Minimalistic multichip DIY LED build

[joeogio]

thanks

thanks

That seller has two hybrids at 100 W. One 98 $ and one at 125 $. The difference between them is that the 125 $ can be teoretical "overdriven" up to 250 W. The other max 126 W.

I have not seen any more sellers of these chip - I saw one
EPISTAR 100W Super Actinic Blue Hybrid LED Panel for Aquarium Install for 59.99 but if you look at the specifications it show up being a solid blue chip at 460-470 nm. Not even RB

I will stress that everything I have wrote about my experiences with this type of LED chip´s is based on experiences with chip from the seller that have the 98 $ and 125 $ chip. And I can´t say that my experiences is valid to any other seller - it could be - but I do not know because I have not try.

Sincerely Lasse

thanks a lot lasse! i think im going to try the 20,000k 100w leds and supplement some other colors rbg probably with some 3w leds.

i have another question i plan to mount them under my hood but from the top of my hood to the water lvl is about 7"

and the way the 125g 6'x18'23"t tank is designed it has two 2,1/2" braces on 2' centers. i would really link to put 3 100w leds under the hood without modifying the hood ie: making it taller. do you think that i can get the light to spread enough to cover the tank alright?

most of my rock will be in three spires or pillars directly under where the leds will be.

 

[Lassef]

The "warmth" of the air and its relative humidity is not really driving the evaporation, it is simply the rapid exchange of air at the water surface. Warm, or cold the effect is going to be about the same.

Not really. Me that lives in the cold part of the world knows that the relative humidity has a huge influence on evaporation. I live in a cold climate near the sea. In winter is it often around zero and nearly 100 % humidity. Its a heck to sit down in the car and look at the misted window. Put on the fan nothing happen because RH is 100 %. Now you can do two thing. Wait to you get heat from the engine to the heating system so you can put on the defroster/demister. To put heat to the cold air from the outside lower the relative humidity and the mist can evaporate with help of the airstream with air with lower RH than 100 %. But you can do the other way also - put on the AC and use the defroster as a demister. Now you have very cold air but dry and the mist will disapear - when it disapear you discower the ice on the outside and have to put the heat on anyway :sad2:

The best way to express it is (I think) to say that a stream of air over the surface with lower RH than 100 % will make water to evaporate and the amount per unit of time depends of how much under 100 % the RH is.

But we all agree in the fact that the temperature is going down even if we use warm air thats blow over the surface.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lassef]

So, the 900mA current is the max the led will draw, but will work below that too??

Cause I was wondering about it being to low on the amps and not being able to supply enough voltage to the leds and causing the driver to shutoff due to overtemp or overcurrent.

Thanks

This driver is a constant current driver. It will always give the same current and vary the voltage after the Load. The load is the FV of the chip (not really but it is easier to say so ). Its true that the FV is in some ways depending on the current - thats why they write 9-10 V. If you give the max current (900 mA) the FV will be around 10 V (with this chip) - If the current is around 700 mA - probably the FV will be around 9 - 9.5 V. The driver has a region where it is able to manage the constant current - in your case 28.8-48 V. 4 chip in a daisy chain will give you 36 V - 40 V and it is in the range. With this driver you are able to run 4 chip and probably (but it is not sure) also 3 chip in a daisy chain. But not more and not less.

Normal DC sources is constant voltage sources but you should not use this to Power LED:s

This particular issue seems to be the most difficult to understand with Power LED and how to run them.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lassef]

@Joeogio. I think that - use 120 degrees lenses or none. Graphics card cooler is normally slim and can be used. Test!

Sincerely Lasse

 

[joeogio]

@Joeogio. I think that - use 120 degrees lenses or none. Graphics card cooler is normally slim and can be used. Test!

Sincerely Lasse

thanks again lasse! yeah i think thats what im going to do, ill buy some lenses to try them out i know i want something over the leds to protect them from spray

 

[ambryatim]

Thanks Lasse!

Ok, these are the dimmable drivers and I am using this on a BioCube 29 will 60-80watts of light be enough??

 

[ambryatim]

I can also get these for cheap in the HLG-80h-48A version...they have the built in pots but not really sure that they will dim the lights enough....thoughts??

 

[Landsailor]

You mean cooler I think.

Sincerely Lasse

My computer was down, so I was reading and writing via the iPad.

I was under the impression that the person thought that blowing the warm air from the LED heatsinks down to the surface of the tank would warm the tank. My statement intended to imply that exhausting the heated air out the back of the fixture would keep the tank warmer because he wouldn't be losing heat due to increased evaporation.

It looked like the OP thought that the warm air would warm the tank when it would actually cool the tank.

If I am confusing more than one issue, let me know.

 

[noplay180]

Have any one used a hlg-150-36b driver. I want eventually use an apex wondering if i could do it manual then add the controller or will i need the controller first

 

[tomservo]

noplay:Yes you can use any of the HLG drivers with 0-10v, 10v PWM or a potentiometer (100k ohm).

Lasse: RE last page, there is no cover on the bottom of the fixture, the air blows down through the tube.

hillscp: My plan for the pendants was to just use a cord grip, or a conduit fitting (like a conduit compression fitting to rigid conduit as a gooseneck). Glad to know it shouldn't be too blue.

