Led build help. Calling all led experts.

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mhayes462

Guest
I am building a led fixture for my 58g reef. It is 36"x18dx21h. I have a coralife 36" pc fixture that I have gutted to fit my heatsink and make a nice enclosed fixture. It will sit directly on top of the glass top and will be about 1.5" off the water. I will have 56 LEDs total and they will be mounted on 5 pieces of 35" c channel. 11 on each piece of channel about 3" apart. Would I need optics on these? Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Hayes
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
You got some specs on the leds and drivers you'll be using? Shouldn't need optics that close to the waters surface. Upwards of 6-8+ inches then you'll start wanting lenses. I have that same fixture in 48" that I've had thoughts of converting to led for a little while now.
 
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mhayes462

Guest
They are Bridgelux LEDs and I am using 3 Meanwell ELN dimmable drivers. I didn't think I would need them, just wanted to make sure.
Mike Hayes
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Bridgelux seem to be earning a pretty descent reputation. What mix of colors did you decide on?
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
I would leave room for two fans in your design. When I did a little one foot c channel heat sink with three Cree leds it warmed up a lot. When dimmed to 50% there was no need for the fan, but because I had not decide what to dim the leds too I add a few fans.
 
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mhayes462

Guest
I am using 28 rb, 8 10000k, 6 6500k, 6 cool blue, 3 red, 3 uv, and 2 cyan. I actually am using 2 80 mm fans directly I've the heatsink. The 4 1" fans will be for exhaust.

Mike Hayes
 
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mhayes462

Guest
The fans on the inside. I just ordered two wire fan grills off eBay to go over them.

Mike Hayes
 
M

mhayes462

Guest
Finally got around to making some progress. Done the layout and then drilled and tapped each one.
Then I got all the LEDs mounted with 4-40 screws and plastic washers.
Anyone see any problems with the layout or the spacing?
Mike Hayes
 
M

mhayes462

Guest
It really varies a lot. The max spacing is about 3 1/2 inches. But on the next row they're halfway in between that. Got them All wired. Blue wires for the blues, red wires for the color, white wires for the whites.

Mike Hayes
 
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mhayes462

Guest
Yep, diode test and ground test. Had to fix one white because it was grounded.
Mike Hayes
 
M

mhayes462

Guest
Got it almost done. Here is my driver board.

Colors and whites on.

Dimmer control box.

I'm hoping someone can help me with something. I set the internal pots, and the blues and whites will only go up to 570 on the blues and 650 on the whites. The colors will go all the way up to 1.8, I set them at 600. Anyone know why this is?
Mike Hayes
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Looks very good.....A quick question is that acrylic your drivers are mounted to......Are they mounted flush to the acrylic as well.....If that's the case I would try to build some "standoffs" so they don't sit directly on the acrylic panel......
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Not sure how hot they would get, but the acrylic wouldn't be the best conductor and my logic or thinking would be to keep the drivers as cool as can be and having them mounted flat/tight would keep the heat they do generate surrounding them, where if you had an air gap which would allow air to circulate completely around the driver, I would assume the lifespan might be longer possibly......
 
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