LED Bulbs

bobby4tony · 06/03/2010, 08:27 PM

I'm new to this ,so bear with my stupid question.I keep reading about all these complicated contraptions that people build for LED lighting.My simple (maybe stupid) question is ,can't I just use high output LED bulbs on a simple fixture?

redfishsc · 06/03/2010, 08:45 PM

What high output LED bulbs, what fixture, and what are you doing with them? Main lighting? Moon light? Actinic supplement?

bobby4tony · 06/03/2010, 08:50 PM

main lighting,is there a problem with using LED bulbs for main lighting?

bobby4tony · 06/03/2010, 08:51 PM

This is a DIY project,so I was thinking of making my own fixture.I have a DIY canopy ready.

Fretfreak13 · 06/03/2010, 08:54 PM

I'd like to follow this with you. I'm just as clueless. o.O I was gonna use LED Christmas lights, but I heard that was a no no. lol

redfishsc · 06/03/2010, 09:18 PM

OK, an LED primer

.

Note that I'm not an electronic engineer, I'm a carpenter and theology student. But I have wired up my own LED arrays.

Yes, they can be done as a main lighting scheme but you MUST choose your LEDs wisely. LEDs are like cars-- there are tons and tons of brands, types, models, and colors out there but only a few of them are worth a crap (for our purposes).

For plug-n-play "main lighting", you're taking a risk-- the only companies that seem to be making LEDs for the reef are taking a risk on being sued by Orbitec for patent infringement (google Orbitec PFO if you want the whole story...).

The only "plug-n-play" I'd recommend for main lighting is the Par38 bulb sold by www.nanotuners.com that is a 21watt, 5 LED bulb that is well made and well engineered, but also costly at $120. Literally screws into a light socket. Uses very good LEDs but you may need a bunch of these $120 deals to light your whole tank. Call/email nanotuners to see if they can help you select what you need.

Now, for a DIY rig, the only LED I've used are Cree XRE. They are great LEDs and run around 3.7w if you run them full blast.

Christmas tree LEDs and other stuff like that will absolutely NOT put out enough light for photosynthetic animals. They make neat moonlights though.

To set up a DIY LED rig, you'll need to research it more than I'm able to give you here--- you need to be able to solder, have a powerful soldering iron (40w minimum recommended), how use a digital multimeter, and should have a minimal/basic understanding of DC electricity.

Here is a parts list I'd recommend for a single "unit", non dimming, sufficient for lighting a 14X14 area. Note that this can get expensive real quick.

1 heatsink from heatsinkusa.com (10"X12") $55 shipped.
1 Meanwell ELN60-48 ($40)
12 Cree XRE (half royal blue, half white) $54
12 Berquist thermal pads (nanotuners.com, 50 cents each) $6
Power cord $5 (I used an extension cord I had laying around)
63/37 solder (or 60/40), 22AWG wire, wire strippers, flux. $10-20

After shipping you could easily drop around $175 for lighting a 14X14 area, but they'd last you 5-10 years and use about 1/3 the energy of a 150w halide and give you similar numbers (if you use 80-degree optics to tighten the beam pattern, another $12 total).

DIY LED, for me, took a LOT of internet research and trial and error. Fortunately I have a good friend who's very knowledgeable on LEDs that helped me out.

bobby4tony · 06/03/2010, 10:08 PM

thanks a bunch,will try out your recommendations.The bulb you recommended is unavailable at that site but I found the same thing on amazon.

06/03/2010, 08:27 PM	#1
bobby4tony Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 4	LED Bulbs I'm new to this ,so bear with my stupid question.I keep reading about all these complicated contraptions that people build for LED lighting.My simple (maybe stupid) question is ,can't I just use high output LED bulbs on a simple fixture?

06/03/2010, 08:45 PM	#2
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	What high output LED bulbs, what fixture, and what are you doing with them? Main lighting? Moon light? Actinic supplement? __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

06/03/2010, 08:54 PM	#5
Fretfreak13 I am not a boy! Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,114	I'd like to follow this with you. I'm just as clueless. o.O I was gonna use LED Christmas lights, but I heard that was a no no. lol __________________ ~Kali Just keep swimmin'

06/03/2010, 09:18 PM	#6
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	OK, an LED primer . Note that I'm not an electronic engineer, I'm a carpenter and theology student. But I have wired up my own LED arrays. Yes, they can be done as a main lighting scheme but you MUST choose your LEDs wisely. LEDs are like cars-- there are tons and tons of brands, types, models, and colors out there but only a few of them are worth a crap (for our purposes). For plug-n-play "main lighting", you're taking a risk-- the only companies that seem to be making LEDs for the reef are taking a risk on being sued by Orbitec for patent infringement (google Orbitec PFO if you want the whole story...). The only "plug-n-play" I'd recommend for main lighting is the Par38 bulb sold by www.nanotuners.com that is a 21watt, 5 LED bulb that is well made and well engineered, but also costly at $120. Literally screws into a light socket. Uses very good LEDs but you may need a bunch of these $120 deals to light your whole tank. Call/email nanotuners to see if they can help you select what you need. Now, for a DIY rig, the only LED I've used are Cree XRE. They are great LEDs and run around 3.7w if you run them full blast. Christmas tree LEDs and other stuff like that will absolutely NOT put out enough light for photosynthetic animals. They make neat moonlights though. To set up a DIY LED rig, you'll need to research it more than I'm able to give you here--- you need to be able to solder, have a powerful soldering iron (40w minimum recommended), how use a digital multimeter, and should have a minimal/basic understanding of DC electricity. Here is a parts list I'd recommend for a single "unit", non dimming, sufficient for lighting a 14X14 area. Note that this can get expensive real quick. 1 heatsink from heatsinkusa.com (10"X12") $55 shipped. 1 Meanwell ELN60-48 ($40) 12 Cree XRE (half royal blue, half white) $54 12 Berquist thermal pads (nanotuners.com, 50 cents each) $6 Power cord $5 (I used an extension cord I had laying around) 63/37 solder (or 60/40), 22AWG wire, wire strippers, flux. $10-20 After shipping you could easily drop around $175 for lighting a 14X14 area, but they'd last you 5-10 years and use about 1/3 the energy of a 150w halide and give you similar numbers (if you use 80-degree optics to tighten the beam pattern, another $12 total). DIY LED, for me, took a LOT of internet research and trial and error. Fortunately I have a good friend who's very knowledgeable on LEDs that helped me out. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

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06/03/2010, 08:50 PM	#3
bobby4tony Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 4	main lighting,is there a problem with using LED bulbs for main lighting?

06/03/2010, 08:51 PM	#4
bobby4tony Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 4	This is a DIY project,so I was thinking of making my own fixture.I have a DIY canopy ready.

06/03/2010, 10:08 PM	#7
bobby4tony Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 4	thanks a bunch,will try out your recommendations.The bulb you recommended is unavailable at that site but I found the same thing on amazon.