DIY Dimmable RapidLED Kit - Converting from MH's

How much are they dimmed if at all or are they at like full power?

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Not at full power; guesstimating based on the POT position:

Whites: ~75%
Blues: ~90%

 

This thread is like the diy led bible, so many great tips in here.

Just wondering about the splash guard you have.
How often do you need to clean it?
Do you think it would be a problem to ommit it? perhaps if the light is hung a certain height above the water surface?

 

doesnt a plexi glass splash guard reduce PAR?

 

I have my led fixture about 16in above water with no splash guard but I am running 40 degree optics to still keep the light focussed into the water. That would be the only issue with lifting it up higher. If you were running 80 degree optics you would have a lot of light spill and wasted light.

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I believe its basically insignificant.

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One of the LFS I go too (they makes their own acrylic tanks) stated that Acrylic is 97.875% (around that number) transparent which shouldnt cause any reduction in a lights PAR unless there was something on there that would block the light from shining down i.e. salt creep.

 

Thank you very much for the compliments.

I clean it about every 4 weeks for so. I probably should clean it every 2-3, but I tend to forget about it more often then I should.

For me, it's essential, as my tank is full of jumpers which regularly splash. There's no way I could go without it, even if the fixture was a foot higher or so, which would be difficult. It's already ~16" off the surface. I suppose if your fish never splashed, you might be able to go without it...

Meh, sure, but very minimal. It's a necessary price of business for me. Regardless, the color/growth of my tank indicates it doesn't matter much either.

Very true. Even with 40deg optics, I don't think I could get it above the "splash height".

Correct, that's about right. Essentially, it's an insignificant loss if it's clean.

 

This may have been covered and I missed it, but how do you tell when the meanwell SVR2 pot is all the way turned down?

And am I the only one who's drivers came without a power cord? I was thinking of just cutting the ends off of a couple cords around that are no longer used, but I'm not sure if it will make a difference which wire i hook up to which(as long as its on the AC input).

Also how did you attatch your lenses? I've got mine sitting on my lights but they don't seem stationary enough without some added adhesive(my lights are not hooked up at the moment, they're still in the build phase)

 

turn the screw SLOWLY counterclockwise, if it is stuck dont force it, that's how far it goes.

driveres dont come with a powercord. it will be wise to use 3 wire cord and use the 3rd one for ground. it doesnt matter which wire you hook upto to the AC since AC is alternating current.

i attached mine by using the thermal epoxy i used to stick my LED's to the aluminum. use a toothpick, dont use too much epoxy.


FWIW, my fixture is 3inches above the water, i have wrasses the makes some splashes, i didnt use any spalsh shield.
tell me, which part of the DIY LED fixture corrodes?
but that's just me, it is wise to get a splash shield.