Hey Evil - I recently bought the Par38 20K with 80 degree optics. Do you think that it is enough light for a 12x12x12 cube? I have the opportunity to buy the tank and haven't seen it with the light over it. Going to keep LPS at the bottom and SPS at the top.

Thanks,
Pete

I'd like to know that one too. I just built a 15" cube and will use it as a fuge for now but it will be a frag tank once i can afford a more frag-friendly light fixture.

2 more questions good sirs.

How far from the buckpuck can I wire my lights? Im hoping for 6 ft but I think there was some mention of a capacitor at ranges over 18in.

Can I use liquid tape instead of nail polish? I need it for wiring anyways

hey man im still having trouble putting this all together

so i wanted to start with something smaller i wanted to start with something for my refugium just for a 20h sump with some chaeto and live rock what would you suggest?

thanks alot

hi evil
i just caught up on the thread! been out for awhile and like 30 pages went by!
man i missed this site and you guys too

i need to wire my fans in series, do I go:


DC+ +fan- +fan- -DC?

If you aren't worried about color temp, a Cree MC-E would be a good choice. Lots of light, and a small package. Drive it with a Meanwell LPC-35-700.


Good to have you back


You got it.

Color temp wouldn't matter for just growing stuff right and do I just need one or something cause they are $26 is that right?
Thanks again

You only need capacitors between the power supply and the Buckpuck if the wiring between the power supply and the buckpuck is greater than 18". There is no capacitor requirement between the buckpuck and the LEDs. My power supply comes with a 36" lead and I have capacitors at the buckpuck end between the supply Vin+ and Gnd. My LEDs are approx 30" from the buckpuck - no capacitor

^^ thanks!

I'm running some temp tests on my set up at the moment. I'm using a probe type thermometer to measure the core of the heat sink, in an unused screw hole for one of the stars (3 screws per star, 2 still in use). At what temp should I cut off the tests?

And why do the blues seem like they give off more heat than the whites? =(



edit: at what temp of the core should I cut off the tests? I think the probes about 2mm down from the star at best, and about 3mm from perimeter of star.

The heatsink is cool but the optic side seems hot when I put my hand close to the optics for some reason

The LED maximum running temperature seems to be one of the great unknowns. I have never used a thermometer, but my heatsink gets REALLY hot. It's uncomfortable; but not injury inducing; to touch. I have been running at this higher temperature for the last month because I was ramping the light up. I'm in the process of turning the LED power down as my zoo's are bleaching, so hopefully the temperature will come down.

I went to my LFS today, and noticed that their halides don't make the tank as bright as my LEDs at 60%; so I reckon I can get away with reducing the power.

The way I see it, if by running them hot I get only 1/2 the quoted life out of my LEDs, I'll be happy because I don't imagine that I'll have my tank in 5.5years time!!

I've been taking measurements for the last hour and 15mins and my results make absolutely little sense.

Background on setup being tested:

• 12 cree xr-e
• meanwell eln-60-48p (set at 10.5v to dimmer)
• 2 60mm fan in series (5.25v each)
• multimeter w/ thermal couple (walmart)

The measurements I'm getting:

1. 1mm down screw hole of heatsink: 93F
2. LED dome: 175F
3. optic surface: 125F

What I've noted:

• royal blues are running hotter than q5
• heatsink temperature is stable

I didn't run the fans at 12v each due to only having 1 walwart and not wanting to fry my driver. Am I just tripping balls with faulty equipment or are these numbers correct after 1.5 hours of operation? Which number should I be using as the reference? Should I cut off my test at 120F?

Those readings look like they make sense to me. The heatsink will be the coolest part. The LED will be the hottest part. The junction temp is actually hotter than your LED dome, but don't really know how to measure it. So it looks like you're getting pretty close to the max, depending on the temp drop from the junction to the dome.

I thought the leds were supposed to be the hottest in the back. My probe is almost right smack against the back. But according to cree

If I follow this post's formula
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=2379230
and, it's 8C/W for the xr-e's thermal resistance

(8x3.7)C+ 34.4C= 64C on my latest reading. 175F at the dome is 79.44C. Cree's datasheet says max junction temp is 150C. He measured with an IR on the heatsink. I wonder if I should use the measurements that I took from the top of the dome or right at the heatsink interface.

I'll cut it off once I hit about 114F at the heatsink, but I highly doubt I will get there.

The thermal conductivity of the heatsink is going to dissipate any heat and I would imagine you'll have a minimal hotspot on the heatsink. So the temps you are reading in the heatsink are probably not very indicative of the temp at the back of the led.

Thats true, the entire fixture is a giant heatsink. I took it next to the led on the pcb and got 120F.

If I use that, I'll get thermal junction of 78.5C
If I use the 175 from the top of the dome (somehow dropped to 160 since I last measured at 11:30, 2hr runtime), i'll get a thermal junction of 106.3C (100.7 @160F).

