DIY LEDs - The write-up

[saf1]

Slightly off topic but since I just put a LED build in play. Is anyone else having issues with condensation buildup or water spray? I looked at the lights this morning and noticed that I had some buildup which I'm sure if I didn't catch would have probably shorted it out?

Its high enough over the water but somehow its still appears to get some buildup. Figured I'd ask since it seems some folks are using shields and others are not.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I'd consider a shield a must-have on any permanent fixture. It can be as simple as a sheet of thin acrylic with "tabs" cut and bent up in a few spots on the edges - then just screw the tabs to the heatsink. Or use standoffs on the face of the heatsink and you can use a plain rectangle of acrylic.

Also make sure any wire-wire connections are well heatshrinked, clean excess resin off your soldering on the stars, and it probably wouldn't hurt to laquer the solder joints on the stars, too.

 

[timmmysli]

Timmy I think you're the first to use the XP-G. What current are you running them at? Where'd you get them?

The xp-g whites are still at 1amp asI'm still using my old driver setup. I'm still using the 20 deg optics. I was a bit worried about the increase in light bleaching the corals but so far everything seems fine.

I think the ratio of rb:whites would have to change as the xp-g's drown out the small number of rb's I have.

I purchased the xp-g's via Cutters as I'm an Aussie it was a simple 3-4 day wait

This picture was taken yesterday, the corals around 100mm from the waters surface.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I purchased the xp-g's via Cutters as I'm an Aussie it was a simple 3-4 day wait

Curse you! :lol: Cutters claims the only US shipping they'll do is the "slow boat:" 3 weeks or so wait time, NO status tracking, NO insurance. I'm thinking about ordering a few of them to test out, but no way I'm going to blow a grand or two with those terms to build my big tank's rig.

 

[james3370]

Curse you! :lol: Cutters claims the only US shipping they'll do is the "slow boat:" 3 weeks or so wait time, NO status tracking, NO insurance. I'm thinking about ordering a few of them to test out, but no way I'm going to blow a grand or two with those terms to build my big tank's rig.

maybe have him be your intermediary LOL

 

[Reef_Matrix29]

That would be my idea too James...better to have a RC facilitator for international orders!

 

[nitjt]

Could I use an LED array like the by lighting science group they may a small that says it puts out 1300 lumens. Titan turbo LED light engine array with wide beam and narrow beam and cool optics and heat sinks.

 

[klewis]

This thread is CRAZY!!! I have been following it for several months now ( I'm using the word "following" loosely because some of the information is over my head ). My wife thinks I'm obsessed because everytime she see's me on the computer I'm researching this thread. Thank you to Soundwave and to all that have explored and documented their adventure into the realm of DIY LEDs.
I am building a light for my 120 gallon 48" x 24" x 24 " tank and looking for some guidance. The light assembly will consist of two 8.5" x 22" Heatsinks from Heatsinkusa.com with 45 Cree LED's each panel ( 5 rows of 9 columns) totaling 90 LEDs. The mounting pattern will be alternating like most other's I've seen here and the spacing will be 2" on center from front to back and 2.5" on center from left to right.( 44 cw and 46 rb) I'll be using optic on the front row of LEDs for deeper penetration. I intend on using 8 Meanwell ELN-60-48P to drive the LED's for the future option of an automatic dimming controller.

I have ordered 44 pieces of Cool White XRE Q5 WG from deal extreme. I'm looking for an inexpensive place to buy 54 pieces of Royal Blue XRE D3 (extra 8 royal blues for ratio adjustments), and 8 Meanwell ELN-60-48P. So far Rapidled is the cheapest place I've found, any other suggestions would be great.

The inhabitants are Soft corals, zoa's, frogspawns, acans, torch's, candycanes, cloves, other LPS's. I would like to have SPS's and clams.

Few Questions
1) Is 90 LED's overkill for the tank?
2) Is the two 8.5" x 22" panel layout wide and long enough for the 48" x 24" x 24" tank?
3) Are the Meanwell ELN-60-48P manually dimable using the on-board pots or only by using Pulsewaves?

Any information or comments about my design or on Pulsewave dimming and controllers would be great too.

Thanks
Keith

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Check out nanotuners, iirc their prices are better than rapidled for RBs. Also, ETG has really good prices once you get up in numbers.

Your questions:

1) It's hard to say what's overkill, but 90 is right in the range compared to other similar tanks - maybe a hair on the high end. (12.8 square inches per LED - most people are in the 10 - 20 range.)

2) Long enough no problem. Wide enough - maybe not. I would NOT put optics on the first or last row of LEDs (except maybe at the ends of the tank) because it'll pull the light in even more. XR-E have a fairly tight viewing angle compared to some of the other LEDs being used, so optics aren't as important - if you do use them, keep them wide, and don't put them on the first row.

3) ELN-60-48P are dimmable via PWM signal. They have an internal trimpot that's meant as a "set and forget" sort of thing to initially set a max value, it's NOT intended for "regular operation" i.e. you wouldn't want to be tweaking it every day.

There are lots of options out there for PWM dimmers for these sorts of applications. I'm using an Arduino controller, because it's fairly cheap and easy, and there's a good support community. But I'm using DIY drivers, not meanwells. I know one other member on here is doing Arduino with meanwells and having a few issues, but nothing major.

 

[klewis]

Check out nanotuners, iirc their prices are better than rapidled for RBs. Also, ETG has really good prices once you get up in numbers.

