AquaStudent
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I'm hoping someone with more experience with DIY LED projects can help me sort out any potential gaps in my plan (or better yet say there aren't any). I'm hoping to order the parts soon so I can get the fixture built well before the June 8th meeting.
I have some experience with circuits and electronics projects but I really want to get this project done correctly the first time (my circuits rarely work the first time).
Last year I won a competition with LEDGroupbuy with a prize of $100 towards LEDs and Equipment which is where I'll be ordering the majority of the parts from.
Okey Dokey
Let's get this project underway.
Here's what I have so far.
I'll be building an LED fixture for my 29g planted. The lighting will be mounted 24" above the substrate (the tank is 18" tall and another 6" should be enough for the casing and for me to have access into the tank). I will probably build a housing similar to what I did for my 55g AC tank (I may build it slightly differently to allow for better cooling of the LEDs).
(I'm in the process of painting the wooden fixture casing black. It's looking pretty darn good!)
For LEDs I plan on using 12x CREE XT-E Cool White LEDs with 60deg Optics. They will be mounted on a 24" heatsink spaced 2" apart.
http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/cree-xt-e-white/
For the driver I'm wanting to use the 25W Inventronics. The forward voltage on each LED at 700mA is 3.0V. So multipling that by 12 for in series is 36. The maximum voltage output range on the 25W Inventronics is 12-36V so that works out perfectly correct?
For dimming, is it as simple as wiring in a potentiometer to the Driver? I saw the following video of wiring a Pot into the 40W inventronics driver but I don't see the colored wires in the photo for the 25W driver. LEDgroupbuy claims the driver is dimmable so am I missing something?
Also, what sort of potentiometer would work? The only one on the site is a 10000k ohm 1/2 watt linear Pot. I'm sure Radioshack has other sizes. I can't quite confidently put a finger on the best way to calculate the range of resistance for dimming. I know the driver converts AC current to DC to run the LEDs but how does the dimming factor in? Is it after the driver converts the AC to DC does it then run it through a resistor (the Pot) to lower the current, thus less current through the circuit?
25W Inventronics Driver
http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/inventron...-driver-700ma/
Here's a List of my Current Supplies:
12x Cree XT-E (Cool White) - $41.18
12x CREE XT-E 60 Optics - $15.48
1x 4.23" x 24" Heatsink - $42.00 (possibly extra $10 shipping)
1x Inventronics 25W Driver - 700mA - $30.50
1x Artic Alumina Thermal Adhesive - $6.99
1x 10,000k 1/2 Watt Pot - $3.00 (3.49 @ RadioShack)
1x Solid Wire 24 awg - $5.75 (I may not need to order this)
1x AC Plug for Driver - $5.75 (Price at Home Depot/Radioshack?)
Total = $150.65 excluding shipping and extra $10 heatsink shipping (possibly included?)
I have some experience with circuits and electronics projects but I really want to get this project done correctly the first time (my circuits rarely work the first time).
Last year I won a competition with LEDGroupbuy with a prize of $100 towards LEDs and Equipment which is where I'll be ordering the majority of the parts from.
Okey Dokey
Here's what I have so far.
I'll be building an LED fixture for my 29g planted. The lighting will be mounted 24" above the substrate (the tank is 18" tall and another 6" should be enough for the casing and for me to have access into the tank). I will probably build a housing similar to what I did for my 55g AC tank (I may build it slightly differently to allow for better cooling of the LEDs).
(I'm in the process of painting the wooden fixture casing black. It's looking pretty darn good!)
For LEDs I plan on using 12x CREE XT-E Cool White LEDs with 60deg Optics. They will be mounted on a 24" heatsink spaced 2" apart.
http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/cree-xt-e-white/
For the driver I'm wanting to use the 25W Inventronics. The forward voltage on each LED at 700mA is 3.0V. So multipling that by 12 for in series is 36. The maximum voltage output range on the 25W Inventronics is 12-36V so that works out perfectly correct?
For dimming, is it as simple as wiring in a potentiometer to the Driver? I saw the following video of wiring a Pot into the 40W inventronics driver but I don't see the colored wires in the photo for the 25W driver. LEDgroupbuy claims the driver is dimmable so am I missing something?
Also, what sort of potentiometer would work? The only one on the site is a 10000k ohm 1/2 watt linear Pot. I'm sure Radioshack has other sizes. I can't quite confidently put a finger on the best way to calculate the range of resistance for dimming. I know the driver converts AC current to DC to run the LEDs but how does the dimming factor in? Is it after the driver converts the AC to DC does it then run it through a resistor (the Pot) to lower the current, thus less current through the circuit?
25W Inventronics Driver
http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/inventron...-driver-700ma/
Here's a List of my Current Supplies:
12x Cree XT-E (Cool White) - $41.18
12x CREE XT-E 60 Optics - $15.48
1x 4.23" x 24" Heatsink - $42.00 (possibly extra $10 shipping)
1x Inventronics 25W Driver - 700mA - $30.50
1x Artic Alumina Thermal Adhesive - $6.99
1x 10,000k 1/2 Watt Pot - $3.00 (3.49 @ RadioShack)
1x Solid Wire 24 awg - $5.75 (I may not need to order this)
1x AC Plug for Driver - $5.75 (Price at Home Depot/Radioshack?)
Total = $150.65 excluding shipping and extra $10 heatsink shipping (possibly included?)
