# diy led lighting assistance needed



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi all
My first attempt do build a diy led light for planted aquarium 120cm /60/45 total 300 liter
I search the net for info and more i read more got confused
I know i want to use cree leds. Cool /warm white, some red and blue also. And use a dimmer
Any guidance will be Welcome.
Thank you


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> Hi all
> My first attempt do build a diy led light for planted aquarium 120cm /60/45 total 300 liter
> I search the net for info and more i read more got confused
> I know i want to use cree leds. Cool /warm white, some red and blue also. And use a dimmer
> ...



sounds like you aren't in the US..
Will make parts shopping a bit of a challenge.


A mini primer using a cheap Chinese controller though a small soldering modification is necessary BUT it explains the basics.
https://www.tc420.net/connecting-high-power-LEDs-to-the-TC420.php

you can simplify things a bit using Bridgelux EB strips
https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/b/bridgelux/eb-series-modules

Old overly expensive DIY guide but good for the basics.
https://www.instructables.com/id/A-Complete-Idiots-Guide-to-Make-LED-Light-Unit/


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## Preeths (Jan 29, 2008)

alfred3 said:


> Hi all
> My first attempt do build a diy led light for planted aquarium 120cm /60/45 total 300 liter
> I search the net for info and more i read more got confused
> I know i want to use cree leds. Cool /warm white, some red and blue also. And use a dimmer
> ...


If you use the XML T6, You will need between 30-40. I prefer to run the LED at 50% of rated current as it will make them last longer. Heat produced is lesser and manageable. Please purchase a few more LED's than you need; eventually one or two may fail and if you have spares its faster to fix.

Use Cool white LED's

Also add about 10 - 20 full spectrum Plant grow LED chips instead of Blue's and Red's

Try using LED"s that are rated at the same current. This will simplify the build as you will be able to use the same LED driver.

What type of heat sink will you use? 

This is a over simplification... If you want to cool LED's Passively the heat sink needs about 20 square inches of surface per watt of energy *used* by LED. This is the ideal case. You can get away with 6 square inches of open surface area per watt for LED's. If the surface area to dissipate heat is lesser than this you will need fans.

For example if the energy used by all your LED's is 100 watts you need a heat sink that has atleast 600 square inches of surface area. here the wattage depends upon the current supplied. You can run a 10W Led at 2W by supplying 600mA instead of 2900mA of current. So since the energy used is less you can use a smaller heat sink.

Use some good thermal grease/Paste when mounting the LED's. 

This really is a complex topic. Hope this helps. If you have any specific queries, do ask.


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

ok
after reading some more on the web i have more question
I will use cree xml 2 leds 3/5 w each and my target is to achieve 70—80. How can i calculate / figure how many units of led to use?
Aquarium dimensions 120 cm long and 60cm high.
Any guidance will be appreciated.
https://www.cree.com/led-components/media/documents/XLampXML2.pdf

when soidering the led cubs do i need to made a 2-3 cm gap between them?



Preeths said:


> If you use the XML T6, You will need between 30-40. I prefer to run the LED at 50% of rated current as it will make them last longer. Heat produced is lesser and manageable. Please purchase a few more LED's than you need; eventually one or two may fail and if you have spares its faster to fix.
> 
> Use Cool white LED's
> 
> ...


Hi Preeths
thank you for your informing replay . i didn't find full spectrum led only big ones about 100w 
can you please share a direct link ? about the heat sink i want to use the body of my old T5 light


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## Preeths (Jan 29, 2008)

alfred3 said:


> Hi Preeths
> thank you for your informing replay . i didn't find full spectrum led only big ones about 100w
> can you please share a direct link ? about the heat sink i want to use the body of my old T5 light


You really need to use good aluminium heat sinks. A T5 body will not work if you are using LED's with a power rating of 3w or higher. te LED will over heat and get damaged.

Where are you located?


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

Preeths said:


> You really need to use good aluminium heat sinks. A T5 body will not work if you are using LED's with a power rating of 3w or higher. te LED will over heat and get damaged.
> 
> Where are you located?


israel .but i don't have problem to order online from us especially mouser. 

i didn't find full spectrum led only big ones about 100w
can you please share a direct link ?

i sent you pm did you saw it ?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> israel .but i don't have problem to order online from us especially mouser.
> 
> i didn't find full spectrum led only big ones about 100w
> can you please share a direct link ?
> ...


What ,exactly are you asking for?


One chip I recommmend for 6500k is Luxeon "fresh fish"..
6500k, 95 CRI per cust. service and my own observation..
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Lumileds/L2C5-FS001208E1500?qs=COJyYuYQspt8XmRoCEgS2g==
At about 35V andf 500mA (recommended though w/ proper cooling you can go higher) *17.5Watts each*

On the warm end Luxeon "crisp white"..3000k w/ some violet diodes thrown in for good measure..
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...TWjXL2ksXmiCJAvVHU1kBFOVURlLYVCjivgkcxEfCvrNh
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/lumileds/L2C5-30901203E09C0/1416-1941-5-ND/6099984
90 CRI 3000K, 35V @ 300mA = *10.5W each.*

Only catch is each COB will require a driver since the required voltage doesn't lend itself to series applications well.
Mouser or digikey won't have "star type" 3W-ers and colored COB's are almost impossible to find.




Some other suggestions would be bridgelux EB strips.
There are some high CRI Bridgelux Thrive cobs as well..
do a search by part number .

https://www.bridgelux.com/sites/def...13C Thrive Array Datasheet 20191112 Rev A.pdf

BXRE-65S2001-C-74
dirt cheap equal and arguably better than the "fresh fish"
https://www.digikey.com/product-det...5S2001-C-74/976-BXRE-65S2001-C-74-ND/11203639
6500k 2 types of blue emitters.. Nice balanced full spectrum.

Prob a dozen more COB's that will work well. Some cheaper some not.

How much on building LEd lights do you know?


