$100 DIY Cree LED XR-E - Actinic Supplement 48" Light Strip

Don't buy one of those "cold solder" guns or anything with an "As Seen On TV" sticker on it. Go to Lowes or HD and get a $25 solder kit.

 

did you ask if they have the kits available in all one color? I think I'm going to email them before buying... That is whenever I finally get around to buying my next tank lol

 

they do, but you need to email/request all the same color leds. its under item description tabs when looking at the kit's details @ rapidled.com

 

Sweet and thanks!

 

Ok cool..I think im really going to do this..just not right now maybe next month,still paying off the CC`s from our latest vacation......
keep us posted on how they are doing...

 

Great DIY, awesome outcome.

 

you could probly take the led fixture completed minus the soldering to a computer tech store and pay the guy $20 bucks to do the soldering for you. computer techs are used to soldering small things to motherboards.. just a thought..

 

well I did some monitoring on the temps of the aluminum bar I used as a heatsink tonite. After 10 hours with leds on and 6hrs with mh on. Im getting readings 90-95 degrees on bar.. the hot spots are where the bar is a little exposed to the MH bulb. so this 95 degree reading may be coming from that. I have the leds slightly position below the edge of my mh gullwing reflectors. So before I add another fan just for the leds, I will be raising my led strip location up 1/2"-1" higher in the canopy so the leds and heatsink arent exposed to direct mh light/heat. I will also retake temps to see if thats the problem. stay tuned.

FYI: basically from what Ive have read.. if you can keep the leds temps below 100 degrees your ok. under 90 degrees is even better. over 110 degrees your getting in the danger zone.

without the MH lights on, the leds are 90 or below.. so thats good.

 

Wow, awesome DIY!! I hope you are proud of your accomplishment! Very nice

 

thank you very much, yes I am very proud..

To not have a clue on leds days prior to starting project, and just jumped into it with both feet. I wish I could find room to do this on my other tank.. its like looking at a black light poster in the dark, with the glow the corals give off now.. 8)