Ruckus16
Active Member
Can you provide a parts list? I'm new to led and drivers but do have experience with electrical and electronics. Would each channel be dimmable?
DIY Radeon clone?
- Thread starter Kampo
- Start date
- Tagged users None
I was planning on getting the RapidLED LDD-4-HS dimmable driver board with the LDD-1500 drivers. The board itself will only drive 4 separate channels, and the driver outputs upto 46V. I would need to check with RapidLEDs to see if its possible to drive 48V since I would need to double up one of the channels if I'm to use 2 LED pucks per driver board. You would need a PWM compatible controller to automate the dimming. Paphater could possibly have a better list of parts.
Like tango I'm using rapids 4-s board. It's the only board I've found that can handle the 1500 drivers. To drive the leds at max power you will need will need two of the LDD H 1500 drivers and three 1000 drivers. I'm using the storm x since I already had it but you could even rig up a simple potentiometer for manual dimming. I think something like the storm is worth it. Just remember that each driver can handle about 16 leds each so factor in how many arrays you want to run.
I'll get a full parts list this weekend.
I'll get a full parts list this weekend.
I tried to make an apples to apples comparison as much as possible. The comparison light is a 16" SB reef light with all of it's optics removed. Both lights are at 100% on all channels. The ebay light is practically sitting on the rim of the tank and the SB light is about 8" above it. In hind sight I probably should have moved the ebay light a couple inches to the right. The lights had been off for awhile so everything was closed up or sleeping. I'll put up at parts list tomorrow.
SB light
Ebay light
SB light
Ebay light
*Arrays
*Heat sink
*Driver Board There are five channels so you are going to need to get at least two. There are boards out there that can accept five drivers but this is the only board I found that handled the 1500 mA drivers.
*1000 LDDH x3 Channels 1,3,5.
*1500 LDDH x2 Channels 2,4
You'll want to keep in mind that each driver can handle around 16 leds at max drive, so 4 arrays.
*Power supply. You'll want to take in to account how many watts you'll be running. According to the seller each array is 75 watts.
Originally I was going to use a thermal adhesive but decided on using thermal grease. I decided to go ahead and do a full build so I'll have 12 arrays to attach, and since I'm trying to keep the cost low, grease at 25g for $7.50 beats out adhesive at 5g for $7. And if one of the arrays burns out or gets damaged I can easily pull it off.
*Thermal grease
*Screws
You'll need to 7/64 drill bit. The screws themselves are self taping.
*Fans
*Fan power
With the rapid led driver boards, you can use the board to power the driver but you'll need a $19 driver to do it. I'm not sure how many fans it can handle but the wall wart can handle more than I would ever need. I'll use the apex to control it. At 23 decibels I don't think it'll be a big deal if they run at full blast while on.
*Water proof connectors
*Wire
Since the connectors are only four wires I'll need to use two and I plan on running the fan power through the extra wires on the second connector.
*Controller
You'll need some sort of pwm controller. I'm using the storm x and I like it.
*Heat sink
*Driver Board There are five channels so you are going to need to get at least two. There are boards out there that can accept five drivers but this is the only board I found that handled the 1500 mA drivers.
*1000 LDDH x3 Channels 1,3,5.
*1500 LDDH x2 Channels 2,4
You'll want to keep in mind that each driver can handle around 16 leds at max drive, so 4 arrays.
*Power supply. You'll want to take in to account how many watts you'll be running. According to the seller each array is 75 watts.
Originally I was going to use a thermal adhesive but decided on using thermal grease. I decided to go ahead and do a full build so I'll have 12 arrays to attach, and since I'm trying to keep the cost low, grease at 25g for $7.50 beats out adhesive at 5g for $7. And if one of the arrays burns out or gets damaged I can easily pull it off.
*Thermal grease
*Screws
You'll need to 7/64 drill bit. The screws themselves are self taping.
*Fans
*Fan power
With the rapid led driver boards, you can use the board to power the driver but you'll need a $19 driver to do it. I'm not sure how many fans it can handle but the wall wart can handle more than I would ever need. I'll use the apex to control it. At 23 decibels I don't think it'll be a big deal if they run at full blast while on.
*Water proof connectors
*Wire
Since the connectors are only four wires I'll need to use two and I plan on running the fan power through the extra wires on the second connector.
*Controller
You'll need some sort of pwm controller. I'm using the storm x and I like it.
