Another LED JBJ NC12 retrofit

[thewire]

I wanted to thanks a few people not in particular orders (thecowkid, evilc66, chipmuckofdoom, my2girls and a few others I have forgotten). I am building a JBJ Nanocube 12g DX retrofit. I am currently running the led in the hood with the fan running to test if there is any issue with wiring or heat problem. I have yet to figure out how to attach the heatsink onto the hood itself.

 

Parts:

Cree Q5 CW XR-E LED Qty = 6 $46.74

Cree RB XR-E LED Qty=6 $35 (price included 1 Buckpuck)

1 700mA Buckpuck Qty=1 $20

1000mA Buckpuck Qty=1 $included with the royal blue LEDs

Potran 24V@ 6.5A Power Supply $15

Thermal Paste $9 (use like 10% of it LOL)

5k Potentiometer Qty=2 $6.50

Stainless steel 4-40 screws and nyloc nut Qty=24 $3.50

Project box - $1 box from Dollar Tree

Cables - free

4-40 Drill and Tap $4

Mothers Aluminum polish -$5.23 (use like 10% of it too LOL)

Heatsink $30

 

Total Cost $170.74 included shipping.

 

What Did I do on the wiring?

1) I wired the LEDs in series for both white and blue

2) I wired the JBJ stock fans in series

3) I wired the white LED string onto 1000mA driver and the blue string onto 700mA.

4) I wired the outputs of the drivers with the fan outputs together in parallel

 

Tips for myself in future:

1) Use W40 or any kind of non-flammable oil during drilling and tapping to make life easier. I spent approximately 2.5 hours to drill and tapped 24 holes. I broke one of the drill bit but luckily my friend has one extra.

2) Polish your heatsink with Mothers Mag and Alum polish. I use a power drill with a cloth attached to it and add some polisher onto the cloth. I spent only about 20 minutes total including cleaning the heatsink after.

 

Soldering wasn’t my forte and I really suck at it! I need to use a better cable than that.

 

Enough said, here are the pictures:

 

Heatsink before polish

 

Heatsink after polish

 

Buckpucks

 

LEDs attached to heatsink with artic thermal 5 paste

 

Ghetto “project” BOX

 

All wired up, ready to fired up

 

All light up

 

Angle bracket

 

 

Questions:

1) How hot the heatsink can gets? The cable is rated 90C or 100C (one of them). Can this be a problem with melting if the temperature gets about 100C.

2) Any help with attaching the heatsink onto the JBJ NC12 hood? I can’t figure that out yet….I have two holes each side of the heatsink drilled and tap and I have 2 angle bracket attached to it right now. Can I use those + something else?

3) The 1000mA buckpuck run a little hot …almost too hot to touch…while the 700mA is not, what should I do?

4) When you guys saying you are adjusting the light to 50%, 60% or 70%, how can you tell from the potentiometer you have? LOL

5) How about those summer months when AC is not on?

[doctaq]

heat shouldnt be a problem with that big of a heatsink, do you have good ventilation?

[thewire]

heat shouldnt be a problem with that big of a heatsink, do you have good ventilation?

 

 

I am using 2 stock JBJ fans right now. I am thinking about 1 sucking air in and 1 blowing air out...good?

[evilc66]

I wanted to thanks a few people not in particular orders (thecowkid, evilc66, chipmuckofdoom, my2girls and a few others I have forgotten). I am building a JBJ Nanocube 12g DX retrofit. I am currently running the led in the hood with the fan running to test if there is any issue with wiring or heat problem. I have yet to figure out how to attach the heatsink onto the hood itself.

