DIY Radeon clone?

[rushbattle]

I wish I knew how to build these things and what you are all even talking about. I’d love to try them over my 48/48/24 cube.

Corey

It's actually not that complicated. I will try to explain, but I am a novice myself. Hopefully others come in and correct the following. Here are the basic components, starting with the LED's themselves:

• LED board- LEDs are mounted to this board. It needs cooling which I will get to later. Sometimes you can and sometimes you want optics like a lens or a reflector to focus light into the tank. The LEDs on the board need..

• Drivers- To control the LEDs, they need a driver. Think of it as a dimmer control for the LEDs. That is somewhat incorrect, but I think it help conceptualize what's going on. The drivers can be told how much current to output (amount of light output of LEDs) via a pot, PWM input from a controller, just run full blast, and a number of other ways.

• Power Supply- The drivers need a power supply to power them so they can power the LEDs. Just use a good meanwell HLG if you are going to start out with this, or use someone else's specific recommendation. They are very similar to a power brick for a laptop.
• Heatsink- the LEDs make heat, which needs to be shed somewhere. You can use the board on which the LEDs are mounted to share heat with a heatsink onto which they are mounted. There are all sorts. It's a good idea to put a fan on them whether absolutely necessary or not.

That's it! There is more to it, but you shouldn't be afraid to learn a bit and get involved with this if you want. It's cost effective and we can help you with your build if you ask us questions.

 

[biecacka]

I have the jist of it. Just the actual connection part, running them to ramp up or down, that is my biggest weak area.
But price wise, I think these no brainers. I mean I could run 6-8 on my tank and get great spread and still be fairly inexpensive I’m sure(no idea really what a full unit costs approximately). I ran rapidled kit on my tank 4 years ago but had a friend help me put those together. They were okay, I sort of think I tinkered too much changing spectrum and intensity and didn’t give them a real chance to be successful. So I went back to halides and have had great luck. But that doesn’t mean I dont think of LEDs from time to time.
So these are similar/same diode set as the g4?

Corey

 

[rushbattle]

I have the jist of it. Just the actual connection part, running them to ramp up or down, that is my biggest weak area.
But price wise, I think these no brainers. I mean I could run 6-8 on my tank and get great spread and still be fairly inexpensive I’m sure(no idea really what a full unit costs approximately). I ran rapidled kit on my tank 4 years ago but had a friend help me put those together. They were okay, I sort of think I tinkered too much changing spectrum and intensity and didn’t give them a real chance to be successful. So I went back to halides and have had great luck. But that doesn’t mean I dont think of LEDs from time to time.
So these are similar/same diode set as the g4?

Corey

If you use drivers that can take logic level PWM, like the AcroIQ from @theatrus all you need is a bluefish mini for light output control. Super easy to hook up and super easy to program through the bluefish. A bunch of other ways to get to the same result, just ask if you want to know about any solution.

You can definitely buy a board that is similar to the G4 layout. A number have been linked in this thread. I use acrostar Mega4Z because I think the spectra is a bit better, but the G4 clones are definitely nice.

I am over halides purely because of the heat, otherwise I’d definitely run 400w radiums in humongous reflectors with led supplement light.

 

[dantimdad]

I wish I knew how to build these things and what you are all even talking about. I’d love to try them over my 48/48/24 cube.

Corey

You need to post picture of your cube!

 

[biecacka]

Here is a photo from about 11 months ago. Guess I need to update some pictures that are more current. Especially so the coral can now be seen

Corey

Rushbattle, the heat from the halide doesn’t bother me, I only see a 1 degree swing or so.i am slightly curious what the approximate cost to complete one of these units would be though.

Corey

 

[rushbattle]

Here is a photo from about 11 months ago. Guess I need to update some pictures that are more current. Especially so the coral can now be seen

Corey

Rushbattle, the heat from the halide doesn’t bother me, I only see a 1 degree swing or so.i am slightly curious what the approximate cost to complete one of these units would be though.

Corey

Love the tank dimensions, setup and concept! The fish look super awesome in that pic as well.

The heat is not a worry in the tank, just in my very tightly sealed and insulated house. Even T5 and LED make enough heat to make a difference, halides would heat it way way up. The winter would be fine, but the shoulder seasons and summer wouldn't be fun fighting that heat!

 

[Kampo]

i am slightly curious what the approximate cost to complete one of these units would be though.

Corey

Depends on how big of a light you need. Off the cuff prolly need 6 pucs.

So 6x30 for the pucs 180
Drivers (10ldd drivers +boards to hold them) 80
Power supply 40
Heatsink could be quite varriable here but you could do 6 6in makersled slims For 110 off eBay
Misc wire and connectors 20
Controller 30-100

Prolly some other misc left but 600ish is probably reasonable

 

[Kampo]

And I'm wiring it up. Hopefully can get it going today

 

[Diggem]

And I'm wiring it up. Hopefully can get it going today

What size tank that going on would that be to much for a 20 gallon

 

[Kampo]

What size tank that going on would that be to much for a 20 gallon

93 gallon cube

 

[Diggem]

93 gallon cube

Do you have a suggestion on making a fixture for a 20

 

[Kampo]

Do you have a suggestion on making a fixture for a 20

What dimensions

 

[Diggem]

What dimensions

24x12x16 standard

 

[Kampo]

It's alive. Need to find my soldering to wire up last two channels

 

[Kampo]

24x12x16 standard

how much you looking to spend. how are your soldering skills?

 

[Ariel V Rosa]

I wish I knew how to build these things and what you are all even talking about. I’d love to try them over my 48/48/24 cube.

Corey

I think this whole thread got derailed with overly complicated reefpi discussion. For some people that is not the most optimal solution, after they get done doing all the reading, buying all the tools, buying all the parts, what money have they really saved? The storm controllers where all the work is already done is about as open source as you can get and you can buy one already put together and tested, for less that the cost of all the led lights and drivers.

I should know, because I have ventured head long into reinventing the wheel and end up at a higher price price point.

Reefpi makes sense if it serves as a platform to build your own custom solution with features you want not offered by others or at a good price point by others.

Just remember my freinds, your time also has a value to it.

 

[Diggem]

how much you looking to spend. how are your soldering skills?

Want a good light don't want to spend what it would cost to just buy a name brand

 

[biecacka]

Kampo,

That isn’t bad really. Would they be double units like yours or could I do singles? Like the Radion xr15 for more flexibility?

Corey

 

[Kampo]

Kampo,

That isn’t bad really. Would they be double units like yours or could I do singles? Like the Radion xr15 for more flexibility?

Corey

my Idea was get 6 5in makers led heat sinks, then put 1 puck in each light. would be pretty slick I think. you would need a fan on them though.
here is a pic of one I'm using for my work nano

 

[biecacka]

Yup. Something like that would be sweet!
Gotta reach out to someone to help me build this...

Corey