Only difference between round and star is convenience. The larger stars are easier to work with. If you can't get the LEDs mounted, but find them for a cheap price, LED-Tech has bare PCBs that you can use to mount them.

Hello, im new to this forum.
I want to ask which driver/buck puck to get to connect 4 leds in a series, with voltage of 3.7 and watt of 3. It is for a 5.5 gallon tank.

And how do you protect the leds from the water evaporation?

OK I will bite, but you need to announce details soon as this is defiantly a impulse project!

I might decide to build another race car in a few days and there will be no money for REEF!

So post some sort of price and availability soon!

Any Buckpuck and a minimum 16v power supply will drive that array. Splash guards, like with any other light are very important.




It should be starting in a week. I'm still waiting to hear from some vendors on priceing before I kick this off.

I´ve removed some of the leds of my previous version of the led display, this is how it looks now. Am I going to need optics? I would like to be open to keep any kind of coral (right now my tank is nearly empty, except for a clown, some discosoma and an euphillya). Do I need 60º optics to get PAR equivalent to 150 W?



this is how the tank looks like



Those are 8 cool white and 7 royal blue, so:

Vtyp (RB) = 3.3 V
Vmax (RB) = 3.9 V
In series means --> Vtyp = 23.1 V and Vmax = 27.3 V for the RB ones --> I am needing one buckpuck driver

Vtyp (CW) = 3.5 V
Vmax (CW) = 4.0 V
In series means --> Vtyp = 28.0 V and Vmax = 32.0 V for the CW ones --> I am needing one buckpuck driver

Being the buckpuck driver this one: http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/buckpuck-03023d...8c2fcb3552ea4f2
Or this one: http://www.led-tech.de/en/LED-Controlling/...91_118_119.html

Am I right??

i'm not sure on the second driver but if you are going to use buckpucks, your maximum is 6 LEDs per buckpuck.

Yup. 6 LEDs max on Buckpucks. No way around that. The second driver will get you a few more LED, but at the cost of heat and efficiency.

With the hieght of you tank, you shouldn't need optics, unless you are looking to hit really high levels. As is, you will be able to hit 200+ PAR, which is enough for sps and clams.

Good news everyone!

ETG is cutting us a deal on LEDs for the group buy. It's not a lot, but it's less than you would be paying buying them yourselves. Discount will only be for cool white and royal blue mounted LEDs. I will disclose prices when I open the group buy in a week.

thank you evil!

concerning the constant current driver from led-tech, if i connect 8 leds.... why it would be less efficient?, because of the maximum voltage?

In the other case, if I am already needing 4 buckpucks I can consider using more leds.

It's not because of the number of LEDs, but because of the type of driver. It's a linear driver as opposed to a buck driver. They are typically less efficient because they have to burn off the excess voltage by heat.

Again, thanks for your answer and your patience!

one more question, is it possible to mix blue and white leds in the same bucpuck driver?

this i know i can answer. yes but then you lose the ability to separetly dim the the 2 colors. but if the is not an issue then it doesnt matter. either way, you can do it.

thanks!

With all the intel, now I have to think a little bit before purchasing:

Do I want dimmable lights?
- no --> buy 3 buckpuck drives
- yes --> buy 4 buckpuck drives. options:
a. stay with the number of leds of the last set up
b. take advantage of using 4 B.D. and add more leds. options:
i. redoing the led set up
ii. using the first led set up (12 cw & 8 rb)

Decisions, decisions

Is a LED ruined if the lens on the LED itself falls off or if it sticks back on, is it still okay? I won't be finished with the entire set up until the end of the week and would like to know so I can order 2 more.
Thanks

I believe should be ok except you lost the angle of light dispersion that the LED was build in.

It's still useable.

okay great, i'm putting optics on it anyways. funds are really tight at the moment and can't spare even the cost the get them right now. I really want to finish this project. (37gal)


thanks for your help Sherman and Evil

I just read through this thread, but it is so difficult to understand how to do it. When it comes to understanding this I feel like such a blond. My excuse is I am - a blond.... hmmm...