 

Parts:

Cree Q5 CW XR-E LED Qty = 6 $46.74

Cree RB XR-E LED Qty=6 $35 (price included 1 Buckpuck)

1 700mA Buckpuck Qty=1 $20

1000mA Buckpuck Qty=1 $included with the royal blue LEDs

Potran 24V@ 6.5A Power Supply $15

Thermal Paste $9 (use like 10% of it LOL)

5k Potentiometer Qty=2 $6.50

Stainless steel 4-40 screws and nyloc nut Qty=24 $3.50

Project box - $1 box from Dollar Tree

Cables - free

4-40 Drill and Tap $4

Mothers Aluminum polish -$5.23 (use like 10% of it too LOL)

Heatsink $30

 

Total Cost $170.74 included shipping.

 

What Did I do on the wiring?

1) I wired the LEDs in series for both white and blue

2) I wired the JBJ stock fans in series

3) I wired the white LED string onto 1000mA driver and the blue string onto 700mA.

4) I wired the outputs of the drivers with the fan outputs together in parallel

 

Tips for myself in future:

1) Use W40 or any kind of non-flammable oil during drilling and tapping to make life easier. I spent approximately 2.5 hours to drill and tapped 24 holes. I broke one of the drill bit but luckily my friend has one extra.

2) Polish your heatsink with Mothers Mag and Alum polish. I use a power drill with a cloth attached to it and add some polisher onto the cloth. I spent only about 20 minutes total including cleaning the heatsink after.

 

Soldering wasn’t my forte and I really suck at it! I need to use a better cable than that.

 

Enough said, here are the pictures:

 

Heatsink before polish

 

Heatsink after polish

 

Buckpucks

 

LEDs attached to heatsink with artic thermal 5 paste

 

Ghetto “project” BOX

 

All wired up, ready to fired up

 

All light up

 

Angle bracket

 

 

Questions:

1) How hot the heatsink can gets? The cable is rated 90C or 100C (one of them). Can this be a problem with melting if the temperature gets about 100C.

2) Any help with attaching the heatsink onto the JBJ NC12 hood? I can’t figure that out yet….I have two holes each side of the heatsink drilled and tap and I have 2 angle bracket attached to it right now. Can I use those + something else?

3) The 1000mA buckpuck run a little hot …almost too hot to touch…while the 700mA is not, what should I do?

4) When you guys saying you are adjusting the light to 50%, 60% or 70%, how can you tell from the potentiometer you have? LOL

5) How about those summer months when AC is not on?

 

Looking good.

 

1. You will never ever get that hot to worry about the cable. I like to keep my heatsink temps under 140F (measured right at the LED). Use an IR thermometer for this.

2. Look at some of the NC12 and BC14 builds for inspiration.

3. Ventilate that project box. The 1000mA drivers do run pretty hot. Adjusting the power supply voltage up to about 26v may help also.

4. There is a slot in the end of the pot. Use that as a guide. The pot turns 270 degrees, so inthe middle is about 50%.

5. ??? It takes very little airflow to keep the heatsink temps in check. You won't see a lot of change in the summer months, and it still won't transfer heat to the tank.

 

I am using 2 stock JBJ fans right now. I am thinking about 1 sucking air in and 1 blowing air out...good?

Both blowing in.

[thewire]

Looking good.

 

1. You will never ever get that hot to worry about the cable. I like to keep my heatsink temps under 140F (measured right at the LED). Use an IR thermometer for this.

2. Look at some of the NC12 and BC14 builds for inspiration.

3. Ventilate that project box. The 1000mA drivers do run pretty hot. Adjusting the power supply voltage up to about 26v may help also.

4. There is a slot in the end of the pot. Use that as a guide. The pot turns 270 degrees, so inthe middle is about 50%.

5. ??? It takes very little airflow to keep the heatsink temps in check. You won't see a lot of change in the summer months, and it still won't transfer heat to the tank.

 

 

Both blowing in.

Thanks for your answers.

I will change the fans attachment later today. I just need to swap it around and get it to suck air in instead.

1) I used wiring nut inside the hood in order to connect the fan in series and attached to a longer cable out to the PS, should I swap the wiring nut to the more expensive water proof wiring nuts or should I get some electrical tape (got that) and tape it around it?

