ausreefs 130 LED build (Modular LED)

A

ausreef

Member
this is what you get out the box from modular LED


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
if anybody can convert this to pictures, please feel free
this is the heatsink joined-i believe these kits are now supplied with a one piece heatsink


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
LED's all stuck down with artic alumina 2 part


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
and wired up,this is the big timesaver with this kit,literally a 2 minute job


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
and tested


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
hood stripped out


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
heatsink fitted to hood


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
drivers fitted in place of the old T5 ballast and wired up,i extended the dimmer wires outside the hood as i plan to run these on a controller, which will make the dimmers and power supply redundant,no point in drilling the hood


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

finished product


Uploaded with ImageShack.us


overall very happy with the result,the lights are brighter with a shimmer,no heat and less running cost

a couple of minor annoyances, for what the kit cost i would expect a one piece heatsink (which is now supplied) the heatsink was also designed (i think) for a 130D (not 130) which translates to only 2 mounting holes at one end,this means if you dont want to put holes in the hood you need to bodge one end with a lot of double sided tape,this for me was a fairly major weak point,and makes this a 5 hour job,this needs addressing with a custom made mounting bracket
to top all this the dimmer pots come without knobs, again for the price this is astonishing,and pretty mean as a $4 optional extra,i didnt order any as i naturally assumed they would be included

pros
very good quality components (84w of Cree LED's) everything worked out the box first time
simple wiring up
all the usual led advantages
cons
expensive,i think you would do this cheaper with aquastyle online but i guess you are paying for a lot of the work already done for you
quite a frustrating build,with a lot of really cheap components not in the kit

would i buy one again? yes in an instant
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Thanks for sharing - well done ! They look great !!!
1085.gif


Was this a RSM 130D "kit" , any link?
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Cool - thanks Allen !!! Complete DIY Kits

Do you know, will there be a Complete DIY Kit for the RSM 250 anytime soon?
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
I've not heard anything about that Glenn. I do know of another reputable company that's working on one but it's still in the R&D stages so I can't go into any details at the moment but it wont be long... hopefully.

On a similar note I'd like to see these LED companies also swing right into the "S" series to start developing LED for them as well. This is going to be a VERY fast growing market in the near future. I'd like to see a line up of:

  • RSM130D/130 LED
    RSM250 LED
    RSM "S" Series

all documented and ready to order from one place.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
ausreef I don't know what you paid for your kit (I'd imagine shipping to you was torture on your wallet) but the price on their website for a complete kit is literally about 1/2 to 1/3 what some other LED companies are selling similar kits for. When I was doing some LED kit research the lowest price that I was able to find for a kit designed for this tank (I have the 130D which is what this unit was built to fit into) was $560. I even had one LED kit company quote me $700 and that was for a unit with fewer LED than this one.

You did a great job on this build and thanks for documenting it so well. Be sure to keep them turned down load and slowly ramp them up over many weeks. I did mine in November and I'm just now up to 60% on them. I had some mild "Bleaching" at about 30% so I left it at 25% for a few weeks and then resumed the slow ramp up of intensity.

What different LED did you get in your kit and how many of each?
 
tnwillia

tnwillia

Well-Known Member
Hey glenn, looking at his pictures i'd guess you could get 2 kits and mount the 4 heatsinks parallel across the 250 hood.
 
A

ausreef

Member
yes Tom the word "kit" really only refers to the heatsink size, all you really need to do is measure the hood light opening and start from there,i would imagine theres more than enough room inside the hood for 4 drivers

Al,yes the shipping was fairly expensive,the total cost to my door was $372 CAD, i got the default lights which were 3 blue,4 royal blue and 7 white,in the testing picture the difference is quite marked,im really happy with the finished result and my comments may have sounded a bit harsh,i just wanted to point out that a small amount of innovation is required to physically fit the heatsink,a 130D may be a lot easier, 2 small stainless or aluminium brackets would be perfect,

ive got the lights ramped down,when their up to 100% im putting them on a reef angel controller so ill be able to dispense with the pots and power jack
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top