Has anyone made a nice looking LED not in canopy?

[nrosdal]

cant wait to see the pic mike... i really do like the idea of the multi chips from ebay as they are very economical and i liked the look of the light they put out when i saw you set it up at the frag swap.

is there a reason that you went with numerous rails of the 10w chips as opposed to just one rail of larger 25-50w emitters?

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by nrosdal

is there a reason that you went with numerous rails of the 10w chips as opposed to just one rail of larger 25-50w emitters?

Several reasons. Price, more flexibility as to colour blending, availability of the heatsink/fan combos for cooling, forward voltage of 9-12 volts (more common voltage for power supplies, possible solar power). For me the 10 watt emitters are a good compromise between the more commonly used 3 watt Cree, Bridgelux, Phillips, Osram etc and the larger multi chip LEDs. You don't need quite as many as when you're using the 3 watters, they put out plenty of light and cooling isn't as much of an issue as with the 20 and higher watt emitters.

[sphelps]

Mine is kind of a cross between fixture and canopy. Doesn't hang, it's supported by the wall behind and hinges up for full access.

[mike31154]

Pics taken this morning. Voltage is dialed down low for dawn effect. Typical forward voltage for maximum current of around 900mA for most of the LEDs is between 9-12 volts. I've never run them any higher than 9 volts.

The trim is held on by tape just to give an idea. Not sure whether I'll try to glue it on or use small ss screws. I tried the hot glue gun & that's how the corner pieces are attached, but one fell off already. The hot glue didn't allow me to press the pieces fully flush so that made the long pieces impossible to attach securely. Might try epoxy.

[bioload]

Originally Posted by sphelps

What did you gues use to protect the wood from moisture....looking for a sealer myself.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by bioload

What did you gues use to protect the wood from moisture....looking for a sealer myself.

Acrylic shield for the inside. Basic two stage stain on the outside, color base with multiple spray coats of clear. Just the regular stuff, nothing fancy.

The fans in the canopy draw air from below and exhaust out the top so it keeps air moving around the canopy. There really isn't a moisture issue to be concerned with, wood is always bone dry.

[JetJumper]

Here is mine:

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by bioload

What did you gues use to protect the wood from moisture....looking for a sealer myself.

Two coats of MinWax mahogany stain on the outside, bare wood on the inside, although I did stick some aluminum tape along the lower portion of the inside to reflect some of the light, sideways I guess? Anyhow, the tape will provide a little protection from moisture. It's high enough above the water that I doubt moisture will be an issue. It's an open frame so good air circulation, moisture really can't accumulate like inside a canopy. My previous fixture's reflectors did get caked up with salt spray over the period of several years, but it was closer to the water. My LEDs are mounted on individual heatsinks each with it's own fan that blows air down, so the tiny spray drops that mucked up the reflectors on the Halides & T5s should be diverted. I'll be checking on that periodically to make sure it's not an issue, especially since I'm not using any optics over my LEDs.

Here's a photo taken a while back, but shows how open it is.