 

[Lassef]

My computer was down, so I was reading and writing via the iPad.

I was under the impression that the person thought that blowing the warm air from the LED heatsinks down to the surface of the tank would warm the tank. My statement intended to imply that exhausting the heated air out the back of the fixture would keep the tank warmer because he wouldn't be losing heat due to increased evaporation.

It looked like the OP thought that the warm air would warm the tank when it would actually cool the tank.

If I am confusing more than one issue, let me know.

Now I understand - I was reading the wrong thing - I thought that you in you last sentense said that blowing down make the water warmer - but that you in the rest of the post said the oposite. I thought it was a mistake in your last sentense but it was a mistake in my brain trying to understand english expressions

We have the same understanding of the phenomena and your example from your pool was suberb. I often, im my job, has to try to explain this type of questions for people and I´m going to use your pool as an example in the future.

@tomservo: It seems that not only went wrong in my brain last night (see my answer to LandSailor) - my eyes played tricks on me, too. I thought I saw a clear plastic plate in the bottom. Anyway, I will probably use your design in a project, but use PVC instead. Have you any idea if that cooler (or any other round) withstands a "100 W" chip running at about 150 watts? Max temperature of the chip´s backplate no more than 50 degrees.

@ambryatim: No - the A version is just adjustable - not dimable

Sincerely Lasse

 

[tomservo]

Lasse: The cooler was tested with 100w heat load by frostytech and achieved a 27.8C over ambient temperature rise, which should be a bit more than a 150w emitter should produce. A 1/3 efficiency is probably underestimating things but I'd prefer overkill to toasted chips.

If you can find slightly larger tubing, say 125mm (5") you should be able to use the CNPS8900, which is rated for a 21C rise @ 150W heat load. It has an OD of 121mm. I have one of these couplers I machined on my lathe so one will fit, the sidewall in that area is a bit on the thin side but not excessively so; The mounting point is intended to be lower anyways. This is the heatsink I intend to base the dream chip fixtures on. The fan grilles I am using are "110mm" and for these fixtures, I need to bend the legs a little to make it slightly smaller; you can see this in the picture.

 

[Lassef]

Lasse: The cooler was tested with 100w heat load by frostytech and achieved a 27.8C over ambient temperature rise, which should be a bit more than a 150w emitter should produce. A 1/3 efficiency is probably underestimating things but I'd prefer overkill to toasted chips.

If you can find slightly larger tubing, say 125mm (5") you should be able to use the CNPS8900, which is rated for a 21C rise @ 150W heat load. It has an OD of 121mm. I have one of these couplers I machined on my lathe so one will fit, the sidewall in that area is a bit on the thin side but not excessively so; The mounting point is intended to be lower anyways. This is the heatsink I intend to base the dream chip fixtures on. The fan grilles I am using are "110mm" and for these fixtures, I need to bend the legs a little to make it slightly smaller; you can see this in the picture.

Our standard pipes are 110 mm so I have been thinking of to take the CNPS8900 and let a part be on the outside at the top - but i´ll see how I will do it. I have an other idea with graphic card colers and a special driver card with small footprint and hence only get into the fixture with a 36 V cable.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Just saw this on heatsinkUSA's site, thought it was worth passing along

http://www.heatsinkusa.com/fanjett-module-2/

 

[joeogio]

Just saw this on heatsinkUSA's site, thought it was worth passing along

http://www.heatsinkusa.com/fanjett-module-2/

cool thanks!

this is what im going to use its just a little shorter than the one you posted and its rated for 120 watts but it is wider, for me thinner is the goal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186053

 

[Lwhite]

Question for someone who has been running one of these for a while now. How is the lifespan appearing to be? Are they still working as well as they did when brand new? I am thinking about building one since I have a corner that I have to fit my light into, and the small profile would be a huge advantage, however I dont wnat to go to the work if down the road it wont be worthwhile.

 

[mr.wilson]

Question for someone who has been running one of these for a while now. How is the lifespan appearing to be? Are they still working as well as they did when brand new? I am thinking about building one since I have a corner that I have to fit my light into, and the small profile would be a huge advantage, however I dont wnat to go to the work if down the road it wont be worthwhile.

I've had a 100w for a year and a half with no issues. These multipchips have been used for high bay warehouse lighting for years, so it isn't anything new or radical. You will however find a range of longevity with chip, cooler and driver manufacturers. You get what you pay for.

 

[mr.wilson]

Wouldn't multichip have different voltage requirements that could fry the chip?

Each channels is run at whatever voltage you wish, as there are three separate drivers. I use 28v red and 36v white & blue all in one multichip.

 

[jgwinner]

Each channels is run at whatever voltage you wish, as there are three separate drivers. I use 28v red and 36v white & blue all in one multichip.

Very cool - I hate to ask a question already asked, but is there any 'disco' effect with these (vignetting)?

I would mount them very high with a narrow optic (40 or less, preferably).

== John ==​

 

[mr.wilson]

Very cool - I hate to ask a question already asked, but is there any 'disco' effect with these (vignetting)?

I would mount them very high with a narrow optic (40 or less, preferably).

== John ==​

The dome lenses are much more efficient than the little plastic ones used with 3w emitters, so coverage is much more even over a given footprint. The light quality is very much like that of metal halide with no disco effect or purple & yellow shadows.