DIY LEDs - The write-up

[DFason]

Der - ETG has them in stock. I just got a few XP's on the 10mm circle boards. It only takes them 2-3 days extra to put them together.

-Dave

 

[widmer]

Widmer,

Source for the 3-up optics? And stars, for that matter?

LEDSupply has them really cheap as well.

http://ledsupply.com/carclo-optics-xpg-3up.php

And yes I counterfeitted your post :lolspin:

 

[swannking]

Here's my latest build!

50/50 XP-G cool whites & XP-E royal blues all mounted on 3-ups.
Attached to 2" heatsinks using screws & thermal grease.
Driven by ELN-60-48s.

Here is a pic of a finished pendant (on right) with optics & acrylic cover.
The pendant on the left does not have optics or cover.

Here is the "finished" product with 3up optics (43 degree) and acrylic cover.

Here is the pendant before optics.

Here is the 3up with optics

and the star without optics. You can see the whites are kind of yellow while the blues are clear.

They should put out: 12(LEDs)*3Watts*4strings= 150 watts each for an equivalent of about ~400 Watts equivalent MH.

They are for a LFS in my area (AI).

I'll post pics once I get them hung.

Stu

I wonder why you use the frosted optics instead of the clear ones. I thought the frosted ones let less light through. Second, looks like your optics are protecting the wires/circuits pretty well. Do you really need an acrylic cover since it also "blocks" some light?

 

[bassetbros]

In regards to the ELN-60-48D:

In order to utilize this driver, you must supply a 10v signal to the dimming circuit. This 10v signal triggers the driver to supply 100% of the amps designated by the internal adjustment to the LED, correct?

If you have a 9v signal going to the dimming circuit, that would mean that 90% of the designated amps would be going to the LED's, correct?

QUESTION:
If you're looking to push 1000 miliamp to the LED's and adjust the internal settings of the driver to push 1000 miliamp at 90% setting (9v transformer instead of 10v), does that mean that the LED's would be functioning at 1000 miliamp or 90% of 1000 miliamp?

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

QUESTION:
If you're looking to push 1000 miliamp to the LED's and adjust the internal settings of the driver to push 1000 miliamp at 90% setting (9v transformer instead of 10v), does that mean that the LED's would be functioning at 1000 miliamp or 90% of 1000 miliamp?

Not sure if I understand your question correctly, but if you're using the analog-dimming version of the driver, and you feed it a 9v signal and then set the internal trimpot based on that 9v reference on the DIM circuit, then you're likely good to go - as long as you don't ever feed it 10v without re-adjusting the internal trimpot.

In other words, if you set the internal trimpot such that the LED string shows 1000mA current, while you have 9v on the DIM circuit, and then you install and run it with the same 9v on the dim circuit, you'll still get 1000mA on the string.

Another thought - don't just blindly trust that your "9v transformer" is supplying 9v. Many wall-wart style power supplies are unregulated, and a supply labeled 9v might be providing 10 or 11v under such a small load.

 

[bassetbros]

...In other words, if you set the internal trimpot such that the LED string shows 1000mA current, while you have 9v on the DIM circuit, and then you install and run it with the same 9v on the dim circuit, you'll still get 1000mA on the string.

Another thought - don't just blindly trust that your "9v transformer" is supplying 9v. Many wall-wart style power supplies are unregulated, and a supply labeled 9v might be providing 10 or 11v under such a small load.

thanks so much!

so as long as the 9v. wall wart consistently provides the same voltage (at 8v., 9v. 10v., or 11v.) and the internal adjustments are properly made you're good unless you swap out transformers for one reason or another, right?

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Correct. With the limitation that you really should not supply more than 10v to the Meanwell, for fear of damaging it. So if your 9v wall wart is unregulated and way out of spec, you might want to buy another one, or slap a regulator on it.

 

[stugray]

"I wonder why you use the frosted optics instead of the clear ones. I thought the frosted ones let less light through. Second, looks like your optics are protecting the wires/circuits pretty well. Do you really need an acrylic cover since it also "blocks" some light? "

1 - the ~40 optics do not come in clear ( at least not from ledsupply )

2 - The pendants are for a LFS over their frag trough where customers are allowed. I figured the covers were important in that environment

Stu

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

When you figure three LEDs on each of those stars, that's a VERY dense build. What current is it run at? How high above the frag tank? What cooling? I'm guessing lotsa fans on that one!

 

[TheFishMan65]

FYI Somehwere it got posted that someone contacted meanwell and the maximum dimming voltage was 10.5 vots. So a little over 10 is probably OK, but not 11.

 

[hllywd]

FYI - 13.76V on the dimming leads doesn't kill them immediately... Don't ask me why, but I have two "D"s that seem fine after running at that level for a couple hours each.

 

[stugray]

DWZM,

"When you figure three LEDs on each of those stars, that's a VERY dense build. What current is it run at? How high above the frag tank? What cooling? I'm guessing lotsa fans on that one!"

I do have a large fan on each pendant with standoffs.

After having both pendants running for over an hour, the temps of the base of the emitters ( where the Die meets the Star) was:

White XP-G = 112-115F
Royal Blue XR-E = 127-132F

Those are all driven by about 0.700A ( 700mA) = underdriven.

After two hours the heatsinks are cool to the touch.

 

[westmoorenerd]

Stu- What kind of light spread are you getting with those? Think one can light a 3'x2' pretty well, or even just 2'x2' and still get decent par at around 36"

 

[westmoorenerd]

Stu- forgot to ask but are you using 1 ELN per row of 4 stars in series or one for every 8 stars using 2 parallel series?

 

[CJO]

FYI - 13.76V on the dimming leads doesn't kill them immediately... Don't ask me why, but I have two "D"s that seem fine after running at that level for a couple hours each.

Or a couple of days.. again, don't ask!

CJ

 

[hairy_frogfish]

Hello, I am back some questions again
I will finally end up with
- 48 XR-E in placed two fixture, each fixture would be 20 inch long and 3 inch large

- On each fixture, 14 XRE Cool White and 10 XRE Royal Blue
- I will go later on for an other fixture, so 72 XR-E in total

I am thinking of using 2 drivers CLG 150-48A, each driving 2 strings of 12 leds in serie, and later on 3 strings of 12 leds.

Driver 1:
- 24 XR-E Cool White @ 700mA
Driver 2:
- 20 XR-E Royal Blue @ 700mA + 4 XR-E Cool White @ 700mA

I would add a 1 amp fuse at the start (or end) of each string.

Would this be OK?


thanks for the help

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

That sounds like an OK plan. I'd "bin" your LEDs by voltage to get even strings.

Also, with a 14 cool white : 10 royal blue ratio, you may find it's overly white.

 

[Swim]

I'd like a show of hands please. Of the folks that have actually built their own lighting how many have already or have thoughts of adding a controller to their lighting so that they can have one setting for viewing times and another setting for off viewing times?

 

[TheFishMan65]

Swim, first I heard of that idea so probably not many. I adjust my lighting schedule so it is on when I am hime most (evenings). I have read of some using 'moon lights' for viewing in the off hours.

 

[Swim]

Welp, the reason I ask is because I've got an old "G" model Solaris on a 120 right next to a 180 with the latest and greatest like you guys are putting together here and I think we might have a case of "be careful what you ask for as you might get it" brewing in these pages.

After 15 minutes of viewing my 180 I find myself viewing the 120 instead because it's much more relaxing. Granted the 120 doesn't grow corals like the 180 but the 180 is just to intense to look at for very long.

I'm going to have to add a controller to the 180 so I can make the lighting scheme more like the Solaris at viewing times and then have the "growth" scheme for off viewing times.