DIY LEDs - The write-up

[chathaway417]

WOW, GREAT THREAD! I have read it front to back and now I'm ready to diy an led fixture, but I'm suffering from information overload, and need some help! My tank is a 125 (72"x18"x22") with a 13" thick glass center brace. I have zoa's, palys, frogspawn, torch, hammer, gsp, toadstool leathers, mushrooms, and kenya trees, no sps at this time, but would like to have some down the road, so I plan on building a light that is sufficient for what I have now, then expand as the budget allows to keep sps later. I will be re-arranging the tank to have peaks from both corners inward to a mushroom garden valley in the center under the brace. I will be mounting "groups" of led's on rails at different levels up the legs and along the frame on separate timers to simulate dusk/dawn as well as grouping the main led's to turn on/off in sequence to get the east/west effect, (see drawing). The original plan was 84 Cree XR-E CW and RB in a 50/50 mix mounted on 2 large heatsinks. After doing my drawing, reading all the info here and at NT, I realized 2 things: that I am going to be way over budget and need to diy more and change it up a little, and I now want things that weren't originally important to me! :crazy1: Since I don't have anything that is really that demanding light wise, I figure I can space them 3" apart and skip the optics initially, and that should leave room for me to add additional led's in between for 1-1/2" final spacing and add optics if needed. My design would call for 9 Meanwell drivers (problems with running that many?). I am also planning on mixing in some Neutral Whites and regular Blues.
Now I need to figure out how to save some money, I have already decided to use "C" channel from SpeedyMetals instead of the large heatsinks. I think switching to XP-G's and using fewer of them but costing $1.50 more each would be a wash but would pay off in efficiency. I have about a dozen old computers in the basement that I could salvage parts off of, would anything be usable other than power cords? I'm just a little overwhelmed right now! I diy'ed my stand and my 3 tub dual refugium filter so I am comfortable attempting anything, so I think I just need some ideas! Thanks for your input!

Also, should I start my own diy thread for the build or keep it in this thread?

 

[TheFishMan65]

Not usre they you really need to mount up the sides. That might make life a little easier. Also to save money you might lookat the DIY driver thread. IIRC $30-$30 for 48 LEDs which is a lot cheaper than meanwells.

I think it might be best to start a new thread post a link here and in the reference thread.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

WOW, GREAT THREAD! I have read it front to back and now I'm ready to diy an led fixture, but I'm suffering from information overload, and need some help! My tank is a 125 (72"x18"x22") with a 13" thick glass center brace. I have zoa's, palys, frogspawn, torch, hammer, gsp, toadstool leathers, mushrooms, and kenya trees, no sps at this time, but would like to have some down the road, so I plan on building a light that is sufficient for what I have now, then expand as the budget allows to keep sps later. I will be re-arranging the tank to have peaks from both corners inward to a mushroom garden valley in the center under the brace. I will be mounting "groups" of led's on rails at different levels up the legs and along the frame on separate timers to simulate dusk/dawn as well as grouping the main led's to turn on/off in sequence to get the east/west effect, (see drawing). The original plan was 84 Cree XR-E CW and RB in a 50/50 mix mounted on 2 large heatsinks. After doing my drawing, reading all the info here and at NT, I realized 2 things: that I am going to be way over budget and need to diy more and change it up a little, and I now want things that weren't originally important to me! :crazy1: Since I don't have anything that is really that demanding light wise, I figure I can space them 3" apart and skip the optics initially, and that should leave room for me to add additional led's in between for 1-1/2" final spacing and add optics if needed. My design would call for 9 Meanwell drivers (problems with running that many?). I am also planning on mixing in some Neutral Whites and regular Blues.

I used the C channels with 3:" spacing over my 120. With 3" spacing end to end, 6 rows front to back and the LED's mounted inside the channel with plexi shields over it I get PAR in the 140's at the sandbed with the fixture sitting right on the tank.

If I were in your position I would use 4 rows front to back. You could start out with 3 rows and add the 4th and optics later on when you decide to go for the SPS but I think I would do 2" spacing right out of the gates for end to end. With only 3 channels and the LED's say 6" above the tank I'd bet you'd have PAR of at least 100 at the bottom which should be fine for what you listed for now.

