DIY LEDs - The write-up

[Imzadi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14581723#post14581723 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lynxvs
Could mean 60 mW of power on a string of 6 LEDs... some engineers would be concerned......

I'll go to an engineering forum to find that out. lol


I mean no offence, but the nit-picking and hyper-analysis of the results kills the joy of the D I Y of it. If I want something engineered, I will BUY something made by engineers. This sounds like it is working and working very well. Engineer the percentage happier Soundwave is, knowing that something he created is working as well as it is.

 

[stugray]

Imzadi,

"but the nit-picking and hyper-analysis of the results kills the joy of the D I Y of it"

If Soundwave truly wanted to do this "by himself", he wouldnt have posted it on a forum.

The reason we are all here is to see what works for other people & to spread the knowledge of "been there done that" to save another guy from some wasted effort.

I have never had any negative criticism of his design, only constructive comments for the next build.

I think Soundwave did a fantastic job.
not only with the design, but the documentation as well.

Stu

 

[lynxvs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14581857#post14581857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Imzadi
I'll go to an engineering forum to find that out. lol


I mean no offence, but the nit-picking and hyper-analysis of the results kills the joy of the D I Y of it. If I want something engineered, I will BUY something made by engineers. This sounds like it is working and working very well. Engineer the percentage happier Soundwave is, knowing that something he created is working as well as it is.

No offense but without "nit-picking and hyper-analysis" we would have never went to the moon. How do you know this is working well? He said it's been running for about a week. I don't think he "created" anything, he wired an LED driver to an LED........come on guys!!!!!

 

[Soundwave]

Ah, but did we REALLY go to the moon?

You are correct by stating that all I did was wire LEDs to drivers. However, if people went out and just bought LEDs off eBay and cheapo drivers and expected the same result they would've wasted their money.

The whole point to this is me showing everyone what I've done. Make your own however you want.

Make improvements, make changes, make a space suit out of aluminum foil for all I care. This works for me and I wanted to share the experience.

On a side note, I got home from Wisconsin a few minutes ago and noticed some pretty decent new growth on my green monti that didn't do any growing under my PCs. I hope this trend continues.

So far, total success.

 

[Soundwave]

Another update. Since using the LEDs, my frogspawn has grown a semi-transparent bubble which it has never done before. My understanding is that this is how it grows new heads.

That's a plus.

 

[masterswimmer]

Soundwave, I've been following from the beginning. I haven't posted though. Kudos to you my friend. You've done a great job on the design, nice and neat and very presentable. The 'hand holding' through the build was super. I'm no engineer, rocket scientist or electrician, and I was able to follow along. Thank you.

As for the comments by a lot of the followers, those are very useful to the next generation of this project as well. Some comments are said more constructive than others, but all were useful. Some people are just less diplomatic in their presentation.

Thanks again for taking the time during your project to photo catalog the process. You didn't have to do that. I for one appreciate it.

Good luck and I hope the growth and success you've encountered, preliminarily, continues.

swimmer

 

[Esquare]

^ Well said!

 

[Soundwave]

Thank you masterswimmer.

 

[Imzadi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14582928#post14582928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Soundwave
Ah, but did we REALLY go to the moon?

You are correct by stating that all I did was wire LEDs to drivers. However, if people went out and just bought LEDs off eBay and cheapo drivers and expected the same result they would've wasted their money.

The whole point to this is me showing everyone what I've done. Make your own however you want.

Make improvements, make changes, make a space suit out of aluminum foil for all I care. This works for me and I wanted to share the experience.

On a side note, I got home from Wisconsin a few minutes ago and noticed some pretty decent new growth on my green monti that didn't do any growing under my PCs. I hope this trend continues.

So far, total success.

You experience, has gotten me interested in doing the very same thing. I would not have before this thread. Your positive results encourage me that this might be a good idea for me as well. What did you create? I say you created a new Monti! And you created interest in me do do this, using this exact method. 3.35v or 3.36v, I am still gonna do it, becauce of this thread...



By the way, do you have the DIY on that foil suit? That might be a fall project!

 

[michad]

Tagging along here as well...Thanks for doing the work!

 

[Doolin]

I'm really excited to see the results of the lighting, and how everything grows. I think I can get those LEDs for cheap thru work.

 

[Lutefisk]

Soundwave's been a good sport throughout this thread.

Thanks!

 

[Imzadi]

I agree, Lute. I mean getting the load tester and such... top notch effort to supply fodder for the forum.

Soundwave, what would you guess would be a good setup for an amateur 55g Tank. I have a 36" T5 (I think)... do you think a row of whites up each side of the 2 actinics would cut the mustard?

Like this

W___W___W___W___W___W
B------------------------B
B------------------------B
W___W___W___W___W___W

 

[EBOLII]

Agreed.......well done bud! Show some updated images of your growth yeah?

 

[bdub]

Soundwave,
It has been about a month or so since you LED setup, have you noticed any irregularities with your tank life since adding the LEDs?

by the way great build thread

 

[lynxvs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14586034#post14586034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EBOLII
Agreed.......well done bud! Show some updated images of your growth yeah?

soundwave
You saw decent growth in less then a week? I too would like to see pictures of that......

 

[traveller7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14586469#post14586469 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lynxvs
soundwave
You saw decent growth in less then a week? I too would like to see pictures of that......

Actually, 10+ days if one took the time to review available data.

Photo properties indicate 2/27 picture with fixture on tank.
Growth post by owner was on 3/10.

The fixture would appear to be on the tank for some time greater then 10+ days by the time of the post.

 

[Soundwave]

No irregularities as of yet. Well the only irregular thing is that everything opens up and looks prettier. I'm using my iPod right now to check this thread so when I get home I'll try to respond to the new qustions and post pics. I have a 4 day weekend this week so I'll show updates as well.

 

[The0wn4g3]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14574940#post14574940 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Soundwave

TheOwn4g3: The first thing I noticed about that driver was constant current yet showed 650~700mA. Doesn't sound constant to me. How is your project progressing? I would like to know if these drivers work.

I'm still waiting on shipping... I like the free part, but I hate the 10-14 business day part.... I'll post the results if I can get it to work haha.

 

[lynxvs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14586808#post14586808 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by traveller7
Actually, 10+ days if one took the time to review available data.

Photo properties indicate 2/27 picture with fixture on tank.
Growth post by owner was on 3/10.

The fixture would appear to be on the tank for some time greater then 10+ days by the time of the post.

I was going by what soundwave said that

"On a side note, I got home from Wisconsin a few minutes ago and noticed some pretty decent new growth on my green monti that didn't do any growing under my PCs. I hope this trend continues."

I assume he saw growth from the time he left and when he came back was less then a week.

By the way I review all "available data" be it bad or good...... It's the interpretation of this data which usually leads to a bad conclusion.

All I offered was some opinions of the design that I saw was flawed. Here is a list of problems that I see so far whether you agree or disagree :

1. Total LED count per 24" is not enough for high PAR.
2. LED driver will not provide the current required.
3. Fan airflow should be perpendicular to heatsink cooling fins.
4. LEDs are can not be removed easily from heatsink.
5. Light must be placed close to the surface of the water because of the lack of optics.

All these problems can easily be fixed but soundwave and it seems most on this thread don't want to hear it......