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my build reef controller
my build reef controller
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my build reef controller
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Posts: 30
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tell me what you think
Posts: 30
Threads: 9 Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts Reputation: 0 Joined: Oct 2015 Country:
11-01-2015, 10:19 AM
so ii have been told to make a diy with the build of my leds
so this is my second build of lights for my 6 foot long tank my first set of lights lasted 2 years with only a couple of with 150 leds go bad with a ratio of 2 royalblue to one white with 10 volt diming controlled via reefkeeper so after having this running worked realy well i did not like how messy the build was so i searched the net and found these great heatsinkshttp://www.rapidled.com/premium-enclosures/ thought they would help make a very clean build with one cable frome each heat sink to power supply under the stand of the tank parts list 4 heat sinks 8 feamle db25 connectors 300 ft of 26 gage wire stranded 16 x 660 red 3watt led 12 x yellow 3 watt led 12 x green 3 watt led 56 x white 3 watt led 56 x blue 3 watt led 56 x royalblue 3 watt led 16 x uv 3 watt led 4 15 foot streight through db25 male to male 224 led lenses 4 x DS18B20 for heat temp 4 x http://coralux.net/?wpsc-product=ldd-6-driver-board 24 xLDD-700H drivers 1 x 56 volt power supply 1 x computer powersupply 1 x case (and powersupply for arduino controller ) 3 x 72 x2x2 aluminum tubing 4 x l brackets 4 glass clamps to mounts ( to mount frame on a frameless tank ) arduino controller
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11-01-2015, 08:02 PM
Looks good, can you take a closer pic of the display? I want to see what you did there, it looks interesting, hard to tell the pics turned out small.
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Posts: 3,245
Threads: 90 Likes Received: 163 in 120 posts Likes Received: 163 in 120 posts Reputation: 184 Joined: Sep 2015 Country:
11-02-2015, 07:49 PM
I love it, what project box is that? Mine still hasn't got a home...
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i bought it from tiptop electronics its a hammond project box thats half as thick as your project box for your power box but same lenth and width PROJECT BOX W/MOUNTING FLANGE 8.5"x6"x3.5"
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11-02-2015, 09:07 PM
Nice, TipTop Electronics, I use to always go there in Winnipeg. Somehow I missed that box in hammonds catalog, my power box is bigger, its 10"x6"x3.5" that's why I don't want to use it so much space on the sides. I really like how yours looks, time to order.
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[attachment=80][attachment=80]so i have changed the lights and the main power supply ,and the way the lights are controlled
so each light has 18 led lens that holds 5 led each so how i have set it up is 8 royal blue 4 white 2 uv 2 green 2 red
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04-19-2016, 06:39 AM
Hello NeonGT,
With your latest post, I am revisiting your build. I'm confused now. I can't figure the math. Maybe Canadian, Eh? ;-) Your original build design was 224 total led/lenses spread across 4 lights for 56 leds per heat sink. You state now you have changed to : 18 led lens that holds 5 led each so how i have set it up is 8 royal blue 4 white 2 uv 2 green 2 red Is that just your new ratio or have you upped the total leds to 360? Wow, that must be bright! You must view your tank with welding goggles!! My 2nd gen led build for 6 feet is using only 75+ leds and I drive them no more than 75-80%. Plenty of light! Good coral growth. I also can't figure out what starboard or puck you are using. You have a 5up lens. What's under that?? I am MOST curious to know about your circuit design or wiring to bring power to each heat sink or fixture. This is where I'm struggling with my next gen design. Are you running led current to the fixtures (as pictured in your original design) or just PWM signal (as shown by your new design with the LDDs ON the heat sink)? My existing lighting has my power supply (Mean Well 350w 48v) and LDDs housed with my Arduino with all the led current running 4-6 feet to the light fixtures. Since there was a safety concern and about the amount of heat potentially generated from the connector/cabling, a multiwire solid core (I forget the gauge) backbone was used. It carries led power, fan, temp wires. A single 24 pin ATX computer connector was used to connect the cable. Multiple 3 pin Molex connectors were used in the hood along a 6 foot harness. My goal for my next gen is to clean up all the hardwire (Arduino, LDDs, led fixture connecting wires). Rob has done a GREAT job making it easy with his PCBs to eliminate most controller wires! My new build for a different smaller tank, has only two 12" heat sinks. I thought about using a D-sub 15 connector to bring power to the fixtures using a standard straight cable. I was concerned if the gauge of these premade cables can handle the current or run hot. I thought I would try bundling 22g wire in a sleeve instead. I see you are using DB25 and straight through connectors on your first design. Have you ever actually powered whole led fixtures with this arrangement? Do the cables get hot?? Can you use a common ground for each led circuit or must you use separate grounds? I will be running six led circuits (possible future 7th for moon lights), fans, DS18B20 temp/humidity. Your new design shows that you have relocated the LDDs to the heat sink, so that means you are now just sending the pwm signals to them, right? That should keep the current draw to a minimum and the wires cool. Have you located the LDDs on heat sinks before? I ruled that out early in my design as I have salt water and was concerned about corrosion and a short life span for the LDDs. I would greatly appreciate any input, feedback, and support you can supply on the circuitry and cabling you are successfully using for your LED fixtures. Your build is looking great. I like the acrylic case you chose for the R-T. Are you also housing your lighting power supply inside? I don't see it, but it may be hiding under rows of LDDs! Thanks Steve
