cost differential would be something like that, but would rather spend my DIY time on other the regular build. Thanks for all the help you give!

 

[ti-christ]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's very useful.

I currently own a 180g tank which has the following dimension 6'x2'x2'. I want to have 3 LED pendents (LED fixture). I have mostly SPS and few LPS and soft (in darker area). I currently have 3x 250W Pheonix bulb and 6x 3' T5HO.

I have on hand a 12"x13"x1.5"(H) heatsink. I am planning to use XP-G for Cool White and XP-E for Royal Blue. I am planning to use 40 degrees optics. Also, I want to place the LED fixture about 15in from the tank water surface.

I have selected the following LEDs from Cutter in Australia:
Cool White (XP-G): XPGWHT-L1-1A0-R5-0-01 => Brightness: R5, Color Bin: 1A
Royal Blue (XP-E): XPEROY-L1-D40-16-0-01

I would like to have feedback from people who has bought LED from Cutter in Australia. Also, could you tell me which shipping method did you use (Regular Post or Express)? Did you have to pay duty at the custom? Did you pay shipping insurance? Please tell me your experience. They want to ship the LED using Regular Post. So I am afraid that my package gets lost!

I will drive all LEDs at 1000 mA using PWM to adjust color only if required.
Cool White and Royal Blue LED will be drive in different chain with 6 LEDs per driver.

I have defined 2 LED patterns (Pattern A 1:1 ratio & Pattern B 55:45 ratio):


Did you see any potention problem with any of these patterns?
Which pattern seems to be the best?

Each LED fixture will have 49 LEDs, therefore I will have a total of (147 LEDs) 450-500 Watts of LED. To you think that I will have more light than my current fixture using 3x 250W Pheonix bulb?

All comments will be appreciated!!!

 

[crvz]

thanks for the words, everybody.

 

[jerwin]

I have a easy question. If I am planning on getting a Reefkeeper Elite in the future. Would I want to use the ELN-60-48D or ELN-60-48P right now. So when I get the ReefKeeper that I can use its functions to dim the LED lights.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

D-type since you'll have an analog signal from the controller.

 

[jerwin]

Thanks der_wille_zur_macht. I think you must live on this forum. I can not believe how much you know about all of this stuff.

So with the Royal blues. I was wanting to get some of the blues with a wave length of 420 and some with 460. From what I have been reading about the bins and colors. Can you help me to know what I should ask for.

 

[biecacka]

where can we buy some led's from to try our own fixtures?

 

[laverda]

Yes, they have to have something. 10v is 100% so with nothing you get 0%. You could use a 9v battery just stuck on there, but obviously you'll only get 90% power.
I don't know of anyway to dim with AC3. I wish I did. :sad2:
I think, but I'm not sure the Apex has a couple of output sockets.

I know you can control it with the AC3. You could use the Aqua surf module or the Moon light module I think. No t sure but you might also be able to through the break out box.

 

[tahiriqbal]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your experience, it's very useful.

I currently own a 180g tank which has the following dimension 6'x2'x2'. I want to have 3 LED pendents (LED fixture). I have mostly SPS and few LPS and soft (in darker area). I currently have 3x 250W Pheonix bulb and 6x 3' T5HO.

I have on hand a 12"x13"x1.5"(H) heatsink. I am planning to use XP-G for Cool White and XP-E for Royal Blue. I am planning to use 40 degrees optics. Also, I want to place the LED fixture about 15in from the tank water surface.

I have selected the following LEDs from Cutter in Australia:
Cool White (XP-G): XPGWHT-L1-1A0-R5-0-01 => Brightness: R5, Color Bin: 1A
Royal Blue (XP-E): XPEROY-L1-D40-16-0-01

I would like to have feedback from people who has bought LED from Cutter in Australia. Also, could you tell me which shipping method did you use (Regular Post or Express)? Did you have to pay duty at the custom? Did you pay shipping insurance? Please tell me your experience. They want to ship the LED using Regular Post. So I am afraid that my package gets lost!

I will drive all LEDs at 1000 mA using PWM to adjust color only if required.
Cool White and Royal Blue LED will be drive in different chain with 6 LEDs per driver.

I have defined 2 LED patterns (Pattern A 1:1 ratio & Pattern B 55:45 ratio):
View attachment 106381

Did you see any potention problem with any of these patterns?
Which pattern seems to be the best?

Each LED fixture will have 49 LEDs, therefore I will have a total of (147 LEDs) 450-500 Watts of LED. To you think that I will have more light than my current fixture using 3x 250W Pheonix bulb?