If I were to do mine again i am not sure I would have use the XPG's. I think maybe something closer to a 50/50 Royal Blue and Neutral white mix using the same LED's would be better especially if you plan optics later on. In my case there is no way I could ever use optics because the 8 warm whites mixed in with the Cool White XPG's would act like spotlights. With nothing but the aluminum channels to focus the light I get really good color mixing now but when I am down to just blues with the 4 outside Warm Whites it's pretty obvious a color shift in the tank.

 

[kcress]

Also don't forget you need physical protection of your LEDs from micro splashes and flailing fish tails. Whatever you come up with has to allow you to cover them. Little strings of verticals may not lend to that.

 

[laverda]

chathaway417
I like your idea. Your lights mounted on the sides are going to have a lot of reflected light. The greater the angle the more light will be reflected out off the waters surface and not make it in to the tank.

 

[chathaway417]

Not usre they you really need to mount up the sides. That might make life a little easier. Also to save money you might lookat the DIY driver thread. IIRC $30-$30 for 48 LEDs which is a lot cheaper than meanwells.
I think it might be best to start a new thread post a link here and in the reference thread.

I read the diy driver thread and would like to go that way, I just need to re-read it to try to get a better understanding of how it would work, and I will be starting a build thread as soon as I can actually start, hopefully sometime this week.

I used the C channels with 3:" spacing over my 120. With 3" spacing end to end, 6 rows front to back and the LED's mounted inside the channel with plexi shields over it I get PAR in the 140's at the sandbed with the fixture sitting right on the tank.

If I were in your position I would use 4 rows front to back. You could start out with 3 rows and add the 4th and optics later on when you decide to go for the SPS but I think I would do 2" spacing right out of the gates for end to end. With only 3 channels and the LED's say 6" above the tank I'd bet you'd have PAR of at least 100 at the bottom which should be fine for what you listed for now.

If I were to do mine again i am not sure I would have use the XPG's. I think maybe something closer to a 50/50 Royal Blue and Neutral white mix using the same LED's would be better especially if you plan optics later on. In my case there is no way I could ever use optics because the 8 warm whites mixed in with the Cool White XPG's would act like spotlights. With nothing but the aluminum channels to focus the light I get really good color mixing now but when I am down to just blues with the 4 outside Warm Whites it's pretty obvious a color shift in the tank.

I thought about 2" spacing, but figure if I do 3"-4" spacing and then prep in-between it would be easier to make adjustments by just adding another led than trying to remove a mounted led and replace it.

I was wondering about using the XPG's if I would run into problems with the difference in intensity versus the XRE's, since they would all be mounted together it may cause a problem without having dimming function.

Are you saying that you would use Warm Whites instead of Cool Whites, or that you would use a 50/50 mix WW/CW? Also what about Neutral Whites?

Also don't forget you need physical protection of your LEDs from micro splashes and flailing fish tails. Whatever you come up with has to allow you to cover them. Little strings of verticals may not lend to that.

I do have a cover on the tank, but I am considering doing a set-up with the splash guard mounted to the assembly, maybe a few inches below, I saw a pretty cool example of it, I think it was in Taqpol's thread but I will have to find it again.

chathaway417
I like your idea. Your lights mounted on the sides are going to have a lot of reflected light. The greater the angle the more light will be reflected out off the waters surface and not make it in to the tank.

I realize that I will be losing a lot of light that way, but they will only be on during the sunrise/sunset phase so I am willing to accept that if I can achieve the function I am going for. I would really like to do it with a controller of some sort, but that will have to be down the road when the budget allows, until then I will just use individual timers.

 

[chrisfowler99]

I thought about 2" spacing, but figure if I do 3"-4" spacing and then prep in-between it would be easier to make adjustments by just adding another led than trying to remove a mounted led and replace it.

One thing to consider when putting the LEDs farther apart is the greater chance for spotlighting.

 

[chathaway417]

One thing to consider when putting the LEDs farther apart is the greater chance for spotlighting.

Aaahhh yes, that is the fine line that I am trying to walk! I figure with the stuff in my tank not being too demanding and not using optics initially, I should be able to raise the fixture to increase the blending to the point that the spotlighting doesn't happen, and hopefully still have enough light to satisfy everything. I am going to make 1 "strip" with wide spacing and test it before committing tho.

