DIY LEDs - The write-up
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james3370
Premium Member
this site has the lpc-35 he mentioned for $21.74
http://www.powergatellc.com/pricing/meanwell/l.htm
they also sell the eln-30 for $27.77 for the regular & $30 for the dimmable.
the eln-60 are $31.90 & $38.50 for dimmable
http://www.powergatellc.com/pricing/meanwell/e.htm
the difference in the 30 & 60 is the 30 runs at 350ma & the 60 runs at 700ma
NanoReefWanabe
Active member
super stoked here...got my drivers, and got my LED's...like a dumbdumb though i forgot to order my buckpucks...so doing that as we speak..
quick question though...
has anyone determined the minimum size of heat sink required for a single 3W LED? i planned on using two LED's per heatsink that i have but the sinks only measure 3" long by 1.25" wide with 1" tall fins...i had to go with a setup like this as they are going to be mitred to form a circle for my current pico build, and i couldnt find a circular heatsink..so with the LED's only running in a string of five and at 700mA with fans blowing over the fins will the sinks i have be enough?
quick question though...
has anyone determined the minimum size of heat sink required for a single 3W LED? i planned on using two LED's per heatsink that i have but the sinks only measure 3" long by 1.25" wide with 1" tall fins...i had to go with a setup like this as they are going to be mitred to form a circle for my current pico build, and i couldnt find a circular heatsink..so with the LED's only running in a string of five and at 700mA with fans blowing over the fins will the sinks i have be enough?
dtech
New member
Ordering my leds this week, I am doing 30cw and 30 rb, I already got 10x1000ma dimmable buckpucks and 2x 12x9 5/8 heatsinks.
Question which 2 power supplies from MJPA do I need to order? NOTE: I have 4 120mm fans here are the specs for them:
Color: Blue LED
Fan Size: 120 x 120 x 25mm
Connection: 3pin, 4pin
Max. Air Flow: 21.71CFM
Noise: 20dB (A)
Bering Type: Hydraulic Bearing
Net Weight: 60g
Rate Voltage: 10.8-13.2VDC
Starting Voltage: 7VDC
Power Input: 1.92W
Fan Speed: 1800+/-10
Also does anyone have a link to Pots I could use?? I want to use 1 for white and 1 for blue, I can get it from Radio Shack but I hear bad stuff from them.
Question which 2 power supplies from MJPA do I need to order? NOTE: I have 4 120mm fans here are the specs for them:
Color: Blue LED
Fan Size: 120 x 120 x 25mm
Connection: 3pin, 4pin
Max. Air Flow: 21.71CFM
Noise: 20dB (A)
Bering Type: Hydraulic Bearing
Net Weight: 60g
Rate Voltage: 10.8-13.2VDC
Starting Voltage: 7VDC
Power Input: 1.92W
Fan Speed: 1800+/-10
Also does anyone have a link to Pots I could use?? I want to use 1 for white and 1 for blue, I can get it from Radio Shack but I hear bad stuff from them.
james3370
Premium Member
hey dtech....where ya getting the LEDs??? nanoreef is having a group buy that ends on the 30th. current price is $5.85/each but your 30/30 order would knock it up to the next price-cut tier, making them $5.76/each + $8 for shipping & paypal fees
copy this link & change scoobydoo to nanoreef....gotta love RC vb code changing it out
http://www.scoobydoo.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=200015
as far as the power supply, assuming the LEDs are a 3.7 forward voltage & you are running (6) per puck (guestimating from you having 60 LEDs & 10 pucks), you'll need a 24v power supply. then you just need to figure out what amp supply you need.....
THIS power supply runs 24v/6.5a. you could put (3) pucks of blue & (3) pucks of white on a power supply & do sunrise/sunset timing...so in that case, you'd need 2 of that supply
......or THIS one runs 24v/12.5a if you just want them all on or off at the same time
fans are gonna take about 1/4-1/2 amp each so you should be good either putting (2) on each of the 6.5 supplies if splitting the lights up or all (4) on the 12.5 amp supply w/ all the lights together
for the pots, you're on your own cause i'm still tryin to figure that part of my build out too LOL
copy this link & change scoobydoo to nanoreef....gotta love RC vb code changing it out
http://www.scoobydoo.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=200015
as far as the power supply, assuming the LEDs are a 3.7 forward voltage & you are running (6) per puck (guestimating from you having 60 LEDs & 10 pucks), you'll need a 24v power supply. then you just need to figure out what amp supply you need.....
