LED lights

PACMAN416 · #1 02-23-2010, 04:29 PM

I'm technologically inept. a controller would be amazing, but i dont think i could do it. maybe in the future. Small world, I'm at Kipling and princess margaret!

StirCrazy · #2 02-23-2010, 05:19 PM

personaly I think 60 degree optics would be more about T5 lighting levels, to get MH levels I think you need to use 40 degree optics on anything over 18" deep.

Steve

Ron99 · #3 02-23-2010, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PACMAN416

I'm technologically inept. a controller would be amazing, but i dont think i could do it. maybe in the future. Small world, I'm at Kipling and princess margaret!

Doesn't hurt to build it with the future expandability. Most reef controllers can output 0-10v signals for dimming so if you get drivers that are capable of being dimmed that way you are ready to add the controller in the future. And it is a small world. I went to High School at Martingrove not far from you

Quote:

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

personaly I think 60 degree optics would be more about T5 lighting levels, to get MH levels I think you need to use 40 degree optics on anything over 18" deep.

Steve

Depends what set ups you are talking about. It's all comparing apples to oranges but evilc66's testing at nano-reef seems to show performance equal to MH set ups. I don't think he has made many PAR measurements of T5 systems for comparison.

PACMAN416 · #4 02-23-2010, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron99

Doesn't hurt to build it with the future expandability. Most reef controllers can output 0-10v signals for dimming so if you get drivers that are capable of being dimmed that way you are ready to add the controller in the future. And it is a small world. I went to High School at Martingrove not far from you

yes i will definitely be using dimmable drivers (meanwells). So your using 3xheatsinks. I like the idea of breakign the heatsinks up, but how will you wire that? i assume you would run the clear whites separately from the royal blue LEDs using different drivers. but will you have, lets say, leds being connected from heatsink to heatsink on the same driver?

Yes i know Martingrove Collegiate H.S. I went to Michael Power though

PACMAN416 · #5 02-23-2010, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PACMAN416

yes i will definitely be using dimmable drivers (meanwells). So your using 3xheatsinks. I like the idea of breaking the heatsinks up, but how will you wire that? i assume you would run the whites separately from the royal blue LEDs using different drivers. but will you have, lets say, LEDs being connected from heatsink to heatsink on the same driver?

Yes i know Martingrove Collegiate H.S. I went to Michael Power though

Ron, i think you missed one of my replies.

Can you provide a link to the heat sinks you picked up on ebay? I can't find anything with the appropriate width. maybe im blind?

Ron99 · #6 02-23-2010, 11:35 PM

Hi,

They were just salvaged used heatsinks, not new retail ones. So no link, sorry. The one advatage is that they already have a whole bunch of mounting holes drilled and tapped in them so that makes it easier for me to mount them and possibly mount fans right on the heatsinks. There are lots of used heatsinks in different sizes available on eBay if you search. The only catch might be shipping to Canada. I have a mailbox just across the border in WA state that they were shipped to. Saved me something like $25 in shipping costs as they were heavy and no taxes or duties. Just a confused look from the border gaurd as I tried to explain what a heatsink was and what I was going to do with them

I haven't figured out eaxctly how I am going to wire them yet but they will be on 8 separate drivers (4 for whites and 4 for blues) so some will likely span heatsinks. I could probably put a connector in to go across heatsinks but they will all be mounted flush against each other in the housing. They are 15" long for a total of 45" in a 48" housing so I will just leave 1.5 inches on each end open. Right now I am trying to figure out how I am going to mount them in the housing. I'm a biologist, not an engineer

Once I figure that out the wiring is the easy part.

PACMAN416 · #7 02-24-2010, 01:15 AM

maybe L brackets to create a lip that the heatsinks can rest on? yeah, this is definitely out of my scope as well. you are lucky about the US address. i checked shipping form heatsinkusa for a 10wide x 30long, and it'll cost $125 for the heatsink, and $75 for shipping!!!!!!!!!!!!

StirCrazy · #8 02-24-2010, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PACMAN416

maybe L brackets to create a lip that the heatsinks can rest on? yeah, this is definitely out of my scope as well. you are lucky about the US address. i checked shipping form heatsinkusa for a 10wide x 30long, and it'll cost $125 for the heatsink, and $75 for shipping!!!!!!!!!!!!

hmm did you ask about shipping options.. I asked them about USPS ground and it was about 35 bucks for the shipping on a 10X28. never use UPS as there will ba a 35 buck extra charge from UPS to "clear customs"

Steve