New LED Build

NirvanaFan

Reef Ninja
Premium Member
Is anybody interested in a step-by-step in how to make an LED fixture? If nobody is interested, I'm not going to waste my time documenting every little step. If someone is interested, I'd be more than happy to take the time and write up a guide in how I did it though.

Well, my old LED fixture was limited in use. The fixture had the LEDs bolted on. Some of the bolts started to rust and cause short circuits. (I'll be epoxying them on this time.) The U-Channel that I was using didn't cool the LEDs enough either, so I couldn't turn them up as high as I wanted. (I'll be using "real" heatsink this time.) So, why not build a new fixture?

The new fixture isn't completed yet, but it's well on its way.

Total: 54 3w CREE LEDs
Blue: 36 LEDs, mix of XP-E and XT-E
White: 18 LEDs (all XP-G I think), 4 warm white, 4 neutral white, 8 cool white

Drivers: 5 MeanWell 60-48P dimmable (3 for blue, 2 for white)

The last step I have to do is wire up the strings to the drivers.


Obligatory teaser picture:
 
how much have you spent on this build so far?

I think the LEDs were about $189 ($3.50 each), $158 for the heatsink ($79 each), and $170 for the drivers ($34 each). The terminal block (not pictured) was about $8 I think. I bought 3 or 4, but you really only need 1. A friend gave me the wire, but I would guess it would be about $25.

So, about $550 or so. That doesn't include shipping, tax or anything though.

You'll need tools like a soldering iron, wire nuts, zip ties, power plugs, square, tape measure, straight edge, screwdrivers, and more, but I had all that stuff. I bought a nice metal enclosure, but you could just mount everything to a piece of plywood. I used an old 9v AC adapter to power the drivers, but some people need to buy a 9 or 10 volt adapter to tell the drivers how much power to feed the LEDs.

I think that's about everything. You may be able to find better prices too.
 
As a fellow tinkerer, I'd love to see what you've done. If I ever do it again, I might use thermal epoxy instead of bolts. They're just a PITA to work with.
 
As a fellow tinkerer, I'd love to see what you've done. If I ever do it again, I might use thermal epoxy instead of bolts. They're just a PITA to work with.

The bolts were definitely a PITA. I helped Reef Boarder build his fixture and he used epoxy. It was definitely the way to go.
 
I'm almost done mounting everything in the cabinet. The dimmer controls on the drivers still have to be all connected, the timer has to be mounted, the resistors and fuses have to finish being installed, and then I just have to clean everything up.

 
In this pic, you can see the terminal blocks attached to the heat sink. By connecting the LED strings to these, it makes it much easier to repair, move, or change later. A wire runs from the lower screw to the terminal block in the top left corner of my previous picture.


 
Back
Top