DIY LEDs - The write-up
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TheFishMan65
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widmer
Drug Enthusiast
Here's one I built. 8 degree FWHM lenses, mounted on the ceiling.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1784873
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1784873
If this is for dimming, you will need only 1 adapter.
Question to LED driver specialists:
I have installed a 30W 700mA NoName LED driver for a string of 11 XP-G and my Kill-a-watt reads 43W power consumption! Is is the fault of the Kill-a-watt or the driver is so inefficient?
Same setup with a MeanWell 350mA showed a 2W overhead.
I have installed a 30W 700mA NoName LED driver for a string of 11 XP-G and my Kill-a-watt reads 43W power consumption! Is is the fault of the Kill-a-watt or the driver is so inefficient?
Same setup with a MeanWell 350mA showed a 2W overhead.
I am looking to build an LED light for a new 115 gal tank. 48X 18 X 30. I planning on doing 48 LEDs. I want to do: 24 CREE XR-E Royal Blue 3W LED on star
12 CREE XR-E Q5 Cool White 3W LED on Star
12 CREE XP-G Neutral White 3W LED on Star
Has anyone used anything other than the traditional bulbs (cool white and royal blue) with good results? Any suggestions on patterns or even the use of the warm white?
Can I mix and match my white's on the same string or do they need to each be on their own string. I've also read that each color needs their own driver....can the white's be on the same? Also what is recommended as far as lenses for a tank 30 deep? I don't have anything in the tank at this time, I don't plan on having SPS but may in the future.
P.S. My electrical knowledge is very limited. My husband has an associates in electronic engineering so he is doing the actual work, I'm just attempting to learn and do the planning....This is also my first tank.
Dena
12 CREE XR-E Q5 Cool White 3W LED on Star
12 CREE XP-G Neutral White 3W LED on Star
Has anyone used anything other than the traditional bulbs (cool white and royal blue) with good results? Any suggestions on patterns or even the use of the warm white?
Can I mix and match my white's on the same string or do they need to each be on their own string. I've also read that each color needs their own driver....can the white's be on the same? Also what is recommended as far as lenses for a tank 30 deep? I don't have anything in the tank at this time, I don't plan on having SPS but may in the future.
P.S. My electrical knowledge is very limited. My husband has an associates in electronic engineering so he is doing the actual work, I'm just attempting to learn and do the planning....This is also my first tank.
Dena
I have tried - the results were not very good.
As far as your selection of LEDs - I would recommend XP-E royal blue and XP-G cool white. You can mix LEDs on 1 string, but you will lose the ability to control each color.
Adding neutral whites will lower the kelvin temperature. If you really want to do this, just reduce the number of royal blue and increase the number of cool whites.
Before ordering the cool whites check their exact color temperature - it can vary from 5000k to 8000k.
TheFishMan65
New member
MosMike, Measure the voltage of just the string and the current of the string. This willtell you the power the string is using. Everything else is assumed loss in the driver.
You could also hack an extension cord and measure the AC side (VERY CAREFULLY) the same rules apply current * voltage = power. Been a while there sis something about true RMS (Root mean square ??)measurements or a possible conversion. Maybe kcress will chime in or if you really want to go this far let me know and I can research it more.
You could also hack an extension cord and measure the AC side (VERY CAREFULLY) the same rules apply current * voltage = power. Been a while there sis something about true RMS (Root mean square ??)measurements or a possible conversion. Maybe kcress will chime in or if you really want to go this far let me know and I can research it more.
TheFishMan65
New member
Dena mike is shoewha correct. Changing the brightness of the strings will change the color. The problem i sthat if there is no red produced by the LED then even if you made the white string 100% and blue 0% you would still have no reds. IMHO the 6500 would work well.
kcress
New member
hmmm 11 x 0.7 x 3.3 = 25.5W
I've not seen a bad Kill-a-watt, ever.
Yes that would be the efficiency result if you've actually measured the voltage across the string and the current thru it. It could be you're actually driving the string harder than you think too - if you haven't measured it.
You cannot measure the AC side current and multiply by the voltage to measure the driver's power consumption. The current won't be in phase with the voltage making the result invalid.
TheFishMan65
New member
Thanks kcress, I couldn't remember the catches for measuring AC power.
Mike you must be like me and build before we knew/thought about the 1 ohm resistors, but hey congratulations on being the first real life example
,
Sure sound like you want a new driver.
Mike you must be like me and build before we knew/thought about the 1 ohm resistors, but hey congratulations on being the first real life example
,Sure sound like you want a new driver.
spamreefnew
New member
FYI: My 50/50 mix of RB&CW XPG&XRE are still going strong after a month and corals and colors all look great so far. hope this helps some skeptics out there
katchupoy
New member
Ddecker...
skim here if you want to see a variations of different LEDs being used, specially on the last part of the thread. It might give you some ideas.
Also like other have noted, you can mix and match it in one string but will loose the control of white against blue. But what others did was add another string of blue. So 2 string will be mixed and the 3rd will be all blue, to make the dusk and dawn effect.
With Rapidleds CWs, they told me before, they dont have control of what BIN they receive from supplier with regards to LEDs. My CWs from them were a little on the 5k or even lower, and not 6.5K.
Spamreefnew...
You finally did it. Do you have a build thread? or can you show us a pic of your rig and tank? awesome...
skim here if you want to see a variations of different LEDs being used, specially on the last part of the thread. It might give you some ideas.
Also like other have noted, you can mix and match it in one string but will loose the control of white against blue. But what others did was add another string of blue. So 2 string will be mixed and the 3rd will be all blue, to make the dusk and dawn effect.
With Rapidleds CWs, they told me before, they dont have control of what BIN they receive from supplier with regards to LEDs. My CWs from them were a little on the 5k or even lower, and not 6.5K.
Spamreefnew...
You finally did it. Do you have a build thread? or can you show us a pic of your rig and tank? awesome...
sq 110 sunlight with any cheap meter works great i have had mine for 3 years.
Advanced aquarist has done some great work a while back on sensors.
The sunlight was very good with all of the MH they tested them with the spectrum of leds are the same as alot of mh so i would get the sunlight.
If you have a very blue setup it is about 5 percent low which is easy to adjust for.
Advanced aquarist has done some great work a while back on sensors.
The sunlight was very good with all of the MH they tested them with the spectrum of leds are the same as alot of mh so i would get the sunlight.
If you have a very blue setup it is about 5 percent low which is easy to adjust for.
spamreefnew
New member
I would LOVE to post pics but I can't for the life of me figure out how to re-size them 
If someone could send me a pm with step by step instructions that would be great.
fujifilm camera w/h sd card HP computer
If someone could send me a pm with step by step instructions that would be great. fujifilm camera w/h sd card HP computer
This is the easiest one I use... no need to download a program or anything.
http://www.shrinkpictures.com/
http://www.shrinkpictures.com/
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