The temperatures seem to have stabilized and that's way below the Thermal junction max of 150C dictated by cree. Do you think I should stop running the tests until I can run my fans at full capacity or continue to monitor the system? What temp do you think I should cut the fixture of at?

It looks like your temps have stabilized. When I do heat runs on motors, the spec is 3 consecutive readings (15 minutes apart) within 1 degree of each other constitutes stabilized temps. I would say you are at a safe temperature and if the calculated junction temps are close, then the fixture should be safe to operate indefinitely like that. But fans can't hurt!

hey evilc66: can i order custom led kits from you? Do you sell them as well?

thanks. The fans are at half power as is anyways so I think i'll be ok. It's my first time doing any electrical work so I was a bit, and still am, paranoid. I'll leave it on for another 30 mins and check again. If it doesn't change after 4.5hrs, it's probably done

Anyone heard about this?


LDA24 – High Efficiency LED Driver Modules
January 07, 2010 - The LDA24 constant current LED drivers with dimension of 22.1 x 12.55 x 8.5 mm are now available at MSC Vertriebs GmbH. Developed by YDS these ready-to-use driver modules supply a regulated constant output current, which can be dimmed down to zero by an external PWM signal. They are designed for an input voltage range of 5 to 36 V. The load voltage can range from 2 to 34 V, allowing to drive more than ten series connected LEDs with an efficiency of up to 95%. In shutdown mode the input quiescent current drops below 400 µA.

The LDA24 series standard ratings are 300, 350, 500, 600 and 700 mA, other output current levels can be made to customer specifications. The specific model’s output current is kept constant to ±5%, regardless of the number of series connected LEDs. Over temperature protection, constant short circuit protection, low ripple and noise as well as a MTBF rating of 2x105 hours are additional benefits.

The LDA24 series LED drivers are individually tested and ready-to-use. Application developers save time and efforts to create and optimize individual solutions and can fully concentrate on system design. The LDA24 series models are RoHS compliant and allow a soldering temperature up to 265 °C.

I don't pretend to know how or if this driver will work but it has some interesting specs (dim to 0 and 95% efficiency) I am new to electronics. Does anyone know how this could be used?

nm problem fixed!

Hey people,

I'm gonna mount the splash guard and build the fixture pretty soon but I have a couple questions first.

1. How close should the splash guard be to the optics ?

2. Do the splash guard also need to cover the leds on both sides or not ?

3. Was it the ideal distance between splash guard and water surface for my 18" deep tank (I have 60 degree optics) ?

Thanks in advance !

Hey,

i just came accross this driver:
http://www.lumotech.com/sys/index.php?id=2...ppageteaser_pi1[backId]=119


Dimmable, 3 different current
settings (350mA, 700mA, 1050mA). Easy adjustable through dipswitch settings. Power socket ready. .


even better:
http://www.lumotech.com/sys/index.php?id=2...ppageteaser_pi1[backId]=120

Cheers,
Nikolas

Would a round heatsink like this work? I want to do pendants and the look of a round one would be much better on the eye.

http://www.ledcoolers.com/round-pin-fin-led-heatsinks/

-Dave

still havent found the pendant on nanoreef dave? I think those heatsinks would work, youd just have to be careful to not place the leds too close to the edge.

although, Im not sure how many you could fit on there, the biggest heatsink 2.36in in diameter

nope

Hey Evil - I recently bought the Par38 20K with 80 degree optics. Do you think that it is enough light for a 12x12x12 cube? I have the opportunity to buy the tank and haven't seen it with the light over it. Going to keep LPS at the bottom and SPS at the top.

Thanks,
Pete

hey so i am planning on starting this soon and evil said i needed 48 leds for a 40 breeder but are those gonna be the 1 watt or the 3 watt

also what would anyone suggest as far a colors slit 50/50 or what

thanks

Just a quick question : do the splashguard need to cover all the 4 edges of the leds array ? Or 2 (or even none) is better condensation-speaking ?

Thanks for your response !

Your temps are fine, and well below what I would consider problematic. I like to keep heatsink temps under 140F.


I don't sell kits, but there are a number of vendors that sell all that you need.



Link? Sounds decent if the price is ok.

1. Get it as close as you want
2. Not really.
3. 4-6"


Nice at first glance, but the killer is the rated output wattage. It's only 15W at 110v AC input. That's 5 LEDs in series when run at 700mA. Only 4 at 1050mA.


Some nice designs there, but a little small.


Might be a little low in PAR for some light hungry sps, but monties and birdsnest should be ok. The 60 degree optics would have been a little better choice for more light hungry corals. The lenses can be swapped out later if you feel it's not enough.


Always 3W LEDs. 50/50 color mix gives the best color blending and about a 14K color temp.


It's not required really. The splash guard face keeps the vast majority of the moisture away from the LEDs. A little cross flow through that area can help too.

Hmm ok, you are right i missed the fact, that you guys got 110V AC. (240 over here).

Regards,
Nikolas

I've been thinking of buiding a four light t5 fixture with 8 q5 led for shimmer effet. Will this work. the tank is a 40 gal breader.

