Minimalistic multichip DIY LED build

[JoshuAcOOk]

With Power LED´s you have to calculate with a power source that deliver a constant current and therefore vary the voltage. To use the advantage of a constant current you connect the LED i a daisy chain (serie connection)) - when all chip will have the current that the driver deliver. Every driver has a voltage aera in which it can withstand the actuall constan current - a constant current region. In your case the constan current region is 9 - 48 V.

If we have a constant current - how do we calculate the relevant voltage. In this case we have to look at the specifications of the LED chip for something named FV or Forward Voltage. This is the voltage the chip need to light up. In your case the specification says 9-12V Why its say 9-12 is because the FV will vary slight according to the present current. Lower FV if you have a low current (with limitations) and the highest FV when you run the chip at the chip´s max current. Let us assume that you have 1000 mA - the responding FV probably is arround 10 - 12 V. To know exact you have to connect and meassure. When you have the FV from a single chipp you just multiply tha voltage with the number of chip you have in your daisy chain and compare with the drivers specifications according to its constant current region. In yor case I calculate (at 700 mA) that you have a FV in a single chip arround 9 V - 5 chip - total FV = 45. Constant current region 9 - 48 V. Ye - its work. But if the FV at 700 mA is arround 10 V - it does not work with 5 chip but 1 to 4 chip work.

I hope you understand my way of trying to explain this - it's not so easy to do it in a language that one is not born into.

If you want to run them at 1000 mA and use 4 - look for a driver ther the constant current region include 48 V.

By myself - I have a RedSeaMax 130. Just now I run it with much LED power. In the front I have 4 pc of 10 watts white (10 - 16 000 K) at 900 mA(ap 36 W). In the middle I have 5 Cree XLM - 4 with lense - 1 without at 2000mA (ap 30 W) . 4 pc 20 watt blue (1 - 445, 1-455, 1-402 and 1 420 nm) The two RB at 1800 mA (36 W) - 2 UV at 1400 mA (28W) and in the back 4 pc of 10 watt (2 - 1600K and 2 pc of RB 455 nm) - at 900 mA (36 W) This is much -166 watt but the construction of the hood cause a lot of light not going down to the aquarium. If you do a good construction and use lenses I think that you should manage with 5 pc 20 watts or 10 pc of 10 watts and use the dim option if it is to much.

Sincerely Lasse

in the last sentence does pc mean power compact?
And i appreciate ur help and i can understand you very well, so thank you.
how many of the chips do you suggest for my tank (can you give me two estimates, one for low light corals (zoanthids, mushrooms, lps) and one for sps?)

 

[Lassef]

No I meant pieces. In swedish we do not differ between the abbreviation of singular and plural of the swedish word for piece/pieces (styck/stycken). I thougth it was the same in english (and Google translate does the same )

Its difficult to advise how many chip you need because it depends on if you use lenses, how the hood looks like and so on. But I think arround 100 watts should be okay.

Sincerely lasse

 

[JoshuAcOOk]

100 watts would be able to support sps or a bubble tip anemone? ok thanks. i was thinking of doing one 50 watt blue and 4 10 watt cool whites? 90 watts, would that be fine?

 

[JoshuAcOOk]

do i wire in parallel or series?

 

[007Bond]

blesk, Why are your last two tank shots so blue? Myself I like the first two. Were your rb. off in the first pics? Thanks---Rick

 

[joelespinoza]

I have been messaging this ebay seller: aallion2008

He is selling this 100w chip for $35.99 shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/28086319114.../sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=280863191147&_rdc=1

He has the same chip in 450nm royal blue, warm white, neutral white, cool white (10000k and 20000-25000k), green, and red all for the same price.

He also has 50w 450nm blue led panels for $18 shipped (and I assume other colors for same price, but not sure), and 3w 390-410nm UV for $6 shipped.

I wonder how it would work to grow coraline algae in my 40 gallon breeder sump with a single 100w 450nm panel? Or maybe 2 50w nm panels?

 

[makutaku]

If you use a heat sink with fins - make sure to get a cap above the fins and with inlets for fans. Also make sure that the fans cover the entire width of the heat sink. The air should blow along the fins and out through the short sides of the heatsink.

I think I understood what you are saying. I am trying to figure out how you built yours. It looks good!

Did you use fins or not?
It's hard to figure out with just those photos.
Do you have more details posted somewhere ?

 

[blesk]

blesk, Why are your last two tank shots so blue? Myself I like the first two. Were your rb. off in the first pics? Thanks---Rick

No they was on also in first two pics and last two pics is only RB ON everything ales is off that is last 30 minuts before night mode kick in.

 

[makutaku]

See my previous post.
Of course it's fine to do so as well. If you use a heat sink with fins - make sure to get a cap above the fins and with inlets for fans. Also make sure that the fans cover the entire width of the heat sink.

This guy claims his 20" heat-sink supports 50W LED with no fan.

Do you think that is true ?

If it is, I am considering buying 3 heat-sinks (3x20") for my 72" tank. Then mount 2 LEDs (2x20W) in each heat-sink with a 40 degree lens. That would become my center strip. Then I could add two more strips with 3W LEDs to tweek color and add more intensity. That would be for a FW planted-tank. Does it make sense ?

 

[bemenaker]

@JoshuaCook, Wire in series. You have to make some special designs to protect if your using parrallel, like fuses.

@makutaku I think that heatsink would handle a 50W no problem.

 

[Lassef]

I think I understood what you are saying. I am trying to figure out how you built yours. It looks good!

Did you use fins or not?
It's hard to figure out with just those photos.
Do you have more details posted somewhere ?

