First DIY LED Actinic Build!!

[Somethings Fishy]

Just started work on my first LED build today.Lets see if learn on the fly works for soldering haha-and electronics in general-. The build consist of 12- 3 watt Royal Blue Cree leds on a 36 inch heat-sink with dimable driver with 6 80 degree optics. Tomorrow ill post pics of day one progress. Hope to have this thing up and running tomorrow.....

 

[Guerry]

do you plan to add any cool whites?

 

[Somethings Fishy]

No whites planned for this build, I want to run for actinic supplement for my MH. Im trying to build fixture to accommodate future upgrade in take size... its coming along nicely, i have to hit the hardware store today and pick up a couple loose ends and then i should be able to complete assembly and fire it up. hope this fixture works..

 

[tat2z_21]

Is the heatsink a 36" x 1", sounds good. In my opinion the optics are not necessary for actinic supplementation. Because you are getting the majority of your par from your MH. This will allow for better spread of your LED's.

 

[TJL]

Very cool, looking forward to the pics of your project. So much more satisfying to design/build your own, is this one of Rapid's kits ???

Cheers, Todd

 

[Somethings Fishy]

ITs Done!!!! it is a rapid led kit but i ordered a longer heat-sink just to spread them out. i ordered the optics just because i didn't know what the spread would be....seeing the fixture on i don't believe i will add them to the led's. next step is mounting to my tank! I would like to pass on a good word to mike at rapid, he was a huge help with newbie questions and really did go the extra mile to help. i did however have a scare when i went to test the light. setting the power delivered from the driver i had a scare when the lights didn't turn on and had no volts on the meter..........i had 2 wires backwards and luckily caused no damage to light! pictures are currently being uploaded and will be in my next post, I am so stoked!

 

[Somethings Fishy]

Let there be light!!!

spacing the leds on the heatsink for best look

getting the leds ready to glue to heat sink

 

[Somethings Fishy]

getting the wires prepped for leds

boo ya

dimmer prepped!

 

[Somethings Fishy]

testing driver output

dimming dial

 

[Somethings Fishy]

 

[Somethings Fishy]

250+LED

LED only

 

[tat2z_21]

Looks good. Really like the pictures

 

[Somethings Fishy]

thanks! i am very happy with how it turned out, although i will say i think it is a bit over powered haha

 

[mwirsche]

that just means you can add more leds later right how much you got into that puppy

 

[Somethings Fishy]

haha ya the puppy came with the led kit... jk he is my 6 m/o black lap pup!

 

[Somethings Fishy]

Hey mwirche i think i miss understood you, i took "Puppy" leteraly. were you talking about the light?! haha

 

[user 26995]

Nice job!!!
I will have to see about doing one for the 180.

 

[TJL]

Looks awesome fishy, great job with the build and +1 on nice pics and sweet puppy.

Cheers, Todd

 

[mwirsche]

haha my bad i was in info mode jus saw the super bright lights lol didnt even notice the pup in the picture lol. my bad! so which leds did you order? ive been looking at crees website and it makes no sense lol. im trying to build a small 3 maybe 4 led using 3 watt crees. i just cant figure out there website. is rapid a cree distrubuter?

 

[Somethings Fishy]

i ordered the 3 watt royal blue leds, decided to go with the dimmable driver and running them at 84 percent max. not sure if rapid is an led distributor but i think cree is all they sell, how big is your tank? i am sure 3-4 leds would be fine for moon light ect.