dipan
Member
thanks for the tips ...
Is it necessary to use solid core wire, and would it be ok to drop the gauge to 22?
Is it necessary to use solid core wire, and would it be ok to drop the gauge to 22?
DIY LEDs - The write-up
- Thread starter JohnL
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Neogenocide
New member
I did not use solid core wire. I used a high strand count hobby grade wire. Works just as good.
Scott
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
Well the LEDs are mounted and it's basically wired up. I got LEDs from Dealextreme, Nanotuners and LEDSupply. All I can say is the ones from LEDSupply are IMPOSSIBLE to solder - I can sort of get the wire to stick but it comes off of the contact super easily. The ones from Dealextreme and Nanotuners? A breeze... My iron had them connected immediately and it's a solid, elegant connection. But with the 5 LEDs from LEDSupply being so impossible to solder, I don't want to put this thing up in the air with connections which might break if I look at them funny. Any suggestions???
Anyways, here's a few shots:
What it looks like with the 8-degree Cree lenses:
Sitting on an ottoman...yes it's bright:
The nice focused oblong spot it threw on the ceiling from there approximately over the same distance it would be from the aquarium which sits really low...
So if I can just figure out how to not be defeated by those five LEDs from LEDSupply...
Almost forgot to mention, due to the fact that the heatsinks can be finely-tuned on their axis, the spot is a very nice even blend of the white and blue LEDs without any ugly lines or spots etc. I tried firing it at the wall with the heatsinks untilted (as if they were one big flat heatsink) and it was a pretty hilarious alternating of blue and white spots...
It is also worth mentioning that you can actually see the beams in the air with minute particles floating around and it is REALLY COOL. If I can get my camera to pick it up I'll be sure to post; all pics so far have been from my cellphone...
Anyways, here's a few shots:
What it looks like with the 8-degree Cree lenses:
Sitting on an ottoman...yes it's bright:
The nice focused oblong spot it threw on the ceiling from there approximately over the same distance it would be from the aquarium which sits really low...
So if I can just figure out how to not be defeated by those five LEDs from LEDSupply...
Almost forgot to mention, due to the fact that the heatsinks can be finely-tuned on their axis, the spot is a very nice even blend of the white and blue LEDs without any ugly lines or spots etc. I tried firing it at the wall with the heatsinks untilted (as if they were one big flat heatsink) and it was a pretty hilarious alternating of blue and white spots...
It is also worth mentioning that you can actually see the beams in the air with minute particles floating around and it is REALLY COOL. If I can get my camera to pick it up I'll be sure to post; all pics so far have been from my cellphone...
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
My experience has been the same - the solder plating on the pads is thin, and I'm wondering if it's lead-free or something, because it's very stubborn. This is in contrast to the stars from other suppliers, which often have a nice big blob of solder pre-tinned on the pads. I've taken to Stu's suggestion of tinning the pads before mounting them on the heatsink, but that's obviously not going to work for you. What sorta soldering iron are you using?
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
PS nice job on the fixture. It would be real interesting to get a PAR meter in that concentrated spot it's projecting.
DeathWish302
Clown Hoarder
I had the same problem with my cheap-o 40W iron. I used my EE buddies nice iron over x-mas when I went home and they went on easily then. I tried one, then was pushed aside as he finished all the soldering on 11 LEDS in about 3min. I would suggest iron temp regulation as a possible problem, but not certain if it is totally the problem. I've not soldered anything but LEDSupply stock, so I have not seen the easy street yet.
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
Well I've got this neat butane pen iron which can get HOT. I've had it for a few years and it works great. Like I say, the other LEDs no problem whatsoever. Super fast, melts the solder instantaneously.
When I simply could not get it to work with the LEDSupply LEDs, I tried scuffing up the contact with a knife to get rid of oxidized surface and create more surface area and that didn't seem to help...
Also, the offer still stands if anyone wants to lend me a PAR meter...In the meantime I can just estimate that the great majority of the light is beamed down into the aquarium without much spilling. It is REALLY COOL to see the intense beams travel through the air, at least over the first couple or so feet where the light is still compressed into such a thin sliver that it lights up minute particles so that the shape of the beam is visible.
When I simply could not get it to work with the LEDSupply LEDs, I tried scuffing up the contact with a knife to get rid of oxidized surface and create more surface area and that didn't seem to help...
