Next Generation LED Lighting

[freezetyle]

pacfic sun prices are up on progressives site...

http://progressivereef.com/pacificsun.php

ouch!

[abcha0s]

Originally Posted by Bblinks

I have taken my post out as you requested. I do believe the truth falls some where in the middle. you and I will never know.

Agreed. I appologize for over reacting.

All the best..

[Bblinks]

Originally Posted by Bblinks
I have taken my post out as you requested. I do believe the truth falls some where in the middle. you and I will never know.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bblinks
I have taken my post out as you requested. I do believe the truth falls some where in the middle. you and I will never know.

Agreed. I appologize for over reacting.

All the best..

I will be starting a new post soon...

[KevinK]

Originally Posted by mike31154

Great post. Thanks for doing all the research and presenting it in a condensed format here.

I'm still on the fence with regard to LEDs at the moment. I think patience is the key. While I have the electrical training/background to diy myself a nice fixture, I'm really not all that keen on soldering an array of Crees together and then having to get the iron out again when one of them fails.

More screw in bulbs are appearing in stores every day and they're starting to come with higher power LEDs and dimming capability. No extra drivers, optics, heat sinks etc. required, they're self contained. Still a little pricey and you have to hunt around for something close to the colour temperature we require in our hobby, but I'm sure that will improve soon as well. There are a few forum threads on the subject of folks using PAR38 (parabolic form factor spotlights) with 7 to 12 LEDs in each to light their reefs. I think each bulb of the 12 LED variety is close to $100 still, so not inexpensive, but a lot easier to change out than a soldered up Cree array on a monster heat sink with a half dozen drivers.

I've also been keeping an eye on the small MR16 and GUI based LEDs designed to replace the halogen spotlights that have been used in that form factor for a long time. The MR16s are starting to appear in high power versions and I really like the two pin design that allows easy insertion and removal. I also like the fact that they are designed for DC voltage and one of the things I've been considering is splurging on an array of solar panels to run the lights straight from a DC source. LEDs are DC voltage devices after all and no matter how efficient AC to DC converters/drivers are, it would be so much more efficient and simple to run the LEDs off a DC source from the get go.

I've never been that excited about some of the other features of the high end fixtures like lightning, cloudy day simulation, wireless control et al. As long as the LEDs are dimmable to create a dawn/dusk effect and perhaps a moon phase option, I'd be content with that.

ever got to this:

I've been considering is splurging on an array of solar panels to run the lights straight from a DC source

[freezetyle]

New stronger pendants from Ecoxotic

http://reefbuilders.com/2011/03/12/e...0w-led-cannon/

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by abcha0s

Reeftech Promethus – www.reeftechled.com

These guys are very new. I can’t find any information on the company and details on the product are sparse. I would definitely “wait and see”, but their ideas look really impressive.

I’ve had some communications with the company. Here is what I can share.

Fixture - Technical data:

- LED panel consists of 4 LED boards.
- Each LED board consists of 15 led chips (6 White XPG, 6 XPE Royal Blue, 3 XPE Blue) - see LED Panel v03.jpg
- Each color on each board is controlled separately allowing us to create moving sun, moon or clouds simulation
- MeanWell Power supply
- WiFi wireless connectivity allowing for iPhone, iPad connection etc

If you remember in the past we emailed you the pics of LED boards/panel - see LED Panel v03.jpg attached file - these were first article boards from the manufacturer.

I am attaching the new led that is our production LED board - see attached LED Panel v06.jpg - you can see a shadow of the person taking the pic and also the white sticker will be taken off. We requested to make bigger thermapads and add two additional screw holes in the middle.

Pictures are clickable











- LED Pannel v03.jpg

- LED Pannel v06.jpg

what are these units going for man

[abcha0s]

Originally Posted by asmodeus

what are these units going for man

From what I understand, the lights are in limited distribution now - meaning that they are being installed locally so that the manufacturer can control the environment. I believe they are set for general distribution this coming week, but I haven't got final confirmation. I have a light on order and I was told that it would ship next week.

The retail price is $1099USD per module + shipping. The lights require a $99 wifi adapter to interface with your PC for programming.

It may be possible to arrange introductory group buy pricing, but I don't have any details on this yet either.






- Brad

[Skimmerking]

so 3 K for 3 of them

[mike31154]

Originally Posted by KevinK

ever got to this:

I've been considering is splurging on an array of solar panels to run the lights straight from a DC source

Ha, ha, not yet. I keep spending all my money on backcountry ski trips in the winter. These frivolous trips actually serve as inspiration though, since most of the lodges, huts, chalets have some sort of solar array or water powered generator to provide power in the boonies. I always take a little time to drool over their panels and power management components. Since BC Hydro is poised to start cranking up their rates in the near future, I think I might cough up for a couple of panels in the 200 watt range this year to get the ball rolling. Purchased a wind generator on sale from Can Tire last year, but haven't set it up yet. Turns out the winds here in Vernon aren't really consistent enough for meaningful wattage out of a wind generator. But it is the sunny Okanagan and I'm thinking the solar panels will work well, with the wind generator as an occasional supplementary source to charge up the battery bank. I may end up supplying the majority of the lights in my house with DC voltage instead of 115 VAC and run LED bulbs in the fixtures straight off DC.

[KevinK]

Originally Posted by mike31154

Ha, ha, not yet. I keep spending all my money on backcountry ski trips in the winter. These frivolous trips actually serve as inspiration though, since most of the lodges, huts, chalets have some sort of solar array or water powered generator to provide power in the boonies. I always take a little time to drool over their panels and power management components. Since BC Hydro is poised to start cranking up their rates in the near future, I think I might cough up for a couple of panels in the 200 watt range this year to get the ball rolling. Purchased a wind generator on sale from Can Tire last year, but haven't set it up yet. Turns out the winds here in Vernon aren't really consistent enough for meaningful wattage out of a wind generator. But it is the sunny Okanagan and I'm thinking the solar panels will work well, with the wind generator as an occasional supplementary source to charge up the battery bank. I may end up supplying the majority of the lights in my house with DC voltage instead of 115 VAC and run LED bulbs in the fixtures straight off DC.

I in fact was gust brain storming a bit about this.

se if hydro is going up to 0.13 to 0.15 a kwh, pannels run from $ 100 to $ 200 (for DIY on ebay) it might be intresting.

what will bring it in the $$ is the batery's and converters, however if you would run a frag tank on the pannels, than it would not matter when the light is on ore off, and there must be a way to direct feed the led's from the panel.

this way the led will dim as sun is going down and go back on when there is sun/light, but this would not matter (cant get it more natural than this)

might still need a driver, but keep it as plain as you can, oterwise the $$ ad up to fast.

in fact same thing you can do with 24v DC pumps like I think the tunze.

so when evening comes, pump output would be low to non, and then when sun gets up in the morning, pumps start slowly to turn, and flow is variating during the day as light intensety is going up nd down.

again also with the pumps, you cant get it more naturalthan this (you do still need some pumps to run all day !!, ore go on only 16 houres a day)

all interesting to se how to do this, with as less technology (battery's and inverteres ) as you can