Minimalistic multichip DIY LED build

007Bond said:
Maglofster, Thanks this is good to know. How is this accomplished? Their foot print / design in relation to the LEDs heat output, just the ambient air around it?
Click to expand...

It's a combo of things. Surface area of the heatsink. Volume of the heatsink. Material of the heatsink. If it's heatpipe or passive etc. The GTX Pro would be pretty worthless if all fans failed since an overloaded heatpipe doesn't work at all, but if one fails it would still work. The L2 doesn't have heatpipes so it is not as dependant on the fan although the temperature would rise pretty much without the fan.

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatsinks#Heat_sinks
 
bowfront90 said:
Do you guys think a large heatsink 25" x 10 " could handle two 50W LEDs plus six 10W LEDs? I plan on putting 2 fans on top of the heatsink.

Also, what kind of material can I place as a saltwater shield to prevent backsplash? I have read that Polycarbonate is the best?
Click to expand...


Yes, I think so. Especially if you put the fans centered above the two 50W:s. Polycarbonate will work.
 
dkerns06 said:
Ok so I'm thinking of using this heat sync http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185097 . Im going to do the 100w panel and 2 3w blue epistars for moon lights. 1, world that keep them cool in your opinion, and 2 could i power the panel and the 2 epistars with the 100w driver? I'm not worried if they would be slightly dim because i think the 100w panel would need dimmed any way.
Click to expand...

I think it will be hard to fit the 2x3W but the 100W should be fine.
 
bowfront90 said:
Any good resource of connecting LEDs in series versus parallel with some of the drivers mentioned above?
Click to expand...

I don't quite get what you mean?

When you add several multichips in series you have to multiply the fV (forward voltage) So if one chips has a fV of 36V and you put in series you would need a driver capable of delivering 72V.

I you run them in parallell the fV stays the same. I.e. two 36V chips will still only need a driver capable of delivering 36V. But as you run them in parallell the current will be divided in two. So if your chips need 1500 mA to run. You'll need a driver that delivers 3000 mA (or 3A).
 
Psionicdragon said:
Man, the heatsinks are crazy lol. I like em, but not sure how to hide them.

Doesn't the 10k LED chip make everything look brownish/yellow?
I bought a 50w "20k" and man...I really didn't like it much.

I am using a multi-color led unit right now and I really like the color. I don't remember, but did you have LPS? People who have lps that uses the 50/50 have been noticing fading colors. Have you notice any?

You have a beautiful tank. I really like those anthias :D
Click to expand...



I hide my heatsinks in a canopy.

The 10Ks on their own get's a little yellowish, but I never use the on their own.

I have a couple of LPS and I have not noticed any fading colors.

I also really like the Anthias! :)
 
Hi

Power LED is designed for constant current not constant voltage. It is the current that can damage the chip if it gets too high. A constant current units vary the voltage to the load, which means that the best is to serially connect the power LED's and as Maglofster says you must then add the forward voltage of each chip in order to know which driver to use. If one chooses a parallel connection, chances are that if a chip (or line) is broken so the others will burn out of too much current. Then you need some kind of fuse to prevent this.

@ bowfront90: You can make the splash guard very easily and cheaply. As you can see below we like recycling in Sweden :)

recirkulation-2.jpg​

Sincerely Lasse
 
Lassef, Hi
Would you flip your fixture over so we can see the underside. What is the heat sink, I can't tell from the pic. Looks like you have some cat5 connectors on the end of your cables. Thanks---Rick
 
Mabey the 20W 420nm UV LED Panel from Ac-Rc on ebay would help the LPS coloration...??? After all 420nm is "true" Actinic correct...???
 
Hi again

The fixture is one of three which I use for a 450 liter (119 gallon) aquarium. The picture in post 206 shows the underside of the aluminum plate I use as a primary heat sink. On top I placed a Xigmatek Bifrost graphics card cooler with heatpipe technology. The module is then placed in a cradle and can be moved both foreward / backward and sideways. Attached images might explain how it's done. The connector you see is part of a temperature control for the fans. Initially it was thought that the design would meet about 60 watts, but the results were so good that it is now installed nine pieces of chips per plate. Total consumption about 80 watts per plate. The working temperature is around 35 degrees C (95 F).

recirkulation-1.jpg travers.jpg travers-4.jpg​

Sincerly Lasse
 
Lassef said:
Hi again

The fixture is one of three which I use for a 450 liter (119 gallon) aquarium. The picture in post 206 shows the underside of the aluminum plate I use as a primary heat sink. On top I placed a Xigmatek Bifrost graphics card cooler with heatpipe technology. The module is then placed in a cradle and can be moved both foreward / backward and sideways. Attached images might explain how it's done. The connector you see is part of a temperature control for the fans. Initially it was thought that the design would meet about 60 watts, but the results were so good that it is now installed nine pieces of chips per plate. Total consumption about 80 watts per plate. The working temperature is around 35 degrees C (95 F).


Sincerly Lasse
Click to expand...



