DIY Moonlight/Nightlight Anyone?

[sand02]

Hello everyone, we are planning September's meeting to be a DIY Moonlight/Nightlight project. If you have or haven't seen your tank at night when all the lights ar out, then you will want to get in on this. The LED lights are perfect for viewing your tank at night. It's a whole other world in the tank when the lights are out.

This project will require participants to pay for the materials. Full cost for the materials shouldn't be more than 20 dollars per person. Paid members participating will pay half and non-members will have to pay the full cost.

The BOD would like to know how many are interested in coming to the September meeting to build one of these. Please reply on the thread if you are interested. There is no obligation here but we'd like to get a count before we purchase all of the materials for the DIY.

There will be futher updates on final material costs as we get responses.

Thanks

Sandra Dinardi
Communications

 

[Shimobe238]

i'd be interested. :

 

[lanxang]

you'll need to bring in a wall adapter that is at least rated 12v.

 

[Reefugee]

I'll be there.

Lak - just one probelm with each of us bringing our own 12V adapter. Since the voltage will vary, each of us may need different size resistors. Is the club going to have multiple rated resistors?

 

[Jesus]

I will be there of course.

jesus

 

[lanxang]

Minh, I'm using using a voltage regulator in the design so no worries. If you have a power supply up you 37 volts it would still work but you'll just be wasting power and creating a lot of heat. .

A great benefit to the regulator is that the power output will be stable and will not verry with the age of the adapter.

FYI: there will be two models. A nano version (3led) and a regular version (6led).

 

[Jacob D]

All - we'll post the full details on this very soon. The board still has a few details to work out and as soon as we do we'll make all the specifics available as far as what you need to bring and what your cost will be.

At this point we're just trying to get a general idea of who would be interested in building one of these for themselves at the meeting (to re-iterate, not so much on who plans to attend, but who actually wants to take home a moonlight/nightlight). The club wil probably have a couple for raffle as well.

Based on the general specs from Lak this will be a dual moonlight/nightlight with a 3 position switch. The moonlight utilizes blue LED while the nightlight uses red LED lights. The whole thing will be put together in a neat package that you can easily add to your aquarium.

Jacob.

 

[Reefugee]

Jacob,

Sounds great! I have never tried one with a voltage regulator before. Hey - are you ordering the LED from Ebay? You can get them for DIRT CHEAP there.

Minh

 

[Tenderoni Drop]

put me down

 

[GorillaReefer]

Sounds good, put me down. I'll be there.

 

[Reefugee]

Lak,

I assume yoiu are using a 7812 voltage regulator to step down 12-35volts to 12volts. I am wondering why you don't use a 7805 and step the volts down to 5 volts (from a maxiumim of 35 volts). It's much easier to find a 12 volt or less adapter than a 12+ volt DC adapter. Also a side note - in this case, more volts is not better. The higher the voltage - the more hot the regulator will run, so the less the life span. In addition, if it runs too hot, the person may need to purchase a heat sink. Just a thought.

Just another suggestion.

Minh

 

[Bamm Bamm]

You guys should pick out the adapter to buy form Radio shack so everyone can get the same one......

I'm in I already have an adapter that will work.. I need some moonlights for my new tank I'm setting up=)Clam tank baby...

 

[Reefugee]

One more thing. Will you sell any spare parts? I need like 4 moonlight systems. (I think I have too many tanks.)

 

[Jacob D]

Anyone else?

 

[Tenderoni Drop]

are the moon lights 10 for 1 or as many as a member needs

 

[Izsabelle]

Jacob, we will be attending.

Thanks!

 

[GorillaReefer]

I could use 2 setups as well. No problem paying for them. So put me down for 2. Thank You. (Regular version 6led).

 

[Jacob D]

Michael, not sure what you mean by "10 for 1". Lak will post the details this week now that we have it worked out, I'll give everyone a quick run-down until he gets the full details up.

This is a dual moonlight/nightlight. Each module has 6 blue & 6 red LED's and spans about 8" x 1 1/2" (we can probably come up w/ a nano size unit if anyone needs one). A 3-position switch lets you select moonlight - off - nightlight.

This will be good for up to a 4 foot long tank. Expansion modules will be available also which is the same as the base module and daisy chains to the base module.

The club will supply all the parts EXCEPT a power supply which you need to bring. I think Lak will recommend one but any power supply between 12 and 35 volts will work.

Prices for non-members:
Base Module: $15
Expansion Module: $5 each

Prices for paid members:
Base Module: $10
Expansion Module: $5 each



As I stated Lak will post the complete details very soon. If you have any questions I will try to answer them, he is more technical with regards to the electronics end of the project however.

Just a note this project will take place at one of our houses and we will announce that as well.

Jacob.

 

[Tenderoni Drop]

ok u answered my question sorry i did not explain right thanks

 

[lanxang]

Sorry I don't have a picture of the final product but here is the spec.

The whole design is base off of a voltage regulator (LM317T). The reason why I chose to use a voltage reg vs. straight resistor is that the regulator is going to keep the voltage where it at.

What does this mean to you or the LED? If you built a moonlight or bought one before, you'll notice that overtime the LED getting dimmer and dimmer until it dies. The reason it dies it that the power produce by the power adapter is not always what is written on it and it will flucuate as it ages.

I tested three adapters, one from another member and two of my own. Mine were rate at 3v and 12v. The 3v was actually producing 5.2v and the 12v produced 12.65. The one I borrowed produced 13.65v which was rated 9v. An 1 ohms resistor as load. With this in mind, the LED will be overdriven as the power adapter flucuate and eventually dies.

Where does the LM317T come into play? When you apply a certain voltage (at least 2v of what you need) to the chip it will it will output the a regulated amount. In our case, we are going to have it output 9v+ by applying 12v+. The chip will maintain the 9v output until you reach 35v but at that point, you're just wasting energy and producing alot of heat.

If anyone asking why I went with the LM317T chip verus any other chip its because that what the supplier had . The next option would have been a 7809 chip if he has that. Why 9v ouput vs 5v, 6v, 12v, etc...? I went with 9v because it allowed us to used 150ohm resistor for both the blue and red (when used in group of 3) led. Blue led uses 3 to 3.5v and red uses 2v.

I'm not an english major so sorry for any spelling or run on sentence. Electronics is a childhood hoby of mine so if I stated something wrong please correct me.

FYI: To keep cost down, you'll need to supply your own power adapters. It has be 12v or more but you might be able to get away with a 9v adapter. I saw some at Big Lots for $5 so that might be a place to look at. I've also heard from some member and that they are willing to donate some that they have lying around. The project still cheap considering you're getting 12 leds for $10 - $15.

Well I got to get back to work now.