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi Jeffkrol

i don't think i want to use 10w or more leds. i intend to use 5w each max, my aim is replicate the commercial brands like fluval Chihiros and so ,an amount of variable different colors/lumens .

i am going to use cree leds xml 2 or similar series with dimmers and in the future wifi controlled . it will be used in a high tech co2 .

regarding my diy experience i have some but in building LEd lights this is my first .every one need to start some where


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## Preeths (Jan 29, 2008)

These are the ones i used for grow light:

https://www.amazon.de/Delaman-Spect...93&hvtargid=pla-538234647340&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

I also used Cree XML T6 cool daylight.

You can use the *meanwell LCM 60* driver. This comes with inbuilt constant current power supply, You can set the voltage and current depending on the requirement. It also has dimming function inbuilt and a separate 12V 50mA connection for a fan. There are a few you tube video's on how to use this.

IMHO this is by far the best driver and you dont need anything else for dimming or running a fan.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

It will depend on what protocol ones intended controller uses.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Cree XM-L is poo, that is all...

Thrive 6500K and 5000K with the right mixing will get you 6000K @ 100CRI. Nothing else comes close if you like that temp. Also, anything above the S1001-C is absolute overkill in a planted tank. S1001-C's are 3 bucks a pop and even running at 5W they put out way too much light for a single point source. Better to buy multiples and put it in a thin light bar. On a 60cm light bar 6x S1001-C's on a dirt cheap $8 APC-35-350 will put 100 PAR 60cm down in air so total overkill. 2 groups of 3 wired in series and then parallel so 100V per group with each cob getting a measly 175ma.


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## Preeths (Jan 29, 2008)

Excuse the Algae in the tank. This was from 2017 when I made the DIY lights for my self.

60X30X36 cm tank.

The tank had Pressurized CO2 1.5 BPS through out. EI Dosing with weekly 50% water change. Lights on from 13:00 till 17:00 then again from 18:00 till 22:00 daily on a timer.

The first Picture is with White + Blue+RED 1W LED's

The second picture is of the tank with these LED's. Now One advantage of using RED and Blue LED, more spectrum for the plants to grow .... or so i assumed. There was a different advantage to this...

Fishes that were red and Blue looked really good. Adding LED's to match the color of the fish you put in the tank will make then look really good. As long as you have that spectrum the fish will look good. Just 1-2 LED to match what ever color of the fish is enough in a small tank. You will need more for a larger tank.

The third Picture is of the DIY setup for plant grow LEDs 20X3w LED's

The Tank with Grow LED's - looking at the tank with this light made me nauseous. I dont know if its just me or it affects other people the same way.

The last pictures is of the tank under 10 CREE XML T6 driven at 1500 mA (50W)

The tank with the Algae mostly cleaned... not gone.

Now Mostly I use about 30% Plant Grow LED, 70% Cool Daylight LED In my fixtures. I also use the sticky LED tape with different coloured LEDs only to ensure my fish look good.

My suggestion is to use a combination Of grow light and cool daylight. the Source and brand can be specific to what is easily available for purchase by you.

Bump: One other Note... to prevent thermal runaway, all my LED's were always connected in series. I never used a series and parallel combination. This kept the whole setup rather simple to build. The disadvantage of this was it was difficult to find the correct driver to match the LED's required current and voltage(in series)


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Thermal runaway is a thing that happens when you use diodes with terrible binning (ie: Cree). Pretty much every planted light on the market that's not a puck with a million color channels uses a series-parallel config. It's not cost effective otherwise.


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

After very vise advices here I decided to switch to Bridgelux BXRE-65S1001-C-74
BXRE-50S1001-C-74 . 6500/5000 k 2:1 ratio, how many units I will be need total for my 120 cm tank 
And what driver and power supply will be suitable , I heard good thing of mean well products


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> After very vise advices here I decided to switch to Bridgelux BXRE-65S1001-C-74
> BXRE-50S1001-C-74 . 6500/5000 k 2:1 ratio, how many units I will be need total for my 120 cm tank
> And what driver and power supply will be suitable , I heard good thing of mean well products



First thing, though your choices are just fine, going only as low as 5000k doesn't give a realistic sunset/sunrise IF that matters.
Lower k good whites also have a better red component. There is a risk of personally not using them as much (lower current) 

as you would diodes at 5000K.


Next drivers will depend on if you plan on controlling them and what control..


Third if you use 1w/gallon 300L =80gal 80W evenly spread out over tank.
Shouldn't be a problem since 2 rows would be better than one strip..
Soo 6 of each, 2 rows of 3 pairs.
More than enough light.roughly 12x 17W = 204W.
dimming will be important.
Good thing is a single channel (either 6500k or whatever) is enough power.. 

In other words overkill but good for uniformity.

NOTE: WATTS is not a good predictor of output but it is use-able if one is aware of issues.


Most common system of drivers is LDD-h's (or possibly LDD-L's but w/ a caution), 5V PWM based controller and in your case 48V power supply w/ sufficient wattage.
https://www.tc420.net/connecting-high-power-LEDs-to-the-TC420.php


Instead of strings picture one COB. BTW more than one Meanwell LDD driver on one channel in this system.
SOOO decide on controller.
You ca nadd circuitry to change a 5V PWM to say 10V analog (0-10v dimming) but just adds cost and a bit of complexity.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

LDD is a horrible choice for BXRE's. They are 32-34V cobs each one. A realistic way is using a driver that supports 100V or more so you can run sets of 3 in series and then run the sets in parallel. 100v, 1-1.5 amp single driver is more than enough and realistically he's going to really be running at 1 amp.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Reworked it and in my humble opinion.. 
consider it an alternate configuration only..


BXRE-65S2001-C-74 
2 rows of 3.. Let the 6500k's do the heavy lifting
21W nominal 34.4V 650mA.. Best to go around 500mA

BXRE-35S1001-C-73‎ 
3 rows of 2 for color.
12w nominal
360mA 33.7V











Bump:


gus6464 said:


> LDD is a horrible choice for BXRE's. They are 32-34V cobs each one. A realistic way is using a driver that supports 100V or more so you can run sets of 3 in series and then run the sets in parallel. 100v, 1-1.5 amp single driver is more than enough and realistically he's going to really be running at 1 amp.