All comments will be appreciated!!!

Both layouts should be fine as if you are doing four tiles then two with each option can be tried. I personally think 40 degree optics would be too tight even when raised with such a large number of LEDs per tile. It would give you spot light effect which may not be very pleasing to your eyes. I think you should mix your optics from 40 degree to extra wide frosted lenses which I think are around 90 degree (please correct me). Tight beam lenses could be applied to outer LEDs or just for the white and extra wide for inner rows or just for the royal blue LEDs. It is something worth thinking about.....:idea::idea:

 

[HndMafia]

those of you who epoxied your stars to your heatsinks--how did you mark the location of each star?

 

[sammy113]

those of you who epoxied your stars to your heatsinks--how did you mark the location of each star?

what I do is a make the arrangement in the computer, print the layout with the actual dimensions of the CREE star and with a sharpie just mark in the paper two dots in each star. The ink passes through the paper and marks the heatsink. sounds like a lot but is actually fast and easy.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

So with the Royal blues. I was wanting to get some of the blues with a wave length of 420 and some with 460. From what I have been reading about the bins and colors. Can you help me to know what I should ask for.

None of the popular LEDs go down to 420nm, but the Royal Blues create a pretty good "actinic-like" glow anyways. The DWL (dominant wavelength) groups for Royal Blues are D3 (450 - 455nm), D4 (455-460nm), and D5 (460-465nm) in order of lowest (most purple) to highest (most blue).

The "Blue" color bins of B3 - B6 cover 465 - 485 in 5 nm increments so the two colors are a continuous progression, which gives you a lot of choice if you want to be picky. Sadly many vendors don't let you pick, they just give you whatever they pull.

where can we buy some led's from to try our own fixtures?

All the usual sources: dealextreme, rapidled, ledsupply, cutter, ETG, nanotuners, etc.

I know you can control it with the AC3. You could use the Aqua surf module or the Moon light module I think. No t sure but you might also be able to through the break out box.

I had thought about suggesting the Aquasurf or moonlight module, but I'm guessing either would require some sort of translation circuit. And at that point, might as well start from scratch with an Arduino or something.

 

[skippyreef]

Got my first heat sink coming from www.heatsinksusa.com. I ordered the 8.45 profile in a 24" length.

IN reading this thread and talking with a lot of people on here I am thinking of putting all the blues (save two strings) on meanwell 35-700P and the XRE Q5's on hte Meandwell 48-60D. I think that there is no real need to control all the blues when the real limiting factor for color in my set up is the white light.

I have thought about ordering a few UVA bulbs from mouser.com. Since I plan on screwing to the heat sink these can be removed if need be.

This is a Santoki inspired Pendent build for my 270 SPS reef.

I was wondering if one of you design software experts could give me some tips, program sugesstions to simplify that part of the process.

 

[sammy113]

How many of those 8.45 x 24" heatsinks will finally go over that 270? or is just for part of it?

For software, try sketchup. Its free plus you can download CREE LEDs on Stars from the sketchup warehouse and you can make the layout easily.

 

[skippyreef]

The way the tank is set into the wall means I need to cover around 60" length wise. The tank is 36" front to back. I have gotten different answers regarding spacing. My plan is to do 1.5" between LED's and 2.5 inches between rows.

I want to build one unit and test it over my SPS reef. It will be replacing a 400 watt 20K.

I have 40 degree optics and am going to mount these around 18 inches from the tank.

 

[skippyreef]

I am going to build one a month until I am all done. I really am hoping to have the 400's off the tank by the end of May. It will be nice to not need a chiller (or greatly reduce it's run time) this summer.

 

[sammy113]

The way the tank is set into the wall means I need to cover around 60" length wise. The tank is 36" front to back. I have gotten different answers regarding spacing. My plan is to do 1.5" between LED's and 2.5 inches between rows.

I want to build one unit and test it over my SPS reef. It will be replacing a 400 watt 20K.

I have 40 degree optics and am going to mount these around 18 inches from the tank.

Sounds good. You could also do 2" between LED to LED (center of dome) and 3" between rows. Perhaps you could save by using fewer LEDs and you will get pretty much the same coverage depending on how high you place the lamp. "Stu" basically matched a 400w halide with 36 LEDs (just whites) so that gives you an idea how many you will need

 

[skippyreef]

Thanks for the info on the LED spacing. You're the second person who has said I could space this way .

I am really interested in adding a few UVA LED's in the 400-410nm range to each pendent with wide optics. I have found some that are 30.00 each with an operating current of 700ma and voltage of 4.2.