jfarabaugh Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 Starting a new thread as the other thread link was based off the controller itself. The LEDs are finally in the tank after much research and a lot of life/work delays. The controller in the link above is on the back burner for now. Overview of the build (components) Channel 1 – 12 NW @ 500mA Cree XRE Channel 2 – 6 CW @ 1000mA Cree XRE Channel 3 – 12 RB @ 500mA Cree XRE Channel 4 – 6 B & 6 V @ 500mA Cree XRE and nanotuners violet Nanotuners large heatsink No optics (reason for lower par rating) Clear diamond pattern light diffuser (reason for slightly lower PAR rating) to correct slight color shadows /blending and to cut down on the crazy amount of shimmer (too much for my taste). I really like the look with the diffuser installed vs without even though I take a slight PAR hit 4 1000mA buckpuck with POTs 2 80mm fans 2 6.5A 24v power supplies LED Layout Fans Controller Color I am very impressed with the color I am getting versus the standard CW/RB setups that I have seen with my own eyes. Due to the 4 channels I can dial in just about any color of light I want. I can pull some crazy colors out of the corals mixing the 2 blue channels. I discovered late tonight that running the channels evenly gives a very nice color output IMHO. Nothing is washed out and the tank isn’t too blue\purple. As far as the color spectrum is concerned looking at the unit with my analog spectrometer gives me a full and even color spectrum (yes it is analog and yes it was cheap but it gives me an idea of color output and an idea of the intensity of the color bands). The neutral whites handle the yellow and red output. The blues (AKA cool blues) handle some of the cyan/green output. And the violets take care of everything below the blue spectrum. In my opinion these are the colors of LEDs to look at to greatly improve the color aesthetics issues most have with LEDs. Of course pictures speak a thousand words but trying to capture it just isn’t working with my PS camera. Santa brings me a DSLR this week so hopefully I can capture what I am actually seeing very soon. Here are some pictures with all channels set evenly at maybe 60% (much better quality and color pictures coming soon) Light Output I am not ecstatic about the output according to the PAR meter but hopefully someone with more knowledge then myself can tell me if these are good numbers or not. The lack of optics and the diffuser and hurting the overall output but I am very happy with the fact that I have no color shadows and outstanding color blending. I am hoping that these numbers are good enough for what I have in the tank. Actually everything you see in the tank has all grown significantly (2-3 times original size) under just 3 PC-Rs and this new setup is much much brighter. I would really like to put a clam in the area of my large GSP on the sand bed in the front of the tank. I am hoping that 140will be strong enough ? At first I thought it was the diffuser killing my output but after removing it I realized that it is the lack of optics hurting me more. With Diffuser With Out Diffuser (picture is with diffuser in place just for location ref) I am looking forward to comments, questions, concerns, answers Thanks for looking Link to comment
DigitalLegacy Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 wow looks good....love that controller! what size project box is that? got a build thread? and from what im reading 140 par is good enough for a clam Link to comment
sae647 Posted December 25, 2010 Share Posted December 25, 2010 excellent use of varying colors! very smart. your controller is very nice too - all the ones I had built do not look as neat. but wow - 42 diodes over a 29g is a lot of diodes. Obviously, as you mentioned, the lack of optics is not helping PAR, but remember you also set most of the diodes to run at half current max! i think that would have an even bigger effect than no optics, especially on a tank that is not very tall. Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 New DSLR pictures. Straight jpeg from the camera no enhancing only some cropping performed. Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 I keep on adjusting the camera to capture what I am actually seeing. Link to comment
joelsaxton Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I get a little disco ball effect with my setup and curious which diffuser you got. I currently have clear 1/8" acrylic splash guards. Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 I get a little disco ball effect with my setup and curious which diffuser you got. I currently have clear 1/8" acrylic splash guards. it is a diamond pattern light diffuser. I got a 4' x 2' sheet of it at Home depot for $7 and cut it with my dremel. Just go to any lighting department in a large hardware store and ask for a light diffuser sheet. It looks like the diffuser idea for LEDs is catching on as I did not see this before in my google searches. http://www.s-pro.com.tw/led-lighting.html Link to comment
skymastre Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 it is a diamond pattern light diffuser. I got a 4' x 2' sheet of it at Home depot for $7 and cut it with my dremel. Just go to any lighting department in a large hardware store and ask for a light diffuser sheet. It looks like the diffuser idea for LEDs is catching on as I did not see this before in my google searches. http://www.s-pro.com.tw/led-lighting.html Hey man, what was the spacing on your LEDs (inch in between, .5 inch etc)? I'm about to start my build over an AP24 that will use 30 diodes (5 columns of 6). As you suggested on another thread, I'm throwing two blue in as well and the orientation is pretty random. I've got the large heatsink from nano and am not going with any optics at this point either. Tank looks great. Your LED placement helped me a lot jeff Link to comment
