DIY LEDs - The write-up

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You must have the same ones as me CJO! I got in a hurry and didn't check mine, I ran two of my drivers @ 13.76V for an hour or so with no immediate ill effects to date... I wouldn't plan on doing it as common practice according to what MW says though!
 
For me, after doing it, it's was too easy to put together a dimming shield for an Arduino to mess around with something I may damage my drivers with. My whole automatic dimming system will end up costing about 3x the cost of my two variable wall warts...
 
I'm going to use my Apex unit for the dimming, but I think I miswired it the first time and fried the variable outputs :( Have to send it back in to get repaired.

CJ
 
kcress said:
All the streetlights and signal lights run parallel with no protections and the strings all burn out eventually. I was just noting yesterday that about 1 signal light in 3 has failing LEDs showing. My town embraced LED signal lights the minute they came out. So what, 6 or 7 years? And now failures are starting to occur. If you are fine with retooling your fixture in that period it will probably work fine to parallel with no added protections.
Click to expand...

By 2017 I'll have upgraded my lighting to the new 35% efficiency, 1500 lumen per chip, color tunable, Cree MZ-57 Photon Blaster with integrated WiFi control on the star. :smokin:
 
Soundwave, When was the last time you posted an updated pic of your tank on here?
I'd be really interested in seeing how your corals have grown under the LED lights.
Thanks, Chad.
 
Hey I got my led array all set up but in adjusting the meanwell 6048D I went to turn down the internal pot for amps and turned down the wrong one, the one under the shield ( voltage?). I don't know where it was set, Can I turn this one all the way up or do I need to set it to a certain level?
 
Ylou could turn it up al lthe way. What I would do is leave it where it is and adjust hte current. If you can not get the current all the way up (it stops increase) then crank the current down teill you see it changeing and then increase hte voltage one turn (maybe less). Then do current again.

The problem they can both limit how bright the LEDs seem. You really don't want either one set real high. So you kind of want to alternate them.
 
Although I forgot to test for continuity (sp?) I lost the first two and last two LEDs on the white string and the first one and last one on the blue string. New LEDs showed up today so I will swap them out and test.
 
That should be ok. The voltage adjustment really only comes into play when you have multiple strings on a driver IMHO.

Before you replace an LED check it. First use your ohm memter and measure the resistance between plus and minus. Both ways one way might (should ?) conduct becuse it is a diode. If you get low resistance check the screws for contact with the heat sink; this low resistance implies something is shorting the LED. If you get a high resistacne reading check with two AA batteries. Third take if off the heat sink and check with the batteries. Thi may save you some time if you hd not thought of it.
 
Yes I unsoldered them and removed from heatsink and tested with batteries. I think my major flaw was stripping the wire to much and it making contact with the side of the star.
 
Well.....I made a interesting observation tonight. I haven't been to a stage show in years, and while on vacation in Gatlinburg, I noticed that all stage lights, except spotlights, were LED. I can't be certain how many LED's were in each "can" light, but it had to be pushing 60 or more. This was the first I've seen them used in this large of a quantity.

Just thought I would throw that out there.

Scott
 
Need help again. I have everything hooked up to the multimeter and am attempting to adjust the Meanwell. Both strings of lights light up. I just have to adjust the Meanwells and I'm done with my first array. Well I have to hook up the ALC buts thats later.
I think the multimeter might be broke. All I get out of it is .01. It goes high when I turn it down but just for a second. Here are some pics. Any suggestions?
004-4.jpg


003-4.jpg
 
tuumi said:
Need help again. I have everything hooked up to the multimeter and am attempting to adjust the Meanwell. Both strings of lights light up. I just have to adjust the Meanwells and I'm done with my first array. Well I have to hook up the ALC buts thats later.
I think the multimeter might be broke. All I get out of it is .01. It goes high when I turn it down but just for a second. Here are some pics. Any suggestions?
004-4.jpg


003-4.jpg
Click to expand...

You had your meter set for AC not DC. Turn it clockwise one more click and see what happens.
 
I have to still make the second array to fit in the canopy. Tomorrow I begin plumbing.
One down one to go. Couldn't have done it without the help of reefcentral. Thanks guys!
008-4.jpg
 
tuumi said:
Need help again. I have everything hooked up to the multimeter and am attempting to adjust the Meanwell. Both strings of lights light up. I just have to adjust the Meanwells and I'm done with my first array. Well I have to hook up the ALC buts thats later.
I think the multimeter might be broke. All I get out of it is .01. It goes high when I turn it down but just for a second. Here are some pics. Any suggestions?
004-4.jpg


003-4.jpg
Click to expand...

Just a reminder the Cree XR-E is rated for 700mA continuous input Your ELN 60-48D has a rated output of 1.3A. I tested a single string of 12 on my setup at 9Vdc from a radio shack enercell and got 1200mA for a quick second. I did it for the reading and did not fry my LEDs as it was unplugged quick. Very easily could of fried them if on for longer:hmm4:. I would think it would be best to run two parallel strings of 12 at 650mA or dial it down with only 4.5Vdc input with this driver.

Bill
 
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