Your questions:

1) It's hard to say what's overkill, but 90 is right in the range compared to other similar tanks - maybe a hair on the high end. (12.8 square inches per LED - most people are in the 10 - 20 range.)

I'm glad it won't be overkill considering I already ordered my cool white LED's
2) Long enough no problem. Wide enough - maybe not. I would NOT put optics on the first or last row of LEDs (except maybe at the ends of the tank) because it'll pull the light in even more. XR-E have a fairly tight viewing angle compared to some of the other LEDs being used, so optics aren't as important - if you do use them, keep them wide, and don't put them on the first row.

The support frames for the Heatsinks are aluminum 1" L rails. I can actually increase the surface area for mounting LED's from 8.5" x 22" to 10.5" x 22 and then I can space the LED's 2.5" left to right and 2.5" front to back. My concern on not being able to use optics in the front row is I want to be able to have a clam on the bottom of the tank What would be the ideal width for a 48" x 24" tank?

3) ELN-60-48P are dimmable via PWM signal. They have an internal trimpot that's meant as a "set and forget" sort of thing to initially set a max value, it's NOT intended for "regular operation" i.e. you wouldn't want to be tweaking it every day.

My intentions were not for "regular operation", I wanted to confirm they can be adjusted incase the intensity is too much

There are lots of options out there for PWM dimmers for these sorts of applications. I'm using an Arduino controller, because it's fairly cheap and easy, and there's a good support community. But I'm using DIY drivers, not meanwells. I know one other member on here is doing Arduino with meanwells and having a few issues, but nothing major.

Any links to information regarding the Arduino would be great. Thank you for your help

 

[bobbyrocco]

Klewis,

Here is my led light for my 120g. I ordered 2 8.5 x 40 heat sinks and bolted them together. I think the 8.5 is going to be way to narrow for your tank unless you dont mind having shadows at the front and back of the tank. I have about 140 LEDs on my array but I have lenses on all the leds except the back row. Here are some pics for you, you can see the shadows on the front of my tank and that is only four inches not lite.

 

[kcress]

bobbyrocco; I like the front shadow line. It presents like you're in a cave looking out at the lit area.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Bobby, what current are you running at? Have any corals in the tank?

klewis, just keep in mind that while optics increase intensity, they decrease coverage area. If you don't mind having some dark areas, then go with your plan. I really don't have a problem with dark areas, and think their use can be really creative and impressive, but you should do it on purpose, not by accident.

You can definitely turn down the internal adjustments on the meanwells if they are too intense, but the range is somewhat limited (iirc, the lowest they go on that adjustment is minus 35% or something, which would put you around 700mA).

The arduino website is www.arduino.cc - plenty of info there but of course it's generic to the hardware and software, not specific to use for LED dimming - though that's one of the simplest applications for a controller like that, so it's really no big deal. PM me if you want more details.

 

[klewis]

Wow Bobbyrocco, that is one big piece of metal :eek1: Thanks for the visual, looks like I might have to sneak into my wifes purse for more research and development funding:lolspin:. What is the spacing that you have between the LED's?

I remember reading earlier something to the equivilant of adding optics for accent lighting. If I don't need optics for the whole tank due to primary inhabitants beings zoa's, softies and LPS's,but only for a few specimens, lets say for example for a clam on the bottom of the tank or an SPS, would 3 or four LED's adjacent to each other with optics be enough for the clam or SPS?

thank you again for all the information.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I remember reading earlier something to the equivilant of adding optics for accent lighting. If I don't need optics for the whole tank due to primary inhabitants beings zoa's, softies and LPS's,but only for a few specimens, lets say for example for a clam on the bottom of the tank or an SPS, would 3 or four LED's adjacent to each other with optics be enough for the clam or SPS?

Definitely. And since most optics are easy to add/remove, you could even move the "spotlight" around the tank if you moved the clam.

Also, if the rest of the tank is truly low light coral, you should try to creatively organize where each drivers' LEDs are such that you can turn down the LEDs over corals that don't need/want the light.

Again, one of the big advantages of LEDs that few people are taking advantage of - you get pinpoint control over intensity, if you want it.

 

[nitjt]

I was looking for another source for heatsinks and came across these LED's anyone heard of them could they be used in our application? The optics and heatsinks sure look cool. http://products.lsg.com/product/titanm_series_led_lighting_system/1

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

the link is broken, can you check it?

 

[klewis]

Definitely. And since most optics are easy to add/remove, you could even move the "spotlight" around the tank if you moved the clam.

Also, if the rest of the tank is truly low light coral, you should try to creatively organize where each drivers' LEDs are such that you can turn down the LEDs over corals that don't need/want the light.

Again, one of the big advantages of LEDs that few people are taking advantage of - you get pinpoint control over intensity, if you want it.

Great der_wille, thats what my intentions are. I want the rear lights to be lower intensity and gradually increase the intensity with each row moving forward to have the different levels of rock with equal lighting and spotlight specimens that need higher intensity lighting.

 

[g8gxp]

How do you set the internal "pot" on the Meanwell Drivers? I tried opening one of them but it seems pretty well stuck together. I was afraid i was gonna break it so i left it alone. Does anyone have a picture of the innards?

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Which meanwell do you have? One of the build threads had a photo of the innards, but I don't recall which one. I think it was an ELN-60-48D.