Reef Discussion

[MagicJ]

The Boostled site states a maximum of 2 drivers per channel.

This may be just to protect themselves - keep in mind that the drivers operate on a voltage signal not a current signal. I tend to agree with firechild - if they were drawing too much current you are more likely to burn out a pin on the Typhon rather than have an effect on the dimming capacity.

I remember that there was some discussion on a ReefCentral thread about the current drawn by the dimming circuit on the Meanwells - no definitive answer was ever provided although the general consensus was a very small figure.

Synodontis has something happened to make you concerned, or did you just wake up in a cold sweat one night because you didn't know the answer :rolleyes

 

[Synodontis]

LOL, no MagicJ no cold sweats in the middle of the night. Got Jen to keep me warm! (we really need an evil smile thereefuge)

Nothing has happened to the light either. Finished the light for the 8ft, so ordered another Typhon for that, why order 1 when postage is the same on 2? So unplugged the 10ft Typhon & put a new one in there, all good. Didn't have another merican adapter so plugged an Aussie 12V power supply into the old Typhon & no sparks, bangs or burnt smell but it didn't work? so plugged back into the original power supply & still nothing. Think I buggered it lol. So anyway, that left me with two Typhon's, I need more channels so ordered another 2 Typhon's, So now the channels will be.....
Royal blue
B3 Blue
B4 blue
Cool white
Netural white
UV (violet, near UV or what ever you want to call it)
Red
& last channels will be for the sump lights. Just figured that since I had an extra Typhon, would it be worth taking the "load" of the drivers off the controller.

That's all :)

 

[MagicJ]

If things are working I wouldn't bother using multiple Typhons - there, you can have a good nights sleep now - Jen, let him sleep :rolleyes

As far as the Typhon thats not working, some plugs have +ve centres and some the reverse so you need to make sure that the polarity is correct. The official Arduino has a diode to ensure that nothing untoward happens but I am not sure with the Typhon as it is effectively a cutdown version of the Arduino and I suspect that a few of these extra components have not been included.

 

[firechild]

Did you make sure the adaptor was 12V DC rather than 12V AC? A very easy mistake to make.

 

[Synodontis]

Thank you guys, both very helpful. :)

I think you both are right, MagicJ with the missing protection & firechild with the AC/DC thing. I asked Jen to pick up a 1A 12V plug n play adapter, I never even thought to tell her DC. Then I never looked! It had a 1 & a 2 & a V, that's all you need isn't it?? Nope!

Lesson learnt. :(

 

[MagicJ]

So does it also have an 'A' or a 'D'?

 

[firechild]

Unfortunately most 12V adaptors whether AC or DC all have a 5.5x2.1mm plug which means when you plug it in, it looks like it should be right.

I have a solenoid valve here that has a 12V adaptor, no AC or DC marked on it (nor on the solenoid itself). I had to check the manual to find out that it is DC.

 

[Synodontis]

LOL,
sorry, it was AC, the Typhon is DC. I'm guessing that's why it didn't work when plugged back into the original power supply.

 

[MagicJ]

LOL,
sorry, it was AC, the Typhon is DC. I'm guessing that's why it didn't work when plugged back into the original power supply.

I think the Typhon has a regulator on it - I suspect that would be the first thing to blow.

 

[Synodontis]

I haven't had a look at it since. It's sitting out on the bench in the garage. Might have a tinker on the weekend if I get time. :)

 

[Buddy]

I have my 6x2.5x2 sitting here and I need to start thinking about the lighting on it. I think I will mostly be keeping LPS and maybe a couple of leathers but I will probably want a clam or two and maybe some SPS later on. I am handy with a soldering iron so there is no probs doing the DIY lights.
I want the lights to automatically ramp up and down and to be able to set the ramping of the colours separately, well mainly blue and white.
Roughly how many LED's and drivers would I need?
What other colours are worth adding and should the rest of the colours be controlled together or separetely?
Is it better to have the heatsink(s) run the length of the tank or have 3 or so pendants?
What is best to use to control the lights?
This probably won't be happening for a couple of months so I am just getting some ideas going.