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so as you can see in picture there is 3 rows of three lenses under each lens has 5 led 3 watt first row has 1 royal blue the one white and one royal blue so total led in that row is 15 leds 3 watt second row has 1 lens red one uv one green so total 15 led 3 watt third row 1 royal blue one white one royal blue total 15 led 3 watt middle is the driver board 6 ldd drivers 750 ma forth row has 1 royal blue 1 white 1 royal blue total led 15 3 watt fifth row 1 green 1 uv 1 red total led 15 3 watt sixth row 1 royal blue 1 white 1 royal blue 15 3 watt so how this is done i take the 2 royal blue and wire it in series x 4 , 2 white done in series x2 2 red in series ,2 green in series and uv in series so i have one ldd drive driving 2 strings in parallel of 10 led for white so i have one ldd drive driving 2 strings in parallel of 10 led for royal blue so i have one ldd drive driving 2 strings in parallel of 10 led for royal blue so i have one ldd drive driving 1 strings of 10 led for red so i have one ldd drive driving 1 strings of 10 led for uv so i have one ldd drive driving 1 strings of 10 led for green so i was using special made cables that had heavy duty cable never got hot but now i have had change the cable to a special hdmi cable that has 4 wires for 52 volt to each heat sink and 6 for 5 v pwm and 3 wires for temp sensor and 2 wire for fan powers supply is 450 watt running at 56 volts computer power supply only puts out 12 volts so you would have way to many ldd drivers this is the power supply i am using http://www.meanwell.com/webapp/product/s...rod=se-450 in the in the main box mounted on the side under each lens has this aluminum pcb board http://www.ebay.ca/itm/20pcs-Aluminum-Ba...SwT6pVlcV7 it makes each lens have 5 3 watt led in series so i bought led beads instead of on star base so all led are briglux not cree so i hope this helps thanks neongt adding more info each heat sink has 6 ldd driver so it draws max 750 ma x 6 = 4 amps per heat sink if you drive to full power but i will never drive full power as it is over kill
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04-19-2016, 07:13 PM
Yes, Thank you. A lot of answers provided.
led beads. Wow. A glutton for punishment! That's a lot of hard wiring. Parallel, huh? I was wondering how you were able to support so many leds per LDD. Is each string wired in serial then the two run in parallel or all parallel? Any issues from a parallel circuit? leds same brightness? Thermal runaway?? I'm playing it safe with a max of ten leds serial per string/LDD and a max total volts of 37.8 allowing for a little overhead. I've never seen that board/lens. Lens also from ebay?? Looks good. You did give me a great idea about the heavy gauge DB25 cable. I found a source that makes them in 20g! That should be plenty for the per string current draw. Your running 6 pwm wires to the LDDs on the heat sink. Are you running a single common ground on the same HDMI cable or are you using ground from the fan? If so, experiencing any noise? Do you really need a heavy gauge HDMI cable since you are only sending pwm signals? Have you mounted LDDs on the fixture before? Any corrosion issues?? FYI, I found this very nice LDD 7up board. Nice features, Switchable for parent/child, daisy chaining, DIP-24 sockets for easy change out. Available assembled or same a few bucks in kit form. http://www.ebay.com/itm/LDD-7-MeanWell-L...2123946251 Only board I've seen with room for 7 LDDs. I may swap out my Coralux 6up so I can support a moonlight channel. Thank you for taking the time on a lengthy return post. I hope it gives others some good info too! Steve
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06-08-2016, 10:03 PM
first I thought I would start of with thanking rob so much for all his hard work with this build it would of not been done at all
update I am so close I can taste it my lights are almost done my robo-tank controller almost done here is how it looking so far
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06-08-2016, 10:39 PM
No problem, its looking really good, you can really see the attention to details.
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so I thought I would show the power bar I have created connected through straight through db25 cable here is a pic of main controller in its case with 2 db25 for power bar and 4 bnc connection for o2,salinity,orp,ph here is a pic of the pmw out puts to the 4 lights which controls pwm and fan control here is a pic of power input and power switch 
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06-15-2016, 08:35 PM
Neo that looks great man.. Do you have a 3d printer by chance? you just remind me of a guy from a different forum
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06-18-2016, 09:29 AM
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