Joined: Jun 29, 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: Bengaluru, India
Status: Offline
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:36 am Post subject: PK's LEDs up and running on my tank !
After almost 2 full years, my 5 x 2.25 x 2 feet high which had scant lighting with failed MH, and 4 x 40 watt FL running 4 hrs a day,
I finally have a lighting fixture up and running, thanks to PK.
60 x 5 watt CREE LEDs. 50% are 5300 K and the other 50% are 6500 - 7500 K.
The best part of the system is the controller, which is not only is a timer for the two banks of LEDs,
one can also vary the brightness of the LEDs from 0% to 100%.
That's not all - On start up the LED brightness increases from 0% to the value you have selected over 2 hrs
for each bank, and reduces back from 2 hrs before shutoff slowly to 0% and then switches off. The controller
is fully programmable. The LEDs are mounted on a custom made PCB, 12 per PCB, the LED is directly mounted on
the Aluminium heat sink. 2 cooling fans per panel of 12 LEDs.
Though I don't need it, the controller can also monitor, pH, Temperature and water level, control chillers,
and water solenoids for top up. PKs marine version which is running on his tank for 18 months now,
will also send an SMS to his phone in case any parameter rises/falls beyond the set alarm limits.
All home designed, fabricated, tested, modified, tested and finished stuff ! Thanks PK !
Right now I've set the LEDs to 90% intensity, which I feel is more for my crypts, anubias, jave ferns in the tank,
I'll reduce the intensity to 60% after a few days. I love the flexibility, I can vary the amount of light when I change my plants !
Joined: Jun 29, 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: Bengaluru, India
Status: Offline
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:13 pm Post subject: Re: PK's LEDs up and running on my tank !
Sorry guys, had to leave for Chennai, pics will have to wait until the weekend.
As for the cost, this does not come cheap, obviously, what made matters worse is the 24% rupee depreciation vs the USD in the past few months.
I think a branded controller of this kind for Marine Tanks runs to a couple of thousand USD. When you design and make just 5 customised PCBs
+ heat sink the cost again shoots up. With all this, this whole setup cost about half of what a branded controller only might have cost.
All said with the life expectancy and flexibility this offers, I don't need to add bulbs, remove bulbs, modify the fixtures, change the type of lighting,
FL, MH, T5, LED etc., when I change my layout or plants or tanks ! My lighting is now 5 panels of 12 bulbs each. 6 x 5300K LEDs + 6 x 6500K LEDs.
All I need to do is simply reprogram the max intensity the bulbs will burn at (now 100% = 3.75 watts / LED) . Takes a few finger presses and Viola !
The entire unit is modular, I can use 1, 2, 3, 4, or all 5 panels as I require ! Keep one each on 5 tanks, or split them 2+2+1 for 3 tanks, 3+2 for 2 tanks etc.,
The intensity will be the same for all tanks as right now I have only one controller, but we will simply add another controller where and when if we want !
At the present max intensity ( 3.75 watts ) these lights will make glosso creep on the substrate in a 2 feet high tank.
PK has already reduced the max wattage from 5 watts to 3.75 watts, and I can vary the lumens / wattage from zero to 3.75 watts each for each bank
of 30 LEDs across 5 panels independently, and vary how long each bank will be at that output.
Increasing the max output back to 5 watts, is again easy.
Finally I can also choose to use just 30 LEDs or all 60 LEDs, in my present tank or 6 / 12 LEDs per panel if required.
The major job is the controller, and testing, debugging, testing again, for an individual it's extremely time consuming, but that's what DIY is all about,
and this wasn't my DIY ! I don't strictly need and do not use the pH + temp + Level control functions of this controller, but looks like PK wants me to switch to Marine !
If someone is serious and wants to build one from scratch, PK would be willing to help !
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:03 am Post subject: Re: PK's LEDs up and running on my tank !
Madan,
Looks like a very high tech system to me (ofcourse costs a bomb!). Trying to replace a human in maintaining the tank.. Is that also mean you lose the fun of experiencing the unexpected ..
My take is, if everything is running fine it is boring..
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:10 pm Post subject: Re: PK's LEDs up and running on my tank !
Hi Madan,
I enjoyed the whole document, am intrested to know about the circuits used if possible, I am also using 5 simple indigenous and Chinese LED lamps on an 88 Litre planted tank with a timeswitch successfully. But yours is a great experiment. Elaborate it in more detail.
Ravinder Singh
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