LEDBrick - DIY LED Pendant with Pucks

[User1]

I may be odd man out here but I do go the DIY route to reduce cost. I'm not a fan of paying 450 - 800 US dollars for a single unit/led package that can't be "easily" integrated into my controller ecosystem. Having said that finding your PWM converter board over the weekend and hearing it maps directly to the Apex with native RJ45 connectors was huge. Instant buy for me has I try and clean up some of my wire management and heat sink mess. Can't wait to receive mine

My heat sinks should be here today or tomorrow and hope to get the new light bars I've envisioned up and running by end of month. I still need the fans and apex vdm to arrive since my existing lighting is using what is apex native to the unit. I wanted the expansion option anyway and this will let me test the new setup. So I vote the RJ45 since it is easy to make, clean, and a overall supported form factor. Although you design and developers of these packages know what makes sense with limits, lengths, etc.

I just like easy to connect and integrate things. I don't like to soldier and struggle with something simple as connecting the pwm driver piece to multiple chips

 

[User1]

also unrelated question. the 3 half megas I have from you. I really want to use a bar type heatsink for them but there a bit to big for stevesled heatsink is there important circuts in the top/bottom 5mm? or can it be cut down.

This is what I have coming in today. I ordered it in 50" width and will be placing 4 of the acro star pros on them. I'm adding two noctua fans. I may put his drivers on these or the older 6x4 heat sinks I have existing chips on. Basically I'm changing how I have my lighting setup and using a single bar, with fans, and then add as I need more light. To start I'll have 2 bars each with 4 chips.

Like this:

1. 4 acro stars
2. 4 drivers
3. 1 Mean Well HLG-240H-36B
4. 2 Noctua fans / Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX Premium-Quality Quiet 40mm Fan
5. https://www.heatsinkusa.com/2-079-wide-extruded-aluminum-heatsink/

 

[Kampo]

This is what I have coming in today. I ordered it in 50" width and will be placing 4 of the acro star pros on them. I'm adding two noctua fans. I may put his drivers on these or the older 6x4 heat sinks I have existing chips on. Basically I'm changing how I have my lighting setup and using a single bar, with fans, and then add as I need more light. To start I'll have 2 bars each with 4 chips.

Like this:

1. 4 acro stars
2. 4 drivers
3. 1 Mean Well HLG-240H-36B
4. 2 Noctua fans / Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX Premium-Quality Quiet 40mm Fan
5. https://www.heatsinkusa.com/2-079-wide-extruded-aluminum-heatsink/

What are you doing for a splash guard for the lights?

 

[User1]

I'm using the optics or lenses he sells. I'm mounted about 16 - 18" above the surface of the water and never had any issues. My tank is 30" tall and I need to punch down to the bottom and they do it pretty well using them. While probably not the greatest measurement tool out there, nor a steady hand using it without help, my Seneye was reading 500+ par at the stop of my tank, 300 middle, and anywhere from 60 to 180 at the bottom of my tank. My lights are not spread out properly due to my canopy not being finished. Thus the heat sink change to a single bar which I personally believe is better than the smaller form factors.

Here is an example of his chips - about 570 par. The graph on the left was me taking a lower reading, then high, then moving towards the middle. I really needed help taking the measurements. The Seneye is sort of difficult to use although it does have a count down timer, two people is best to get more accurate readings. This was really just a quick test to check how the product works and nothing official. Anyway - I use the lenses/optics and do not have any issues.

Edit: I'm running the 48w Pro's at 80%.
Edit 2: Although I hate to admit this I actually dropped one full chip, heat sink, and fan, into my tank upon initial install. I asked for help, my daughter said just a minute, and, well, being a impatient guy I tried to connect it solo to my mounting bracket...when she walked in and saw it slowly sinking to the sandbed below then the look on my face, well, it was priceless. He builds them well - I was able to rinse in RI/RO water and it is working great still today. Go figure. Also included unfinished original heat sink/package that I'm trying to clean up.

 

[theatrus]

also unrelated question. the 3 half megas I have from you. I really want to use a bar type heatsink for them but there a bit to big for stevesled heatsink is there important circuts in the top/bottom 5mm? or can it be cut down.

The half’s are fine to cut down on any of the edges (minus the connector). When you do, make sure the copper pie wedges are not shorted together at the cut line.

 

[Kampo]

so had a random thought this project is for the fish room. fishroom is messy water sometimes splatters from me moving stuff arround and what not. anyone have any thoughts on using say 60mm glass petri dishes siliconed over the array to the heatsink?

 

[theatrus]

so had a random thought this project is for the fish room. fishroom is messy water sometimes splatters from me moving stuff arround and what not. anyone have any thoughts on using say 60mm glass petri dishes siliconed over the array to the heatsink?

Depending on the glass you may get UV attenuation - are they borosilicate?

 

[Kampo]

Depending on the glass you may get UV attenuation - are they borosilicate?

