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GU10 LED Build Thread (Chinese Ebay Lights)


TinyGiant

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bodyboarding_bum

Thanks! I'm pretty happy :) Just gotta wait for this thunderstorm to go away to i can finish painting it all. Opted for a nice stain black, it seemed the least obtrusive colour!

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bodyboarding_bum

Finalised my GU10 LED setup, added a 'warm white' for the 'fuge and setup the timer so it's a reverse photoperiod to the main lights.

 

376494_10150419444817917_522762916_8581701_1521811105_n.jpg

 

377043_10150419446812917_522762916_8581710_2061765354_n.jpg

 

Hopefully i'll get a chance to finish the satin black paint job tomorrow after work (weather permitting!). I've got some LED moonlights on the way too off eBay, so i'll rig those up once they arrive too. I found the GU10 blue LED's were too bright for moonlights!

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Started on a new hood for another member of the forum I run

 

The metal top was actually a shelf from a metal shop shelving unit. It was 12x36 .. so it was perfect for his 30 Breeder (36x18)

 

Just cut a piece of plywood to fit inside the lip of the bottom of the shelf, siliconed around it. Then i made an acrylic shield all the way around it (used weld on 4) then siliconed that to the wood/metal and then painted it up. i'll get up a painted picture up soon.

 

 

 

 

IMG_20111130_125411.jpg

 

_6temp.jpg

 

_7temp.jpg

Edited by TinyGiant
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Hey Tiny, just measured the PAR on my tank. These are the results I got. Seems kinds low :unsure: . Is this normal?

I have 15 gu10 (60% blue/40% cool white) with 30 degrees optics in my hood that is 16"x8".

Below water line

1" - 200

6" - 160

9" - 110

12"- 85 (sand)

 

Has anyone else with GU10's measured PAR?

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does seem kinda low. sure the meter is calibrated?

 

i guess it could be possible the meter i borrowed needed to be calibrated too.. id love to see more par readings.

 

what are you getting above the water line? (directly under a blue bulb, and white bulb)

 

dont forget to post links to your build threads on this DIY list thread

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=200335

Edited by TinyGiant
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Not sure if the meter is calibrated but my friends Rapid PAR38 gets around 800 at the waterline with the meter.

 

I took the picture when the sensor was adjusted to the highest reading.

 

Lights are about 9" from the water line

2253aac4.jpg

 

Cool White

10b8f537.jpg

 

Blue

a4bcc999.jpg

 

Mix GU10 Blue/CoolWhite

1f6c4530.jpg

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picture friend sent of the light sitting over the tank. its not hanging yet and it has some wood blocking the light so it looks un even.. but will look really even and nice when its in the right place unobstructed

imagejpeg_2.jpg

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message convo some might benefit from.

 

 

Hey there, I am getting ready to do a GU10 LED build and just have a couple questions.

 

Firstly, do you recommend this, economically, over like an aquastyles build? do you think your color/growth is nearly as good?

I have had awesome growth and coloration with these. I would highly reccomend them. I have a thread kicking around nanoreef that tracked my growth over the course of a few months.

 

Are the 1x3 watt bulbs better/brighter than the 3x1 watt?

 

I havent noticed any difference between the two. I have a mix over my tank.. basically bought whatever was cheaper at the time

 

I found some with 60 degree optics as opposed to the usual 30 degree or so, should i get those?

If you dont have the room to mount the hood 10" or so above the water then sure go 60* but if you do go 30*. wider angle means less par..

 

 

What do you think of your color, and what do you recommend for ratio? i like some blue, so i was thinking 2blue to 1 white, and maybe even puttin a single red in the middle, Thoughts on this?

 

my current arrangement was a straight line of bwbwbwb... etc all the way across the tank. Then i added 10 more blues to accent areas that werent getting enough (i have columns in my tank so i had to spot light some areas to make it look even all the way around the columns) 2-1 might be little too blue.. I like the 50/50 look. I would start from there and add as you see fit.

 

 

 

And finally, How many would you recommend for say, a standard 10? is one bulb per gallon typically sufficient?