Depends on the controller.. most common ones are 5V PWM. You need to add extra circuitry (granted not hard) in the most cases though running a TC-420 native at 10v at least gets you 10V PWM output though .


It's not a "horrible" choice" at appox $6-7 per chip and one power supply.


There is no need to run them at 1A and then dim them 50%..
i'll do the math later but at my conservative drive currents the 6/4 array probably puts out 24,000 lumens over an 80gal tank.
don't get me wrong, I like your choice of drivers.. IF I ran an APEX..


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

O/P's already got parts... Let them decide.
Both work though still personally like to separate drivers (which seem to last forever) from ac/DC conversion which doesn't.,😄


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Once again you are showing that you have not used the BXRE's. An S2001-C at 500ma is way way way too much light for a normal tank. Also, I am not suggesting he run the cobs at 1a and then dim them. The 1a is total across the entire array. In reality you would be running 3x S1001-C's in series for 100V. Then take those groups of 3x and run them all in parallel. S1001-C are dirt cheap at $3 each so you can run more of them for way more spread. 2x rows of 12 S1001-C's will blanket that tank with light with as little as 100v/1a of total power usage. Each cob will get ~0.84a of current at 32V.

Also, adding the 3500K for a fake sunset and sunrise will really do nothing for the plants themselves. a 2:1 ratio of of 6500/5000K gets him 100 CRI @ 6000K. That will do way more than a fake sunrise and sunset for 30 mins.

ELG-150-C1400AB can run that entire array at less than $40 and then he can add whatever controller he wants if he chooses to whether do pwm or 10v.


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

To be honest I’m more confused now .. I am for sure want something that is a little over power and be able to dim it if it will be necessary, better than an option that I will be stocked with something that now giving me much lighted tank . regarding the dimmer I would like something that I can control remotely by wifi but in the other hand I would like some thing relabel. I love the look of good lighted tank closer to a day/cool white with a touch of warm white. I my opinion little touch of blue and red make a good appearance of the plants and fish , I now that is not necessary for plants growing but at the end visuality is important . btw I an not from us and I use not 110v I use 220v.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> To be honest I’m more confused now .. I am for sure want something that is a little over power and be able to dim it if it will be necessary, better than an option that I will be stocked with something that now giving me much lighted tank . regarding the dimmer I would like something that I can control remotely by wifi but in the other hand I would like some thing relabel. I love the look of good lighted tank closer to a day/cool white with a touch of warm white. I my opinion little touch of blue and red make a good appearance of the plants and fish , I now that is not necessary for plants growing but at the end visuality is important . btw I an not from us and I use not 110v I use 220v.


 Voltage won't matter much on the ac end since so many are universal. DC knows no country so things like the Meanwell LDD's work everywhere... 




> I love the look of good lighted tank closer to a day/cool white


The Bridgelux or my luxeon fresh fish satisfies that.
You do need to keep in mind that white LED's have a ton of blue.
7000k/660nm is also a crisp white color w/ lots of pop as well.






> with a touch of warm white.


Which was the point of the 3500k COBs.. A size smaller than the 6500k's and 4 vs 6 for the cool white ones..
You may only run them 10% during peak photosynthesis (for looks) which is why I boosted the 6500k's
6 of those alone should give you lots of PAR.
Point is at $3 each they are a bit err disposable. Yea need to by 4 $7 drivers as well but the ps stays the same.
$40 color add on.. FEW if any would argue about adding warm whites to a cool white array...for the plants .
Many 3500k leds in the past had HORRIBLE color rendering but by using the Thrive line you shouldn't have that.






You should build it so there is a gap beteen rows so worse comes to worse you jut fill it..
Best thing about DIY, allowing for expansion..



____cw....ww....cw....ww....cw_________
__..add any ancillary colors you like here.__

____cw....ww....cw....ww....cw_________


Bluefish mini is a nice controller but very limited in programming morning noon sunset night type.
Uses the cloud and has been reliable for me. Installing via Blynk was a nightmare though.

AFAICT most of those Chinese strip dimmers can be hacked like the TC-420. Just add a wire to the gate of the MOSFET and you get 5V PWM output.

If necessary you can convert 5V PWM to 0-10V analog.

Oh another option is a boost driver.
Can convert a 12V switching power supply to up to 86V @500mA for only $10..
so 2 cobs per driver.


> Power on with dimming: PWM DIM~DIM- >2~8VDC or open circuit


https://www.ledsupply.com/led-drivers/mean-well-ldh-series-cc-step-up-boost-mode

Not really much of a difference over separate LDD drivers though.

PWM To Voltage Converter Module 0%-100% to 0-10V for Digital to Analog Signal


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## Preeths (Jan 29, 2008)

When i built my first DIY led panel I used the cheapest material available, not the most reliable. I understood that this would be a learning process and I did not want to invest too much. Once I built and used it for a few weeks I got more confidence to buy better Quality stuff because I know I would not mess it up. The "FIRST" time is always the hardest 

Start with a simple design. Just on and off should be good. Once you figure that out, add dimming or other features as you like. Doing everything at once, the first time will be difficult and confusing.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

gus6464 said:


> Once again you are showing that you have not used the BXRE's.


And you haven't used SORRA's 5000k, Fresh fish COB's, Luminus devices COB's or 6500k sunplus diodes..
I can read spec sheets and spectrums..
I never shhot for least amount of potential favoring coverage and room for error..



gus6464 said:


> Also, adding the 3500K for a fake sunset and sunrise will really do nothing for the plants themselves


not sure why you consider it "fake"?
Normalized 3500k spectrum vs one moment of sunset.. 
Granted a lot of room for error but the trend is what is important..
Lot of deep red and some 700nm plus to boot. Scales a bit off ect.











sorry, just love this pic..








bar to the left of the first "yellowish" (prob close to 4000k) one is prob about 5000k, next to it about 6500k..plus or minus a group  
sunset is listed at 2800-3400K..can't get myself to "push" lower than 3500k


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Simulation data.. All diodes run at 100%
3:2 ratio.


