LED DIY

[LoneStar]

An interesting LED DIY read....

http://www.michiganreefers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=645069#post645069

[Bill S]

Cool! I use the Luxeon Rebel Stars on the boat - very similar to the Crees. They were the best, biggest when I got started a year ago. I started by screwing the stars to heatsinks, and then just used JB Weld. SO much faster.

Another thought: for wiring, buy "tinned wire" either online, or from marine supply stores. The wire is tinned before coating, and it will take the elements a lot better than un-tinned wire.

The cool thing about using it on the boat is no loss going from 110 to 12v - on the boat, we start at 12v!

[jpond83]

cool but still expensive

[LoneStar]

But cheaper in the long run...

[dustint21]

Cool! Im thinking of putting the Current Power Brites on my 20L! Just have heard anything about them yet!

[wesheltonj]

Is there anything cheap about this hobby in the long run? LED's are the future in lighting, but having used them for 8 months now, hopfully the power supply failure and powersupply connection failure problems are been resolved with new designs.

[aggman]

ok so i am completely ignorant when it comes to these led's. so i have this ? for anyone...can we use this type of led array to keep lets say 2-3 maxima's? I have a nanocube that I would like to put them in, but I want to keep a stock hood, and the nanotuners mh upgrade is way overpriced for me. so, would these give off enough light?

thanks...

~alex

[wesheltonj]

Yes. you can keep anything and grow anything with high power LED's. I am growing SPS and keeping SPS down to 30". I have a Deresa @ 30" too.

[aggman]

Yes. you can keep anything and grow anything with high power LED's. I am growing SPS and keeping SPS down to 30". I have a Deresa @ 30" too.

well, in that case, i have an electrician friend who can build me a light like the one in the link, but he doesn't know anything about aquariums. so, i figure i can buy the materials and have him do the setup. i think the most important thing is to find which are the best led's to use. i want the highest power i can get, so which brand/style should i look for?

thanks

~alex

[DrMark]

ok so i am completely ignorant when it comes to these led's. so i have this ? for anyone...can we use this type of led array to keep lets say 2-3 maxima's? I have a nanocube that I would like to put them in, but I want to keep a stock hood, and the nanotuners mh upgrade is way overpriced for me. so, would these give off enough light?

thanks...

~alex

I, too, think LEDs are wave of the future (and present for some). For now, I am still not convinced about growth and coloration of SPS. I have a friend putting in a 72" LED fixture in a tank that is 40+ inches deep. That tank I will closely follow over the next year. That tank will have some of same corals that I have in my two tanks under MH.

LEDs, financially, in long run will be more economical than MH, but big upfront cost.

If the nanotuners MH upgrade is over your budget, LEDs will be double to triple that cost.

mark

[Morena_Model]

i met this guy last night and he said he was using led's from ebay he said he was having good success with them and all but dont know how true this is .... is every LED the same?? i want to do a set up for my gf's bio cube but i dont know how many LED's i will need to use

whoops this is Gseclipse02

[aggman]

I, too, think LEDs are wave of the future (and present for some). For now, I am still not convinced about growth and coloration of SPS. I have a friend putting in a 72" LED fixture in a tank that is 40+ inches deep. That tank I will closely follow over the next year. That tank will have some of same corals that I have in my two tanks under MH.

LEDs, financially, in long run will be more economical than MH, but big upfront cost.

If the nanotuners MH upgrade is over your budget, LEDs will be double to triple that cost.

mark

maybe i missed something, but i read (on the linked page) that this led project was costing approximately 200-250 bucks. a relatively paltry 70w upgrade is easily 125-150% that price. i would never buy one of those insanely overpriced galileo/solaris systems-if that was what you were referring to.

~alex

[wesheltonj]

There was a guy on RC in Albquerque that was making some relative inexpensive LED fixtures and/or selling the part for DIY. They were not just very big units.

Having owned one of these Commerical "overpriced" units the key if you are going to do this is the power supply. Make sure that you have output to spare after driving the LED's or you are going to be going thru powersupplies. Remember, you are going to be running this thing 24/7, with about 10-12 hours at full power. The overpriced makers have seen the light, so to speak, and have adjusted how the fixture draws its power and splits up the load accordingly. (a $290 Dollar upgrade)

No, not every LED is the same. You are going to need high power LED's at present two choices, Philips (PFO) and Seoul LED (AI). Cree uses both and both PFO & AI use Cree. The AI fixture uses three lights to a puck 2 whites and 1 blue. You also need some Cyan lights within the array or you are going to have color problems (PFO first fixtures).

Good luck to anyone who makes one, but if it was me and I was going to do it, I would get hold of the guy in Albquerque and get the parts from him along with the instructions. I looked at the MI reefer one, I am not so sure about the driver.

[Bill S]

For parts, go to www.ledsupply.com (http://www.ledsupply.com). Someone said something about the best leds money can buy? Hope you have deep pockets.

The best bang for the buck are those that are a generation or 2 out of "state of the art". Like the Endor Stars putting out 145 lumens for $6.50 each. Why buy the 180 lumen star for $15 each?

[so-smrt]

i was thinking of using something like power brites w/ my t5s to add in the shimmer that mh offered ... think that will work?

[LoneStar]

Elos is currently using the CREE LED's in their fixtures. That is what is powering my fixture on my tank.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1485215



The LED we actually use on the actual model are the CREE XRE 3W, 80 lumen/watt, in COOL WHITE and ROYAL BLUE.

We pilot them at 700 mA. We could go up to 1.000 but we prefere to have a lower junction temperature to increase durability.

[wesheltonj]

Thats important, not to drive the LED at max, otherwise you are going to have problems, early burn out, overheating, etc.

And that now thats three LED makers using Cree. You can buy Cree here locally. Just remember your Crees are either going to be Philips or Seoul LED's. Check the output of each and see which one is best for you.

I know that Silg... is also making an LED fixture, but I do not know who is making the puck, if its Cree then that four for four. If so, does that tell you something? Does me, get a Cree puck.

[aggman]

wow, tons of great information. thanks for sharing. i am definitely going to look into this diy led setup. who knows, maybe if i can perfect my own design i can sell to members...who knows

again, thanks for the information, and if you got anything to add feel free.

~alex