DIY LEDs - The write-up
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marinelife
Active member
thanks, I found http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/epxy_plstc_s/overview/Loctite-Epoxy-Plastic-Bonder.htm
Rapid thinks it will be ok. Have you used it?
Rapid thinks it will be ok. Have you used it?
brassmonkyballs
BMB
only 8"
brassmonkyballs
BMB
I have not tried it but its epoxy and will be fine.
@BMB; Great to hear you're satisfied with the results.
I have managed to put the 80 degree lenses on the 140 LEDs too. According my wife it's a real sunlight simulation, it's a huge difference compared to the China lenses.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to raise the fixture a little, an inch would be nice to get a little more spread. Maybe also I need to shift some corals to take them out of the shadow, which is clearly visible now, and get them more in to the "sunlight"
I have managed to put the 80 degree lenses on the 140 LEDs too. According my wife it's a real sunlight simulation, it's a huge difference compared to the China lenses.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to raise the fixture a little, an inch would be nice to get a little more spread. Maybe also I need to shift some corals to take them out of the shadow, which is clearly visible now, and get them more in to the "sunlight"
marinelife
Active member
Thanks for the help.
brassmonkyballs
BMB
@BMB; Great to hear you're satisfied with the results.
I have managed to put the 80 degree lenses on the 140 LEDs too. According my wife it's a real sunlight simulation, it's a huge difference compared to the China lenses.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to raise the fixture a little, an inch would be nice to get a little more spread. Maybe also I need to shift some corals to take them out of the shadow, which is clearly visible now, and get them more in to the "sunlight"
Jimmy, great to hear! As i mentioned I had to dial my fixture way back btu I was over lighting a couple acros up top anyhow. Tank looks great now though!
lpsouth1978
New member
I'm sorry to ask, but I have been following this thread for a long time and have even completed a few small builds by using the things I have learned from this thread. That being said, I am still confused. I have used buckpucks in all of my builds, but I am looking into a large build and don't want to use 40buckpucks. I would like to use the HLG series Meanwell drivers, But I am not sure how LED's I can run off of each driver. Here is a link to the stat sheet for the driver I am lloking at. I am looking at the 24V driver. Please help me understand this.
http://www.meanwell.com/search/hlg-320h/default.htm
http://www.meanwell.com/search/hlg-320h/default.htm
How large is the new build going te be? Based on those numbers it's easier to point you in the right direction.
However, here's what the HLG 320 is capable of;
With this driver, you can run 14 strings parallel with 7 LEDs in series @ 950mA.
Adding a string of 7 LEDs will make the LEDs run at 889 mA and adding even one more string all the LEDs are looking at 833mA.
With the 54V version, you can have 6 strings of 16 LEDs in series @ 990mA, or 8 strings of 16 LEDs @ 743mA which looks like a better option to me if you’re looking for less strings, less fuses and less resistors.
The output voltage determines how many LEDs you can place in series; just divide the output voltage by the Vf of the LED.
The output current determines how many parallel strings you can - or need to run from this driver by dividing the output current by the max current of the LED. Adding a string will lower the amps on which the Led’s are going to run at.
In this case with this driver it is 24V/3.3Vf = 7 LEDs in series, and 13340mA/1000ma = 13 parallel strings @ 1026mA or 17 strings at 784mA.
Since we're not running the LEDs at their max, you can feed the LEDs with 950mA by running 14 strings from this driver instead of 13.
How many drivers you need depends on how many and which LEDs you're going to use in your build – and whether or not you want to be able adjust the output separately for each color.
Which type of driver depends on whether you want to be able to dim the lights or not (B type) - or maybe you just want to have control over the output-current and the output-voltage (A and C type) or just switching on and off (blank type) without any form of adjustment.
Anyway, maybe you could have at look at the HLG 185 drivers too, and consider less LEDs per driver but more control over individual colors.
I have 64 Royal Blues running from a HLG 185-30, 20 Blues from a ELN 60-48, 40 Cool Whites from a HLG 150-36 and 16 Neutral Whites also from a HLG 150-36. This way I can adjust each color to get the right mix.
I Hope it all makes sense.
However, here's what the HLG 320 is capable of;
With this driver, you can run 14 strings parallel with 7 LEDs in series @ 950mA.
Adding a string of 7 LEDs will make the LEDs run at 889 mA and adding even one more string all the LEDs are looking at 833mA.
With the 54V version, you can have 6 strings of 16 LEDs in series @ 990mA, or 8 strings of 16 LEDs @ 743mA which looks like a better option to me if you’re looking for less strings, less fuses and less resistors.
The output voltage determines how many LEDs you can place in series; just divide the output voltage by the Vf of the LED.
