DIY LEDs - The write-up
- Thread starter JohnL
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I needed to post a video for some friends that wanted to know how to Solder, worst condition tip I could have used, that particular solder however has never worked well. I'll have a better video up today pertaining to how to solder a circuit ect.
The video is quick and dirty but the basics are their.
Cheers,
Richard.
skippyreef
New member
got one 24" unit up! It is very awsome. Next question is for those using a remote style (cables, DB9 ect) what are you encasing the ballast in?? or are you leaving them open to air and electrial taping the connections?
Reef_Matrix29
Water Lover
Looking good!
akindbro4u
New member
Looks good
electrical tape is evil, and has no place around your tank, or water in general. Use heat shrink, at the very least.
MontyJack
New member
It looks really good! :thumbsup:
Doesn't it blow out your coral off the tank? You're sure you need that second pendant?:bigeyes:
I have a remote one to and because I'm a neat freak all my drivers are in a custom metal case and all cable connections which are not in terminals I covered in heat shrink tube (soldered connections).
I'm in an bomb squad and if I have time I also avoid to protect cable joints with electric tape for electric caps even if I know that it is temporary, because I blow that stuff up in the next minutes.:blown:
Electric tape is everything else but not water and vapor tight and in some point of time it degrades and fall off.
skippyreef
New member
Cool guys I will take your advice and mod things.
redhanded77
New member
For a 34"x14" array, would 2" spacing between leds (front to back, and side to side), be sufficient to prevent spotlighting at a 12" height from water surface? Ill be using 80˚ optics.
akindbro4u
New member
sounds about right. still depends on your tank depth however. using any "standard" dimension tank you shouldn't have a problem.
redhanded77
New member
Thanks for the quick reply. It will be over a 40B...and judging from par numbers that I got with a 7x10 array I built, 12" is ideal for my tank. I just wanted to be sure that the lighting would appear to be "even" to the human eye. Thanks!
akindbro4u
New member
you could actually do 30x12, and still be fine, and avoid light on the glass.
skippyreef
New member
How do we measure the MA we are driving LEDS at? My Multi Meter goes up to 200 on the DC side.
Bulldog0407
Active member
Been doing my research and have been jumping on and off the band wagon. I bought, used and sold some Pro Light LEDs, and while they were putting out a great array of lighting I still not hooked on LEDs. I ended up talking with the guys at reefledlights and they were able to show me the difference in the PAR value between the Pro Lights and Crees. I am officially on the band wagon for these Cree bulbs. I am doing a 48 Cree 1:1 ratio on my 58 gallon. I just preordered a Meanwell CLG 150-48 after talking with them about the most efficient driving capabilities. This driver run all 48 LEDs on a parallel string so there is no need to zig zag my wiring on each string of 12, all 48 will be driven by the one driver. To supplement for attinic I am using 2 strings of 7 LEDs down the middle of my heatsink ran by separate drivers. I am really pumped for this build and cannot wait to post some pictures after the driver arrives on Thursday. If it wasn't for the customer service I received at reefledlights I would not be working on this build right now.
I will keep you all posted on the build as it progresses!
I will keep you all posted on the build as it progresses!
Make sure you read through this thread, I am not quite sure what you mean by:
"This driver run all 48 LEDs on a parallel string so there is no need to zig zag my wiring on each string of 12, all 48 will be driven by the one driver. To supplement for attinic I am using 2 strings of 7 LEDs down the middle of my heatsink ran by separate drivers."
I can tell you that running 48 3w Cree LEDs in parallel (or series) of that driver will not have good results. you would need to run 3 or four strings in a series/parallel arrangement to get the current (amp) ratings you want and limit each string to 13 or fewer LEDs to avoid running out of forward voltage. You also mentioned 2 strings of seven LEDs on separate drivers for actinic supplementation, are the other 48 white? if so this is going to be a VERY yellow tank.
pheinzig
Member
Been at it for a couple hours now.....
cant find a good vendor for variable power supplies.
I'm using the ever popular Mean well series "D" drivers, so I need 0-10v variable power supply.
I would like to find something that can dial 0-9v to allow for inaccurate equipment(i.e. setting it at 9v doesn't mean its exactly 9v, it might actually be pumping out 9.4v).
