DreamChip build

A

acabgd

Active member
Some of you might be familiar with the new DreamChip mentioned in the famous Minimalistic multichip DIY LED build where it's been mentioned lately.

I jumped at the opportunity to get 2 DreamChips from the first batch and will be documenting here my progress with them over my 55g tank.



As with any high-power led chip cooling is extremely important in order not to fry the leds. I've decided to go with high-performance CPU coolers:



These coolers are very heavy and I'm still thinking about what's the best way to hang them over the tank. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

PSU and drivers are here and ready to be installed during this weekend, so stay tuned.
 
Im interested in more about this dream chip. I built a simple atinic canon based on info from that thread. Can you link me to the section of that thread that they speak about the dream chip? That thread has become massive and i dont feel like sifting through the whole thing again. lol.
 
cdrewferd said:
Can't wait to see the progress. What's the layout on those chips?
Click to expand...

This is the layout with the number of individual leds and their color/wavelength:

Channel 1) 10S x 2P 10000K (EPISTAR: 45mils)
Channel 2) 10S x 2P 455nm (EPISTAR: 45mils) (blue, beneficial to chlorophyll C)
Channel 3) 10S x 420nm parallel with 10S x 430nm (EPILED: 45mils) (UV range)
Channel 4) 10S x 2P 445nm (EPISTAR: 45mils) (blue, beneficial to chlorophyll C)
Channel 5) 10S x 2P 15000K (EPISTAR: 45mils)
 
For those interested - I successfully tested this driver at 700mA per channel and should have the DreamChip running over my tank today, at least for a test while I think of the way to fix the cooler over the tank.



It seems with 5 of these drivers it will be possible to drive two 100W DreamChips in parallel at some 700mA, while also being able to control the intensity of each of the 5 channels on the chip. No real dimming, but it's a beginning...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well, here it is finally, it's up and running.
Had a friend help me with setting up drivers, I'm running a separate driver for each of the 5 channels, all connected to a MeanWell power supply.


Drivers are currently set at 700mA, meaning only half the available power. The reason for this being I'm still not sure how well the cooler I got is working, and by lowering the power drain I'm also significantly lowering the heating of DreamChip itself.


At the end it all worked out and seemed to be connected correctly (phew!). The light is much more white than expected, at least compared to say T5 lighting.


This tank is a completely new 55g so please excuse the inexistant aquascaping and lack of almost any coral... Anyway, if looked more closely there is a hint of blue light, although it appears violet in this photo (I didn't use white balance).


There's a couple of things left to do now... To install the second DreamChip which will run off the same drivers and to possibly adjust the separate channels in order to get the color I prefer (a bit more blue).

Then all is left is to wait and take further photos to compare growth...

ps. Forgot to say - this thing is extremely bright, even when using only half the power.
 
Speaking as a control panel builder, I would recommend using different colors of wires for each channel and a black wire for the ground. It makes troubleshooting and preventing wiring errors much easier.
 
Landsailor said:
Speaking as a control panel builder, I would recommend using different colors of wires for each channel and a black wire for the ground. It makes troubleshooting and preventing wiring errors much easier.
Click to expand...
Yes, I already marked the ground wires with black, however the others are all the same color.

When I install the second DreamChip I'll certainly trace the wire to the chip and mark the channels, good idea.
 
It definatly looks like you are getting enough lightout of this dream chip. As far as purplish tint this is where the visual purple in your eye actualy is more sensative to light under 450nm than what your blue cones are sensative to. It is one reason why I got rid of some near purple chips on my tank. To many people asked why do I have pink lights on my tank. I was only using about 1/12 of the wattage on the near UV chips.
 
Oh man I've been waiting for this. I did a multi chip build and I'm loving it. I'm goin to be doing a 180 build and I'm hoping the dream chip will be available. Do you know when its suppose to launch and roughly the price?

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
 
Current price for the group buy which is ongoing is $126.00
I don't know when and if the DreamChip will be available to buy other than this. Mine are from the very first group buy.
 
So just to make sure I understand this correctly, with the way you have this configured, you can adjust the different colors separately to achieve the exact overall color temp you want?
 
kentrob11 said:
So just to make sure I understand this correctly, with the way you have this configured, you can adjust the different colors separately to achieve the exact overall color temp you want?
Click to expand...

Exactly, that's the point of having 5 separate channels, being able to control each one of the separately and adjust as to personal liking.

Of course, you can just connect the whole chip to a single driver if you don't need adjusting, but then you can as well get a simple hybrid CoolWhite/RoyalBlue combo chip.

With this one each of the 5 channels can be controlled, dimmed or even switched off completely as you like.

At the moment I have all my channels running at same 700mA power. In the next few days I will install the second DreamChip and I'm planning then on reducing the 10K and 15K channels a bit, in order to get more blue color, the way I like my tank to look.
 
interesting...I have a 3000 gallon in the works and was planning on multichips to light it...I already purchased a 20K 100w setup from AC-RC and really liked the color of it but obviously it lacked the ability to change or adjust color temp. I really perfer a nice crisp white with only the slightest bit of blue, which looks very much like what you have pictured above. So that said, can just the right color temp be achieved using the individual channel dimmers and then the entire thing ramped up and down using that meanwell and a 1-10v dimming setup?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

sickman
Juwel Lido 200 - really reef tank ready all in one? Really Really?
2
Replies
39
Views
981
Reefing102
Reefing102
F
DYI Perestaltic Pump Kit
Replies
0
Views
2K
Fishkin
F
S
Novice Aquarist - Sump & Equipment Questions
Replies
9
Views
344
wvned
wvned
S
Lighting Question - Glass penetration
Replies
7
Views
281
xabo
xabo
Niven
I'm back....and ready to jump back in, feet first in the deep end, speedo, everything!
2
Replies
24
Views
749
griss
griss
Back
Top