The output current determines how many parallel strings you can - or need to run from this driver by dividing the output current by the max current of the LED. Adding a string will lower the amps on which the Led’s are going to run at.
In this case with this driver it is 24V/3.3Vf = 7 LEDs in series, and 13340mA/1000ma = 13 parallel strings @ 1026mA or 17 strings at 784mA.
Since we're not running the LEDs at their max, you can feed the LEDs with 950mA by running 14 strings from this driver instead of 13.
How many drivers you need depends on how many and which LEDs you're going to use in your build – and whether or not you want to be able adjust the output separately for each color.
Which type of driver depends on whether you want to be able to dim the lights or not (B type) - or maybe you just want to have control over the output-current and the output-voltage (A and C type) or just switching on and off (blank type) without any form of adjustment.
Anyway, maybe you could have at look at the HLG 185 drivers too, and consider less LEDs per driver but more control over individual colors.
I have 64 Royal Blues running from a HLG 185-30, 20 Blues from a ELN 60-48, 40 Cool Whites from a HLG 150-36 and 16 Neutral Whites also from a HLG 150-36. This way I can adjust each color to get the right mix.
I Hope it all makes sense.
TheFishMan65
New member
One more comment on the HLGs. The 185 are fully dimmable. The 240 and pretty sure the 320 only go to 50%. So if you plan to do dawn and dusk then you will probably want to use the 185s.
jkopp36
New member
Question on this FishMan, why do the data sheets for all of the HLGs show that they will dim down to 10%? Am I mising something else on the sheets for them that points to the 240 and 320 only going to 50%?
Page 5 here:
http://www.meanwell.com/search/hlg-240/hlg-240-spec.pdf
Maybe you are right, for sure about the 240's, but according page 6 of the data sheet it looks like the HLG 320 is "fully" (10%) dimmable.
@ jkopp36; Seems like there are differend data sheets going around, here's the one that says 50% for the 240 -on page 3.
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TheFishMan65
New member
The newer data sheet shows full dimming. I forgot they changed that. The 320 is still preliminary according the Meanwell, but since they changed the 240 the 320 will probably be full dimming also. Of course this 320 datasheet (3/29/10) does not mention dimming. Anyone with a link to a newer one?
[EDIT]
Fixed link
[EDIT]
Fixed link
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The link from Ipsouth1978 looks like the most recent data sheet 7-21- 2011
jkopp36
New member
Here is the one on their site with updated dimming info:
http://www.meanwell.com/search/hlg-320h/default.htm
http://www.meanwell.com/search/hlg-320h/default.htm
yep ... but your link for the 240 is also the most recent data sheet; 7-28-2011
TheFishMan65
New member
Forgot he had linked to it. And yes it looks like it will have full dimming.
So it looks like any HLG will do we just want. However a few notes:
- The load must be 50% or the power factor drops too much and so does the efficiency (graphs on page 5).
- The load should probably be above 80% if you have large voltage swings (graph on page 4). I am not sure if anyone needs to worry about this one. Comments?
- And here is where I am confused. On page one it says the current adjustment range is 2.97-5.95. Is that before or after dimming? Is that just repeating the 50% load? I think this just means you must use 1/2 the current. Comments?
So it looks like any HLG will do we just want. However a few notes:
- The load must be 50% or the power factor drops too much and so does the efficiency (graphs on page 5).
- The load should probably be above 80% if you have large voltage swings (graph on page 4). I am not sure if anyone needs to worry about this one. Comments?
- And here is where I am confused. On page one it says the current adjustment range is 2.97-5.95. Is that before or after dimming? Is that just repeating the 50% load? I think this just means you must use 1/2 the current. Comments?
Forgot he had linked to it. And yes it looks like it will have full dimming.
So it looks like any HLG will do we just want. However a few notes:
- The load must be 50% or the power factor drops too much and so does the efficiency (graphs on page 5).
- The load should probably be above 80% if you have large voltage swings (graph on page 4). I am not sure if anyone needs to worry about this one. Comments?
I think that when the input voltage is 90Vac, the load must be 80% max, as from 110Vac the load can be 100%
- And here is where I am confused. On page one it says the current adjustment range is 2.97-5.95. Is that before or after dimming? Is that just repeating the 50% load? I think this just means you must use 1/2 the current. Comments?
I don't think the dimming capabalities will be effected by this. It's the adjustment range before dimming.
It's like the ELN, the more you dail down the SVR, the less output, the lower you can dim the lights.
So when you adjust the output of the HLG to 2.95A, it will act as a driver with an output of 2.97 which means a 50% load compared to 5.95A (maybe you already said that)
But also at maximum output, the driver needs a minimum load of 50% and for the HLG 320 -54 that means a load of atleast 27V.
I could be wrong, but that's how I read this stuff
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