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GU10 LED Build Thread (Chinese Ebay Lights)


TinyGiant

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  • 2 weeks later...

well I have now changed to the correct 30degree lenses and wow what a difference!

however i wasn't happy with the blending as it is such a small tank (3gal) and I had some really blue areas and some really white areas so yesterday I spent half an hour with a soldering iron and successfully swaped 2 beads on each bulb (i have the 4x1W) so now each bulb has 2blue and 2white LED's and it looks fantastic! well worth doing! if anyone is using these on a pico like I am, I cannot recommend this enough!

 

It's ghetto but it works :) new build soon

 

09B7832D-EBBB-4A68-85E0-750622339940-654

 

2EAC0C5A-5E5A-485D-B9F1-5970E59FF1D8-654

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  • 2 weeks later...

anyone else jumping on the band wagon?

my systems are still doing great.

 

had a small ich outbreak that eventually took its toll on my CBB and Bangaii .. got the CBB out but never found the bangaii.. but the tank is looking up zoas are spreading like wild fire right now.

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I've got 2 bulbs that are just blinking. Any way to fix that or should I throw them away?

 

Were these previously working, or is there a chance you were sent blinking bulbs?

 

If it is a breakdown, anyone with soldering skills should be able to replace a defective power supply or LED in one of these. (Check eBay, dhgate, dx.com, ...) Might even just be a bad solder joint that needs to be fixed.

 

-Matt

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  • 3 weeks later...

Were these previously working, or is there a chance you were sent blinking bulbs?

 

If it is a breakdown, anyone with soldering skills should be able to replace a defective power supply or LED in one of these. (Check eBay, dhgate, dx.com, ...) Might even just be a bad solder joint that needs to be fixed.

 

-Matt

Two of five of the last batch i bought have started blinking after just over a month. Think he may have had a bad run of components. I need to break into them with the soldering iron this weekend and find what is going bad in them.

 

Edit: make that 3/5. not good.

 

Edit #2: the ebay seller luckzdl is sending me replacement drivers. Seemed very understanding and wanted to make it right. A few mins of soldering once they arrive and hopefully I'm back in business.

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  • 2 weeks later...

leak testing a 125 gallon tomorrow. if it doesnt leak I will be setting it up in the basement with possibly two 40breeders.. I want to step up my coral growing game.. if the 125 leaks i will be running two 40 breeders instead :)

 

all the tanks will be lit with gu10.

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  • 5 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

i ended up selling the 125g and decided to go with a dual 40Breeder setup.

 

I wanted to give some led pendants a try this time around on the frag system to see how i like them.. if i dont like them i'll sell them and use the money for gu10s :)

 

i have absolutely no complaints about the gu10s, just wanted to see first hand the difference.

 

i grabbed these direct from the manufacturer

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/834936136/Top_Qualtiy_120w_Dimmable_Led_Aquarium.html

there is a group buy going on the NH club forum i run (i'm not running the group buy)

http://www.nhfragswap.com/forum/index.php?topic=1957.0

 

i went with straight 50/50 instead of the RGB ones he recommends



i grabbed a stainless sink at a yardsale for 10 and plan on hooking that into existing plumbing. the 40breeders will have the sink between them for easy cleanup and water changes.



last time i took a picture of my tank

993311_588572407853462_13566330_n.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am taking down my 33L setup and setting up two 40 Breeders.


i have a GU10 fixture that i built for sale. Its a 20 bulb unit. 50/50 wired for blue and white.


I will cut the PVC evenly on both sides. So you can use a coupler on each side if you want and make a new support for it.. or yo can cap both sides and hang it. either would work just fine. probably 85% of the bulbs are from the luckzdl ebay seller i like. The rest are from a couple other sellers i've had good luck with.

 

Looking for $150 shipped. I will ship UPS ground. and will give the tube another coat of paint a couple days before sending it out.

 

 



here is a link to the light build: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=290404
here is a quick cell pic of the setup :

1240286_621051817938854_856706112_n.jpg

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Great thread I wish I had the time to read all of it.

 

I just bought an 8g AIO cube, and was about to order 3 3x1w of each cool white and blues but I really want to avoid the spotlight effect.

 

I might have to go with a par38 they dont seem as beamy.

 

*Edit* I did go ahead and order 2 cool whites, 1 blue, and luckily they had one auction up for a lot of 10 GU10 Sockets, Ive got a couple months before my new tank will be setup and coral worthy so im in no hurry for these to be delivered, if Im happy ill buy more, if not ill throw em back on ebay.

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Great thread I wish I had the time to read all of it.

 

I just bought an 8g AIO cube, and was about to order 3 3x1w of each cool white and blues but I really want to avoid the spotlight effect.

 

I might have to go with a par38 they dont seem as beamy.

 

*Edit* I did go ahead and order 2 cool whites, 1 blue, and luckily they had one auction up for a lot of 10 GU10 Sockets, Ive got a couple months before my new tank will be setup and coral worthy so im in no hurry for these to be delivered, if Im happy ill buy more, if not ill throw em back on ebay.

 

If it's roughly a 12" cube i had the same exact setup, I ran 3x3 array of 2RB/1W GU10s in a square configuration and it was great, grew corals well as well.

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Yea its about that, sounds great, so the white/blue blended well and didnt create spotlights?

 

Ya blending was fine, you can check out my build thread for pictures if you'd like. You can take off the lenses too and it'll blend even better, I was running 90' optics and it wasn't that bad.

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I dont have any spare extension cords. These are 30 meters long and very cheap and if I ever need it in the future I will have some wiring. Can I go for any of the 5amps and 8amps or is one better than the other for wiring up these leds? Any help?

 

Thanks

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Heres my lighting so far, the two gu10 whites arrived, wired em up, they work great. Still waiting on the blue. I will be ordering atleast three more 3x1w gu10s and was wondering what you guys think of adding an ultraviolet one listed here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-3W-3x1w-E27-GU10-MR16-UV-Ultraviolet-purple-light-LED-Bulb-lamp-85-265V-12V-/190912133699?pt=US_Light_Bulbs&var=490188805861&hash=item2c733ffa43

 

Please note current setup is just for testing

cXBgvNq.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

My blue 3w came in, I really wish I ordered more then one at a time, it took almost a month to arrive from time of payment. I wanted to make sure I was happy with the color/build quality. but with just having one blue it creates a spotlight that's just unappealing.

 

I will be ordering more though, As im happy with the item, still undecided as to weither or not I gut a stock 5.5g strip light, or re purpose a desk lamp

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I have 20 gu10 bulbs.. and 20 sockets.

 

anyone looking for bulbs and sockets?

 

10 white and 10 blue.

 

probably could do 80 shipped for the whole lot!

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I have 20 gu10 bulbs.. and 20 sockets.

 

anyone looking for bulbs and sockets?

 

10 white and 10 blue.

 

probably could do 80 shipped for the whole lot!

 

If you are willing to sell them individually Id be interested in two more white and three blue, I don't need the sockets. Shipping from NH to MA would be so much more convenient then shipping from Hong kong to MA :)

 

That would give me 4 and 4 which should be more then enough for an 8g Id say.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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