LED rig build - layout/array - thoughts?

[fatoldsun]

This is my plan for an LED rig using 64 LEDs (plus 4 moonlights) - on [2] 9"x12" heatsinks - well actually 4 9"x6" heatsinks arranged in 2 pairs coupled together (allowing for the center brace to not impact the lights) so 34 a side. Right now that is looking like this:
I had some trouble embedding the image - it's also attached as a .pdf

The 4 dark blues (or blacks if you're colorblind like me) were cut off the key - they're the moonlights

• 12 cool white
• 8 natural white
• 24 royal blue
• 6blue
(B:W ratio -- 1.5:1)
• 6UV
• 4 green
• 4red
• 4 moonlights

I'm using 3 Drivers,, parallel
#1 in parallel with 12 royal blues on each string

#2 will have regular blues (8), UVs (6) greens (4) and red (4) split evenly between 2 strings, so parallel with each string running 4 regular blues, 3 UVs, 2 reds and 2 greens for 11 total per string

#3 whites - parallel too – so 6 CW and 4 NW on each string. For 10 per string

so - what does everyone (anyone) think????

 

[TanksNStuff]

Few questions Dave...
1. Which drivers do you plan on using?
2. Which brand/ watt leds are you getting?
3. Is that layout a top view or bottom view? (Not that it matters much but just making sure I know what your plan is.)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[fatoldsun]

Few questions Dave...
1. Which drivers do you plan on using?
2. Which brand/ watt leds are you getting?
3. Is that layout a top view or bottom view? (Not that it matters much but just making sure I know what your plan is.)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

I've been acquiring stuff slowly George. I have just about everything. Drivers are meanwell 60-48Ps. I have 4. May only use 3 though. With the Ps maybe I'll be able to add a reef angel next . I had Ds I picked up cheap and then swaped for the Ps and one of the rapid PVM controllers.
LEDs are all (except the UVs) CREE and i believe 3W.
Land the layout is top down. The "X"s you see are blocked off b/c of the overflow. Hopefully that answers all your Qs... Any thoughts -specifically on B:W ratio, location & quanity of the "other colors" and the layout. I had several others. I settled on this mirror b/c I thought it would be more manageable to wire than the ones that were totally sporadic. Any input's appreciated.

 

[jpelzer]

Optics make all the difference. I have. 31" deep tank, Carlo wide ripple lenses on all Cree xp-g and xp-e. I get 1200+ par at surface down to about 200 par at bottom. Without optics probably 1/5 that. Otherwise my setup is similar, 30 LEDs per 8.5x12" square. I didn't get any of the exotic colors, just 12x cool white, 12x royal blue per module, then a total of 24x warm whites spread across 5 modules (4-5-6-5-4). I have a total of 12 drivers, mainly to run them light to keep them cool.

 

[fatoldsun]

Wow. That's a lot of drivers. Where do you keep them. I have 80* optics for all blues n whites. No need for the reds/greens etc. I also have about 24 40* & 24 60* that came with one of the abandoned builds I bought. I thought I may use some on the edges around my rock structure to hit the sand but a std AGA 90 is only 24" deep

 

[fatoldsun]

I am just itching to start this - of course nothing can ever be done the easy way. I decided that I need to make a hood to house everything. That could be easy but given that I really like being able to stick my hands in the tank just about every other day just to play with something, spot feed, rescue a toppled frag, etc so the plan is to have the fixture as mobile as possible. The hood will be basically a frame with a bunch of false doors on 3 sides. The sides I may leave attached to add some structural rigidity but the back and top will remain open. The front will be split and to save weight (hinges, bulkier wood, etc…) they will just be “hung” by french cleats. The lights will be on aluminum channel frames and using some stainless hinges (for marine use) they will lift out of the way. I am still deciding where to keep the drivers. They could go on the back of the hood/frame but exposure to humid salty air is not a great plan. Under the stand is just as bad. Ideally I’d do a remote location but I don’t have that luxury. I think they will go on the hood and I will try to protect them with plenty of room to breathe. All of the junctions (for parallel wiring – fuses and resistors) will be housed in a project box since I’m sure that stuff will rust in weeks if not days. Hopefully I can protect it with something waterproof. The last thought is to pick up some of the harness plugs that are used in auto wiring so I can easily remove the fixtures from the hood for easy maintenance. I think delco makes them. The easiest way to get them would be a visit to the “yard” for a “you pull it” - I haven’t been there for years. Oddly enough I LOVE junk yards. My wife does NOT like that I feel that way. I think she blames that LOVE for the ongoing status of our garage. The way I see it, she should have known that parking cars in the garage was never going to happen – she should have known that from the time she met me. I guess she thought when we moved to a house with a detached garage my feelings would change. I digress, basically the hood project has kept me from starting the lights. I need to start soon since I’m basically due for new HQI bulbs and I’m down to 1 of 2 actinics…Once I spent on all the LED stuff I couldn’t justify replacing bulbs. Still not feeling any different