> * MIXING LIST
> ----------------------------------------
> myData bridgeluxv6500.txt [120°] x6
> myData bridgeluxves3500k.txt [120°] x4
> ...












Assumption 2787 lumens and 1400 lumens per cw/ww cob respectively.

You know what I said about blues earlier.. weel ignore it in this case.
Looks like a strip of small blue diodes (about 30W worth..) at about 460nm would actually help..


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

how about combining all 3 ? 6000/5000/3000?

what about power supply how strong will i need to purchase ?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

48v say about 10 x 500 mA... 5A. 


250 Watts 
You can refine it by using actual V(f) and mA's 
As an example say 34v @ .5A = 17w *10 = 170w power supply.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

jeffkrol said:


> Simulation data.. All diodes run at 100%
> 3:2 ratio.
> 
> 
> ...


Yes because an led that already has a cri of 97-98 along with an r9 of the same now suddenly has a cri of 90 when combined with another led of the same spec. But sure let's use bogus simulation data.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

gus6464 said:


> Yes because an led that already has a cri of 97-98 along with an r9 of the same now suddenly has a cri of 90 when combined with another led of the same spec. But sure let's use bogus simulation data.
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk



You missed a part...


> You know what I said about blues earlier.. well ignore it in this case.
> Looks like a strip of small blue diodes (about 30W worth..) at about 460nm would actually help..












CRI is calculated different for different ranges of spectrums..
It is also becoming obsolete..

You know it's pretty funny considering I pretty much harped on CRI while you ignored it or criticized it in the past (especially w/ the "fresh fish") when I told you CREE were junk.
Seems in some parallel universe you have become me.. 

BTW CRI calcs use only the first 8 swatches.

SKIPPING the blue *but *dimming the 3500k down to 25%










Maybe we should talk CYAN.. Bridgelux has a ton of it.. thus the high CRI for the most part..
seem to recall you not be enamored about it in the past.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> how about combining all 3 ? 6000/5000/3000?



Your light.. It just gets a bit more complicated w/ COB's vs smaller emitters since each is a "spotlight" so to speak.

Crunching the numbers on my "fake" calculator tells me you really don't gain any benefits


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

This is absolutely going nowhere. At the end of the day we never going to agree on lighting as while I like to go the practical route and see what sticks all you do is spout simulation data and specs.

This is the ops first build and you want to send him down the rabbit hole of complex mixes and electronics so that he will basically just forget about it and go with something practical like buying an off the shelf light.

At the end of the day sunrises, sunsets, ramps, and all this other stuff you like does nothing better for the actual matter at hand which is growing plants in a glass box filled with water. All you need is on/off and whatever look the op wants out of his lights which actually if it were up to him would be the Ada solar RGB as that is his preferred look. So that's easily accomplished with some Steve's LEDs tristars RGB in antidisco along a bar and that's it.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

gus6464 said:


> This is absolutely going nowhere. At the end of the day we never going to agree on lighting as while I like to go the practical route and see what sticks all you do is spout simulation data and specs.
> 
> This is the ops first build and you want to send him down the rabbit hole of complex mixes and electronics so that he will basically just forget about it and go with something practical like buying an off the shelf light.
> 
> ...



Nothing complicated about a 2 color light fixture..The wiring diagram for the TC-420 is as simple as one can get. USE LDD-HW's (one driver one COB) and a power supply ..all simple wiring. 

No need to do series/parallel arrays (granted also not hard)
Didn't even get into "Tunable COB's"..

Where did you get the ADA thing from?


> I know i want to use cree leds. Cool /warm white, some red and blue also. And use a dimmer


answered all except skipped the red and crees..


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

I swear I feel like a child that see his parents arguing, I am sure that they both mean well for the child but the child is more confused .i am really appreciating your passion to help me the best way you can.
I will really appreciate if you will answer directly to this question so I can will be able to proceed some how .
1.	Can I use my old t5 aluminum body for this matter? If not can what size of heatsink I need to use? 120cm like the 
size of the tank ? up2me.co.il öôéä áúîåðä: 46813950.jpg or smaller ? 

2.	Is this power supply will be suitable, if not please sent a link to the one that is suitable? 
https://www.meanwell.com/Upload/PDF/IPC-250/IPC-250-SPEC.PDF 

3.	I understand that the power supply and the drivers adjustable for both 110/220 v?
4.	If not tc421 for dimming what the other option? I manual dimmer? can you please sent a link to a suitable one?

Please please answer exactly the questions 1.2.3….

I will appreciate if all the product links will be from digikey so I can make a quick purchase I need to proceed quickly, my old light broke down and I working with improvised light and the plant are dying 
Thank you very much for all your effort and good will to assist in this project ,I hope throw this dissection more members will be learn and be wise .

alfred


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> 1. Can I use my old t5 aluminum body for this matter? If not can what size of heatsink I need to use? 120cm like the
> size of the tank ? up2me.co.il öôéä áúîåðä: 46813950.jpg or smaller ?



Looks fine.. COB when spread and at the right height will only cover about 76cm linear if the sink is about 12cm (well actually to the face of the COB) off the water line.
Laying it on the tank may cause issues in the upper part of the tank.
Think of it this way.. each COB's beam angle is 120 degrees..
At 12cm from the water surface it will project a cone of light that covers a 40cm in diameter circle. Rough estimate since I'm considering it a point not a 1cm-ish disc. you want light IN the tank not outside. My preferred system is design for 100% coverage at the waters surface.

Play w/ this:

https://store.marinebeam.com/beam-angle-calculator-1/



alfred3 said:


> 2. Is this power supply will be suitable, if not please sent a link to the one that is suitable?
> https://www.meanwell.com/Upload/PDF/IPC-250/IPC-250-SPEC.PDF


https://www.meanwell.com/Upload/PDF/IPC-250/IPC-250-SPEC.PDF
[/QUOTE]
*LRS-350-48*
*INPUT POWER:* *90 ~ 264VAC*
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=LRS-350-48




alfred3 said:


> 3. I understand that the power supply and the drivers adjustable for both 110/220 v?


