where to get good led kits

I just wish the DIY-ish leds would start making rectified AC switching led drivers so i don't have to try and make my own... I mean i understand its nice selling of LDD700s by the fistful and boards for them to sit on, then power supplies on top of that, but a board that just plugs in to the wall with 4-5 channels would be lovely.
 
chris_s9181 said:
how do i make sure i do not have to many lights on a dimmer
Click to expand...

huh?
They should all be dimmable..

or do you mean driver not dimmer?

If so the sum of the Vf (forward voltage rating) of the LEDs must be below the max stated DC output voltage on the driver..
And greater than the min..

Example.. The LED has a VF of 3.1V..
The driver you find has a DC output voltage range of 24-48VDC..
So you can run 48/3.1 = 15 LEDs on that driver in one series string..
and no less than 8 LEDs
 
thank you it has been over 10 years since i used electronics since my high school days i used to even know how resistors and transistors worked lol good old days
 
And the output current rating of the driver should be greater than or equal to the LEDs required current..
So if the LED is rated for 1A current then a 1000mA (or 700mA) rated driver is good..

Note: its best not to run them at their max rating (unless good quality LEDs and you have ensured your heatsinking is sufficient to keep junction temperatures low)

I also recommend avoiding parallel configurations too as LEDs don't share nicely in all situations and you can run into thermal runaway where one string is pulling more current than the other..
 
You don't have to buy LDD's, etc. Just depends on the driver choice. Look at blue acro's portal. That is what I'm using in the new build. Outside maybe lacking DIY skills I see no reason to buy anything off the shelf. They are more or less cost prohibitive in my personal opinion.
 
Those are neat and all, but still require DC supplies. Oreo's link was like what i am planning (really slowly working on). There is no need for a DC supply with power straight from the AC socket and modern switching drivers. The biggest issue with them is probably the chance that you can notice the ripple of the 0 volt period in the source.

Haven't found anything quite as nice sounding to me as the AL9902 for the driver in my recent searches. Its just that the inductor math actually requires me to settle on the strings and such, choose frequencies etc... Commitment is hard.
 
The exact details will dictate the best way to do things, but as a basic "starter kit" of advice...

For a noob, I say give the LED arrays from Blueacro a shot. Solderless connections, expertly designed and made, and current generation LED tech that none of the other guys have yet. He's also a member on here (user "Theatrus") and is willing to customise directly. Using these particular arrays will simplify the wiring and mounting greatly, and they are available with a reflector/diffusor combo for just a couple bucks extra. He also sells adjustable drivers, so all you need is a DC supply and a controller, and your choice of Heatsink. He sells small heatsinks, and will drill/tap them for you at no additional charge!

Otherwise, if going the individual emitter route, I honestly prefer Steve's LEDs over all the others. He carries much better bins on the usual LED's you see, and the Luxeon LED's he carries are more efficient than CREE. The 3-up boards are a great way to reduce the disco-ball color scatter effect you get from the usual poor-layout of arranging LEDs in rows. A nice tight cluster is a much better way to build.

Stay away from any of the cheap LED kits you see using individual 1-3w bridgelux and epistar LEDs, they are less efficient and don't last as long, in addition to having poor consistency from LED to LED.

The t-slot heatsinks from LEDgroup-whatever (sorry, Reefcentral has a petty quarrel that keeps them from being discussed) popularly known as the "Maker's Heatsink" is an excellent choice, as is the t-slot Pro heatsink selection at RapidLED. I highly recommend a t-slot design over thermal adhesive or drill/tap arrangements. I just got one of these and can easily recommend it, good price and looks great- RAPIDLED 6x20" Premium heatsink/enclosure

Word of advice-
Do not use cool white LEDs. They will not work or look as well as a good high-CRI Neutral white will. 4000k Neutral white Luxeon Rebel ES will work well,and if you go for a pre-made array like those from BlueAcro, all the guesswork is done for you as color mix is concerned.
 
Gorgok said:
Those are neat and all, but still require DC supplies. Oreo's link was like what i am planning (really slowly working on). There is no need for a DC supply with power straight from the AC socket and modern switching drivers. The biggest issue with them is probably the chance that you can notice the ripple of the 0 volt period in the source.

Haven't found anything quite as nice sounding to me as the AL9902 for the driver in my recent searches. Its just that the inductor math actually requires me to settle on the strings and such, choose frequencies etc... Commitment is hard.
Click to expand...

Since it seems AC/DC power supplies are the weak link in the wall to photon chain still will prefer separates..

From the Chinese capacitor rot, to compact florescent to high power cheap led floods. it's usually the AC/DC unit that fails.........
 
Omitting capacitors (entirely possible) at least electrolytics and especially cheap names will deal with much of that.

And lots of those cheap ac/dc leds are capacitive droppers and nothing more, no switching and no cc.
 
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