DIY LEDs - The write-up
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goofyreefer
Member
"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."
I don';t think any of these things are "problems" though. I hope soundwaves design works out well over the long run and look forward to hearing about it.
Just a quick reply with my opinion.
1.His PAR readings seem pretty high to me aleast higher than PC's and T5's I would imagine. Or do you not believe the reading soundwave is getting?
2. his driver seems to working just fine from the pics posted
3. Is it REALLY all that important which way the fan is mounted? Piont is to reduce the heat which he seems to be doing.
4. The LEDs can't be removed easily but if the LED's last 50,000 hours why worry about it really.
5. the lack of optics is Soundwaves preference which results in the lights being placed closer. Although they didn't seem all that close in the pics if I remember correctly but I could be wrong.
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."
I don';t think any of these things are "problems" though. I hope soundwaves design works out well over the long run and look forward to hearing about it.
Just a quick reply with my opinion.
1.His PAR readings seem pretty high to me aleast higher than PC's and T5's I would imagine. Or do you not believe the reading soundwave is getting?
2. his driver seems to working just fine from the pics posted
3. Is it REALLY all that important which way the fan is mounted? Piont is to reduce the heat which he seems to be doing.
4. The LEDs can't be removed easily but if the LED's last 50,000 hours why worry about it really.
5. the lack of optics is Soundwaves preference which results in the lights being placed closer. Although they didn't seem all that close in the pics if I remember correctly but I could be wrong.
I'll confess that my post is a reaction to your description of Soundwave's project as being "flawed." Sure, it may not be what you would do but until you build a LED lighting system and post details about it that would allow most reefers to build their own I would only be guessing.
At this point I guess I would have to take the option you offer of disagreeing on a practical basis.
I think that it would be safe to say that about anyone, including Soundwave, can do a better job based upon lessons learned from this project.
Let's keep this "fun" and be helpful rather than judgmental.
1. Total LED count per 24" is not enough for high PAR.
Some people use 150 watt MH and others use 1,000 watt. It all depends on what you're trying to do and want to spend. "Not enough" is very subjective.
2. LED driver will not provide the current required.
See #1
3. Fan airflow should be perpendicular to heatsink cooling fins.
Yes, it could be more effective but it still gets the job done.
4. LEDs are can not be removed easily from heatsink.
See goofyreefer's point #4
5. Light must be placed close to the surface of the water because of the lack of optics.
Must? Should? Could? You pick. Early in engineering I did a lot on paper. Later I learned from a brilliant engineer that it's often better, when you can, to just try it out and see what works best. Soundwave can see what it looks like as he raises and lowers the fixture. Can you?
Now of course I'll have to confess to doing the same thing to your post that I'm complaining about you doing to Soundwave's design :rollface:
Have fun
Last edited:
RandalB
New member
Soundwave,
First of all great writeup!
Second of all, am I inspired by your directions and I am planning a fixture to suppliment a 250 MH fixture that will use 12 Royal Blue's. A quick question; Am I reading the data on the buckpucks correctly when I saw that they can use 12VDC for input voltage? Is there a benefit to using 24V?
Thanks for the input,
RandalB
First of all great writeup!
Second of all, am I inspired by your directions and I am planning a fixture to suppliment a 250 MH fixture that will use 12 Royal Blue's. A quick question; Am I reading the data on the buckpucks correctly when I saw that they can use 12VDC for input voltage? Is there a benefit to using 24V?
Thanks for the input,
RandalB
Soundwave
New member
OK, let's see what I can answer...
Imzadi: For a 55g, Two rows of whites sounds like it would work just fine. However, if they are spaced too far apart, you will get two rows of white in your tank. If it were me, I would put the whites in the middle and the actinics on the sides.
RandalB: The buckpucks can handle anywhere from 5 to 32V. The number of LEDs you want to run will determine what voltage you want. For instance, with 12 volt, 3 is pretty much the limit. You could do 4 but they would be under-driven. Just consider that each LED will use 4 volts. It's only 3.6ish but use 4 when you calculate how much.
Looks like that was it for now. Like I said, I will have some pictures this weekend.
FYI: LEDsupply has sold out of the cool white Q4 LEDs that I used. They are going to be stocking the Q5 cool whites soon, though. They reach a higher K rating and have a higher output, as well. I may look into upgrading... already.
Thank you for all the positive replies and I hope to see any systems you guys build!
Imzadi: For a 55g, Two rows of whites sounds like it would work just fine. However, if they are spaced too far apart, you will get two rows of white in your tank. If it were me, I would put the whites in the middle and the actinics on the sides.
