Help Revamping Older DIY LED Fixture

[el aguila]

7 or 8 years ago I built a DIY LED fixture following instructions from a RC thread by Soundwave for my 190 with solar tubes.

I'm really not an electronics person, but can follow directions and wire.

At that time, it was Royal Blue/Cool White LEDs with Meanwell ELN 60-48P drivers, and a Typhoon controller. I've added other colors of LEDs since then, but now have about 150 wired in several parallel circuits.

Since then I've built a newer fixture for a 70G that used a Bluefish mini controller, PCB board fromO2surplus, and Meanwell LDD-H drivers. I love the ease and options with the wireless controller.

The Meanwell Drivers on my first build are beginning to need replacements for the second time. Not sure if they are even still available. Just would like some assistance on updating this to the newer Meanwell drivers and someway to use the Bluefish mini controller with all of my parallel circuits unless there is something newer, easier, or better available.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Bump

 

[Kampo]

you could use a bluefish mini just like the O2 board used with LDD leds, would need to rewire the circuits I imagine though.

 

[el aguila]

Can anyone recommend a quality thread or instructional site that could walk an electronics nob through how to hook up the Meanwells (especially with multiple drivers per channel) to a Bluefish controller?

 

[el aguila]

Anyone?

 

[Ranjib]

Were you able to solve this? I found bluefish mini controller manual here: https://aquarium-led-controller.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bluefish-mini-manual.pdf
I am not a user myself, but I do not see any reason why you can just replace the things as it is and then follow this manual to setup the controller. Mouser still has the meanwell driver you are using. If you want something else, just go with a driver of same spec (volt, amp [wattage] and control signal 10V/PWM)

 

[el aguila]

This has been a year in the planning. I’ve been buying supplies as I can afford them.

My main thing that I could use help on are the power supplies. If anyone could suggest a good power supply(s) that would match the size of my build, I would deeply appreciate it. I prefer to go with good quality, efficient power supplies because my present build has been running for 9 years, and I hope to use this one longer.

For a controller I’m using the Bluefish mini.

The actual count on LEDs may vary a little once I get into it. I’m not going to run the highest mA meanwell drivers that I can because I have more LEDs than my tank needs, plus driving the LEDs at a lower amperage should help them to last longer.

I’ll be using Steve’s Luxeon LEDs except where noted. With Steve’s 8 up boards.

Channel 1 RB 5 strings of 12 on 700 mA drivers
Channel 2 Cool Blue 2 strings of 10 (possibly 1 of 10 string of RB)on 700 mA drivers
Channel 3 HyperViolet 3 strings of 12 on 700 mA drivers
Channel 4 Sunplus Cool White 2 strings of 12 with another string Lime on 700 mA drivers
Channel 5 LED Supply Cyan 2 strings of 10 on 500 mA drivers.
Channel 6 Sunplus Deep Red 1 string of 8-10 with Amber/Orange 1 string of 8-10 on 500 mA drivers.

 

[el aguila]

This gives you an idea of my present build which surrounds two solar tubes.

The lower portion of the build has been raised up, so that you can visually see the entire fixture.

This isn’t a conventional build. Much of the actual numbers of LEDs revolve around placement around the solar tubes and trying to get the right spectrums.

Reds/Amber will be on the higher portion of the build.

I will also be taking advantage of RBG combo for more white light.

I will have the ability to adjust the different spectrums with the Bluefish.

 

[el aguila]

Two of these Meanwell 320H-54B or the 54A would give me plenty of overhead on the wattage with total actual wattage somewhere in the 420-440 range.

HLG-320H-54B MEAN WELL | Mouser

HLG-320H-54B MEAN WELL LED Power Supplies 321.3W 54V 5.95A IP67 Adj W/Cable datasheet, inventory, & pricing.

www.mouser.com

Is there anything else that I need to take into consideration with this power supply?

In all honesty, I get confused by the overwhelming varieties of power supplies.

 

[oreo54]

meanwell 48v switching power supply 500w - Google Shopping

www.google.com

On a cursory glance this looks good enough. Voltage adj.up to 56v
Since you probably already did the math tell me how you picked the PS you did

 

[el aguila]

In doing research, I saw that someone recommended a ps of the same series but a smaller size to someone else for their build.

I added up the wattage listed on each LED and came up with 427.5. Two of these together would give me 640.

I guess when I look at the myriad series available, I just question is one really any better than another one? Or on this HLG series they have suffix letters A-H. Is one suffix better than another.

On the flip side the one that you posted would be just one ps rather than two. Which would save myself $70 plus be a little easier to wire.

My understanding is that if I use 2 power supplies that I have to have grounds out between the two power supplies connected with the controller and all of my drivers - basically a daisy chain loop.

 

[oreo54]

Best to calculate each as close as possible..
3.7V(f) (880mA but we'll use it.) x .7 X 12 x 3 =93.24W

44.4V per string approx.. need 47.4V out of power supply..

RB
3.0 x .7 x 12 x 5 = 126W
25.2V per string

cB 3.27 x .7 x 10 x 2 =45.78W
w 3.2V (est) x .7 x 12 x 2 = 53.76W
Lime 26.88W approx
cyan 3.2(est) x .5 x 10 x 2 =32W

265W plus the red/amber


Deep red 2.3 x .5 x 10 = 11.5W
amber 3.0(est ) x .5 x 10 = 15W

Point is you will prob not exceed 300W....


Ect.. so still seeing the 1 ps as good. May need to tweak the output a tad higher voltage wise.
Hyp. violet is probably your largest voltage demand.

 

[oreo54]

93.24W
126W
45.78W
53.76W
26.88W
32W




11.5W
15W

OPPs forgot violets.. slightly over 400W..404.16..
Other things.. not sure how many Ldd's a bf mini can take per channel.
Should be a bunch but to me ???
Storm X has more ind. channels :

Storm X LED Controller | CORALUX

 

[el aguila]

I might add that I've been at this a year, and at times have varied the number of LEDs for calculation purposes. For instance, I'll probably cut the number of Red and Amber down a little, but may increase the Blue or RB instead.

I probably ought to touch base with BF to verify the number of LDDs that it can support per channel. I'm of the understanding that I should be able to run 6, but that may not be correct.

On the Violet load demand, I could always increase the number from 3 strings to 4 strings to reduce the voltage demand on the ps a little.

Also, I've pretty much got everything purchased except for the LDDs and the PS, so if I can find a way to make the BF work - I need too.

 

[el aguila]

I’ve touched base with Bluefish and they said that I’ll be fine on the number of LDDs per channel. I did read once that most controllers can’t push more than 6 LDDs per PWM channel.