My DIY LED Lights
- Thread starter Cassette87
- Start date
Cassette87
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the support guys! It's really appreciated! 
Won't know until the final unit is together.. I have specifications on the LED's I'm using, but I won't really have a real true Idea until I build and testI will let you know asap, and my tank will be the guinea pig for the system!
Thanks Al! I'm hoping I can keep it pretty true to the concept... I was being realistic when designing it... didn't want to design anything that I knew would need to be outsourced for machining etc.. etc.. but still looked good I though the name worked... dedicated to the RS family that helped spark it
Thanks Scott! I can't wait to get one working!
Won't know until the final unit is together.. I have specifications on the LED's I'm using, but I won't really have a real true Idea until I build and test
I will let you know asap, and my tank will be the guinea pig for the system!Good looking PT unit! Can't wait to see if go from concept to physical working unit.
Keep us posted!
And I LOVE the name!!
Thanks Al! I'm hoping I can keep it pretty true to the concept... I was being realistic when designing it... didn't want to design anything that I knew would need to be outsourced for machining etc.. etc.. but still looked good
I though the name worked... dedicated to the RS family that helped spark it Great work Andy!
Thanks Scott! I can't wait to get one working!
panmanmatt
Well-Known Member
Very nice.
How did your small "model" perform against your predictions and estimations? I would think the larger unit would perform similar to that one but on a larger scale.Won't know until the final unit is together.. I have specifications on the LED's I'm using, but I won't really have a real true Idea until I build and test
Being realistic was probably hard. I'm sure you had TONS of ideas you wanted to implement (which may or may not have worked) but keeping it "Real" will keep costs down and make the project more viable. Start "Real" and once you get that working then you can add some bells & whistles if you want to. Stay grounded and it will happen. Good work buddy. VERY good work.Thanks Al! I'm hoping I can keep it pretty true to the concept... I was being realistic when designing it... didn't want to design anything that I knew would need to be outsourced for machining etc.. etc.. but still looked good
Cassette87
Well-Known Member
Thanks again for the kind words everyone :snshne: Here's a little tidbit of an update: The prototype model was created with the incorrect depth dimension, so the one pictured is actually 18" deep instead of 12" as it should be. What does this mean? I don't have to order as many LEDs! Two of the 7 "depth" rows will be removed in the shrink to 12".
Also, I will be incorporating a third Potentiometer(dial to control brightness) the tanks moonlighting. Each of the Light types, Daylight/Actinic/moonlight will have individual cords. and i am considering built in digital timers.
Thanks Wit So far, for the prototype it seems quite the opposite, though i won't say much more than that all I can say is I have some tricks up my sleeve for making a niiice plastic housing
Well, The bar was a bit too much, and the board was not quite enough. The board did cover the surface area i calculated, and with the light scattering through the water, it did it's job. What's difficult to see in the prototype picture, it will have more than twice the amount of LED's to cover the same area as my test board. So I think the completed prototype will be a nice surprise
Hah, yea i was thinking of all sorts of things, but when it came to it I just told myself, come on how can I honestly make this without farming it out? and those ideas got put on the backburner.. but like i said at the top of the thread.. timers are very likely and the addition of a controllable moonlight should be pretty nice
Like I mentioned to AL, the prototype will have more than twice the LED's of the test board in the same Area, not to mention they will have reflectors, so light is not lost.
Also, I will be incorporating a third Potentiometer(dial to control brightness) the tanks moonlighting. Each of the Light types, Daylight/Actinic/moonlight will have individual cords. and i am considering built in digital timers.
Thanks Wit
So far, for the prototype it seems quite the opposite, though i won't say much more than that all I can say is I have some tricks up my sleeve for making a niiice plastic housing Well, The bar was a bit too much, and the board was not quite enough. The board did cover the surface area i calculated, and with the light scattering through the water, it did it's job. What's difficult to see in the prototype picture, it will have more than twice the amount of LED's to cover the same area as my test board. So I think the completed prototype will be a nice surprise
Hah, yea i was thinking of all sorts of things, but when it came to it I just told myself, come on how can I honestly make this without farming it out? and those ideas got put on the backburner.. but like i said at the top of the thread.. timers are very likely and the addition of a controllable moonlight should be pretty nice
Like I mentioned to AL, the prototype will have more than twice the LED's of the test board in the same Area, not to mention they will have reflectors, so light is not lost.
Cassette87
Well-Known Member
Hah, Wit, well "production model" yes, the "prototype" is for my lil reef, "beta" is for someone here, who may come forward if the wish
who already requested it if available. I'll have to make little Reef Sanctuary engraved serial no plates complete with your RS username 
"RS LED 1/15 Manufactured for Grand Poohbah" hehRight now i'm just purchasing LED's at the same cost they'd be to anyone else; so a bit pricey.. but if there suddenly were a demand here at RS to make a decent number of these i would have to try and purchase in quantity..
you mentioned Reflectors. in your Drawing (which is nice btw) you have individual reflectors, from my experience with this type of lighting, the individual reflectors create hot and cold spots, if you dont have the right reflection angles built into them. it may get kinda pricey in order to find some good ones or manufacture them.
If i may suggest, try square ones. or the long reflectors used with regular lights.
If i may suggest, try square ones. or the long reflectors used with regular lights.
Cassette87
Well-Known Member
Thank You
I'm have looked into parabolic reflectors, and depending on whether or not I can locate a proper reflector at a reasonable cost will determine whether or not I will incorporate them.. For right now, My reflectors will be similar to those found in LED flashlights. I'm fairly certain from my own experience with LED lighting that the heat created, will be minimal and at worst, can be handled adequately with a small ventilation system. These are the sorts of things I will monitor very closely when the prototype is ready for the first tests!OH NO... by hotspots i meant light intensity... led are far cooler than anything else.. the reflectors causing light intensive areas and the opposite. I worked with LEDs on Aircraft... far differnt from the aquarium usage but i thought id spit that out.
great job btw... im with ^ those guys. ill be back
great job btw... im with ^ those guys. ill be back