DIY LEDs - The write-up

[Mikey122687]

Just wondering with all these new fixtures comming out from retailers, i just don't see the cost benefits of doing this anymore. I mean reef filtration has a new 55 LED 2 watts (110W) comming out with single circuit so if one LED breaks, the other will still lid. I was calculating how much it would costs for parts for my tank and it came out to be ~$700 not to mention time to build and time to research, while i can get 2 of those mentioned fixture for $660 shipped.

What do you guys think?

 

[TheFishMan65]

I think I can build a roughly 72 watt LED fixture for $200. The other problem is the LED watts are not LED watts. Some LEDs put out half the lumens as other LEDs at the same wattage. So without knowing which fixtures you are talking about it is hard to compare.

It sort of like T5 I would guess. Are they on a normal ballast, high out ballast, or a high output high efficiency. The same bulb would give different results.

 

[S2minute]

Just wondering with all these new fixtures comming out from retailers, i just don't see the cost benefits of doing this anymore. I mean reef filtration has a new 55 LED 2 watts (110W) comming out with single circuit so if one LED breaks, the other will still lid. I was calculating how much it would costs for parts for my tank and it came out to be ~$700 not to mention time to build and time to research, while i can get 2 of those mentioned fixture for $660 shipped.

What do you guys think?

Mikey, Most DIYers are really, inventors. They make custom products often so unique and innovative, that they actually guide the future of reef keeping. As far as LED light fixtures. The ones you see made here. For example Dfasons, fishmans or widmirs. How much do you think you would pay for a retail version of those? You could not afford it. Yet, thay make them for often 1/2 the cost,are much more versitle and alot more powerful than one you would buy in any store. I had someone price me a retail version that had 72 1 watt leds and was ment only 2`sq...it could have been mine for....$700! Hell i could of had 3 to cover my tank for...$2200!! Ummm yeah....but naaa:lol2:. Plus depending on how much u can do yourself... >.

 

[nuclearheli]

Just wondering with all these new fixtures comming out from retailers, i just don't see the cost benefits of doing this anymore. I mean reef filtration has a new 55 LED 2 watts (110W) comming out with single circuit so if one LED breaks, the other will still lid. I was calculating how much it would costs for parts for my tank and it came out to be ~$700 not to mention time to build and time to research, while i can get 2 of those mentioned fixture for $660 shipped.

What do you guys think?

The same fixture for my 210 purchased would be in excess of $4500. My build is currently at $1800 with many mistakes. It's a no brainer for me.

See my build,

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1975251

 

[S2minute]

Leds

Leds

Damn Nuclearheli...see mikey, just what i`m tryen to tell you. I made my own MH/PC light hood from scratch. I even wired the Ballasts and i never did that before. Now i`m on this new LED fixture and it`s so more involved BUT, you read...think about it, ask, and then read some more..and learn It`s all right here! You just have to pick through it,and pick through the heads of the masterminds. Then drop a set and go for it heh That`s what i`m doing..as much as a can till the next one. Then i`ll do more.

 

[kcress]

S2 sunlight really has more red content than the Cree CWs. A lot of DIYers have found more color in their corals and fish after they've included a few NW or WW. At this point I wouldn't build a fixture without some NW or WW in them. That one I'm working on has some and I think they help a bunch.

The hard part is trying to logically work some of them into strings in an equitable manner.

 

[Divingjunkie]

kcress, what do you, recommend on my current setup as far as swapping for some nw is concerned. I currently have 42 xp-g cool white, and 52 xp-e royal blue's, haven't started yet so now would be the time, would you sub out some of the cw's or just add nw, I think I already have enough led's for my 110 tall already, just want to do this right the first time, another question. I understand why everyone's going parrallel, but wouldn't a reef tank need dimmable sections according to the coral in the tank, or is this not a factor, and I should just keep them all the same?

 

[kcress]

No, reef tanks don't usually have dimmable regions. Last year that wasn't even an option!! With LEDs you now could. You wouldn't want to buy LEDs and install them then turn them down though! Ouch. You would just have an area you don't install as many in - if - you wanted less light somewhere.

In a tall you can just put things that want less light closer to the bottom.

Color is soOOOOOooo personal I don't want to say you need to have x WW or NW.

It also depends on the geometry of your layout and optics. If you have optics a few NWs could show up as redder areas. If you use optics you need a few more than you might need without optics to prevent that.

The best thing is to get some and try it or visit someone and look.

