Little help
DIY LEDs - The write-up
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Little help
akindbro4u
New member
in a technical way yes they will corrode. However we are talking about the life of the fixture being around 10 years. If you are seeing serious calvanic corrosion in that time frame several things are wrong.
first you are getting too much humidity on your fixture.
if thats the case the nails holding youre drywall to the ceiling will fail long before the bolts do. trust me I have been there it's no fun to have a 4x8 sheet of drywall with popcorn on it fall into youre tank.
second you are not using stainless steel.
it is my understanding that stainless does not form a galvanic reaction with aluminum by it self. It needs a catalyst. ie salt.
If there is salt present on youre fixture you seriously need to reconsider youre venting, and cleaning practices.
akindbro4u
New member
no reason I can think of as long as it's clear. , and yes to answer youre questions. apex dimming is easy. do a search it's all over sorry I don't have one so I can't tell you specifics.
FranktheTankTx
New member
I'll be honest, I read very little of the thread, but mainly because it's hundreds of pages long from the initial post. I've tried to pop in here & there...
So, could a muscle head like me build an LED fixture custom for my tank? It can't be all that complicated, right?
I was brainstorming, (2) 20"x20" fixtures (heatsinks) for a 48"x30" spread. I'd like full control & dimming capabilities. How much could this run me ($$$) to have a capable LED lighting system?
Just curious.
Is the initial post still considered a good step by step process? Or has this been updated somewhere along this thread?
So, could a muscle head like me build an LED fixture custom for my tank? It can't be all that complicated, right?
I was brainstorming, (2) 20"x20" fixtures (heatsinks) for a 48"x30" spread. I'd like full control & dimming capabilities. How much could this run me ($$$) to have a capable LED lighting system?
Just curious.
Is the initial post still considered a good step by step process? Or has this been updated somewhere along this thread?
kcress
New member
???? Absolutely use steel.
A no-no? Stainless against aluminum is a no-no in a wet, (that's dripping wet), environment. That will never be the case with a heatsink and its chain hangers.
kcress
New member
Frank: We can't answer that... You need to read a few pages. Like the very first pages of this thread's original part. So work your way back to the very first page - it takes a minute. Then read Soundwave's build. If all that makes sense and you think you can pull it off, then maybe you can do it with a little help from us.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I have a lot of steel in my fixture. It was a necessary evil because of the design. Once it starts to corrode it gives me an excuse to rework the fixture. It isn't like I don't have a few T5 setups to use while I work on the LED's
akindbro4u
New member
It wasn't asked mostly because those who don't know it was a potential problem had no reason to ask, and those of us who thought it might be a problem were not very concerned about it.
Hesham
Always learning!
Hi Akindbro4u,
If you are concerned about possible galvanic accelerated corrosion (I wouldn't be), then just isolate the lag bolt kcress mentioned so there is no direct contact between the the aluminum and the steel (or stainless steel). This can be done with a little tubing and a couple of nylon washers or similar.
I really wouldn't be very worried however of corrosion at the hangers and you will have plenty of advanced warning that there is a problem. I would be more concerned with using those cheap eye screws to hold up all that weight. A friend of mine had a corner hanger of his rectangular light fixture come lose - you don't want to hear what happened next.
Regards,
Hesham
If you are concerned about possible galvanic accelerated corrosion (I wouldn't be), then just isolate the lag bolt kcress mentioned so there is no direct contact between the the aluminum and the steel (or stainless steel). This can be done with a little tubing and a couple of nylon washers or similar.
I really wouldn't be very worried however of corrosion at the hangers and you will have plenty of advanced warning that there is a problem. I would be more concerned with using those cheap eye screws to hold up all that weight. A friend of mine had a corner hanger of his rectangular light fixture come lose - you don't want to hear what happened next.
Regards,
Hesham
akindbro4u
New member
FranktheTankTx
New member
Can't answer any of it? I'd be more interested in what the $$$ involved was to build my own. Can you guesstimate that? Just weighing options.
I know I could build one if I really wanted to.
TheFishMan65
New member
$400 for LEDs (72 at $6) could use more
$400 for drivers (6 meanwells) - not really sure of the price
Heat sink??
wire
tools
$1000-$1500
$400 for drivers (6 meanwells) - not really sure of the price
Heat sink??
wire
tools
$1000-$1500
I think fishman is right about quantity.....but you can get 6 MWs for $228. LEDs with optics are about $7.50 a piece, so $540. 2x 48" heatsink $200. Random fans, wallwarts, adhesive, wire, solder, $100. So you can make the fixture for around $1100. You could save money on heatsinks too if you used 3x 12" heatsinks, would save you over $100. So theoretically you can make it for under a grand.
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
Speaking of U-channel... I'm planning to make some undercabinet lights for the kitchen, and tentatively am planning on doing one XP-E @ 700 mA per 6" of the 1" wide aluminum U-channel. Think that's enough space between them for passive cooling to keep the temp low enough if the lights were left on for any amount of time?
TheFishMan65
New member
I went with 48 * 30 / 20 which is the low limit of where the LED count is. Unless it changes and I missed it. Heat sinks can be cheap if you can get lucky. Try the scrap yard. I found a lot (by luck) at a recycle shop.
wow fishman, I would have never even thought of a recycle shop; nice find.
OK, now for my questions.
I think I want to use the thermal tape/thermal pads to adhere my leds to the heatsink (most likely U channel).
First question, do any of you guys have good reasons/experience with these to suggest NOT to use them?
Also, aside from nano tuners does anyone have a good place to purchase these from?
thanks
OK, now for my questions.
I think I want to use the thermal tape/thermal pads to adhere my leds to the heatsink (most likely U channel).
First question, do any of you guys have good reasons/experience with these to suggest NOT to use them?
Also, aside from nano tuners does anyone have a good place to purchase these from?
thanks
TheFishMan65
New member
I have not heard anything bad, but someone (maybe widmer) found where Cree said to use screws.
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