THIS power supply runs 24v/6.5a. you could put (3) pucks of blue & (3) pucks of white on a power supply & do sunrise/sunset timing...so in that case, you'd need 2 of that supply
......or THIS one runs 24v/12.5a if you just want them all on or off at the same time
fans are gonna take about 1/4-1/2 amp each so you should be good either putting (2) on each of the 6.5 supplies if splitting the lights up or all (4) on the 12.5 amp supply w/ all the lights together
for the pots, you're on your own cause i'm still tryin to figure that part of my build out too LOL
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dtech
New member
Thanks for the input, I am watching that group buy if it gets enough with mine to get down lower I will get in on it, I have another route I can get limited amounts from for a around the 300+ price point.
Yeah sorry I didn't put in the numbers, you are correct they are the 3.7 Q5 bin's. I am going to do all blue on 1 power supply and all white on another, Then I can dim it to acclimate the corals individually by color and also tune in the look a bit, plus the sunrise sunset. Thanks for the link I will get the PS ordered probly monday or so. I read about gang potentiometers earlier and also about just using regular 0 to 10k. I will look locally to we have a big electeonics supplier in town and maybe get them to do a deal or somethin.
Yeah sorry I didn't put in the numbers, you are correct they are the 3.7 Q5 bin's. I am going to do all blue on 1 power supply and all white on another, Then I can dim it to acclimate the corals individually by color and also tune in the look a bit, plus the sunrise sunset. Thanks for the link I will get the PS ordered probly monday or so. I read about gang potentiometers earlier and also about just using regular 0 to 10k. I will look locally to we have a big electeonics supplier in town and maybe get them to do a deal or somethin.
Great thread. Will probably end up building a LED system here shortly. Just trying to figure out if I want this on my 100 gallon first or if I set up a small nano cube / desktop.
Other than fantastic work by everyone - only other feedback that I could say is this. It would be way cool to have those with existing "completed" projects in their own thread. First & second post describing material used, images, directions, hints, tips, etc for the project. Then the rest of the posts are only for feedback, etc.
Going through 24+ pages, other threads, links, and then split threads is a bit overwhelming!
Seems that way it is all there at the top. What is used, how it was used, tips, tricks, you name it.
Anyway - great stuff here.
Other than fantastic work by everyone - only other feedback that I could say is this. It would be way cool to have those with existing "completed" projects in their own thread. First & second post describing material used, images, directions, hints, tips, etc for the project. Then the rest of the posts are only for feedback, etc.
Going through 24+ pages, other threads, links, and then split threads is a bit overwhelming!
Seems that way it is all there at the top. What is used, how it was used, tips, tricks, you name it. Anyway - great stuff here.
khanb31
SLim Jim
Well, see thats where my confusion comes in. The max amperage for both LED's that soundwave used is 1000mA. At least thats what I thought?
Im still a little lost. Since I havent bought any drivers yet (got my LED's in though! woo!) What mA output should I get for my drivers if my LED's are rated for whatever max input? I would assume to go lower yes?
My royal blues are rated for max 1000 mA (XR-E's)
My cool whites are rated for max 700 mA (XP-E's)
What amperage output should I get for my LED drivers?
james3370
Premium Member
personally, i would run them at the max they will run (RB @ 1000ma & CW @ 700ma) & use dimmable buckpucks. that way you can fine-tine them to the color & brightness you like w/ the pot
so how many of each LED do you have?? do you have power supplies yet?? post some details & i'll give ya my
dtech
New member
Soundwave said before that the blues didn't need to be at max amp since they are more for color than anything, the growth comes from the CW. As for a 30" deep I was planning a 30x30x30 before I got the deal on my 75 and would deffinatly go with optics for that deep, depending of course on what you plan to keep would decide on what degree optic to use and how many leds, also would you want to have total coverage for the tank or just mainly over corals and let the bleed over light hit the rest with lower light areas etc.
james3370
Premium Member
definately....go w/ 60 degree optics. spacing of the LEDs is also important....
from reading the nanoreef thread (there are quite a few people w/ these up & running), best spacing is 2" apart if no optics & 2.5" w/ optics (center of LED to center). this is side to side spacing...front to back spacing can be stretched out to 3" or so from row to row & 3" or so from each glass edge. figure those dimensions & spacing to figure out how many LEDs you need for best coverage
i posted a link a page or so back to the group buy that is going on over there (ends on the 30th). current price tier the LEDs (white or royal blue) are $5.85/ea & optics $1/ea + $8 for shipping & paypal fees. this is a very good price as the same LEDs from ledsupply.com (who buys from the vendor the group buy is coming from) charges $7.49/ea for the LEDs & $1.25/ea for the optics
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