Thing is - I have an Elos System Mini with the E-Lite. 15 white LEDs - 3 blue LEDs. I will keep mainly softies - Zoanthids - Ricordea. The Zoas I have at the moment seem to be loosing their color and other reefers have adviced me to add blue T5 lighting of 20.000K for the coloring of the corals. Thing is, I really want to keep this E-Lite that I´ve got and would like to add some LEDs on each side to add more blue. Would this be possible/ adviceable? If I for instance build a thing with the Luxeon REBEL on PCB - say 10 on each side of the E-Lite?? What do you think? And to get this thing connected - what more do I buy than 20 REBELs on PCB??

Please advice me and I hope I can figure this out.... Thanks

No need for that many LEDs to do what you need. It will only take a few. The hardest thing is going to be making whatever attaches to the E-Lite look half way decent.

i have been racking my brains a little bit here. what would cause 3 middle leds not to work and the other 3 to work in a 6 LED array. i already changed out the LEDs in the middle and i get the same result. also i dont see any grounding going on and no wires are frayed.
w=working
b=not working
w-w-b-b-b-w----buckpuck------PS
the other seven strings of LEDs are wired the same way and no problems.

Have you changed the order to see that the LEDs are still working?

i unwired everything on that string and individually tested each led. i then used new wire and now none of them work, i even used different buckpucks and power supplies. i'm going to try again. i hope i didn't fry the entire line of buckpucks. now i'm having problems with some of the other strings too after testing. maybe did i buy the wrong pot? i have 2 5k ohm linear pots (or should i have purchased the audio pot) connected to 4 buckpucks each. after 2 succesful projects, this is really getting frustraighting!

The type of pot won't make any difference damage wise. A linear versus audio pot will just change how the brightness reacts when you adjust it (don't get an audio pot). Different pots won't harm the driver.

I'm assuming that all the LEDs ended up working seperately? You weren't really clear that it was the case.

yes all the leds work fine individually. if 4 dimmable buckucks wired together and dims with no problems, then all of a sudden i lose the ability to dim, would that be a possibilty of a bad buckpuck which would affect the others. i'm probably going to start over on the wiring and not go through heatsink to limit the possibility of the wires getting frayed and start connecting each string individualy to find the faulty lines or buckpucks. i hope everything turns out okay. i cant afford to replace anything. there was a "pop" inside the project box but couldn't identify where are why it came from inside the project box.

Hi!

Question about buckpuck drivers.

Which is the difference between Buckpuck 03023-D-E-1000P - 1000ma 1w,3w & 5W Luxeon Driver Ext P (http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/buckpuck-03023de1000p-1000ma-1w3w-luxeon-driver-p-1374.html?osCsid=dece732e9250e5523d24046c1a52eb72 ://http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/buckpuck...24046c1a52eb72 ) and Buckpuck 03023-D-E-1000 - 1000ma 1w,3w & 5W Luxeon Driver Ext Po (http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/buckpuck-03023d...d24046c1a52eb72)

I was going to order 4 units of the first one, but they only have 3 units in stock. Can I order the second one??

I am willing to install:
- 11 leds cree xre q5 wg cool white
- 10 leds cree xre royal blue

Thanks!

You can order the second one if you like. You just have to buy the potentiometer to control the brightness (5k ohm linear pot). The first one comes with it.

One thing to note, you will not be able to run 11 white LEDs on 2 Buckpucks. You are limited to a max of 6 LEDs per.

I was thinking on running 6 CW in a buckpuck, 5 CW in another buckpuck, 5 RB in another one and 5 RB in the last one. 21 LEDS in 4 buckpucks, is that wrong??

Wow. My brain is fried today. Cracking a tank and trying to get everything straight is stressful. It apparent;y means I can't add either

Nevermind my last comment. You're good.

ok, don´t worry!