Also, the offer still stands if anyone wants to lend me a PAR meter...In the meantime I can just estimate that the great majority of the light is beamed down into the aquarium without much spilling. It is REALLY COOL to see the intense beams travel through the air, at least over the first couple or so feet where the light is still compressed into such a thin sliver that it lights up minute particles so that the shape of the beam is visible.
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widmer
Drug Enthusiast
www.LEDSupply.com They are the Cree brand optics. Pretty satisfied overall with them. Just watch out for LEDSupply's absolutely no returns/refunds/exchanges policy it really bit me when I ended up with their 6-degree optics which were trash.
TheFishMan65
New member
Widmer,
Can you tell or remind me of the size of your fixture? Can you get a picture with a yardstick on the ceiling. Curious about the spread.
Thanks
Can you tell or remind me of the size of your fixture? Can you get a picture with a yardstick on the ceiling. Curious about the spread.
Thanks
Skeptic_07
New member
Bravo widmer! :thumbsup:
I knew that is what you were going for good work. Looks like you could burn something with a spot that bright!
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
Well I appreciate the words of encouragement coming from a skeptic such as yourself :lolspin:. It has taken a lot of consideration and daydreaming about over the past several months. If you go back forty or so pages in this thread you will see how I originally proposed the idea several months ago, but haven't been able to put up the cash until now. Please stay tuned for my build thread which will hopefully be up this week
TheFishman65: So the fixture is about 10" by 10" by 3.5". 18 Cree XR-E LEDs (9 white, 9 royal blue). Sorry I won't be attaching a yardstick to my ceiling, and more importantly. Either way, it would only show you the spread based on the distance the fixture is from the ceiling. 6 or so feet from the ceiling and the spot is about two by one feet. 3 feet or so from the ceiling and the spot is about a foot and a half by 9 inches...
Sbleile: Are you referring to my brief comment about LEDSupply? Because if this were the time or place, I would use some very choice words about the way they run their business, or at least about the impression that the representative I spoke to on the phone left me...
Where did everyone get their supplies from? I've found a couple places but not all have all that I need.. also prices vary quite a bit.
Here are a few
deal extreme
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15943
rapid led
lckled
LEDZ
ledsupply.com
Anyone want to add?
How about the ebay chinese buy 10x 3w led?
red led
blue
Here are a few
deal extreme
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15943
rapid led
lckled
LEDZ
ledsupply.com
Anyone want to add?
How about the ebay chinese buy 10x 3w led?
red led
blue
TheFishMan65
New member
Widmer
Thanks for the information on spot size. I am surprised with you your spread (that it is not more circular). Is the 2 foot spread from the fact that the LEDs are tipped out some - you mentioned that they where adjustable? As you may or may not remember I am planning on doing the same thing of mounting on the ceiling - so I am just trying to clarify form someone that has experience.
Thanks
Thanks for the information on spot size. I am surprised with you your spread (that it is not more circular). Is the 2 foot spread from the fact that the LEDs are tipped out some - you mentioned that they where adjustable? As you may or may not remember I am planning on doing the same thing of mounting on the ceiling - so I am just trying to clarify form someone that has experience.
Thanks
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
:dance:
The only thing that's keeping me from putting it on the ceiling at this point is figuring out how to secure the solder to the ridiculous LED stars that came from LEDSupply. Can you or Stu or anyone clue me in on some sort of clue to make it work?? Like I say, soldering the Stars from dealextreme and nanotuners was a breeze, but these LEDsupply LEDs are impossible...
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
Yes this is because both of my strips are adjusted such that beams they cast are overlapping, basically one on top of the other. So it is essentially the shape and size beam cast by a ~9" long strip of emitters on 8 degree lenses. If you go back a couple pages you can see how both strips are on hinges so they are freely rotatable. I might be able to give you some pointers on your fixture if you tell me the size/shape of your aquarium and what you're going for, based on my limited experience here.
Santoki
Shimmer Addict
Strange I've never had problems with the LED supply stars.
FWIW,
Take a nail file and lightly file off the top layer. You shouldn't be having any problems after that.
As for soldering, the iron tip should never really touch the star for that long, only the solder and wire. It only takes a second for the solder to stick, but you have to make sure the wire tips are stationary while soldering.
-R
FWIW,
Take a nail file and lightly file off the top layer. You shouldn't be having any problems after that.
As for soldering, the iron tip should never really touch the star for that long, only the solder and wire. It only takes a second for the solder to stick, but you have to make sure the wire tips are stationary while soldering.
-R
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