See above for power supply

Get Meanwell LDD-*hw's* @ 500mA mA range is user defined.
1 Per COB

How hot you drive them depends on cooling.
*CHECK the COB spec sheets for recommended current but I'd advise you not to go to the maximum allowed. 1/2 is a good rule of thumb.*
*Your call..*
You can always dim them.

HW means wires so you don't need to futz w/ a circuit board but does mean you have a small black dominoe hanging off your COB.
you can thermal glue (see heatsink plaster) the LDD's onto the heat sink.



Drivers are fed the DC output of the power supply. ONE thing not mentioned yet..LDD's have "overhead" so whatever your power supply voltage is you can only get that minus 3 volts out.
For a 48V DC out you only have 45V max for the COB's Plenty in this case.
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=ldd-500hw




alfred3 said:


> 4. If not tc421 for dimming what the other option? I manual dimmer? can you please sent a link to a suitable one?


Don't know of any dimmers at Digikey.
Till you sort out the dimmer thing you can find these cheap manual dimmers. Just need to solder one wire on.
Only need one per channel though not sure if one will do 6 COB's should but atm ??
see this:
Questions on dimming LDD drivers - Reef Central Online Community




Stuff like this. Sorry don't know a digikey equivalent.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TSH6MN...RUzZNT1M2WiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjM1MTM2MzND
TkRCUTk2VjlPUSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbDImYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl


https://www.amazon.com/Hiletgo-DC12...=1&keywords=led+dimmer&qid=1596867848&sr=8-37

Oh and the dimmers need to be powered. Anything between 9-24V wall wart will work. Say 250mA or more..


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Just an example of spacing, coverage and part placement @ 13cm off the water line.
Would like a bit better spread for the ww's (red) but it gets better deeper in the tank.
Also, technically even spacing of the COB's isn't the most ideal. Center area is much higher in PAR than the edges but 
that complicates things a bit. 
Actually since each puck is "independent" one can tune them to compensate though that would require 6 (cool whites only)-10 channels.

Center to center COB's are 8" apart. Approx 20cm.
Same front to back.
Used a 48 x 24" tank pattern (grey area)

Oh and prob move the LDD's a bit more to center between the COB's and possibly sideways, may be easier to wire.
Didn't feel like adj it.
There will be a lot of wires under there.
You can use CAT5-6 for the dim wires to a controller if you go seperate.
2-10 pwm wires
2 power wires (use min 20ga) 

Oh ONE last thing.. If the heatsink lip is 1" deep you need the edge of the yellow COB part to be about 1 3/4" (4.4cm) in so as to not block the light.. 

I don't know the exact dim of your sink so just adj accordingly.

Same w/ height..you may find lowering it is better. Has to do w/ lenses and how spot size is measured..



















https://biomod2016.gitlab.io/kansai/ex2-1.html


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

hi jeff

thank for all your effort and time . i contact today the tech support of digi key and they suggested that this

https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=1866-3350-ND 

is enough and don't needed to use this 

https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=ldd-500hw

and it cant be connected a dimmer ( btw i ordered the TC421 )..


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

No you still need the drivers. 
Power supply does AC/DC conversion.
Led's regulate the power supply output (buck voltage regulator) to maintain a steady current.


----------



## fjvb76 (Aug 10, 2020)

I have a question for ANYBODY - Been sleuthing the web for advice on using COB full spectrum grow light LED for aquarium. Any ideas?


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

fjvb76 said:


> I have a question for ANYBODY - Been sleuthing the web for advice on using COB full spectrum grow light LED for aquarium. Any ideas?



"full spectrum grow light " is an often misused term.
Does it look pink/violet?


----------



## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

alfred3 said:


> hi jeff
> 
> thank for all your effort and time . i contact today the tech support of digi key and they suggested that this
> 
> ...


Mean hlg, clg, etc are the ones that are both driver and power supply. Go to the meanwell site and look under led drivers for all your options.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

so all the guys in digikey insists that this power supply

https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=LRS-350-48

is way more power full that needed for connecting 10-12 cobs of BXRE-65S1001-C-74-ND and will harm/burn out the leds

"Like I was saying these devices are meant to be current driven. An LED driver would be selected for its current rating. 360mA in this case for one LED"

"what I am getting at is the voltage that supply puts out is more than what the LED can handle. it wants a typical voltage of 33.7"


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> so all the guys in digikey insists that this power supply
> 
> https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=LRS-350-48
> 
> ...


Whoever you are talking with is an idiot. Sorry someone has to say it..



The LDD driver IS A VOLTAGE REGULATOR and will decrease the power supply voltage til the COB draws 500mA (which it will at a particular voltage..)
Different company SAME principal.



> *Step-Down (Buck) LED Drivers*
> 
> Analog Devices step-down (buck) LED drivers are ideal for applications where the input voltage is above the LED voltage, as in many automotive or industrial applications. These LED drivers offer the highest efficiency, lowest noise, and the smallest footprints. Other features include integrated Schottky diodes, accurate LED current matching, and multiple output capability.


Power supply is a DUMB device and only need to supply enough voltage and capacity (watts) to supply the led driver(s).
The Meanwell LDD is a "smart" device that takes the input voltage and drops it (Buck it) until the circuit records a particular current draw.
If the sensed current drops it will raise the voltage. If it increases it will drop the voltage.

ONLY catch to be aware of is that LDD's OUTPUT to the LED will only go up to the power supply output voltage minus 3-4Volts.
Max "allowed" voltage of a 48V ps is say 45V.
A 36 is 33.. THAT is why 48V was chose.. 33 too close to the COBs rating.


