Makers LED

Npntransistor · 09/22/2014, 11:51 PM

Anyone have any experience with this company's products?
http://www.makersled.com/products/makerscontroller/

I'm building a 10g nano. I would like to go with LED fixture. I would like to have fully programmable controls for day / night lighting with sunrise and sunset, however such fixtures are way more than I want to pay for this project (least the ones I found). I estimated I can build a nice looking fixture with programmable controls using parts from this manufacturer and 25 Cree LED for under $250.

jedimasterben · 09/23/2014, 06:33 AM

They're pretty dummy proof, not the best or have the most features, but they have a lot they can do and make it very easy to connect and disconnect.

supra400hptt · 09/23/2014, 11:27 AM

I've built three Maker's fixtures using their controller and 2up/5up drivers. Last two I used Lumina 5.2s and it doesn't get anymore plug and play. A lot of people use the typhoon controller, but I like the fact that the Maker's controller plugs directly into the driver board with one wire. You can get a good Chinese fixture for cheap, but won't get the full smooth dimming of sunrise and set. Love mine. Not sure why they are more popular. If you get Rapid's solderless leds, I can't imagine anyone not being able to put one of these together.

furam28 · 09/23/2014, 12:15 PM

soldering is a pain in the a**! i just completed my DIY project with 12 LEDs and the 1st six LEDs were a mess. I accidentally burnt one of the LEDs partially, and got a little finger burn as well! But by the end of the project I got the hang of it and the last few soldering were pretty clean. The trick is to keep your soldering iron tip clean: if you accidentally touch plastic parts with the tip the plastic burns and leaves dirty residue on the tip and then it doesn't work as well. You can get a decent soldering iron at Harbor Freight for $4. The tips are replaceable but unfortunately they don't carry replacement tips, so I would suggest ordering a few replacement tips from eBay. If you go with the solderless option, it will save you a lot of mess - but those LEDs cost $3+ each and you have to buy the connectors. If you are looking for good LEDs, I was lucky to come across this seller on eBay that carries some SemiLEDs, Luxeon and OSRAM LEDs for about a $1 each. I am guessing they are on clearance because he has limited stocks. I tested my DIY LEDs yesterday, and I can tell you that they are indeed much brighter than the chinese BridgeLux LEDs that I have on the rest of my fixture. I will be posting a full DIY thread later. These are the LEDs that I used:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5PCS-3W-Ultr...-/321172608642

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Osram-Golden...-/321081646604

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5PCS-Philips...-/221383100093

The SemiLEDs and Luxeons can be run at 1000mA. I am using a single manual driver for all, so I have to keep them at 700mA, but even then they are bright. If you use Meanwell drivers, you can get 1000mA drivers for these.

09/22/2014, 11:51 PM	#1
Npntransistor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Ohio Posts: 32	Makers LED Anyone have any experience with this company's products? http://www.makersled.com/products/makerscontroller/ I'm building a 10g nano. I would like to go with LED fixture. I would like to have fully programmable controls for day / night lighting with sunrise and sunset, however such fixtures are way more than I want to pay for this project (least the ones I found). I estimated I can build a nice looking fixture with programmable controls using parts from this manufacturer and 25 Cree LED for under $250.

09/23/2014, 06:33 AM	#2
jedimasterben LED world domination! Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Okeechobee, FL Posts: 1,030	They're pretty dummy proof, not the best or have the most features, but they have a lot they can do and make it very easy to connect and disconnect. __________________ Dinoflagellates are the kiss of death. Current Tank Info: Acquasole 60, IceCap 15 Sump, 2x Maxspect Ethereal, Coral Box D500 skimmer, Maxspect Gyre 150, Jecod DCS-5000

09/23/2014, 12:15 PM	#4
furam28 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 18	soldering is a pain in the a**! i just completed my DIY project with 12 LEDs and the 1st six LEDs were a mess. I accidentally burnt one of the LEDs partially, and got a little finger burn as well! But by the end of the project I got the hang of it and the last few soldering were pretty clean. The trick is to keep your soldering iron tip clean: if you accidentally touch plastic parts with the tip the plastic burns and leaves dirty residue on the tip and then it doesn't work as well. You can get a decent soldering iron at Harbor Freight for $4. The tips are replaceable but unfortunately they don't carry replacement tips, so I would suggest ordering a few replacement tips from eBay. If you go with the solderless option, it will save you a lot of mess - but those LEDs cost $3+ each and you have to buy the connectors. If you are looking for good LEDs, I was lucky to come across this seller on eBay that carries some SemiLEDs, Luxeon and OSRAM LEDs for about a $1 each. I am guessing they are on clearance because he has limited stocks. I tested my DIY LEDs yesterday, and I can tell you that they are indeed much brighter than the chinese BridgeLux LEDs that I have on the rest of my fixture. I will be posting a full DIY thread later. These are the LEDs that I used: http://www.ebay.com/itm/5PCS-3W-Ultr...-/321172608642 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Osram-Golden...-/321081646604 http://www.ebay.com/itm/5PCS-Philips...-/221383100093 The SemiLEDs and Luxeons can be run at 1000mA. I am using a single manual driver for all, so I have to keep them at 700mA, but even then they are bright. If you use Meanwell drivers, you can get 1000mA drivers for these.