People still diy leds?

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Supplemental Canopy Heatsink

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rapidled.com

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I got a dimmer knob and dimmable driver. Do i install this in line after the driver on the positive and negative and its that simple?
Gonna make another with cool whites and decide which i like better. I will need two later anyway.
D

 

[BradB]

I use thermal adhesive. I've experimented with thermal padding, and if I had it to do over again, I'd use either padding or grease with screws. Thermal adhesive is risky to save for a 2nd use, expensive if you don't, and not always obvious if it created a proper seal. I've also had issues were I couldn't find anything at all because of discontinuation, out of stock, etc - although this doesn't seem to be a problem recently.

You absolutely need a thermal oriented product of some sort. Hot gluing LEDs sounds insane.

 

[BradB]

I got a dimmer knob and dimmable driver. Do i install this in line after the driver on the positive and negative and its that simple?
Gonna make another with cool whites and decide which i like better. I will need two later anyway.
D

Probably not. It depends on the driver, but most have separate PWM connections. If you are running a constant current driver, adding resistance to the circuit for dimming is a bad idea.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

No the driver is dimmable. I guess ill figure it out when it arrives.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Looks like i will have to solder it to the voltage regulator....
D

 

[oreo54]

Looks like i will have to solder it to the voltage regulator....
D

Sorry.. this isn't making any sense..

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Is their a vr in my driver? I would think thats where i solder my dimmer knob... i.know nothing about electronics lol.
D

 

[oreo54]

Is their a vr in my driver? I would think thats where i solder my dimmer knob... i.know nothing about electronics lol.
D

To be honest .. not easy without knowing what driver you are talking about.

To try to clarify one "style".. constant current drivers..
Yes they regulate the voltage internally until the led string reaches it's current set point.
Thus the driver usually states something like this on the output:
20-56V 500mA.

The control circuit can be any number of things like 0-10V analog, 10V PWM, pot dimming.
Most of theses are AC/DC drivers.

DC drivers where you add a AC/DC power supply usually are 5V PWM..
constant voltage arrays use just a switching power supply and dim by chopping the output in a PWM pattern..
on/of on/off

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

0-10V Dimmable Nano Driver

0-10V Dimmable Nano Driver

rapidled.com

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I dont think this will.blow up me 6w leds but i was hoping it would be easy peasy. Lol
D

 

[oreo54]

I dont think this will.blow up me 6w leds but i was hoping it would be easy peasy. Lol
D

Max voltage out is 36v so any led string can't exceed 36v when you add the voltage up.
Say 3.7 v diodes in series (plus..minus .plus..minus ect) you can only use 9. 33.3v total.
Current setpoint is 700mA

Need a 10v power supply and a potentiometer to dim it .
I abandoned 1Ov analog early so not up on it as well as I should be.

It's simple though but rapidled oss poor " instructions " don't help
This will give you an idea though.

How to Dim Your LEDs: Top 3 Solutions for Smooth LED Control - LEDSupply Blog

Mean Well's dimming allows for the user to dim LEDs with three different forms of signal: Passive Resistance, 1-10VDC (0-10V) and PWM.

www.ledsupply.com

100Kohm potentiometer across the dim wires may work.

 

[Stigigemla]

When I was using 3w led on 20 mm star i lost about 3 degrees Fahrenheit mounting them with standard fast 2 component epoxy glue. Thermal glue would diminish this to the half. You can mount 3w and 10w leds with standard epoxi but when You use 50 or 100w You ought to use thermal glue or screws and thermal fat.
The forward voltage for the leds I am using now (SMD 3535 700 mA or 1A) is:
415 nm 3,16v
450 nm 3,02v
465 nm 2,88v
505 nm 2,70v
655 nm 2,05v
These voltages is for 300 mA.

A 3,02v Led will have at least 20% better effiency then a 3,7v. With the Meaanwell driver You can connect 12 such diodes in series.

 

[Monkeysreef]

Good info on reef moon light

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Hm ya thats intresting. Maybe i will use warm whites and not.cool.whites for.my next diy.moonlight.
An adbanced dimmer as well.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Advanced*

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

This is around 6pm. Sun down. Spring sunny day. My sump ats light is on under the tank. Need thermal epoxy to finish this.
D

 

[KimG]

I used DIY leds

Light on my main display (84 * 3 w leds)

New lights for the office tank

Still awaiting on the lenses.
What I find that helps is to moutn the leds to common pcbs:

Makes mounting and cable managment much easier.
As some have mentioned, plenty of pros and cons on making your own lights.
Any questions let me know.

Cheers

 

[ManQuarium]

Abovehill 12-50V PWM DC Motor Speed Controller Switch 30A For 12-36V 775 DC motor​

$15

I used this from amazon. It will change the current not the voltage. So you can dim a Non dimmable LED.

 

[Asmolupers]

I used to DIY a lot of stuff (LEDs, skimmers, even wave makers/propeller pumps and what have you.) But the prices of the commercially available stuff have gone way down (the law of supply and demand) that it just doesn't make a lot of sense to DIY anymore.

I still love the shimmer from my DIY LEDs on the old tank though

I strongly disagree when it comes to lighting and especially tank controllers.