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

IF you wanted to, *and trust me FEW would recommend this*, and go "driverless" this is one way to do it.
Dimming becomes an issue though since most would not be able to handle 48v. inc your tc-421 w/ max voltage of 24V










47 Ohm 10 Watt resistors would be recommended and you are wasting power..57 Watts worth.

*ACTUALLY w/ that set up one could use the 36V power supply..*










IF one had a *perfectly stable* 33.7Volt power supply *and perfectly cooled * COBs (there are voltage changes creating higher current draw in an led as it heats) ,even the resistors wouldn't be need


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Thought of an easy way to explain it..
Your *AC/DC power supply* changes from 100/200 volts to 48 volts (ignore the TYPE of voltage for the moment).. the driver* (a dc to dc power supply) *changes the 48v to what is NEEDED to measure a particular current draw the circuit is designed for..

You basically gang 2 power supplies w/ 2 different functions.

For FUN..
IF you took your 36V power supply and tweaked it to output 34V you could use 1 Ohm 1/2 Watt resistors.
YES it says 1/4W I rounde up more.. 



> each 1 ohm resistor dissipates 122.5 mW
> the wizard thinks 1/4W resistors are fine for your application Help
> together, all resistors dissipate 1225 mW
> together, the diodes dissipate 117950 mW
> ...


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

They arrived..


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

this is the plan to arrange the cobs 

is that ok ? do i missing something?

does it will stick on the aluminium body only with the thermal paste?

the dimmer didn't arrived yet , can i connect and light the cobs without harming them?

https://ibb.co/602yjNV


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> this is the plan to arrange the cobs
> 
> is that ok ? do i missing something?
> 
> ...





Sure if your driver is OK w/ nothing on the DIM circuit...
I didn't see the usual 100% on if no signal.

But one can put a battery (less than 10V) across the dim wires as a test if it doesn't light w/out anything.

Thermal adhesive (basically heat conducting silicone) will glue the COB's fine.
There are 2 part thermal epoxies as well but personally too expensive and not much better than things like "heatsink plaster". 


Thermal paste will not.
Thermal tape should but never used it.

Layout seems fine, remember each COB is in parallel, no series strings.. 











If you are worried you can dial the current down w/ the pot.
You can go down to approx 2.6 A which would be 2.6/10 =250mA per COB.
Best done w/ a VOM in series w/ 10A setting.



Should mention the kicker to these designs.. "IF" you have a COB fail open the remaining current gets reshuffled 

i.e say 2 fail at 5.2A Bow each COB gets 5.2/8 = 650mA.. Fortunately you have to have many COB's fail before it would take out all of them in a thermal runaway.


----------



## Preeths (Jan 29, 2008)

alfred3 said:


> this is the plan to arrange the cobs
> 
> 
> does it will stick on the aluminium body only with the thermal paste?
> ...


NO, You will need to use a screw or bolt. Use plastic or nylon washers so you don't damage the chips. Usually the COB's will have a cutout or a round hole in opposite corners for this purpose.

You can use super Glue but, its a bad option.


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Screwing..bolting is sort of preferred but plenty of people use just thermal silicone glue, myself included. In 3 years never lost one COB or had it delaminate from the sink.

I started w/ tapping and threading aluminum. Hope to never do that again ..
ONE thing... Don't push on the lens.










https://www.reddit.com/r/HandsOnCom...o_mount_leds_to_a_heat_sink_without_hardware/

https://cablematic.com/en/products/...tronic-components-or-high-temperatures-NK098/


As a side note some have used epoxy on the sides for insurance..

another note.. IF silicone can hold an aquarium together I'm sure it can hold a teeny bit of COB on a heat sink..


----------



## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Buy thermal tape. 25-30mm one is all you need. Did you go with V10 or v13s?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

gus6464 said:


> Buy thermal tape. 25-30mm one is all you need. Did you go with V10 or v13s?
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


Last I knew is they went w./ V10's..


Do you know if his driver requires a dim signal (pot,10v 10v pwm) to light?

hlg-185H


"c" series apparently doesn't need a signal.
https://rapidled.com/products/mean-well-hlg-185h-c1400b


These are almost as bad as metal halide ballast choices.. 
I'll stick to LDD's..


----------



## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

ABs have built-in pot and dim output. If nothing is on the dim output then it's just 100% unless you use the internal pot. B with dim output is 100% if nothing is connected to dim signal.

Just because you don't know how to use these drivers doesn't mean they are bad. They offer multiple options depending on what you want to do. And ldds are still a terrible choice for a large number of high voltage cobs and will always be.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

gus6464 said:


> ABs have built-in pot and dim output. If nothing is on the dim output then it's just 100% unless you use the internal pot. B with dim output is 100% if nothing is connected to dim signal.
> 
> Just because you don't know how to use these drivers doesn't mean they are bad. They offer multiple options depending on what you want to do. And ldds are still a terrible choice for a large number of high voltage cobs and will always be.
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


I know how to use them and their ilk. Got a bunch in the basement...
spec sheet doesn't list Null =100%
I have some AC/DC Meanwell drivers that do not light unless you have a dim signal.
I just wired a 9V batt. to test them.
Last straw was when I designed a light but got "flash" (as the drivers dumped their capacitors) on some early COB's
A situation I never had w/ LDD's

AB's weren't available when I started. 
It is a NICE thing and wouldn't uby any other type IF I'd ever buy one again..
Ldd's are practically thoughtless.. No need to match current, measure mA and voltage ect. Plug and play..


10V analog industry standard is err not user friendly if one goes w/ popular controllers such as the Blue fish, any Aduino based unit, Typhon, Hurricane, Storm, Storm X
Reef pi, Robotank, and Ferduino. 



Best you got is expensive Apex..
Need to switch the driver off and it generally doesn't "dim to zero"




> For instance, the digital signaling from a Dali control system cannot always be translated by the driver into the appropriate lighting state that’s required. Beyond a certain level of dimming, the LEDs may simply switch off. But be pragmatic; if you’re only looking for dimming down to 50 per cent there’s no need to search for a driver that will take the lighting down to 5 per cent.



We just have to agree to disagree on this point.. I'd gladly take the extra "space" of LDD's over an all in one w/ crippled dimming and bad protocols..