Not a clue figured glass was glass. I use glass lids on my tanks though so prolly losing some there then? My cat won't stay out of my tanks with screen tops...

 

[theatrus]

Not a clue figured glass was glass. I use glass lids on my tanks though so prolly losing some there then? My cat won't stay out of my tanks with screen tops...

Ordinary float glass usually cuts out sharply at below 350nm.

 

[Kampo]

Ordinary float glass usually cuts out sharply at below 350nm.

does the reef use any light that low? thought usable light taperd off quickly arround 400nm and lower

 

[theatrus]

does the reef use any light that low? thought usable light taperd off quickly arround 400nm and lower

I think I was confusing this with something else. I’ve had to also steer clear of UV blocking PMMA since it has a cliff at 400nm.

 

[theatrus]

A concept I'm playing with.

14 LEDs in a Angela reflector (about twice the size of the Brooke's I've been using).

Tentative LED arrangement:

Ch1: 5x Luxeon C Royal Blue
Ch2: 1x Viosys 385nm UV, 2x SemiLED 415nm, 2x SemiLED 405nm
Ch3: 2x Luxeon C Mint
Ch4: 1x Luxeon C Blue, 1x Luxeon C Cyan

Angela reflectors have a high transmittance color mixing lens which snaps into the main reflector (not pictured).

The actual PCB remains small at 2x2.5in. I'm planning on making this as a test, along with an edge-mated model that can be used with a plug-in driver.

The jumpers pictured are just 0 ohm 1206 resistors to more optimally allow the thermal pads to have more copper near the center of the LEDs.

 

[User1]

I like the concept - especially channel 3/mint. Is the new reflector expected to provide a wider spread and does it have a similar defuse piece?

 

[Steven Garland]

Oh god this is getting good !!! Just out of curiosity,why the 385nm violet ?

 

[dantimdad]

Originally, I had the 385nm in the design to cover the UV spectrum.

It's not really needed to be honest. I had decided to replace it with another RB.

As I stated in the DIY LED thread, this array has been years in the making. @theatrus has been asked to prototype it for me.

 

[theatrus]

Originally, I had the 385nm in the design to cover the UV spectrum.

It's not really needed to be honest. I had decided to replace it with another RB.

As I stated in the DIY LED thread, this array has been years in the making. @theatrus has been asked to prototype it for me.

I’ve moved all of channel 2 to be 3535 footprint LEDs, so for flavor and variety I’ll use a Cree XP-G3 as the royal blue emitter on this channel.

Why 385? 395 in the Viosys lineup had a large MOQ but I could get a reasonable reel of the 385, and why not punch down a little further than most people go (plus that sun tan potential!)

 

[Steven Garland]

Hmmmm interesting. I would think you would have used more of the 410-420nm range to get the full coverage but that is interesting enough.

I would love to have something like:

Ch1: 6 Lux C Royal's
Ch2: 2x Semi 400-410nm Violets
2x Semi 410-420nm Violets
Ch3: 1x Cyan,1x True Blue,1x 430nm,1x Mint
Ch4: 2x Lux C NW

Under $30 is not bad for a super small footprint led !!! $27 for all the diodes besides the Semi's !!

 

[User1]

Hmmmm interesting. I would think you would have used more of the 410-420nm range to get the full coverage but that is interesting enough.

I would love to have something like:

Ch1: 6 Lux C Royal's
Ch2: 2x Semi 400-410nm Violets
2x Semi 410-420nm Violets
Ch3: 1x Cyan,1x True Blue,1x 430nm,1x Mint
Ch4: 2x Lux C NW

Under $30 is not bad for a super small footprint led !!! $27 for all the diodes besides the Semi's !!

Channel 3 and 4 are the problem areas - at least I believe. Mint should really be on its own channel to fine tune the overall spectrum to the eye. Mixing in Cyan and another True Blue is going to make it a challenge. It isn't something that will happen all the time but once you have it set then it is just a ramp up and down or otherwise on/off. Unless you are doing something like storms. Even then when I had those games going on my reef angel I would isolate it to the blues and left the mints out of it.

 

[theatrus]

Channel 3 and 4 are the problem areas - at least I believe. Mint should really be on its own channel to fine tune the overall spectrum to the eye. Mixing in Cyan and another True Blue is going to make it a challenge. It isn't something that will happen all the time but once you have it set then it is just a ramp up and down or otherwise on/off. Unless you are doing something like storms. Even then when I had those games going on my reef angel I would isolate it to the blues and left the mints out of it.

Agree - Mint is ... very different, and you'll want to really not mix it in with the blue and cyan side. If anything, pair Mint and White in one channel.

 

[theatrus]

I made two small changes and placed the order:

- Ch 3 is now 4 LEDs (Luxeon C)
- Ch 4 is now 3 LEDs (Luxeon C)

More flexibility for testing other loadouts, and if a channel is too much of one thing we can always under-drive.