diy led light drivers

[bluedevils38]

I was reading on led group buy and they have a power supply that isn't in stock that is 250w 48v 5.2 amps that it says can power up to 5 1000 mA led drivers so how can a 150 power one?

 

[Aussie paul]

Ebay gracelightled sell chips drivers and a 5 channel control

 

[ReefLEDLights]

Whats the Vf of the 3 watt LEDs.

Have you considered using 5 Watt Cree XT-E?

Bill

 

[Aussie paul]

The 3w I'm using Vf are 3.2-3.6 700ma

 

[ReefLEDLights]

150 watt powersupply will power at a max of 45 5 watt LEDs driven @ 1000mA

Each Cree LED has an average Vf of 2.8 to 3.2 using the formula V=IR and W=IV here is the math

45x2.8x1.0=126 watts min consumption
45x3.2x1.0=144 watts max consumption

Drive the LEDs at 700mA

45x2.8x.7=88.2 watts
45x3.2x.7=11.8

I'm not a fan of driving 3 watt LEDs at 3 watts but 5 watt XT-E LEDs ave a performance sweet spot between 800-1100mA and Cree XP-E2 LEDS have one between 600-800mA

Bill

 

[Aussie paul]

My panel I'm build is oversized for my tank and any 1 channel will only be at an average 60% at peak Im using 0-10v dimming drivers to run them from my GHL control

 

[ReefLEDLights]

GHL is a nice controller.

I found the Mean Well LDD series the best drivers. They work best with the Storm Controller or 1-5 VDC Dimming

If you have any questions on LED Binning please contact us.

Bill

 

[bluedevils38]

Okay another question if I have 2 18" fixtures how far apart should the gap between them be if I'm putting it on a 48" tank? about 4 inches or 6 inches? That's my diagram of the leds and wiring with royal blues and cool whites

 

[Aussie paul]

Depends on the lens angle. If there 120 4' should be enough to cover the tank

 

[ReefLEDLights]

A lot depends on the height of the fixture over the water, optics and aquascaping.

With a center brace two equal distant and centered normally works well. Then adjust the height to match your optics.

Bill

 

[bluedevils38]

Do I need to have the optics on it? And do you think my lighting patterns are pretty sufficient?

 

[ReefLEDLights]

Optics are a force multiplier. You loose a lot of penetration and have wasted spill without them.

You can achieve PAR levels almost twice using optimized quality optics over a bare LED.

Gluing on optics is a pita. Another reason I like BJB solderless connectors. The optics just snap in and you can swap them out at any time.

Bill

 

[bluedevils38]

So what optics would you recommend

 

[ReefLEDLights]

We use the Carclo Ripple Wide as our primary optic.

Our testing has shown with a 12x12" fixture its optimized over a 24" deep tank 12-18" off the water. Spill is virtually nil on the tank glass which means less cleaning.

LED Link makes a good optic. I would avoid generic import optics as they can be up to 20% less efficient.

 

[bluedevils38]

So for my 90 gallon will it give it a ripple effect over the whole water

 

[ReefLEDLights]

Much better than without

 

[bluedevils38]

And it will still give it great coverage

 

[ReefLEDLights]

If you hang the fixture high enough.

For applications close to the water wide angle reflectors or 80 degree optics work.

I prefer to keep the fixture at least 12" off the water...Clams splashing fish ect.

Think of optics as a flashlight that you can zoom the beam in. You want the beam to cover the sand bed but not the glass.

Bill

 

[bluedevils38]

What type of coral do you suspect I could grow with 24 cool white 24 royal blue crees with 80 degree optics in a 90 gallon tank with 12 of each light on a 1000mA driver

 

[ReefLEDLights]

What type of coral do you suspect I could grow with 24 cool white 24 royal blue crees with 80 degree optics in a 90 gallon tank with 12 of each light on a 1000mA driver

If your using the latest Cree XT-E LEDs binned R4 or R5 with optics at least 80% efficient you will have the rough equivalent to a pair of 250 watt MHs

If your Cool Whites have a yellowish bin you may choose to dial them back to for best looks which would bring you to a 175 watt MH equivalent.

I'm old school but thought I should mention the rough intensity recommendations we used back in the day.

175 watt MH = Zoas
250 Watt MH= LPS and Some Anemones
400 watt MH = SPS, Clams and Carpet Anemones

You really cannot compare LED Wattage. Its like comparing the Ford Explorer V8 to the V8 in a Bentley. One 120 watt LED Fixture can be Twice the PAR of another. Your really need a PAR comparison. For reference the Hydra 52 is about the intensity of a 250 watt MH and our Sirius XTC is the intensity of a 400 Watt MH.

To Start I would go with this mix keeping budget in mind.

Two Mean Well RS150-48 Powersupplies
4 Mean Well LDD 1000 Drivers
2 Mean Well LDD 700 Drivers
Two 18" Heatsinks
On each
-15 Cree XT-E Royal Blue binned D36/7 @1000mA
-9 Cree XT-E Royal Blue & 6 XP-E2 Blue @ 700mA
15 Cree XT-E Cool White R4 or 5 binned at 7.5K @ 1000mA

optics to suit your height

This with the cool white dialed back a bit is almost a direct copy of the 400 watt Radium MH...Power consumption is about 115 watts.

Its an awesome start and you can add other tertiary leds at any time to tweak the looks.

Bill