I did say before that adding a 10V conversion board to switch 5(3.3) PWM to 10v analog isn't difficult but more parts, more places for beginners to err..ect.

PERSONAL Balance sheet.. LDD's win "almost" every time. COB's or light heads requiring over 2A may be the only exception........

2.6x .7" dual driver and mA adj,, What's not to love?








9.1 sq inches of space to run 10 COB's..

7.8 linear inches to run 6 cobs.. Pretty sure one could find heat sink room.


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

DANG.. Pretty sure ALL the orig. "math" was for 10 COB's.. o/p's showing 12...
Not good.











Recalc.
12 LDDs occupy 12 sq inches approx .5" tall

10.92" sq for 6 (@2) mini drivr


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

gus6464 said:


> Buy thermal tape. 25-30mm one is all you need. Did you go with V10 or v13s?
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


i purchsed V10


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

This is all i have to deal with..


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Qm850 is not listed as a "glue" .
You will need to somehow secure the COBs to the heat sink 

Also will need to throttle the current for that size of a heat sink as far as I can tell.

5.2/12 = 433 mA per cob and approx. 18watts. Suggest not going above 10w till you see how hot they get.


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

how about that ?

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Thermal-Efficient-Conductivity-Handling/dp/B00UYTTXSM

or this 

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-2019-Performance-Durability/dp/B07L9BDY3T


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> how about that ?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Thermal-Efficient-Conductivity-Handling/dp/B00UYTTXSM
> 
> ...


AFAICT ..no
Pad def no



> they are non-stick and can be easily removed and repositioned. Install the Pad yourself at home in a matter of minutes






Stuff like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Ceatech-Ther...+plaster&qid=1598292659&s=electronics&sr=1-11
https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Alumi...k+plaster&qid=1598292798&s=electronics&sr=1-6
https://www.amazon.com/Conductive-S...k+plaster&qid=1598292829&s=electronics&sr=1-4
https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Cond...k+plaster&qid=1598292860&s=electronics&sr=1-5


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## SirNut (Aug 21, 2020)

Preeths said:


> When i built my first DIY led panel I used the cheapest material available, not the most reliable. I understood that this would be a learning process and I did not want to invest too much. Once I built and used it for a few weeks I got more confidence to buy better Quality stuff because I know I would not mess it up. The "FIRST" time is always the hardest
> 
> Start with a simple design. Just on and off should be good. Once you figure that out, add dimming or other features as you like. Doing everything at once, the first time will be difficult and confusing.



Just out of curiosity, do you recall an estimate of what your fist light as well as your more recent lights cost in supplies? I've been interested in building my own lights but don't have a good frame of reference for the total cost


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

SirNut said:


> Just out of curiosity, do you recall an estimate of what your fist light as well as your more recent lights cost in supplies? I've been interested in building my own lights but don't have a good frame of reference for the total cost


Things change all the time.. 
Newer COB's are much cheaper than old 3w stars on an available watt basis.

Things that don't change.. and based on "my" recommendation of drivers:
Meanwell LDD drivers ($6-9US) running a 48V power supply (45V effective) and "average" 3.7V cheap leds
12 "3W" stars = 36W

Say about $8 per 36W

48V power supplies run anywhere from $12 (cheap chinese)to $30(Meanwell)
$33.49 for 48V 350Watts available.

LED's can run 10 for $1(3W evil bay) to $3-$6(StevesLED). Quality COB's can cost $1/Watt 

To be honest the most expensive parts are aluminum and controllers..
Controllers ($25->$100)

For "fancy".. $50/ft
https://www.ledsupply.com/led-heatsinks/makersled-heatsink-kit.

Sorry don't really consider "little bits" like wire, screws, heat sink compound but does add cost to the project. 

You also can dd a driver circuit board for simplicity though Meanwell-HW's have wires so no need for a fancy board.

Off the cuff.. you can save "some" money (as long as you don't need to buy meters, soldering irons) but most go more "premium" raising costs to equal or exceed.
Thing is you get what you want..

Running 10/$10 single color diodes, ldd700-HW $7, 48v 50W $12.29, cheap aluminum bar 
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Steelworks...a-Nc3s-ggmBIOviRYeBoCFBgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
1" x 72" = $11 so $5.5 per 3ft..

$27.79 for "30Watts"... mount it as you see fit..


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

ok

those arrived today also . i prefer to start with them, so where it's goes?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073R7H52B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> ok
> 
> those arrived today also . i prefer to start with them, so where it's goes?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073R7H52B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



Where the TC-421 is (replace it w/ one dimmer)...
REMEMBER do not power it w/ more than 10V.

It is just the Manual version of the TC.


----------



## Preeths (Jan 29, 2008)

SirNut said:


> Just out of curiosity, do you recall an estimate of what your fist light as well as your more recent lights cost in supplies? I've been interested in building my own lights but don't have a good frame of reference for the total cost


My first build cost about INR 2000 about $25
$10 for LED's
$3 for the driver
$7 for the heat sink
$5 for wires, and thermal paste and miscellaneous items.

Now,

I use Mean well drivers, CREE LED's (I know, but i work with what i can get locally) heat sink like shown below...
I use a PAR meter, so I measure and build exactly what "I" need for the tank. Using good Quality stuff, the price is comparable to the lights available in the store. 
How ever the advantage is that you can customize and fix stuff if it breaks.


----------



## Quesenek (Sep 26, 2008)

SirNut said:


> Just out of curiosity, do you recall an estimate of what your fist light as well as your more recent lights cost in supplies? I've been interested in building my own lights but don't have a good frame of reference for the total cost


Just jumping in here to give you a little more frame of reference.
I built my initial light for a 10 gallon and here are the basics to it.

7 luxeon 6500k = $17
3 luxeon 2700k = $8
From StevesLed's.

mean well 1000ma LDD-H driver = $6
48v 75w mean well switching power supply = $14
From LED supply.