 

[Synodontis]

There are quite a few threads in here about LED choice & setup's. You have lots of reading ahead of you buddy23 lol. Quick answers....

Typhon will ramp up & down on four channels.
We have 120 LED's over a 4x2.5 section.
That works out to about 9 ELN-60-48 drivers.
You could look at Red, Violet, Pink, UV. The exact consensus is still out at lunch I think.
Length or width ways is up to you. I think length gives a better tank coverage personally, but there are many that look good with a few pendants.
Typhon or Arduino. Depends on what driver's you end up using to I think.
:)

 

[Buddy]

Thanks Synodontis. I have read a fair amount of LED builds but there are so many different combo's and it seems that builds from a year or two ago are a lot different to the new ones I am reading up on. Do your LED's give you the shits when you are sitting on your couch or do the optics stop the glare going straight in to your eyes? I really CBF building a hood!

 

[Synodontis]

Don't really get any glare. If they didn't have the lens on them, that would be a different story lol. You notice them while looking at the tank but you don't go blind until you stare at them directly! :rolleyes

 

[Buddy]

So would a combination of these LEDs be alright? I will have to work on how many of each
CREE XP-G 5W Neutral White LED
CREE XP-G R5 5W Cool White LED
CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED
CREE XP-E Blue 3W LED
I could find 5w whites and 3w blues, is that correct?
I like the light to be much whiter during the day and blue/purple at morning and night. I like the purple that some of the off the shelf lights give so would a couple of cyan and/or UV LEDs do the job?

Are these colours worth looking at? I think I have seen green and red being used before.
Amber, Red, Red-Orange, Green,
What optics would be best?

 

[MagicJ]

The XP-G's are nominally 3w leds, although they do draw 5.3w when driven at 1.5 amps ;)

Those colours look good, although I would add some violets (around 400-420nm). I have some cyan but haven't put them on yet - I also like the turquoise.

I am not convinced on the deep red yet.

The optics depends on the height above the tank and the number of leds but something around 90 degrees is a good generalisation.

 

[Buddy]

Thanks MagicJ. Is it better to drive the blues (or all the LEDs) lower like around 700ma? I think I saw you mention that on your build.
Would the cyan cover the range that turquoise is in, meaning it would be better to just use cyan? I am not sure about the reds because of it promoting algae growth.
I might use the blue, white, violet, cyan and maybe green.
Would 4 each of the violet, cyan and green be too much?
I guess i am better off running those three colours off separate drivers? Or atleast the violet separate.
I am probably going to have the lights about 300mm above the tank so for the optics I was thinking-
violet, green, cyan 80 degree and white and blue with 60 degree.
Thoughts MagicJ?

 

[MagicJ]

The XP-E Blue have a maximum current rating of 1A - you are better off driving them around 700mA.

The XT-E's and XP-G's can be driven up to 1.5A - there is a trade-off though as doubling the current does not give you twice the light output. Also, the higher you drive them the hotter they get and thus their efficiency reduces - you also need a greater level of heatsinking/fans to remove the heat. Others, like the violets need to be driven at around 350mA or they will burn out.

As a generalisation - XT-E and XP-G at 1A, XP-E Blue at 700mA and the other colours at 350mA (this depends a bit on the colour).

The cyan are more of a blue colour whereas the turquoise tend more to green - it is up to you to experiment a bit to see what you like.

This is my current combination:

• 2 Deep Red
• 4 Turquoise
• 8 True Violet
• 4 Blue
• 24 Royal Blue
• 6 Neutral White
• 12 Cool White

I will probably swap out 4 RB for 4 Cyan when I redo my hood.

This gives you some idea of my colour ratio, which I am pretty happy with.

What size tank have you got?

 

[Buddy]

Thanks those numbers help a lot. It will be going on my 6x2.5x2. I will be running the water at 22" deep.
I like your blue to white ratio and I was thinking similar. I was thinking 80-100 LEDs or is that too many?

 

[MagicJ]

I have 60 over my 4x2x2 and I could probably do with a few more. The equivalent over your footprint is approximately 110 - but you a looking at XT-E RB which have a greater light output than mine.

So I would think around 100 in total should be in the ball park.