I am a bit stressed too, I´ve spent the last couple of hours trying to hunt a crab that looks like hell, that is hidden where my ocerallis usually sleeps

LED group buy is now open if anyone is interested

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=194886

well i finally finished rewiring everything. i have 2 bad buckpucks and i still cant get that string of 6 leds to work correctly. i'm just going to order 6 more LEDS and wire those. one thing i noticed about the pots that i purchased from radioshack. when i connect only one string of leds it doesn't dim properly, when i add 1 or 2 more (up to 3 strings of 6), it works perfectly. however, when i add a 4th string of leds, i lose ability to dim completely. i even tried rearranging which buckpucks are on that pot and the samr result. do i need a more powerful pot that can handle four strings each? this is the one that i'm using. is this fine or can you please recommend a pot that would work. i have a total of 8 buckpucks. 4 for the whites and the same for the blues.

The pots that Luxdrive uses are only 1/16W, so you should be in the clear there. Could you post a picture of diagram of how you are connecting everything? If you have already, I may have missed it.

Hi to all from Toronto.Sorry to jump in to that,but i don't understood evilc66 why( One thing to note, you will not be able to run 11 white LEDs on 2 Buckpucks. You are limited to a max of 6 LEDs per.)Sorry but i am complet newbie for LED and electronic but i try to follow you and i order 24 led from ledsuply and 2 Buckpac. The site show 12 led on one 3021 buckpac.I order wrong or 12 led could be driven.Thank you

Well, technically you can run 12 LEDs on a single Buckpuck, but with parallel strings. That reduces the current. You can only run 6 LEDs at 1A, which gets the most from the LEDs. If you were to run 12 LEDs, you would only be running at 500mA, and considerably reduced output.

Thank you for that fast replay,one more Q:if i buy in the group buy the Meanwell ELN-60-48P that would be good with Q5 cree? Thank you

That will work just fine with them. You will be able to run a maximum of 13 at 1A.

[quote name='evilc66' date='Apr 20 2009, 08:23 PM' post='2210068']
That will work just fine with them. You will be able to run a maximum of 13 at 1A.

Thank you again.right now my lost Q:? I have a Profilux controller,could i use with that??

Only with the PLM-ANALOG add-on module. It has 0-10v outputs that you should be able to use on the driver. I still have to verify that the controller (the "P" model) will accept an analog input, as well as the pwm. The manufacturer has been very vague on that matter.

Thanks,if everything works out how could i be part of the group buy.I am in Toronto,Canada?

Shipping is the same cost to Toronto. I'll try and get a setup running tomorrow and we will go from there.

Thank you for your time,you take care for average newbie like me.

Very interesting article and thread Evil, thanks a lot. And happy Earth day everyone. Maybe it's all the E-day hype, but I think this is a very important technology for the future of this hobby.

Has anyone done a LED retro for an Aquapod 24 to fit in the stock CF hood yet? It's been something I've been thinking of trying for a while. There's only about 2" of space inside the stock splash guard so I think anything done would be a tight fit. Especially if optics are used. The tanks about 15" deep, so it's seems to be right on the edge of needing them or not.

I'd like to make something with output comparable to an 150 watt HQI. 100 watts would probably be adequate. The 20" Current HQI fixture is just under $250, any ballpark idea what the cost of the parts for a diy LED retro would run me? Also approximately how much less energy would it use? I know I'd also be able to add in the cost of at least 5 replacement HQI bulbs too. That alone would probably pay for the retro.

Speaking of replacement bulbs, I don't suppose anyone has had a LED unit long enough to see if the 50,000 use hours is actually true. I know the moonlights in my tank burned out after just 2 years, and they are the low powered ones that allegedly last even longer. I haven't dug into it yet to see if it was caused by some other failure, except for the power supply, which is fine. They ran 24/7 and the hood does get pretty warm when the CF bulbs are on. It seems odd they both burned out at the exact same time.

You mean LED right?