Generic PWM dimmer hacked to control the LDD = $7 amazon


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

the HLG-185H-36AB have a built in dimming option ,do i need to adjust the a or v down a bit before i am connecting it to the ac ?

the cobs are 33.7V and there is 2 options vo adjust and ai adjust


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Voltage you can leave alone
The amps, you'll be starting at 5.2A output.
You can connect a 10-100k potentiometer to the dim circuit. Looks like the more resistance the brighter it is. Suppose you could temporarily dim it w/ like a 50k resistor. Effectively limiting average current.
Dialing down the amps (a) does the same thing sort of.
Normally I suppose you would measure the amp output "live" or plugged in, and adjust it.
If you have a 20A setting or so you shouldn't blow your meter.

Just remember in parallel each Cob will get 
5.2A divided by the # of cobs you have wired up.


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

interested in how this build is coming along


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## Truemyth (Sep 17, 2020)

Is this what happens when a engineer gets into the hobby and have a few too many hours on his hand 

In all seriousness though, very informative DIY post, great stuff you guys got going on, love all the details and schematics y'all posted on this build, totally geeking out right now


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

And there be light, after some attempts managed to turn on the cobs. What is certain it is dam hot, i really hope that aluminium body will handle the heat. Btw the dimmer that was sugustet is getting very hot allso, can it be that he can't handle the voltage?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073R7H52B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## bubbaray_00 (Jun 22, 2020)

This is awesome. Great input by all. I plan to do a 125gallon Tall soon, so lots of info to digest here.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> And there be light, after some attempts managed to turn on the cobs. What is certain it is dam hot, i really hope that aluminium body will handle the heat. Btw the dimmer that was sugustet is getting very hot allso, can it be that he can't handle the voltage?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073R7H52B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1



suppose I should have mentioned not to run the COB's w/out being attached to a heat sink.. Even 3W "stars" can get blistering hot at power..
and you need ALL the parallel cobs hooked up or you will overpower them. 


Dimmer shouldn't be getting too hot. The Dim circuit 1)doesn't draw much current AFAICT and 2) It's pwm so off/on



> Dimming source current from power supply: 100microamps typ.


you have it on it's own 10v source right?

You can use a resistor between the dim wires instead: 10KOhms= 10% 20 KOhms = 20% 100KOhms = 100% Don't go below 10KOhms.











Only thing to heat up in the dimmer is that MOSFET (ignore the orange wire, that's an added 5V "tap" for LDD dimming)..
Well and the tiny voltage regulator that shifts the 10V (or 12-24V normally) to 5V for the timing IC circuit .
Neither of which should be "stressed" at 10V.


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

OK

connected the cobs to the aluminium body with thermal tape and connected the dimmer (workes well ).

after about 20-30 min the cobs temp reached approx 60-62 celsius. i is it an ideal temp or to hot ( it going to work 8 hours a day ) the other option it colling by a fan. is it better big fans on top of the aluminium body or small fans inside near the cobs?


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> OK
> 
> connected the cobs to the aluminium body with thermal tape and connected the dimmer (works well ).
> 
> after about 20-30 min the cobs temp reached approx 60-62 celsius. i is it an ideal temp or to hot ( it going to work 8 hours a day ) the other option it cooling by a fan. is it better big fans on top of the aluminium body or small fans inside near the cobs?



60 C is a bit warm.. 50C is usually my "comfort zone" on heat sink temps.
Actual COB temps will be much higher..

good thing is you got heat transfer.. 


W/ LED's cooler is always better regardless

You need to move heat off the aluminum so fans on top or blowing across fins is the best..
Don't need big fans.. just need some air movement across the fins


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

Thanks jeff
Here some pic of the final thing


----------



## bubbaray_00 (Jun 22, 2020)

is that the maker slim housing as your heatsink? its hard to tell from the really bright light  It looks great.


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

bubbaray_00 said:


> is that the maker slim housing as your heatsink? its hard to tell from the really bright light  It looks great.


i used thermal tape to connect the cobs to the body . the cobs are great and powerful but they are very small and there is barely space to work with/soldering


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Looks good. 50-60C is totally fine with Vero cobs.


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

how long after operating the cobs temp main stable ? is half an hour is enough?
yesterday i measured again and it reached up to 72 c ( some of the cobs)

btw - order this fans for installing 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JPBMNVL/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

ok

so until the fans arrive . i am starting my second project . this time for my low/midtech tank.

size 180 cm long /70 cm high /60 cm wide

i will use 10w cobs 9-11V900-1000mA .how many cobs approx i will need and what suitable mean well driver will i need .

this is the link of the cobs 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32829863151.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.5e9c4c4daf7IW0


----------



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

alfred3 said:


> ok
> so until the fans arrive . i am starting my second project . this time for my low/midtech tank.
> size 180 cm long /70 cm high /60 cm wide
> i will use 10w cobs 9-11V900-1000mA .how many cobs approx i will need and what suitable mean well driver will i need .
> ...


I assume you still want to use Meanwell AC/dc drivers?
Or do want to try DC/DC drivers plus a power supply?
How many is a little tricky. 
2 rows of 10 should do it.


TECHNICALLY one could use this and run ALL 20 in series (11V x 20 = 220v).
*KEEP in mind you are running about 220V of DC over your tank*.


HLG-240H-C1050AB
https://octopart.com/hlg-240h-c1050ab-mean+well-94061787

GOOD thing is there is no series/parallel current imbalances to deal with.
If you want more sane answers.. ask.. 

to be honest.. not much different than hanging a set of t5's over your tank.


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## alfred3 (Jul 19, 2020)

Hi guys .. me again  first i must say that i am actually very pleased with the diy led setup and it provides a great light and the plants are very pleased (actually we made one more indicial for my brothers tank ) .
unfortunately the second setup for the bigger tank didn't went well at all and the Chinese cobs are very weak .
i would like your wise advice regarding more powerful leds honestly i would use the same one Bridgelux Vero but they are dam small and hard to solder them . id there something similar with bigger "body/soldering surface ? i wuold like to achieve 50/60 cri. the driver that i purchased is mean well HLG-240H-C1050B.
thanks
Alfred

i will appreciate your feedbacks


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