# Another LED fixture build! now with video!



## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

Video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpOdHdt6_ew

PARTS LIST:
24 cree xp-g cool white LEDs - $143.80 shipped from LED group buy

4 cree xp-e blue - $20
2x 5.5x16inch heatsinks - $30 each
2x Mean Well LPC-60-1050 constant current driver - $26 each
350ma moonlight driver - $10
hanging kits - $10

I've probably spent about $320ish or so on this one.

I had all the other stuff like soldering iron, wires, and my dad had spare sheet metal for the frame work.

Building another one!
24 CREE XP-G cool white LEDs ran at 1050ma. This should for sure push me into high light. Excited to see my p. stellata and pantanal grow nice and red. I also have 12 60degree optics for spotlighting any plants that I'd like to have some extra extra light. I tested optics on my old fixture and it effectively doubles the PAR. 

This time around, I used thicker heatsinks so I don't have to run fans. They're not set as wide as my other fixture (those were about 10 inches apart, this time the 2 rows are about 4 inches apart. But I'll be hanging the fixture up higher so the spread shouldn't be an issue.

Here's some shots so far. Still need to wire it up. I also added 4 blue LEDs running at 350ma for moon lighting. Each heat sink is going to be wired up to run 12 LEDs, so if in the future I'd want to break this apart, I'll have two separate fixtures.









Other side of the fixture. The heatsinks are 2 16 inch long units held together by aluminum brackets. The 2 "handles" are actually frames to hold the outer casing. This one will have the same curved outer frame like the ADA lights. I asked my dad how he bent the bars this time, he said "by hand" o___0


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## eklu65 (Mar 3, 2011)

Looks pretty good! About how high up from the substrate is your light going to be? What PAR are you shooting for?


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

I'm shooting for mid 60's par at the substrate, but since I have the optics, I'll be blasting certain plants with a LOT more light. My stems that are in the back ground will have most of the optics on them,. I want my pantanal and p. stellata and hygro sunset to be super duper dense and red. 

Low light can grow all plants, I know that for a fact, I just want growth to be more dense and have the node space be very small. Plus, i want to give these plants back to my local club at our meets so the quicker they grow the better!


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## shortsboy (Feb 6, 2011)

Any circuit diagrams you can share? I'd love to see how you worked out the wiring for this all.

Thanks for posting this all up for us. Can't wait to see the final results.


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## FDNY911 (Dec 6, 2009)

What size tank is this going to be for? Can I be your first customer when you start taking orders? I need one for a 120 gallon lol. 

Subscribed!


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

My dad finished it up today while I was at work. Seems like all the DIY projects I start, he takes over and finishes. Oh well, can't argue with the results.

Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpOdHdt6_ew



> What size tank is this going to be for? Can I be your first customer when you start taking orders? I need one for a 120 gallon lol.
> 
> Subscribed!


This is for a 50 gal. I'm aiming for very high light, but since I can raise/lower as I please, it works out well.



> Any circuit diagrams you can share? I'd love to see how you worked out the wiring for this all.
> 
> Thanks for posting this all up for us. Can't wait to see the final results.


hmm, I don't know how to draw circuit diagrams, but it's really simple. The driver has a positive and a negative lead. You wire + end of the first led to the + lead, then the - end of the first LED to the + end of the next one, and so on, until you come back to the last LED, which hooks up to the - lead of the driver...

Ok that was a terrible explanation.

I just followed this
http://www.vinnymarini.com/pictures/rapid_docs/LED DIY Oveview.pdf


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Sweet build. What's the approximate cost of something like this?
Got a parts list?
Video tip: keep the camera still for longer periods of time. It allows the viewer to focus in in the subject, and_really_ see what's going on instead of having to constantly follow the camera. This allows for more impact on the viewer.


Was that The Backstreet Boys?!


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## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

IWANNAGOFAST said:


> Building another one!
> 24 CREE XP-G cool white LEDs ran at 1050ma.
> 
> 
> ...


I wish I had your talent. What is the spectral profile of the LEDs you are using ?

Just a thought for experimentation. I've not seen a ready made or a diy led lighting system that incorporates yellow, green and orange leds to create a high CRI index or in other words a spectrum profile that closely as possible matches Sun light at noon.

About the the blue led. Why blue and not white ? Moonlight's not blue ?


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

where did you get the heat sinks? Did you find those at homedepot? This is such an awesome design i really want to do the same. There isn't a way you could catalog all the parts you had to buy is there? I'll send you some HM for free if you do....lol


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

roybot73 said:


> Sweet build. What's the approximate cost of something like this?
> Got a parts list?
> Video tip: keep the camera still for longer periods of time. It allows the viewer to focus in in the subject, and_really_ see what's going on instead of having to constantly follow the camera. This allows for more impact on the viewer.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice! I'll try that out next time I make a video




> I wish I had your talent. What is the spectral profile of the LEDs you are using ?
> 
> Just a thought for experimentation. I've not seen a ready made or a diy led lighting system that incorporates yellow, green and orange leds to create a high CRI index or in other words a spectrum profile that closely as possible matches Sun light at noon.
> 
> About the the blue led. Why blue and not white ? Moonlight's not blue ?


The LEDs are cool whites, so I guess 5500-8000k? Thats what they said on the website. Yes I know moonlights are not blue, but uh, I like the way they look. Plus they make the blue on my green neon tetras really pop.



> where did you get the heat sinks? Did you find those at homedepot? This is such an awesome design i really want to do the same. There isn't a way you could catalog all the parts you had to buy is there? I'll send you some HM for free if you do....lol


No need for HM but I will post up a parts list haha. I got the heatsinks from rapidLED. There's probably slightly cheaper places out there, but rapidled gets me my stuff the next day since they're fairly local (about 50miles away) I'm very impatient.


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## Solid (Jul 19, 2009)

RapidLED.com has excellent customer service. Another good place to go for heatsinks in different sizes and lengths is heatsinkusa.com.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

PARTS LIST:
24 cree xp-g cool white LEDs - $143.80 shipped from LED group buy

4 cree xp-e blue - $20
2x 5.5x16inch heatsinks - $30 each
2x Mean Well LPC-60-1050 constant current driver - $26 each
350ma moonlight driver - $10
hanging kits - $10

I've probably spent about $320ish or so on this one.

I had all the other stuff like soldering iron, wires, and my dad had spare sheet metal for the frame work.

I may switch the drivers for dimmable drivers in the future, but we'll see.


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

wow this is so tempting. Is the only reason you have sheet metal for the frame for looks? or does it serve as some type of led reflector. 

Also how are you attaching the sheet metal to the heat sink.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

just for looks. This is smack dab in the middle of our living room so it's gotta look good haha, plus I love the look of the ADA light fixtures. This one looks a little weird because it's so long but it works out I think. 

If you look at that 2nd picture up top, the two handles on the edges of the fixture are where the sheet metal attaches to.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...um/132588-iwgfs-riparium-w-ada-style-led.html

It's the same process as in that link, just on a slightly bigger scale.


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

lets say in 10 years when the led's burn out how do you replace them?


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

More like 20, I think.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

Pry them off and replace em! haha, I used thermal adhesive so it'll be a bit more of a pain in the butt to take them off vs someone that tapped the heatsink and screwed them on, but it's not impossible.


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