Going to try a LED build. Any advice is appreciated

2quills

Well-Known Member
Found this on Ushio's website. Just posting it for reference purposes.



UVC = 100–280nm: Most harmful and used in sterilization to kill biological organisms.
UVB = 280–315nm:
Harmful and causes sunburn, skin cancer, and eye damage.
UVA = 315–400nm:
Longer wavelength and less energy than other UV. It is the least harmful but still can be damaging to DNA and the human eye.
Black Light Blue Lamps = 368-371nm
Actinic Lamps = 420nm Peak:
Although actinic lamps peak at 420nm they do produce wavelengths in the UVA range so UV protective safety rules apply.
Visible Light = 380–780nm
Photosynthetic Light = 400-700nm:
The more peaks across this broad spectrum will give you the best photosynthetic performance.
 

reefraff

Active Member
did my flashlight experiment. The LED's in this thing I am guessing put light out in the range of a Giesemann pure actinic T5. The website lists it as a 395nm and it easily has enough UV to darken my glasses. There is a warning label too so.......
In the tank it does pick up some greens but I am not sure it's getting anything the Royal Blues aren't. At best I think it will make a slight difference with everything on. I might go ahead and order the Exoctic strips just for giggles. If they are close to these it will make for a cool Dusk/dawn effect if nothing else.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr btldreef http:///t/387057/going-to-try-a-led-build-any-advice-is-appreciated/100#post_3435759
Eln 60-48p
Hey, Mr.btld...considering that those red leds don't use very much voltage and that 12 of them is on the very low end of what the driver is capable of putting out have you noticed whether or not if the leds cut off completely if you dim them way down? Wondering, and it's just a thought...but since there's plenty of room for more leds on the red string what would be yours and cryptics thoughts on maybe adding a couple of greens to the string. I know green does very little for corals in terms of photosynthesis so it would be primarily for enhanced visual purposes. It would be alot like the new Eco Tech fixture's color combo. Thoughts?
 

mr btldreef

Member
Well I did run the reds on the lowest setting the dimmer was capable of last night during testing and they did not dim out to my surprise. On my LEDs if my audrino controller goes past 10% they go out completely. As far as green LEDs ... It's up to cryptics. The inspiration of adding the reds are from seeing the Eco tech.
I have just received my hlg driver. The thing is now after doing some homework I will have to add some more LEDs to make it work correctly. The problem with mine is each color only has 60 LEDs. 6 strings of 10. Therefore to run these correctly I will have to add 2 more to each string. That's okay because I am going to add reds and greens.... Maybe purples. Either way I have to put an end to this 12 eln drivers running.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr btldreef http:///t/387057/going-to-try-a-led-build-any-advice-is-appreciated/100#post_3435862
Well I did run the reds on the lowest setting the dimmer was capable of last night during testing and they did not dim out to my surprise. On my LEDs if my audrino controller goes past 10% they go out completely. As far as green LEDs ... It's up to cryptics. The inspiration of adding the reds are from seeing the Eco tech.
I have just received my hlg driver. The thing is now after doing some homework I will have to add some more LEDs to make it work correctly. The problem with mine is each color only has 60 LEDs. 6 strings of 10. Therefore to run these correctly I will have to add 2 more to each string. That's okay because I am going to add reds and greens.... Maybe purples. Either way I have to put an end to this 12 eln drivers running.
Cool deal. 8 strings of 10? Which driver did you get? We went with 6 strings of 12 for Lois's build using the 240-48's for a total of about 830mA max current per string.
 

mr btldreef

Member
6 strings of 10. like i have said before the person that i had bought this from .... did somethings that i am not sure about... but it does function.
i see that they are running 72 off of one hlg 240h-48b. i thought i could do 60 leds off of one hlg... i believe to have the incorrect one but no matter i can make this do more then original planned.
i thought the hlg could do 60 @ 750ma ... i could have bet that i had seen that on rapid led's site.
so back to cryptics' build. it is finished. i took some comparison pics.



reds 10% blues 100% whites 50%


reds 30% blues 100% whites 90%


reds 30% blues 100% whites 60%


reds 50% and blues 100%


okay... unfortunately the dimmer being used can only display all three at the same time. so i cannot have blues and reds on dim both seperately and no whites. possibly later on use a potentiometer to control reds. it seems to me i found the purplish actinic color i am looking for???? close, very close. i ll do more tests once on cryptics' tank.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
So hard to tell from pics. How do the corals look in person under the reds?
Sorry, read you wrong on string count. You must have the 185-42.
 

btldreef

Moderator
I think the red is showing up stronger in pictures than what's actually being seen since I got to see these running tonight. I can tell you this: our dog does not like the red lights! Lol
 

mr btldreef

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/387057/going-to-try-a-led-build-any-advice-is-appreciated/100#post_3435914
So hard to tell from pics. How do the corals look in person under the reds?
Sorry, read you wrong on string count. You must have the 185-42.
sorry miscommunication lol. running on the fixture at this moment..... 12 eln 60-48p. i am trying to run hlg 240h 48b.... but i don't think i can do it..... i think i have to add more leds.
i have running on the 12x elns 60blue and 60whit with adjusted f voltage.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr btldreef http:///t/387057/going-to-try-a-led-build-any-advice-is-appreciated/100#post_3435922
sorry miscommunication lol. running on the fixture at this moment..... 12 eln 60-48p. i am trying to run hlg 240h 48b.... but i don't think i can do it..... i think i have to add more leds.
i have running on the 12x elns 60blue and 60whit with adjusted f voltage.
You can run 60 leds on the 240-48's no problem. Can either do 5 strings of 12 and have the ability to get 1 amp per string max....or, 6 strings of 10 for a total of about 833mA max, same as Lois's.
 

mr btldreef

Member
so i am good????? i thought the hlg 240h 48b could do it ( i read specs on rapidled)...but my friend did the math for me and said i couldn't after looking up the data sheet.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr btldreef http:///t/387057/going-to-try-a-led-build-any-advice-is-appreciated/100#post_3435930
so i am good????? i thought the hlg 240h 48b could do it ( i read specs on rapidled)...but my friend did the math for me and said i couldn't after looking up the data sheet.
Not sure why he's thinking you couldn't. They're perfectly capable of driving either less or more than 60 leds. Just have to make sure your forward voltage requirements are in range as I'm sure they would be whether you're using xpg, xre or xpe. Not sure where he came up with the 750mA number.
Those drivers put out 5 amps. You just divide the amps by how many strings you want to run. 5 amp / 6 strings = 833mA per string. 5 amps / 5 strings = 1000mA per string...etc. So as long as you stick within 24-48v per string, there's no problems. Ofcorse, when you're doing parallels builds you have to have your strings equal or run equal types/amount of leds in each string in order for your strings to be balanced in current.
 
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