DIY LEDs - The write-up

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim:

http://alreco.biz/

$30 for 16 feet of 1X1 U-channel - Brighton....

If you need it cut & drilled & tapped, just bring beer & the PAR meter.

Hurry the wife is gone for the rest of the week & the dancing girls are free......;-)

Stu

I decided to go with the thermal pads for this build. The LED's will be behind plexi so knocking one off likely won't be an issue. I also went with 2" wide channel. I was going to vent air through the channels but I got a more better idea for deheatifycation, I think:lolspin:

Any time you want to test PAR just let me know, I'll load up on singles (or do I need 5's) and beer and head up :dance:

 

[L98-Z]

While we're on the subject of attaching things to the heatsink, something that I rarely see when people post build photos is stress relief for the wiring between the driver and the first/last LED. The tiniest little jiggle or bump against a long wire coming off a star MCPCB can cause the pad to rip off the star. IMHO the wiring should be fixed to the heatsink itself to relieve stress, and anywhere it passes through a small hole in wall or other surface (i.e. if it's entering a project box that your drivers are in).

That's a good idea.

 

[elliottargyle]

Hello all,

I've been reading MANY threads in regards to "DIY LED's", and I'm very interested in building my own fixture. It looks like Soundwave started this whole thing and everyone else has improved the process. My question is... is there a link or a step-by-step way to do this? I've seen many different projects and I love all of them. When I go through with this, I would like to contribute my own step-by-step instructions, how to vids, and pic updates on my progress. Anybody want to help me out? I have the money and I'm ready to spend, but I don't exactly know what I need. I've seen lists of materials needed, but i want to know what kind of "guts" i need. I currently own a 46 bf reef, and plan on upgrading to a 90-120 gallon tank (i'm thinking of a 48 x 24 x18). I'm tired of spending $30 for each of my 4 PC lights! So if anyone wants to give me any advice, please feel free.

elliottarglye

 

[TheFishMan65]

There is no one place for it all. Basically
pick your LED (I think most are going CREE XP-G for white and XR-E for royal blue)
pick your driver (I think most are going dimmable meanwells)
pick a heat sink (most where heat sink USA, but tending toward channel for HW store)
wire it all up
Other deciding factors will be tank size and height that you want to mount at.

Having said that there are lots of choices in each category depending on you want. For 90-120 gallon tank it won't be cheap, but there are some cheaper ways to go.

 

[L98-Z]

Hello all,

I've been reading MANY threads in regards to "DIY LED's", and I'm very interested in building my own fixture. It looks like Soundwave started this whole thing and everyone else has improved the process. My question is... is there a link or a step-by-step way to do this? I've seen many different projects and I love all of them. When I go through with this, I would like to contribute my own step-by-step instructions, how to vids, and pic updates on my progress. Anybody want to help me out? I have the money and I'm ready to spend, but I don't exactly know what I need. I've seen lists of materials needed, but i want to know what kind of "guts" i need. I currently own a 46 bf reef, and plan on upgrading to a 90-120 gallon tank (i'm thinking of a 48 x 24 x18). I'm tired of spending $30 for each of my 4 PC lights! So if anyone wants to give me any advice, please feel free.

elliottarglye

I'm about to take a photo step-by-step procedure to setting one up. This however assumes you want to use the same heatsinks I use, same screws, same LEDs and so on. There are variations in most people's builds.

 

[ReefEnabler]

Any time a drill bit touches metal under my guidance, the very next thing that happens is deburring via file or countersink.

One trick I use is to stick a Rivet into the hole, and then rotate it around in all directions while pressing hard. Aluminum is soft enough that this will smooth the edges of the hole on BOTH sides, something a countersink will not do for you. Probably only works for Aluminum.

 

[TheFishMan65]

Enabler,

That is a great idea! You could actually go one step further an place a rivet (at least a pop rivet which I am familiar with) in the hole and feed the wire through that (assuming a big enough rivet hole or small enough wire, if you are really luck both wires). Then wrap a wire tie around it a pull the tie tight or tie a knot in the wire and instant strain relief.

 

[Skeptic_07]

yup aluminum is soft metal easy to work with. I see people mention using self tapping screws, while this is nice it is not completely necessary. any steel screws will screw right into a properly sized pre-drilled hole in aluminum.

A hacksaw with a sharp blade can cut through small aluminum pieces (like 1"x 1/8") with just a few swipes. This is how I cut pieces to assemble my fixture. Try that on a piece of steel and you'll be sawing for an hour just to get through the same size piece and probably wreck 5 or 10 blades.