Yes, it will work.

Would 8 led light be enough,and all white or some blue or all blue ?

That's all up to you and what kind of look you are going for.

Hi
sorry to be a nag, I didnt really want to scroll through all the pages of the guide thread to find it but could someone link me the latest revision of the dimmer circuit for the meanwells? er is it still the best way to control them with a pot?

Also, I have to order some more drivers for my upcoming project, what's the difference between the D and P units? Everyone seems to be going after the D, is it more advantageous one way or another? does the lm317 circuit work with both?

Thanks again

Ok so i just picked up a BC 14 overthe weekend i would like to do LEDs in it ow do you determine how many to use
i am not planning on keeping any SPS mostly LPS and Zoas

Any help or direction would be great

Steve

Anyone have an opinion about this led? Warm white fits my application (algae scrubber)

1 PC 10W WATT STAR HIGH POWER WARM WHITE LED 650 Lumen

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-PC-10W-WATT-STAR-HIG...3#ht_3071wt_939

Will a mean well lplc-18-700 have any trouble driving one of these?

http://www.meanwell.com/search/lplc-18/default.htm

The led will be slightly underpowered but no big deal.

The "D" model is 0-10v input, which makes it compatible with reef controllers, and is easier to make the dimming circuit for (LM317 based). The circuit is more well documented in the Meanwell thread.


Read through the many BC14 builds that are posted in the DIY LED Project List. It's stickied at the top of the forum. It doesn't matter what you are keeping. Any LED setup will be capable of sps.


Should work ok. You might find that a neutral or cool white will actually work a little better (more blue, which is still needed)

I have a question. Would 1 of these power supplies be enough for 2 1000ma buckpucks running 5 LED's each?
http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=16854+PS

Yes, will be able to run more than 2 also. Up to 6 I believe at 1000mA

Going to run them over a Pico so I'm probably in overkill range already!
I do plan to retrofit my fixture over my 75g with LED's in the future though. I've had to replace 2 ballasts for the PC lights in there and that's 2 too many for me.

I got some new heat sinks in today and decided to play with them. I got three different sizes, but started with the smallest one and found that it was more than adequate.
Here's a shot of the front with it running. Had to put a lens on the LED, as it was blinding me and I couldn't see anything.





Here's the back of it running. Fan is actually spinning. I turned the fan all the way down to 5V and it's completely silent, but still pushes enough air to keep it cool.





And here's the temp. I was touching it and couldn't feel any heat anywhere on it. The hottest spot I could find with the IR thermometer was 86F





And lastly, the amps. Ran it at .934 amps for several minutes and saw no rise in temp.



The heatsinks have a very easy mounting bracket. Just run two parallel pieces of angle aluminum and attach them to it. Then mount it anywhere you want.
Here is where I bought them from: Heatsink Link

Evil thanks for all the replies.

What high power leds come closest to 420 nm?

I got a rebel royal blue that specs out at 440nm min slightly lower than a cree (450nm min) but this is the closest I have found.

If not high power what other leds can come closest to 420nm

My application is a FW algae scrubber. Will this help algae grow better than some of the higher nm ranges?

Thanks for any help.

would 2 of these be enough to light my NC28?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...=21600&s=lh

and use 3 of these for accent lighting

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...=21598&s=lh

You want red, red, red. 420nm isn't going to help you at all. I would be running a warm or neutral white for an algae scrubber.


2? No. The Panorama fixture that is designed to be used for tanks like that use 4 strips, and it's still not high PAR. The Stunners will add a little color, but won't add anything significant to growth.

how about this for a NC28?

5 x 107 Lumen Q5 Cool-White Cree XR-E Star
4 x Blue or Royal Blue Cree XR-E Star (I can't decide)
4 x kaidomain.com 3W UV Light 410nm LED

I'm trying to stick to a budget of $200-$300 because otherwise a 20" nova extreme pro T5HO lamp seems more sensible.

Evil
Getting ready to pull the trigger.Looking for some advice.Have a 240 gallon tank and its tall I would like the look of between 14k and 20k what do you suggest the bulb ratio be between the Cree XR Q5 and the Cree Royal blues.Also what do you suggest the total should be.I am thinking 60 of each with 10 meanwell ELN 60-48-D just wondering if I should add more blues or take some away.Planning on controlling them with my apex.
Again Thanks For all the work you have put into these.
Jim

Ditch the UVs to start, and put the money towards more whites and blue. The normal setup for a tank this size is 24 LEDs. It runs well with two Meanwells. Fewer LEDs will hurt your coverage unless you push the spacing out, and then you have the potential for spotlighting.

I can understand wanting to keep to a sensible budget, but even if you spend $100 more than the NEP, the LED setup will pay for itself quickly, will have more PAR, and will have dynamic color control.



What are the tank dimensions? A 50/50 mix gets you the best color blending, and about a 14K color temp. The final color temp can easily be made with adjustments on the drivers.