Enigma's 2012 Nano Contest Entry

[sphelps]

Nice work on the lights, should look great on the tank.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Nice work on the lights, should look great on the tank.

I'm feeling very pleased right now . . .

(the whites are dimmed in this photo, while the RB and B are 100%).



You know your help was invaluable, right? Claymax and Ross were a huge help, too.

For those who missed it . . . this is how the LED placement evolved:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=89518

[sphelps]

Mmmmmmm... Fancy

[intarsiabox]

Nice! Even the picture of the lights is bright on the eyes!

[Enigma]

The lights are so bright that at 100% they make you feel like throwing up. Seriously. Hubby, my #1 son (who is about to turn 19), and myself all had to fight the urge to hurl when hubby and I were troubleshooting them. #2 son (who is about to turn 4) wasn't even allowed in the room.

They may be dimmed a lot on the tank.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Enigma

The lights are so bright that at 100% they make you feel like throwing up. Seriously. Hubby, my #1 son (who is about to turn 19), and myself all had to fight the urge to hurl when hubby and I were troubleshooting them. #2 son (who is about to turn 4) wasn't even allowed in the room.

They may be dimmed a lot on the tank.

That's intense! (little pun there) Wow, 15 years between kids, good for you. My girls are 5 years apart, after the second one was born my wife sent me off to the doctor to get cured for that thing that causes pregnancy.

[Enigma]

24 Gallon Nano Cube LED Build

Materials List
(All Items Except “Additional” Purchased from Modular LED)

Heatsink

• 1x 5.9x9 inch aluminium

LEDs

• 4x Cool White XP-E Modular LED (8 LEDs)
• 2x Neutral White XP-E High Efficiency Modular LED (4 LEDs)
• 7x Royal Blue XP-E Modular LED (14 LEDs)
• 2x Blue XP-E Modular LED (4 LEDs)

Drivers

• 2x Mean Well ELN-60-48D
• 1x 350mA Constant Current Moonlight Driver

Connectors & Cables

• 10x 4inch Standard Connectors
• 1x 6inch Standard Connector
• 1x 2inch Standard Connector
• 3x Start & End Kit Connectors
• 9x 12inch Extension Connectors
• 1x 2 Channel Apex to Light Dimming Cable
• 2x Power Cord
• 2x 3M Scotchlok - Waterproof Power Cord Connector
• Arctic Alumina Thermal Glue

Additional

• Homemade ground cords [2x Ground Wire Eyelets, 2x 36inch 16 Gauge Wire] (Active Electronics)
• Electrical Tape (Hubby's Toolbox)
• 10x Insulated Butt Connectors (Hubby's Toolbox)
• 2x 14x1x1/8inch Barstock Aluminum [cut from 8foot piece] (Princess Auto)
• High heat dual stage epoxy (Hubby's Toolbox)

Gutting the Hood

Gutting the hood was pretty easy. It really just boiled down to removing all of the screws.







The hardest part was getting the switch out of this hole:



Yes, there is an ugly hole in the top of the lid. We'll come back to that sometime in the future.

The Unboxing of the first Modular LED order
(there were three orders in total)

Aquarium supply retailers are definitely trying to make me fat (I love chocolate):



Not everything in this image was used in the LED build:



LED Placement

With the help of fellow Canreefers, the LED placement evolves from this:



To this:



The evolution of the light placement is documented here:

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=89518
Some supplemental LEDs may be added at a later date.

The royal blues will be on one dimmable driver, the whites on the other, and the blues on a little moonlight driver.

Assembly

I assembled what I had:



I used waaaaay too much of the Arctic Alumina Thermal Glue when I attached the LEDs. Good thing I doubled my order on that in my first order. I have a hard time showing restraint with adhesives. The LED connector wires were very easy to use.

I then ordered what I still required in the way of new LED boards, wiring, and a little moonlight driver. The second order arrived, and I realized that I'm an idiot (I had forgotten the start/end kit wiring for the blue string that was going on the little moonlight driver!). I placed order #3.

After order #3 arrived, I completed the LED layout and wiring.



They didn't work. Or rather, the lights didn't light up with the Meanwells. All of the lights were tested using the moonlight driver, and they all appeared to work correctly.

As it turns out the first problem in getting them to work was in not completing the dimming circuit (according to Martin from Modular LED that is a very common mistake). With the Mean Well ELN-60-48D drivers the dimming circuit MUST be completed for the lights to turn on. The easiest way to do that is with a 9V battery. I had tried to complete the circuit with the Apex VDM module, but trying to figure out how the VDM (Variable Speed/Dimming Module ) worked and troubleshoot the lights proved to be fruitless.

Additionally, after a marathon troubleshooting session with hubby, I had one bad splice on the dimming circuit for one of the drivers. There was also one bad 4inch Standard Connector and one bent connection pin in one of the plugs on the LED boards.

Once all of the circuits were properly completed . . . we had liftoff!



And, just an FYI, hubby and I trying to troubleshoot the lights together was actually WORSE than us trying to get the travel trailer hooked up and or/backed into a space. I'm going to do my best to forget 90% of the crap we said to each other while working on these lights.

I did something dumb when I originally wired everything. I used all of the little 3m Scotchlok Waterproof connectors (http://www.modularled.ca/3m-scotchlo...oof-connector/ ) from Martin before I tested anything. During the troubleshooting process they all had to be cut out. I had to use insulated butt connectors and electrical tape stolen from Hubby's toolbox to complete the wiring. The two big ones (http://www.modularled.ca/3m-scotchlo...ord-connector/) for the driver power cords didn't have to be cut out. It is definitely a good idea to test the wiring before making permanent connections.

I opted to build my own ground wires, to get the length that I needed for them.

Mounting the Heatsink to the Hood

Here is the original discussion with regards to mounting the heatsink:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=89546

It gets pretty dicey here. I suggest no one take the same route . . . until mine has been thoroughly tested!

I cut two 14” pieces from an 8' length of 1x1/8” flat-bar aluminum.

Then I drilled holes in the two pieces that aligned with the screw hole locations in the hood.



Then I attached the flat-bar using the original screws.



Then (you're going to be really horrified, now), I used a flexible, two-stage, high heat epoxy to attached the heatsink to the aluminum flat-bar. I sanded both before hand. I believe it was a Lepage product. Hubby handed it to me, and insisted that it was what I should be using. I was going to use JB Weld. At this point, I don't know how much faith of have in this installation.

If the heatsink falls off, it is his fault.

I screwed the acrylic cover back on . . . and I'm done!



Both Meanwells at 100% and the moondriver:



I'm pretty sure a 747 could be landed using this fixture for guidance.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

That's intense! (little pun there) Wow, 15 years between kids, good for you. My girls are 5 years apart, after the second one was born my wife sent me off to the doctor to get cured for that thing that causes pregnancy.

Oh, I didn't plan it that way. It just "kinda happened." I've been trying to convince hubby to get "cured" . . . it isn't working. I turn 40 in Feb. He turned 40 in August. We're done! I can accept it. He's not convinced yet.

[Boxboy]

Very good retro on the lights and the only thing being "cured" should be the rocks lol
Oops pun attack.

[fishoholic]

Those lights look awesome and complicated! Amazing how it all fits in there