 

[ReefEnabler]

Enabler,

That is a great idea! You could actually go one step further an place a rivet (at least a pop rivet which I am familiar with) in the hole and feed the wire through that (assuming a big enough rivet hole or small enough wire, if you are really luck both wires). Then wrap a wire tie around it a pull the tie tight or tie a knot in the wire and instant strain relief.

I'd feel more comfortable using a rubber grommet for passing a wire through the hole. No way to know how sharp the edges in the rivet are, and due to heat/stress it could still wear the insulation down over time. When I smoothed the edges of my holes it was just for zip ties to go through. You can get a variety pack of grommets at radioshack for only a few bucks.... HD probably has something similar.

 

[TheFishMan65]

I yield to the more experienced. I bought a pop rivet gun to fix a patio umbrella (still works) it was cheaper than a new umbrella and I think that is the only time I used it.

 

[mike_cmu04]

im sure this question has been asked before but i cant find it in this massive thread. I am about to wire my led's and my question is does the positive from the meanwell start out on the the positive of the led and then the negative goes to the positive on the next led and then at the end of the series the negative off the last led goes back to the meanwell? thanks

 

[ReefEnabler]

Mike, that sounds correct.

 

[mike_cmu04]

I have another wiring question my power plug that goes from the wall to the meanwell has a green, black, and white wire in it. the meanwell has a acl-brown and a acn- blue what wires go to what? Thanks again.

 

[elliottargyle]

I've just started the research on LED's last night. I've been toying with the idea of creating a module that would contain about 20-30 LED's. I would make 1 at a time and link them together until I have about 3-4 mods. how do connect each LED to your heatsink? How many LED's can be wired to the drivers? I know these are pretty generic questions, but I'm really new to this concept. I have an AutoCAD program on my home computer and a soliworks design software that I'm going to be using during this build to model up my modules and my wiring schematics.

 

[shackscs]

I have another wiring question my power plug that goes from the wall to the meanwell has a green, black, and white wire in it. the meanwell has a acl-brown and a acn- blue what wires go to what? Thanks again.

The green is not used typically but wait just a bit longer and the ground no-ground discussion will begin.

I've just started the research on LED's last night. I've been toying with the idea of creating a module that would contain about 20-30 LED's. I would make 1 at a time and link them together until I have about 3-4 mods. how do connect each LED to your heatsink? How many LED's can be wired to the drivers? I know these are pretty generic questions, but I'm really new to this concept. I have an AutoCAD program on my home computer and a soliworks design software that I'm going to be using during this build to model up my modules and my wiring schematics.

20-30 LEDS in a string is pretty ambitious. Typically they strings are between 6 and 12 depending on the driver. What driver\power supply are you planning on using for this endeavor?

You might want to read through some of other LED builds to get an idea of what is feasible vs what you want to achieve. I think several smaller modules would do you much better than trying to do (Not even sure if it is possible) what you are thinking about.

 

[akindbro4u]

The green is not used typically but wait just a bit longer and the ground no-ground discussion will begin.

The ground is not connected internally on the meanwell drivers. That kills that discussion.

 

[shackscs]

The discussion was on if grounding was necessary or not for the fixture as a whole and not specifically the driver.

I mention this as it has been a discussion that has gone both ways.

However, no the green is not used for the driver.

 

[onecoder]

If I am looking to light a standard 90G or 75G with the same foot print, any thoughts on what I would need for a LED set up?

I am looking for the number of lights mostly and mix of blues and whites. Assuming XRE or XPG's and the meanwell drivers.

I was thinking of a 2 pendant set up with around 18 LEDs would do it. Any suggestions?

 

[sammy113]

If I am looking to light a standard 90G or 75G with the same foot print, any thoughts on what I would need for a LED set up?

I am looking for the number of lights mostly and mix of blues and whites. Assuming XRE or XPG's and the meanwell drivers.

I was thinking of a 2 pendant set up with around 18 LEDs would do it. Any suggestions?

Not enough with 36 LEDs on a 75 or 90g. for a 75 depending on the corals you'll keep you can go from 48 (like soundwave) but with XPG's or even better around 60. If its the 90g I'd say 72 LEDs

For the 75G cince it has a central brace, two 16" long heatsinks x 8.4" profile fits a max of 72 LEDs in a 9x4 array. I did it for a 75 and ended u being too much light and that was with XRE.

 

[akindbro4u]

The discussion was on if grounding was necessary or not for the fixture as a whole and not specifically the driver.

I mention this as it has been a discussion that has gone both ways.

However, no the green is not used for the driver.

Sorry if I sounded rude. Wasn't my intention.