6 Foot LED Build

[mseepman]

Hey this is looking great! I have just started building a light fixture for my 290 (although the tank is not set up yet). I decided to do fewer LED's than you (180 total) and rather than the heavy heatsinks I have gone with large u-channel. Glad you are a few steps ahead of me so I can watch your mistakes (haha).

[TheManicFishkeeper]

This is my 6th LED build now, but by far the largest. The only things I have any legitimate concerns over are weight, and heat. Heat should be pretty manageable, but the weight is something I am now trying to wrap my brain around.

I think I've come up with a robust enough suspension/rail system to hold the weight of all three pendants now though. I'll take pics as I go.

[TheManicFishkeeper]

2 Down... One to go. Going to start tinning LED's now....

[TheManicFishkeeper]

It Begins....

[mseepman]

I was totally ready to go the solder route but after going to MACNA I saw how easy the BJB connectors were and have ordered them. I has cost me $200 more than I originally planned...but the one thing I don't have enough of is time...and this saves a lot of it.

[TheManicFishkeeper]

I hear that.. I don't mind the soldering though, I'm 1/6th of the way through now.. lol.. taking a break now though.



Hands getting sore. Probably call it a night for soldering.

[TheManicFishkeeper]

Originally Posted by mseepman

I was totally ready to go the solder route but after going to MACNA I saw how easy the BJB connectors were and have ordered them. I has cost me $200 more than I originally planned...but the one thing I don't have enough of is time...and this saves a lot of it.

These only save time if you purchase pre-drilled/tapped heatsinks. Trust me, soldering takes way less time then tap/die. Screw fittings are super convenient, but using thermal adhesive was a much better alternative for me when factoring in 200+ LED's. Its probably a quarter the time of drilling the heatsinks.

That being said, they are really slick looking fittings. I might go this route for my next smaller build.

[steve fedyk]

where did you get the leds and heat sink from.

[Jaws]

You can order them through Gareth. He's a reseller.

[reefermadness]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

but if a 50/50 of cool white and rb gives you 14Kish what are you going for LOL.. have you bought the LEDs already? might want to give the true vilote and nutral whites a look.

Steve

Personally I have 20 RB and 6 CW and it still is not nearly as blue as my 20k Radium. Those cool whites are super yellow and need tons of blue to wash it out. I would have gone more at least 3 RB to each CW.....but I like it 20k +actinic look.

To me a 50/50 is no where near 14k. The 2:1 ratio of RB to CW is more like 14k to me.