Lasse,
Thanks for the pics. What is your heat sink? Did you CNC the cavity for your splash guard? Is your card cooler then directly attached to the aluminum block? Are you using 9 10w chips in total? What driver are you using? What are the colors that you use? Sorry about all the questions. :worried:---Rick
 
Personally I doubt the usefulness to mix in the red wavelengths in a light for a reef aquarium. In nature disappears the red wavelengths, already at depths of 3-4 m Most of our corals live deeper. Exceptions to some corals from the genus Acropora. I also value the dip the white LEDs has in the yellow-orange region. It has been reported that some algae in part have their photosynthesis at those wavelengths

Sincerely Lasse

@ 007Bond I´m comming back to your question later
 
Here is what I'm getting ready to purchase for my 46 gal bf. (36L X 15W X 18D).
2X 50w Actinic Royal Blue Hybrid $52.00 ea
2X 60 deg Lens Reflectors (should I get 60 or 90deg) $13.00 ea.
1X 85-265vac 100w dimmable driver 30-36v 3A $42.00 (will be dimmed with a controller at a later date. DIM4 maybe?)
2X Rosewill RCX-Z100 Heatsink/fan $10.00

Does this look like it will work for my tank? I am tying to grow SPS and would like to get a clam. I need to know ASAP so I can get this stuff ordered. I will also have 2X ATI blue plus T-5s on either side of the leds.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.
 
007Bond said:
Lasse,
Thanks for the pics. What is your heat sink? Did you CNC the cavity for your splash guard? Is your card cooler then directly attached to the aluminum block? Are you using 9 10w chips in total? What driver are you using? What are the colors that you use? Sorry about all the questions. :worried:---Rick
Click to expand...

1. The aluminum block served as a primary heat sink. However, I have no fins on it so therefore I placed a video card cooler with the largest contact surface I could find. The idea was that through the large contact surface would heat be transported out through heat pipes to the air via the fins of the video card cooler. It works well.
2. No - I am a lazy person. I took only one clear blister and glued to the aluminum plate :)
3. See 1)
4. I use 9 pieces of 10-watt chips per module (I have 3 modules). I use only 900 mA, so power consumption is only about 8-9 watts (depending on whether they are white or royal blue)
5.Drivers are problems because they tend to break easily. First, I used 900 mA dimmable drivers (1-10 V) from Hong Kong - 4 of 9 is broken. Now I use Italian drivers - dimmable with PWM (pulse widht modulation). The first I used did 3 chip - the latter can handle 6 chip (driven at 900 mA).
The drivers have been such a great (and expensive) problem so an aquarist who is also an electronics expert designed a driver card that supports 16 * 24 watts. That is to say that I can run 16 * 2 10 W chip with this solution. He has also integrated a host of other fun features and made ​​it dimable with PWM. He has also designed a card that translates the 1-10 V to PWM
6. I use (per module) 3 pc white - 10 000 K, 3 white - 16 000 K and 3 Royal Blue. On one of the modules are the chips that are 10 000 K replaced with a 30 watt chip - 6500 K

Sincerely Lasse
 
Lasse,
Thanks for your reply. I like your clear blister idea. Thanks for the driver tip. I was looking to the e-bay ones. Sometime low price is not the way to go.---Rick
 
Hi every one this is look perfect vhot you guys suggestions for 48x24x18 high reff tank i currently run 2x250w mh and 4 t5 supliment con i gou vith 3x 50w RB hibrid and 3X90 deg lens , i have available currently meanwell 60x48p dimmable drivers cont i use this tu power up the 50w led i won be able tu gimme them true dyi arudio controller . Any help is perfect thanks every one.
 
firefightered66 said:
Here is what I'm getting ready to purchase for my 46 gal bf. (36L X 15W X 18D).
2X 50w Actinic Royal Blue Hybrid $52.00 ea
2X 60 deg Lens Reflectors (should I get 60 or 90deg) $13.00 ea.
1X 85-265vac 100w dimmable driver 30-36v 3A $42.00 (will be dimmed with a controller at a later date. DIM4 maybe?)
2X Rosewill RCX-Z100 Heatsink/fan $10.00

Does this look like it will work for my tank? I am tying to grow SPS and would like to get a clam. I need to know ASAP so I can get this stuff ordered. I will also have 2X ATI blue plus T-5s on either side of the leds.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I think the 2 x 50 watts should be fine for your tank. I would probably choose the 60 degree lens and adjust the height above the water for a good beam pattern.

However, I would not choose the driver. With it, you must connect in parallel for not more than 1.5 A to each chip. If one of them break, you burn the second chip directly. I would opt for two separate 50 watt drivrers. If there is AC-RC you order from - write and ask what he recommends. Dimming is not good - it is done via a potentiometer and you can not control via a controller. I have one of those driver for 100 watts and do not like the way it dims - dimming becomes intermittently.

A better idea is if Meanwell has dimmable drivers working at about 1.5 A and regulates between 30-36 V. Their drivers can be controlled by 1-10 V or PWM.

Sincerely Lasse
 
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