2) I will try adjust the Potran PS to a lower voltage.

3) Also the POT is pretty darn sensitive.

4) I am trying to find inspiration on the hood LOL

[evilc66]

Ideally for the fan wiring, you should be soldering and heatshrinking the connections. Waterproof wire nuts would be a good alternative.

[thewire]

Ideally for the fan wiring, you should be soldering and heatshrinking the connections. Waterproof wire nuts would be a good alternative.

 

 

Thanks for the idea. I will go with the waterproof nut as I have a few laying around. I only need 3 of them anyway.

[jayiNH]

here is what i did on my NC12 , just bent up some alumn. flat stock, used stock holes in hood and all set. hope it helps.

 

[thewire]

here is what i did on my NC12 , just bent up some alumn. flat stock, used stock holes in hood and all set. hope it helps.

 

 

 

Thanks for the tips. I will try to do it this week

[Zeadon]

awesome stuff, do you plan on sticking any optics on there by anychance?

[luckycat]

This is perfect -- I have a 12g JBJ nano and would like to swap out my viper MH.. did you purchase the parts from nanotuners?

[thewire]

This is perfect -- I have a 12g JBJ nano and would like to swap out my viper MH.. did you purchase the parts from nanotuners?

 

 

Thanks

 

I purchased thru Rapidled for some LEDs, LEDsupply for the driver and a few LED + driver from a member here. I would buy it from Nanotuners but their shipping kills!

 

 

awesome stuff, do you plan on sticking any optics on there by anychance?

 

probably not

[thewire]

A mishap as I accidentally yank one of the solder for the V- on the led to driver

 

Also should I use any optics for the setup?

[gregzbobo]

A mishap as I accidentally yank one of the solder for the V- on the led to driver

 

Also should I use any optics for the setup?

You shouldn't need optics for an NC12, its shallow enough that the bare emitters will penetrate just fine.

[thewire]

You shouldn't need optics for an NC12, its shallow enough that the bare emitters will penetrate just fine.

 

 

Thanks

 

I am lazy to drill another 4 sets of holes in my heatsink so I can attached the heatsink with my 2 U aluminum brackets like the picture above. Is there anyway I can just epoxy that bracket to the heatsink?

[evilc66]

Get off your ass and drill it. Do it right.

[thewire]

Get off your ass and drill it. Do it right.

 

OK. I definitely like the shimmering effect like MH. Will post FTS soon

 

I got it drilled and attached to the hood. It has been running for a day or so..with 10-20% intensity i think

 

 

 

How should do the acclimation with the new light? I previously running PC

[evilc66]

Start low, and slowly work your way up over a few weeks.

[thewire]

Start low, and slowly work your way up over a few weeks.

 

 

Thanks Evilc!

 

The buckpuck have been running pretty cool as I check it periodically. I want to tuck everything away. Currently I have my project box sitting behind the tank. From what I read on the spec sheet the max distance from buckpuck to led is 18"? I am pretty it has to be depend on cable size as voltage drop if the line is longer.....

 

No bleaching yet..but I notice my organ pipe been shut off for past 2 days, GSP is open about 90% but everything else including zoas are fully open

[thewire]

a quick updates..everything is responding well with the new light. I still need to clean up the wiring from the leds to the buckpuck though.

1) what's the maximum distance from 1st led to buckpuck without overworking the driver?

[doctaq]

its negligible, i have like ten feet between my drivers and leds and its been running for a year, the resistance per foot is like .000 something or other, it doesnt make much of a difference till you get up to like a hundred feet

[evilc66]

Well, that's all dependant on the wire gauge used. Smaller wire, higher resistance per foot.

[thewire]

here is a fts shot

[Nickeleye]

here is a fts shot

 

End result looks pretty nice.

[ddwbeagles]

Yep - it turned out pretty nice. Good job and thanks for sharing your build with us.