Ultimate LED guide

[vanep]

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!

[evilc66]

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.

Edited April 19, 2009 by evilc66

[vanep]

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??

 

[evilc66]

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.

[vanep]

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

[evilc66]

LED group buy is now open if anyone is interested

 

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

[deepdvnarq]

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.

[evilc66]

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.

[janos1]

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

[evilc66]

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.

[janos1]

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

[evilc66]

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

[janos1]

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??

[evilc66]

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.

[janos1]

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?

[evilc66]

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

[janos1]

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.

[ddols]

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.

Edited April 22, 2009 by ddols

[evilc66]

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.

[ddols]

You mean LED right?

 

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?

[evilc66]

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.

[keli]

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.

[evilc66]

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.

[mdavis203]

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?

[evilc66]

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?