Since you can tune the driver to around 950+ MA at 9v, ill be golden since I don't want to go much past 700ma.I would really like one that has a wide range of variability.But Ill even consider something more basic like this:
http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=9902+PS
the problem with this one is it goes up to 12v. I don't want an accidental over power. Any suggestions?
cant find a good vendor for variable power supplies.
I'm using the ever popular Mean well series "D" drivers, so I need 0-10v variable power supply.
I would like to find something that can dial 0-9v to allow for inaccurate equipment(i.e. setting it at 9v doesn't mean its exactly 9v, it might actually be pumping out 9.4v).
Since you can tune the driver to around 950+ MA at 9v, ill be golden since I don't want to go much past 700ma.I would really like one that has a wide range of variability.But Ill even consider something more basic like this:
http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=9902+PS
the problem with this one is it goes up to 12v. I don't want an accidental over power. Any suggestions?
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
I have been following this thread for a while now, and am convinced that growth with LED's is fine for SPS corals, but what about colours? Is anyone achieving the amazing colours poeple get with T5 lighting?
Not bashing LED's just want to be convinced/shown that they can colour up corals as good as T5's. The only person I know on RC with LED + great coral colours is user Santoki. Can others post some photos please?
Not bashing LED's just want to be convinced/shown that they can colour up corals as good as T5's. The only person I know on RC with LED + great coral colours is user Santoki. Can others post some photos please?
akindbro4u
New member
Thats a great point. Soundwave started this thread with great pics of his corals, and growth. We have gotten away from that , and just focused on the fixture. I would take some pictures, but my camera won't handle the blue. I have seen great growth, after a loong acclimation process(bleached a bunch). Would love to see some others as well. Especially from people like kcress, and reefenabler who have been running them for a while.
I have been testing a few SPS in the tank I currently am running LEDs on. So far I have a couple birdsnests and a green digi in there. Everything has either held it's color or improved it as well as grown. Unfortunately the only example I have does not show the color that well as I was in a hurry and didn't clean the glass. My main goal was to show the growth, first picture is when the coral was added, the second is about 6 weeks later. I can tell you that color has improved and is better than the piece in my main display under T5's My main tank will have LEDs in the next week or two and then I will have a better idea how other corals (especially acros) respond.
wld1783
Premium Member
I'm using the Mean Well CLG 150-48A to drive 48 LEDs as well They are wired in 4 Parallel strings of 12. I'm getting 323 PAR at 146 watts:dance:.
I'm very happy with the results have you tried this? also 4 Meanwell LPC 35-700 drivers on a similar fixture only gave me 296 PAR.
Bill
Santoki
Shimmer Addict
The problem with these types of comparisons is that there are many factors outside of lighting which have impacts on color. Water chemistry for one, I feel plays a much larger role in coral coloration than lighting.
Also, coral color preferences are subjective, which makes it hard to compare one to another.
Personally, I feel that there is too much focus in getting enough light into the tank. I think there is still a general fear that one may not have enough LEDs for their tank size, or that the LEDs are not intense enough, driving many to focus on the latest greatest emitters, higher numbers, etc...
Just a reminder, my build uses Q4 CW XR-Es, which is outdated technology by this thread's standards. I wouldn't say I have any problems with intensity, nor do I wish it to be any more than it currently is. If anything, I am seeing borderline bleaching in my Yongei colony branches where two pendents' output overlaps, which I attribute to too much intensity. Also, that is the only coral in my display which hasn't really grown.
I think great coral colors can be had with these LEDs, as with T5 or MH. However, I think the focus needs to be more on husbandry and less on the actual light.
-R
Also, coral color preferences are subjective, which makes it hard to compare one to another.
Personally, I feel that there is too much focus in getting enough light into the tank. I think there is still a general fear that one may not have enough LEDs for their tank size, or that the LEDs are not intense enough, driving many to focus on the latest greatest emitters, higher numbers, etc...
Just a reminder, my build uses Q4 CW XR-Es, which is outdated technology by this thread's standards. I wouldn't say I have any problems with intensity, nor do I wish it to be any more than it currently is. If anything, I am seeing borderline bleaching in my Yongei colony branches where two pendents' output overlaps, which I attribute to too much intensity. Also, that is the only coral in my display which hasn't really grown.
I think great coral colors can be had with these LEDs, as with T5 or MH. However, I think the focus needs to be more on husbandry and less on the actual light.
-R
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