Otherwise I'd say something like a 1/3 of your whites could be Neutral Whites and you'd probably like it.
Seems like your build will be 'warmer' and less blue than the usual otherwise. A lot of people would use 2RB/1W.

Look at my recent build. That color is pretty true. That's 12CW, 6RB, 6NW all driven at the same current. Maybe that will give you some ideas.

 

[jpccusa]

...:frog:

 

[vietcu]

after looking at this parallel setup, I am rethinking my original setup. So a little help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Inline with the group buy I am going to be purchasing 30 xp-g CW, 55 xp-e RB, and 6 ELN 60-48D to drive the Led's. Bought a few extra just for safety measures, but am planning on running 13 LED per driver. I will be staggering 39 LED to two 16x24 footprint aluminum board. This is my original design, but now looking at the parallel diagram. I am thinking of doing it this way to cut back on the drivers. Which would be a more simplistic way to doing my setup?

 

[TheFishMan65]

You would have two HLG drivers which I runs about $90. What are you getting drivers for in a the group buy? I have seen them for $25.60. So the HLG would cost more. Also if a driver went out rather than loosing half your string you would loose 1/6th.

The only advantage of the HLGs I see might be simpler wiring.

IMHO I would use the ELN if cheaper, but I am sure someone will have different thoughts.

 

[MosMike]

I love the idea of high CRI for the obvious reason that the CRI system was established to be able to describe how accurately a light source will mimic the sun.

CRI - Color Rendering Index.
The sun has a 100CRI, even at 6000-7000k.
the 90-CRI LEDs have a CRI 90 minimum but only 3000k. I think that in the future we will see 90-CRI 6000-7000k LEDs. That will be a blast.

 

[bamf25]

You would have two HLG drivers which I runs about $90. What are you getting drivers for in a the group buy? I have seen them for $25.60. So the HLG would cost more. Also if a driver went out rather than loosing half your string you would loose 1/6th.

The only advantage of the HLGs I see might be simpler wiring.

IMHO I would use the ELN if cheaper, but I am sure someone will have different thoughts.

Biggest advantage to the hlgs is they can run upto 4 or even 5 strings parallel. For larger setups where clutter is a big issue, or if you are truely running at least 3 strings they do become cheeper than more elns. The other advantage is elns will run a max of 1.3 mA for the 48's. The hln-120-48 will do 2.1mA which means you get 3 strings of 12 at what many people consider the optimal 700 mA. I believe if you jump to the 185 you can do 5 strings at 700 mA or 4 strings at 1000 mA. The hlg are also rated at higher efficiency of 92 - 93% where the eln gets a 82 to 83% efficiency rating. So it is a better driver, but you pay for it.

Also Kcress---- If you are doing multiple sets of parallel strands of multiple drivers, can you jumper the blocks differently so you do not have so many blocks?

 

[Divingjunkie]

Thanks for the input, I was going for a 14k look, so I think I will go with 60rb 24cw adn 12nw. Hopefully this will put me where I want to be, What do you think, All will 40 degree optics.

 

[kcress]

Also Kcress---- If you are doing multiple sets of parallel strands of multiple drivers, can you jumper the blocks differently so you do not have so many blocks?

It's all about a clean way to parallel your strings. You can wire them anyway that gets the job done. T-blocks come in many different sizes. Use anything you want and jump them logically to suit your build.

 

[bamf25]

What do parallel strands to to watts used? The ELN-60-48 is be spec drawing 60 watts of current. Does the driver always draw this much current regardless of the mA, and regardless of if you run series vs parallel. So parallel as opposed to series is in theory double the efficiency?

 

[wfournier]

What do parallel strands to to watts used? The ELN-60-48 is be spec drawing 60 watts of current. Does the driver always draw this much current regardless of the mA, and regardless of if you run series vs parallel. So parallel as opposed to series is in theory double the efficiency?

Not completely sure what you are asking, but I think the answer is no.

The driver does not necessarily draw 60 watts (in most of our builds they probably do not, especially when running LEDs towards 700ma). When running parallel strings the current is theoretically divided evenly between the two strings (instead of one string at 1A you get two at 500ma etc). It does not necessarily make things more efficient, but I suppose it could be argue that it allows you to use more of the energy the driver is capable of producing.

 

[TheFishMan65]

I found this driver. Analog or PWM dimming. Trying to find pricing.
Micro Power Driver

 

[wfournier]

looks interesting, would be nice if it took AC 115v instead of DC but you can't always get everything.

 

[jpccusa]

I found this driver. Analog or PWM dimming. Trying to find pricing.
Micro Power Driver

I'm eager to hear about your findings...