DIY LEDs - The write-up

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Putting together my list for a 3 gal pico. I noticed most people screw down the stars. Any reason not to use thermal epoxy to attach them to the heatsink?
 
OK. Here is the breakdown of parts, with links and quantities that I used etc. When applicable, I posted the actual link to the product on the appropriate web-site.

Keep in mind, that I mounted my light directly to the top of my canopy and that I made cutouts for the fans into the canopy which were placed directly above the heat sink.

-------Parts Breakdown--------

(1) Small 1 Foot Heatsink from Heatsinkusa.com
(2) 24V @ 6.5A Power Supply from MPJA.com
(6) CREEXRE-W107, White Cree Q5 XR-E Star from LED Supply White Cree XR-E
(6) CREEXRE-RB, Royal Blue XR-E Star Royal Blue Cree CR-E
(1) 3023-D-E-700P, Wired BuckPuck With External Pot. Used for Blue LEDs 700mA BuckPuck
(1) 3023-D-E-1000P, Wired BuckPuck With External Pot. Used for White LEDs 1000mA BuckPuck

Miscelaneous items/hardware used:

* (24) 4-40 Stainless Steel Screws from Lowe's
* (2) 12 Volt PC cooling fans (had in my scrap box)
* (1) 12 Volt power supply (wall wart) to power fans (had this too)
* (2) Plugs to power, power supplies (already had these)
* (3) 4-40 Tap sets from Lowe's (go slow, use lubrication and you may make it with only one) ;)
* (24) Home-made plastic washers. Made mine from UHMWPE scraps that I had laying around.
* Soldering Iron
* Solder
* 18 Guage Wire purchased at Radio Shack
* Thermal Compound (local purchase Best Buy, Radio Shack, Local PC store etc.)
* (2) 2 inch Stainless Steel Screws to mount into canopy (your mounting methods will vary)

I think that is about it. I will edit if I remember anything else.
 
I cannibalized a current 13 watt PC fixture and installed twelve one watt LED's. I installed six royal blue and six cool white from LED supply with the lighttech 36 watt driver. The LED's are mounted on a bar of 3/16 aluminum with the 20mm ripple wide lens also from ledsupply.com. A single 2" fan blowing into the fixture keeps every thing cool, the aluminum bar hits about 95 degrees.

This is over a seven gallon mini bow, the fixture is about five inches off of the water and the tank about 12" tall. The lux meter hits just over 500 at the water surface, and between 165 and 190 at the sand bed. The reading at the sand was only 65 with out the lens installed.

Has anyone measured the temp of their giant heat sinks?





002.jpg
 
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Gads geo! I bet that is an astounding difference over the original 13W..

micoo; Welcome to Reef Central.
 
Nice looking mod. Are you running all 12 on one driver? What LED did you use? I'm getting set to build a 12" fixture also.
 
Hi there

I posted earlier, but posted right before Fernando posted the pictures of his setup (VERY nice btw...)

Would getting Cree XRE R2's be better than the Q5?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15083725#post15083725 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by user1974
Nice looking mod. Are you running all 12 on one driver? What LED did you use? I'm getting set to build a 12" fixture also.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I need to keep it simple.
I have all 12 running on this driver. So all on and all off, but I am okay with that. I used the 1 watt cree lamps from ledsupply.
 
I have a 48" long 50 gallon tank that I think I want to try LEDs on as my only lighting source. I was thinking about doing the same as soundwaves on the first page but with 8 700ma dimmable buck pucks and the same power supplies. Would these produce about the same results? would get 24 of each. I was thinking of trying these to save on cost if they would work.

white


110~120Lm
Viewing Angle:

120â°
Forward Voltage :

3.7V~4.0V
Forward Current:

700mA
Colour temperature :

6000k

Components Included:
5 x 3w White led

Blue

Power: 3 watt

Quantity : 5pcs
Lens Color : Water Clear
Emitting Color: blue
Intensity Type: 80~90Lm
Viewing Angle: 120°
Forward Voltage : 3.4V~3.6V
Forward Current: 700mA
Colour temperature : 470k

Also, has anyone come up with a programmable dimmer on a timer or what to do for a circuit on case one of the led blows?
 
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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15087389#post15087389 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lilmonster
Geo: since you replaced a 13watt fixture, Do you know how many watts your using now?
Click to expand...

The 13 watt fixture was not in use, just something I had.
 
I'm unclear about using the dimmable buckpucks... Do I need to buy anything else like a knob or controlling module or does this all come with the dimmable buckpuck from LEDSupply?

Thanks
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15085908#post15085908 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by markywmson
Would getting Cree XRE R2's be better than the Q5?
Click to expand...

R2? Got a Cree link to it? I can't find it. But if you are just comparing lumens don't get too hung up on them. If they are both similar just opt for the one easiest to get.


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15087460#post15087460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by moovinfast
or what to do for a circuit on case one of the led blows?
Click to expand...


Can you be more specific?



<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15089260#post15089260 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by apt220
I'm unclear about using the dimmable buckpucks... Do I need to buy anything else like a knob or controlling module or does this all come with the dimmable buckpuck from LEDSupply?

Thanks
Click to expand...

You should read up on how to hook up the 'dimmable' version. There should be a wiring diagram on this. Where ever you are planning to buy them.

Yes! You will need a pot or potentiometer of the correct value hooked up correctly. It's not hard, you just have to do it correctly with the correct value pot.
 
If one fails shorted then the rest of the string continues indefinitely without observable change if you're using a current driver.

If one fails 'opens' then the string goes dark until you short the failed LED or replace it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15089921#post15089921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kcress

You should read up on how to hook up the 'dimmable' version. There should be a wiring diagram on this. Where ever you are planning to buy them.

Yes! You will need a pot or potentiometer of the correct value hooked up correctly. It's not hard, you just have to do it correctly with the correct value pot.
Click to expand...

FWIW, assuming purchase at ledsupply.com (as markywmson mentioned), the dimmable models are available in three configurations: with pins, for mounting on a PCB, with a wiring harness, but not pot included, or with a wiring harness AND a pot. The difference in price is like $4, so if in doubt, it's pretty safe to just get the pre-wired version with the pot already included, I suppose.

On a different subject:

I asked a question a page or two ago that I think got lost - LED would be the first lighting project I've done that seems to require a splash shield. I'm assuming we want to pick material based on letting the most light though. Glass or acrylic?

Or, are people running these rigs without shields? I see them in the last few photos in the thread, but not in all of the earlier ones.
 
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