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
U
User1
Guest
Not sure if it would make it any easier but Steve's sells a 8xLDD board. I use those on my blue acro stars filled with the 1500 LDD's.
Nice pictures Paphater. The Ebay lights are quite bright. The whites are much brighter it seems. I'm going to try and see if I can get around using 2 driver boards. Thanks for the headsup Saf1 for the 8x driver board at Steve's. They don't have the 1500LDDs listed on their site so I would have to get them at RapidLED.
https://www.stevesleds.com/LDD-Driver-Array--8X-Drivers_p_306.html
https://www.stevesleds.com/LDD-Driver-Array--8X-Drivers_p_306.html
Yeah the white channel was pretty over powering. My fans come this weekend so I'm going to get one on before I leave the light on and play with the spectrum a bit. I also ordered some extra royal blue and violet LEDs I'm going to try and place in between the arrays on the heat sink. The royals were on sale from Steve's for $.99 so it was worth it to experiment.
I picked up one of Steve's 8 driver boards and it is great value wise. Just to warn you though the solderless connectors aren't that great. Both rapid led and led group buy have better connectors hands down. They also cost twice as much to get the same amount of drivers on the board. With Steve's board I had to use 22 ga wire instead of my 18 ga and I had to tin the wires to get them in to the connectors....which is kind of lame for solderless connectors.
Thanks for the heads up Paphater. I might have to still go with Steve's 8 driver boards since it'll be a little cheaper. I like your idea of using extra individual blues and UVs between the pucks to get a little more coverage. Steve had said that he will be getting some of the LDD1500 in a couple of weeks. I am probably going to drive the SemiLED UV LEDs channel on the Ebay pucks with a 700mA driver instead of the 1000mA.
Last edited:
The fans and the rest of my heat sinks came in today. I've got 4 heat sinks total so far and I noticed the base thickness on one is visibly thinner. I need to dig out my calipers to see what actual difference is across the four. The outside dimensions are all the same. I got one of the fans wired up to see how loud it is and I'm pretty happy with it. It's quite a bit quieter than my sb reef fans, but though those fans haven't been cleaned in a year. At less than $5 a fan I'm really happy with them. I need to figure out a way to mount the fans to the heat sink. I'm not sure which orientation is the most efficient at cooling but when I had the fans drawing air across the heat sink there was some significant air noise. Blowing down through the heat sink there was not noticeable change in noise from the fan being in the open air. I'll try and runs some tests next week to play with the spectrum and measure the temperature on the heat sink with the fan.
U
User1
Guest
Yeah - that is the only draw back. Those connectors they use are garbage. I mean they are ok upon insert but if you want to remove the wire by choice or accident they are pieces of poo.
Fan noise - I have fans on my Rapid LED multi-channel and they produce no noise. The fans that I put on my blue acro multi-channels are junk and I hear them. The only difference is with the blue acro's I bought a heatsink kit and the fans they used are junk. I'll have to find better fans and swap them out. Nothing that blue arco did it was the source of the heat sink kits - heat sink usa I think. Anyway there are some silent fans out there.
Yeah these fans are rated at 23 decibels which is pretty impressive considering the cost, size, and air flow. On your rapid LED heat sink, do you know if the fan is drawing air across the heat sink or pushing air through it?
U
User1
Guest
I will check in the morning because everything is off with regards to fans and lights now. What what I recall the Blue Acro heat sinks are the 6" kits from heat sink USA. The fan is sized with an enclosure to bolt on the top. That one has the air pulling air in from the top and blowing down through the fins on the heat sink. It keeps those really cool to the touch. Each acro star is on its own 6" heat sink. The Rapid LED Borealis chips I have (they don't make anymore) are on 10" heat sinks and those I think I installed incorrectly and they are pulling air up through the fins and out. Still cool but not has cool as the other ones. I'm going to flip them over when I finish the tanks canopy.
dantimdad
7500 Club Member
I have found that, if you watch ebay you can inventronics drivers really inexpensively.
I got 10 drivers that will run 700ma to 6x3watt leds for $80 including shipping. These are dimmable via 10v and don't require a separate power supply.
They would be perfect for this type setup especially if you want manual dimming.
I got 10 drivers that will run 700ma to 6x3watt leds for $80 including shipping. These are dimmable via 10v and don't require a separate power supply.
They would be perfect for this type setup especially if you want manual dimming.
I got side tracked by a string of weddings. I've got two fixtures completed and hoping to get the other four done this week. I'll try and rent a par meter the week after.Hello, I follow with interest and expect development.
