rapid led color combo and driver questions

[PepperDeath]

ok.. i am about to get a rapid led kit soon,ive seen one set up with this color combo.. 10 royal blues 4 blues 6 cool whites and 4 neutral whites..how does that sound or is there any other colors i should throw in there? also i will get a reef controller like apex, but not for a while since im getting the lights soon..so all i will need to buy from rapid is the ddc-01 controller for now? and when you select the driver type when ordering you select the P (PWM) and not D (1-10v analog)? sorry just trying to get it all figured out ..thanks!!!!

Solderless Biocube 29 Dimmable Retrofit Kit - Rapid LED

DDC-01 PWM Controller - Rapid LED

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

If you want it to be apex compatable, it must be the "D" series, the "P" series will only work with PWM. I would add a couple reds, violets, and greens, and no nuetral whites, only 75ook cool whites for the whites.

 

[balto777]

My 48 LED RapidLED fixture consists of 6 UV, 26 RB, 8 CW, and 8 NW. Each color is separately controllable via my APEX. I like the UV's because it widens out the blue spectrum, which I feel is important. I think you can get enough red and green from the NW's. The best thing about the DIY fixtures, you can always change out things until you get it the way you want.

 

[PepperDeath]

ok cool, so the D series is what i need if i go with an apex down the road...what do i need to control them for now?
how does this sound..
9 royal blue
4 blue
6 cool white
2 green
2 violet
1 red

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

ok cool, so the D series is what i need if i go with an apex down the road...what do i need to control them for now?
how does this sound..
9 royal blue
4 blue
6 cool white
2 green
2 violet
1 red

Sounds good, but a little blue. I would go with 9 cool whites.

 

[ReefLEDLights]

If you want it to be apex compatable, it must be the "D" series, the "P" series will only work with PWM. I would add a couple reds, violets, and greens, and no nuetral whites, only 75ook cool whites for the whites.

+1 On the neutral whites they are way yellow...Your better off going with reds and greens to hi-light certain pigments.

Also make sure the Cool Whites are a 7.5K bin not the 5.5K Bin as they are almost as yellow as the Neutral Cool White. Make sure the Royal Blue are the bin D316 or for the XT-E D36/35 as its closer to 450nm which gives a much better colour pop than the 460nm Royal Blue.

Personally I'm not a fan of PWM dimming as the primary controllers like APEX, Profilux and Reef Keeper all use analog 1-10vdc. If you dont have one of these controllers now you can use a Potentiometer to manually dim drivers like the Inventronics, Thompson Research or the Hyperon. All provide the three wires necessary for this. The Mean Well 48 series cannot run without a controller and cannot simply connect two wires to have it 100% on.

Bill