RandalB: The buckpucks can handle anywhere from 5 to 32V. The number of LEDs you want to run will determine what voltage you want. For instance, with 12 volt, 3 is pretty much the limit. You could do 4 but they would be under-driven. Just consider that each LED will use 4 volts. It's only 3.6ish but use 4 when you calculate how much.
Looks like that was it for now. Like I said, I will have some pictures this weekend.
FYI: LEDsupply has sold out of the cool white Q4 LEDs that I used. They are going to be stocking the Q5 cool whites soon, though. They reach a higher K rating and have a higher output, as well. I may look into upgrading... already.
Thank you for all the positive replies and I hope to see any systems you guys build!
Think it might be worth mounting the LEDs on a block of copper or aluminum which is then mounted to the heatsink to ease replacement?
fwiw: I am using some old aquaspacelight rails in my projects and this is the only choice I had, but it looks applicable to your giant heatsinks as well.
Sisterlimonpot
Premium Member
I've been following this thread and you have sparked an interest in going LED.... I would also like to say that I think that what soundwave has done is great but the constructive criticism from lynxvs is only to take from soundwaves design and improve on it to make it more efficient, that is how we move forward in this hobby.
So what I’m saying is keep the ideas coming!!
So what I’m saying is keep the ideas coming!!
What I mean by #2 is from what soundwave has posted the Buck Puck that he is using will not drive the LEDs at the rated current. I just suggested that the Buck Puck should be changed to the one that is adjustable.
From my experience 48 LEDs for a 48" tank would not provide enough light. I have to say I have not used the CREE I use Luxeon Rebels but they are almost identiticle.
In my tank which is 30" in length I have 60 LEDs.
Without optics I am reading just slightly higher PAR then what soundwave is reading....
goofyreefer
1. I can't say I don't believe them because I wasn't there to see them taken....they don't seem unreasonable... it's just the fact that he is getting about the same PAR as me with half the LEDs and a larger tank that bothers me.
2. You can tell how the driver is working from the picture?
3. No you can run it without the fan with that big heatsink.... I was just suggesting mounting the fan so the air flows through the fins for maximum cooling.
4. That's what the data sheet says...... in the real world it's a little different. I bet soundwave has had a LED failure in the first couple of days of operation.
5. It also results in lower PAR. If you like the fixture on top of the tank this is fine but if you raise it up you need optics period.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14590242#post14590242 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lutefisk
I'll confess that my post is a reaction to your description of Soundwave's project as being "flawed." Sure, it may not be what you would do but until you build a LED lighting system and post details about it that would allow most reefers to build their own I would only be guessing.
At this point I guess I would have to take the option you offer of disagreeing on a practical basis.
I think that it would be safe to say that about anyone, including Soundwave, can do a better job based upon lessons learned from this project.
Let's keep this "fun" and be helpful rather than judgmental.
1. Total LED count per 24" is not enough for high PAR.
Some people use 150 watt MH and others use 1,000 watt. It all depends on what you're trying to do and want to spend. "Not enough" is very subjective.
2. LED driver will not provide the current required.
See #1
3. Fan airflow should be perpendicular to heatsink cooling fins.
Yes, it could be more effective but it still gets the job done.
4. LEDs are can not be removed easily from heatsink.
See goofyreefer's point #4
5. Light must be placed close to the surface of the water because of the lack of optics.
Must? Should? Could? You pick. Early in engineering I did a lot on paper. Later I learned from a brilliant engineer that it's often better, when you can, to just try it out and see what works best. Soundwave can see what it looks like as he raises and lowers the fixture. Can you?
Now of course I'll have to confess to doing the same thing to your post that I'm complaining about you doing to Soundwave's design :rollface:
Have fun
I guess some people are having a problem with the word "flawed" , OK , OK I will call them "engineering changes" .
I did post a build here several times a while back and if you click on my website you would see my build..... athough the information is outdated now I have had many engineering changes to it since.
I was hoping for lots of feedback on this but received little. Might be the reason I try to give more comments on soundwaves design.
CJerome21
New member
I am interested in hearing more about the distance the LEDs are mounted from the water surface in relation to using or not using optics.
Soundwave what is the distance from your LEDs to the water surface and the same for Lynxvs?
I am planing builds for my two nanos and right now my PC light is about 2.25 inches off the surface.
Soundwave what is the distance from your LEDs to the water surface and the same for Lynxvs?
I am planing builds for my two nanos and right now my PC light is about 2.25 inches off the surface.
ahoyhoy239
Member
lynxvs, look up "impingement jet" or "impinging jet", that is the basic configuration that soundwaves fans have with the heatsinks and it is a very effective method of heat transfer.
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