skymastre Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hey man, what was the spacing on your LEDs (inch in between, .5 inch etc)? I'm about to start my build over an AP24 that will use 30 diodes (5 columns of 6). As you suggested on another thread, I'm throwing two blue in as well and the orientation is pretty random. I've got the large heatsink from nano and am not going with any optics at this point either. Tank looks great. Your LED placement helped me a lot jeff Never mind, found it on your other thread. seems you took up the whole heat sink! Thanks Link to comment
skymastre Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 very sorry, one real question how has temp been? Have you been measuring it at all, running fans? Do you think the heatsink is moving transferring the heat adequately? I know you are underpowering (25%) or so. Will be interested to see what it is like as the power gets kicked up a bit Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 Never mind, found it on your other thread. seems you took up the whole heat sink! Thanks yeap, edge to edge. That spacing is maybe .75" apart. If I had to build it again I would go with a heatsink that is maybe. 1.5" - 2" longer as I would hope that would spread out the hot PAR reading I have in the center of the tank. very sorry, one real question how has temp been? Have you been measuring it at all, running fans? Do you think the heatsink is moving transferring the heat adequately? I know you are underpowering (25%) or so. Will be interested to see what it is like as the power gets kicked up a bit Temps on the tank have been very steady since I installed the LEDs. The tank temp increases 1 degree at best (even running the LEDs at full power) by the time the LEDs turn off at the end of the day with the tank completly closed up. With the 3 PC-Rs I was running I would get a 3+ degree swing and that was with the back lid open. Keep in mind that I am running 36 of the LEDs at 500mA which really helps. If I had everything running at 1000mA I would be worried. Once the temps outside go up again I may look at some fans with a higher CFM just to more air across the heatsink. Link to comment
skymastre Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 What do you think the max spacing is before you have to worry about spotlighting? Clearly with the diffuser 0.75 isn't causing you too much of a prb. If you had a larger heatsink, would you have gone 1inch in between LEDs? Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 What do you think the max spacing is before you have to worry about spotlighting? Clearly with the diffuser 0.75 isn't causing you too much of a prb. If you had a larger heatsink, would you have gone 1inch in between LEDs? I honestly dont know as I never tested the spacing versus blending issue. I figured the diffuser would take care of it. Yes I would have just increased my spacing a little. Since I am not using optics I am sure the results would be the same as they are now. It seems like a lot of folks are trying out the diffuser idea so I think we will see different examples and results in the coming weeks. Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 New HD Video with wide angle lens Link to comment
joelsaxton Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 New HD Video with wide angle lens That is a really nice tank! I'd be interested in what you modded besides the lights and what you do for feeding/maintenance etc. Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 That is a really nice tank! I'd be interested in what you modded besides the lights and what you do for feeding/maintenance etc. Thanks I will be putting together a tank thread soon but to answer some of your question for now. Lifereef nano overflow Eshops RS75 Sump Mag 5 return pump from sump to tank BRS Reactor feeding off the return pump (BRS GFO for now but GFO and BRS RoX carbon next week) Maxijet 1200 and MP10 for tank circulation Bubble magus 3.5 cone skimmer ATO via autotopoff.com Fluval U3 underwater filter in biocube chamber 2 2 heaters: one in chamber 1 of the biocube and one in the sump Feed 3x a week frozen brine and formula 2 pellets 5 gallon weekly water change with 10ml BRS calcium and 20ml BRS mag added. This has been keeping my CA and Mag in check 15ml of BRS alkalinity solution added to my 1 gallon top off water. This keeps my alk up and last me 2.5 – 3.5 days. I was vodka dosing but stopped this week because of red slime (cyano) increase. Vacuum the sandbed about every 2-3 weeks. 8 hr light period 1 hr actinic, 6 hrs all, 1 hr actinic. Link to comment
d9hp Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Impressive work. I really love the color you're getting. Good write up as well Link to comment
melonz Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 curious, whats the dimensions on that heatsink and where did you get it? also, how did you mount the heatsink to your bc29? im looking to do the same, but am looking for some guidance. Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 curious, whats the dimensions on that heatsink and where did you get it? also, how did you mount the heatsink to your bc29? im looking to do the same, but am looking for some guidance. link to the info http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php...products_id=632 Link to comment
melonz Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Thank you sir! Time to place me order do you mind if I pm you for some help? Link to comment
jfarabaugh Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Thank you sir! Time to place me order do you mind if I pm you for some help? Not at all. Link to comment
googoomas Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Any updates? New growth under the led's? Link to comment
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