There have been one or two retros into similar tanks, and it has been tight. The typical number that has been used is 24 LEDs, which is around 88W (plus whatever losses in the drivers, power supply, etc). With 60 degree optics, 150W MH performance is easily doable. It won't be cheap though. Average cost of doing something like this, provided you get it right the first time, is about $400. The up front costs suck, but you do save long term with energy costs, cooling costs (if you are running a chiller/fans), and bulb replacement.

Speaking of bulb replacement, with proper cooling the LEDs should last 13+ years on a hour schedule. There isn't a good chance that they will last that long, but you should get many years of life out of them. Manufacturer defect plays a role in this too. These will last far longer than the small 5mm LEDs. The life rating on those is for a much lower current than they are typically run at. Even then, their life is typically pretty short, but much longer when compared to other bulb types.

Opps yeah LED, my coffee hasn't kicked in yet. I was up to late last night reading this thread. Fixed it anyway.

88 watts is probably comparable to my 2x40 watt CF bulbs I have now. But WAY more output.

It's probably a good idea to do the work and drill and tap the heatsink just for the ability to replace LEDs in the future. Now I have another excuse to buy a drill press. I was wondering if someone could post a pic of a LED mounted that way. Mounting the square base bulbs seem obvious, but those star shaped ones I imagine require 2 screws in opposite slots around the base. It seems like it would be easy to ground out the bulb if the holes are a little off or the screw head is to big. I imagine the bulb still needs to be de-soldered and re-soldered for replacement. I would also like to see a close up of how the optics are mounted. Do they attach to the bulb, or require their own mounting screws? How tall are the optics BTW? There's probably no way they'll fit behind the stock splash guard.

So my moonlights lasting only 2 years isn't really that odd?

Thats pretty typical for moonlights like that.

There should be a bunch of pics in many of the threads showing how the LEDs are mounted. Check Waterproofs guide for his BC14. I'm pretty sure he has a few good pics. Using nylon washers under the screw heads is a really simple way to make sure that the screws don't make contact with the solder pads.

Different lenses mount in different ways, but almost all of them have to be help down with a light adhesive. The Cree optics are a friction fit around the ring on the dome. They usually fit pretty tight and makes it simple to swap them out if you want to experiment. Only cost $1 from ETG doesn't hurt either Many of the other optics have mounting setups that will interfere with certain mounting holes, or the solder pads on the star. The Crees are by far the easiest to use.

You can also check my led build, I added closeup shots of how the LEDs are mounted. Basically I used to nylon washers, but used stainless wood screws that are unable to touch thepads.

A picture is worth a thousand words



No tapping, just drill and screw it in.

You can use that only up to a certain material thickness. The bases on the heatsinks we get are a little too thick to do that easily.

I read this thread about a month ago, when I was building my LED fixture, but I don't remember if the topic of lighting schedule is addressed. I apologize if it is, and please slap me around a little for it. But, I'm running an LED fixture in my BC14 (see thread in my sig). How long should I run my lights? I started them on a 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM schedule but cut it back to 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM when I started getting a lot of algae growth. However, when I added a couple of montipora's (sp?) a few days ago, I put it back to a 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM schedule. The algae starting sprouting again.

My tank is young (only about 6 weeks), so I expect the algae to be an issue for another month or two, but how long should I be running my LED's for optimal SPS growth? Viewing-wise, I'd like to have a 12-hour schedule. But, if the corals will be OK with 8 hours per day, it'd be better for me to cut back until my tank gets a little more mature and I'm not fighting algae problems.

Any opinions?

Cut back on your lighting schedule. 12 hours is right at the limit where it can cause more harm than good, as you have obviously seen. While you may want to look at your tank for 12 hours, it doesn't mean thats the best thing for your tanks inhabitants. Most corals are done absorbing light for photosynthesis after 5-7 hours. More than that and it does them no benefit.

Also, your tank is very new, and sps might be a little too early. Take it slowly. Back your light down to 8-10 hours and watch your parameters. Your not doing anything like dosing of feeding right now are you?