Ultimate LED guide

[evilc66]

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.

[MadWorld]

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?

Edited April 9, 2009 by MadWorld

[Roxyplace]

They are an XR or XC blue (not XR-E or royal). The XR-E royals are far better color and output.

 

I will be offering LEDs in my group buy that will be starting in about a week. I'm trying to negotiate a better price than we normally get.

 

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!

[evilc66]

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?

 

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

 

 

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!

 

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

[vanep]

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??

[deepdvnarq]

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.

[evilc66]

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.

[evilc66]

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.

[vanep]

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.

 

 

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.

[evilc66]

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.

[vanep]

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?

Edited April 10, 2009 by vanep

[deepdvnarq]

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.

[vanep]

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)

[evilc66]

Decisions, decisions

[deepdvnarq]

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

[Sherman]

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

[evilc66]

It's still useable.

[deepdvnarq]

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

 

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

[ppsthlm]

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

[evilc66]

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.

[deepdvnarq]

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.

[evilc66]

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

[deepdvnarq]

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!

[evilc66]

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.

[deepdvnarq]

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.