I do not use any fins in this construction - its only a square tube and the fan is blowing out at each end.

However - I use fins in an other construction there I hav 10 pcs 10 watts and 10 pcs 3 watt cree RB - total arround 110 W. Two fans (50 mm). Pictures below

The basic construction

Cut in the lid

Lenses

Cree

The ends are open to let the air from the fans out.

This construction has a temperature of 42 C (107 F) with full load.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lassef]

This guy claims his 20" heat-sink supports 50W LED with no fan.

Do you think that is true ?

If it is, I am considering buying 3 heat-sinks (3x20") for my 72" tank. Then mount 2 LEDs (2x20W) in each heat-sink with a 40 degree lens. That would become my center strip. Then I could add two more strips with 3W LEDs to tweek color and add more intensity. That would be for a FW planted-tank. Does it make sense ?

I do not know but if you do a similar construction as above (lid and fan) I´m sure it will work for at least 1 pcs of 50 watt (and probably 2*50 watt)

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lassef]

Some more pictures off my heat sink tube

​

Sincerely Lasse

 

[makutaku]

I do not use any fins in this construction - its only a square tube and the fan is blowing out at each end.

However - I use fins in an other construction there I hav 10 pcs 10 watts and 10 pcs 3 watt cree RB - total arround 110 W. Two fans (50 mm). Pictures below
This construction has a temperature of 42 C (107 F) with full load.

Thank you Lasse! Very nice to see. Looks good too!

If it was not for the fans and zip ties, it would look totally professional - at least from the pictures.

If you run at 42C with full load, you probably could run it with no fans and no cover.

I am trying my best to avoid the fans. More complication, wires, hard to make it look good and worst of all: not silent.

On my PCs I always noticed a big difference between 120mm fans and the smaller ones, both in terms of noise and air flow. If I can't avoid the fans, that's what I would shoot for.

 

[Zanclidae]

HELP! DIY light fixture for 210G Reef (72 x 24 x 28)

HELP! DIY light fixture for 210G Reef (72 x 24 x 28)

I am in the process of building a 210G Reef (72 x 24 x 28). Currently the front runner for lights is 3X EcoTech Marine Radion XR30w. All the features are really great but unfortunately the price tag on these units is a bit much. I would like to create something at least as good as these lights. I have been reading this thread and am really interested in making my own fixture. Does anyone have any idea what I should be using for LED's? I like the tank mostly white with blues to pop the fluorescents. I do not want the deep blue look as I do not find this appearance favorable.

Regards,
Adam

 

[garbled]

Take a look at my thread in this forum.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2180891

I use the 100w hybrid multichips. It is primarily white, with a tint of blue. Given the depth of your tank, I'd advise running them at about 100 watts max. (100 if your depth is 24", you would probably only need to run them at 75% even then.)

You can probably do your whole tank in 100w chips (three of them) for the price of one pre-made fixture. Given that you don't need over 100w, you can buy the cheaper multichip hybrids off ebay, and save a little $.

 

[Bsl67css83]

I would like everyone advise on a couple of tanks I'm setting up, the 1st tank is a 48 gallon (48" long x 18" deep x 13" high)tank that will be housing primary sps corals & 2nd tank is my 44 gallon pentagon tank (22" long x 22" deep x 30" tall) for soft corals. I'm still use to using metal halides, & fluorescent high output lighting systems, so I figure this a great way to get involve using LEDs. Greatly appreciate your advise.

 

[TropTrea]

how many of the 10 watt chips (blue and white) do i need to light a 29 biocube?

I would look for roughly 50 to 60 watts total. The actual number of LED's your going to need will depend on the current your driving them at. If your driving them at to a fumm 10 watts then 6 would be okay, But if your driving them at 700 ma and 9 Volts, that means your only using them around 6.3 Watts so you woulkd need 9 or 10 of them.

 

[TropTrea]

I would like everyone advise on a couple of tanks I'm setting up, the 1st tank is a 48 gallon (48" long x 18" deep x 13" high)tank that will be housing primary sps corals & 2nd tank is my 44 gallon pentagon tank (22" long x 22" deep x 30" tall) for soft corals. I'm still use to using metal halides, & fluorescent high output lighting systems, so I figure this a great way to get involve using LEDs. Greatly appreciate your advise.

For your 48 gallon I would not go with the high powered LED's you need to spread the light out evenly and your not pushing any real distance between the corals and your light source. I personly would go with 32 3 Watt LED's in a ratio of 10 Neutral Whites 12 Royal Blues, and 10 Blues.

For your pentigon tank it is taller and the shape makes it hard to work with a lot of the comercial lighting fixtures. Idealy I'd look at a small cluster 6 LED's in a ring with about a 12" diameter in the center. You want roughly 100 watts total so that means your LED's would have run at about 16 Watts each so I'd look at the 20 Watt LED's and adjust the power down with your driver. Since your running 6 LED's I'd look at going 3 Royal Blues and 3 Cool Whites either 6,500K or 10,000K.

Keep in mind though that color choice has a lot to do with personal preference. What looks too blue to Johnny may not be blue enough for Jack.

 

[JoshuAcOOk]

would this be a good buy? Im thinking two blues and one white. thats 60 watts and i've been told by others with biocubes that that is plenty. i just want to know if you think these would do well. is it a good idea to buy these leds with their intended drivers?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-20W-WHITE-HIGH-POWER-LED-1pc-AC-85-265V-LED-DRIVER-20-Watt-/400306040077?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d34196d0d#ht_2925wt_1127
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-20W-Royal-Blue-High-Power-LED-Lamp-AC-85-265V-Driver-20Watt-/400306040020?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d34196cd4#ht_2925wt_1127