DIY LEDs - The write-up

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How far above the water line do you recommend the LED fixture? This tank will be 44x24x23. Probably just softies and lps, initially. I need to do some construction before the tank and light goes in.
 
DMX control

DMX control

Now to answer a few of the questions that were left hanging in the past 84 pages...

There was a DMX controlable LED driver that was suggested in the early going, and someone asked how it could be controled. There was an answer that explained what DMX is, but not really how it is used. So here I go.

DMX-512 is a protocol that is mainly used within the entertainment industry for control of all of the lighting equipment that you see used in your favourite rock shows, tv shows, feature films, etc. I know this because I happen to work as a lighting console programmer and lighting designer within the entertainment industry. I am in fact typing this from a feature film set in Toronto right now. I am sitting in front of a GrandMA (www.malighting.com) which is being used to control over 50 dimmer racks of conventional lighting and probably about 150 3 colour LED panels. Obviously this would be useable to control my tank lighting, however a $40K USD console would be a bit of overkill for this purpose. ;)

DMX protocol is also used for lighting large buildings in some cases, although it is not used for that as much as it is used in the entertainment side of things, where it is the standard.

There are obviously smaller and cheaper DMX-512 controllers on the market, some for the PC, however I personally think that none of them are either cheap enough, or simple enough to program a proper sequence of moonlight, sunrise, daylight and sunset for an aquarium.

I think that a better solution would be something along the lines of what lynxvs has done with his control and driver setup. We haven't heard from him in quite a while, but I think he has some very valuable information as to how his controller works and is wired that we could all use, so I am going to see if he can come an help us out. :D
 
Re: Phewwwww....

Re: Phewwwww....

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15494250#post15494250 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drewread
Has anyone though of creating a summary of all the information that is within this post that is of value? I would be more than willing to post it on my personal site, as I haven't really used it for anything useful in the past few years. Anyone that is interested in trying to compile all of this fantastic information please feel free to PM me.
Click to expand...

if you want to compile one, there is also an EXCELLENT DIY thread over on nano(dash)reef,com in the lighting forum. it is "stickied" but RC doesn't allow links to nanoreef :rolleyes:

it goes into the various different LEDs available, drivers (pre-built & DIY), power, etc & is a good read. it is currently 41 pages, so that oughta keep ya busy for a few days LOL
 
if you want to compile one,
Click to expand...

I was actually hoping that this would be a group effort, as there is a LOT of information within this post alone... and with the nano post I am sure there is that much again....

so I was hoping to urge some of the main contributors from this post to help out. yourself being one of them. You seem to have learned a lot from this thread, you can actually read your development as the thread progresses. ;)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15495348#post15495348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drewread
I was actually hoping that this would be a group effort, as there is a LOT of information within this post alone... and with the nano post I am sure there is that much again....

so I was hoping to urge some of the main contributors from this post to help out. yourself being one of them. You seem to have learned a lot from this thread, you can actually read your development as the thread progresses. ;)
Click to expand...

thanks....i have become an "information regurgitator" LOL

i think the ultimate in cool would be a page similar to the GARF Buildtank Page that you could input your tank dimensions & it would give you a list of how many LEDs, spacing, etc.
 
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A future issue of RK magazine will have an article with a summary of this sort of information. Forum threads are great for interactive conversations, but I agree that it's sometimes hard to distill the essential content out of an 80+ page thread!

If anyone is interested in contributing to the RK article, let me know.
 
i think the ultimate in cool would be a page similar to the GARF Buildtank Page that you could input your tank dimensions & it would give you a list of how many LEDs, spacing, etc. [/B]
Click to expand...

Agreed, it would be cool if it worked, which the buildtank doesn't...

Material = Glass
Tank Height = 18"
Tank Width = 24"
Tank Length = 72 "
Glass Thickness = 1/4"
Approximate Gallons = 135
Click to expand...

Is what it came up with for my tank dimensions... 1/4" glass 72" long! No thanks. ;)

Also, the problem at this point is that none of the 'data' for the LEDs that people have build has been correlated, so nobody seems to know how many LEDs to use to build a fixture that will accomodate their tanks requirements. Which again are different for every type of tank and its inhabitants. :D

So why not start easy and compile what we have learned. ;)
 
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Crimeny! Here is an excellent PDF from Texas Instruments that goes over "LED driver considerations"..

It talks about different methods of current control (Direct, and constant current), efficiency, PWM dimming, overvoltage protection and load disconnect.

It is an interesting read for those that want to learn what a LED driver actually does. ;)
 
would it be possible to buy the cree leds separate then put them on the star board yourself. Just thought it might be cheaper. Prolly a noob question. Also would 50 leds be enough for a 46 bow front. Love this thread
 
Zack, you could certainly do that, but it probably won't be cheaper, especially when you consider the cost of your own time. I don't know of anywhere that sells bare emitters and stars for less than the assembled product. Plus, you'd have to be really handy with surface mount soldering to mount these at home.
 
Thanks, just had to ask. Im good with my hands but if its not cheaper, then its not worth the time. I guess i will buy them assembled. now to figure how many i need. I appreciate all the help.
 
You mentioned 50 LEDs above. 50 LEDs on a tank with your surface area (about 430 square inches) would put you at around 9 square inches per LED, which is a pretty strong ratio. 50 should be plenty for your tank.
 
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