 

I think that would be perfectly fine. I only have 30 bulbs on a 55g. but a 10g you could probably do 10 and be fine. or maybe go with 9 so you can have three rows of 3 staggered

 

 

Sorry to bother you, Thanks in advance for this, as it seems like you are one of only a few that have any expierence with these bulbs.

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has anyone checked the bulbs against a multimeter for amps? and voltage drop.. etc

 

curious to find out what sort of power they actually pull.

 

i noticed no increase to my power bill at all with running 30 bulbs 14hrs a day..

 

if they are 3w according my my power supplier company here in NH it says at 420 hours a month at 3w@30 bulbs it only cost 5.87 a month to run.

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This is what I did with 4 GU10 leds.

 

IMG_0406.jpg

Looking down in the hood

 

IMG_0410.jpg

The mod I did to the lights, 50/50 white/blue and also 25/75 white/blue

 

IMG_0404.jpg

A FTS on my cycling 3,2g

 

Jbowser

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acuralegend94

What do you guys recommend for a 55gal corner tank? Its pretty deep.... Right now i have 4x65watt power compact on it... I have some bta clowns zoas palys and montis... Would like to keep some acropora...

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What do you guys recommend for a 55gal corner tank? Its pretty deep.... Right now i have 4x65watt power compact on it... I have some bta clowns zoas palys and montis... Would like to keep some acropora...

 

i would a straight line of 18 across the widest part. then do a row of 9 or 10 behind it.

post-52381-1324009125.jpg

Edited by TinyGiant
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After a month of ordering, I finally got my bulbs. I didnt order the sockets though, coz I thought I can get them locally. But I didnt get time to go search. Now I was very worried when the bulbs arrived. But to my surprise they fit into a BC22 (or something) socket we have standard in India. Though there is nothing to hold them in place, they just get stuck in the socket. Maybe some electric tape or something will do the trick, what say people?

 

Anyways, here are the pics. In the background is a 24" planted tank with 40W of CFL.

IMG_58851.jpg

IMG_58841.jpg

I am very very happy with the purchase, thank you N-R and OP :happy:

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After a month of ordering, I finally got my bulbs. I didnt order the sockets though, coz I thought I can get them locally. But I didnt get time to go search. Now I was very worried when the bulbs arrived. But to my surprise they fit into a BC22 (or something) socket we have standard in India. Though there is nothing to hold them in place, they just get stuck in the socket. Maybe some electric tape or something will do the trick, what say people?

 

Anyways, here are the pics. In the background is a 24" planted tank with 40W of CFL.

IMG_58851.jpg

IMG_58841.jpg

I am very very happy with the purchase, thank you N-R and OP :happy:

 

 

np glad to help!

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very nice.

 

I think in january i might start another tank for grow out. Thinking a 33L In the basement for now. I am sick of the frag racks in the main display.

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Help!

I am making a hood with these lights on. I was wired the bulbs in series. After I was done, i tested but none lit up. I tested all the connections for any loose bit, but there was none. Then I started testing individual bulbs. The first one lit up, so I connected another in series. But when I plugged the two holders, both the bulbs started lighting alternatively like those Christmas decoration lights!!

Where did I go wrong?

What should I do now, its my first major electrical project.

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Help!

I am making a hood with these lights on. I was wired the bulbs in series. After I was done, i tested but none lit up. I tested all the connections for any loose bit, but there was none. Then I started testing individual bulbs. The first one lit up, so I connected another in series. But when I plugged the two holders, both the bulbs started lighting alternatively like those Christmas decoration lights!!

Where did I go wrong?

What should I do now, its my first major electrical project.

 

 

you cant wire them in series. they have to be parallel.

 

 

the voltage drop after the first bulb would make it so the second wouldnt light.. Follow the wire diagram i posted in the first post

 

they need at least 84v input.. so if you run them both below that they will pulse on and off as they get the power. so as one pulsed the and turned off the power was able to get the next one and that one pulsed .. and so forth..

 

so wire all the left sides to the left sides and all the right side to the right side.. So its like a ladder with the sockets for rungs lol

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