 

[ryshark]

XP-G OPTICS/LENSES
Is there a good way to secure them where they are still interchangeable? I hear they don't fit well and need adhesive.

 

[TheFishMan65]

chathaway, IIRC you were looking for ways to save money. Why spend the money to mount them on the side when they will only be on for a few hours? Maybe you should consider this later.

 

[laverda]

I realize that I will be losing a lot of light that way, but they will only be on during the sunrise/sunset phase so I am willing to accept that if I can achieve the function I am going for. I would really like to do it with a controller of some sort, but that will have to be down the road when the budget allows, until then I will just use individual timers.

I think you will regret not using dimable drivers. It will make it much easier to get a nice sunrise/sunset effect.

 

[chathaway417]

chathaway, IIRC you were looking for ways to save money. Why spend the money to mount them on the side when they will only be on for a few hours? Maybe you should consider this later.

yep, unfortunately I think I am going to have to save that until later and just concentrate on the main part of the light for now.

I think you will regret not using dimable drivers. It will make it much easier to get a nice sunrise/sunset effect.

I really want to use dimmable, and I am in the process of re-reading the diy drivers thread to try to get a better understanding of how that is accomplished. Also I keep seeing references to an Arduino? I did a quick google on it and found that the Mega board can be bought for about $68, so I will read up on that after I finish the driver thread. If it will give me the dimming ability using the diy drivers, I may be able to save enough over Meanwells to make it a reality........and THAT would be really cool......if I can figure it out! If it can be done, I'm pretty confident that I could put the system together, there's just the minor detail of understanding what it is that I am actually putting together!

 

[TheFishMan65]

No you can't buy a MEGA. You have to build that too . There is a thread for an arduino based reef controller I thought I linked to it on page 200. If you can't find it let me know.

 

[chrisfowler99]

No you can't buy a MEGA. You have to build that too . There is a thread for an arduino based reef controller I thought I linked to it on page 200. If you can't find it let me know.

Nah...you can buy or build the Mega:

http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/seeeduino-mega-p-438.html

If you wanted a Typhon instead of a Mega, though, you would have to build that.

 

[TheFishMan65]

Well yeah that is what i meant or the Hydra My joke I guess not so good was that you can't buy anything we have to build it all

 

[rcgates]

Nah...you can buy or build the Mega:

http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/seeeduino-mega-p-438.html

If you wanted a Typhon instead of a Mega, though, you would have to build that.

or you can get a design and code from here using the Arduino Duemilanove

Arduino LED Controller

 

[chathaway417]

No you can't buy a MEGA. You have to build that too . There is a thread for an arduino based reef controller I thought I linked to it on page 200. If you can't find it let me know.

yeah, I remember seeing the link to it, I am still reading through the driver thread, I will read the controller thread when finished. As for Mega, Typhoon, Hydra, or whatever it is, at this point it is all Greek to me, I am a total Noob when it comes to that stuff. I could probably follow directions with pics to assemble, but I really want to try to understand what I am doing.....so on with the reading! :eek1:

 

[TheFishMan65]

90% sure the Hydra was a Greek mythological monster. No bets on the origin of the other two, but I bet is is Latin If you go with the CAT4101 you can build your fixture and then add either of the three that have been mentioned fairly easily.

 

[chrisfowler99]

90% sure the Hydra was a Greek mythological monster. No bets on the origin of the other two, but I bet is is Latin If you go with the CAT4101 you can build your fixture and then add either of the three that have been mentioned fairly easily.

Typhon is Greek as well. The "father of all monsters"

Mega, I believe, is just a reference to it being "larger."

Arduino, I have just learned, is named after a bar in Italy.

 

[chathaway417]

90% sure the Hydra was a Greek mythological monster. No bets on the origin of the other two, but I bet is is Latin If you go with the CAT4101 you can build your fixture and then add either of the three that have been mentioned fairly easily.

Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for! :celeb3:

Typhon is Greek as well. The "father of all monsters"

Mega, I believe, is just a reference to it being "larger."
Arduino, I have just learned, is named after a bar in Italy.

So then the Arduino Mega must be the aforementioned bar post-renovation!
:beer: