Multichip DIY LED

I did the same as paul,

From: nc208082
To: aallion2008
Subject: Other: nc208082 sent a message about SMD 100W LED Cool White High Power 9000LM LED Lamp for DIY #280863191147
Sent Date: 13-Jun-12 18:58:27 EDT

Dear aallion2008,

I am interested in your 100w multi chips. I have seen some people order them using epileds LEDs with a color combo of cool white, neutral white, royal blue, blue, and some uv390-410nm color. This is the combo I'm looking for mostly blues and whites with around 5 uv. I am interested in several of them, if you can get this item I can get many more people to come purchase from your store. Let me know.
Thanks
Nick

- nc208082

,

and i got this reply today

Dear nc208082,

ok, i will check it for you, thanks! ^_^

- aallion2008.

 

OK so the question is, how much do i have to pay you for you to build me a dimmable version for my 40breeder frag tank? haha seriously tho. shoot me a quote! obviously including your building fees and shipment from you to me that is.

 

I ordered an arduino so I could do a dawn to dusk ramp up ramp down. I understanding the code part of it but the electronics is going way over my head. The only 100w dimmable drivers I can find
85-265VAC 100W Dimmable LED driver 30-36V 3A Version 2 | eBay
have a mechanical pot (no pwm). Can somehow bypass the pot and use the arduino to send a (constant?) signal to the driver. Cant find the terminology to ask the right questions. If someone could point me in the right direction a link or a basic description on who to go about this it would greatly appreciated.


Thanks

Paul

 

Great build on Led's ..!! What the dimentions of your tank..?

 

I can't recall now; does the arduino provide a constant signal or is it PWM? If it's PWM, you won't be able to do what you've got in mind. If it's direct, yes you can absolutely wire around that pot. Realize the pot is simply a variable resistor; one side of the pot has a constant voltage applied to it, the other side is the signal out to the driver. You'd need to trace the leads from the pot, and see where they all go. Remove the pot. Measure the voltage supplied to the pot (as this will be the maximum you'll ever want to push to the driver with the aurdino). Then connect the aurdino to the leads from the pot to the driver.

 

Either of you guys hear anything back yet?

A 100w would be major overkill for a 40b. You'd probably be better served by a couple of lower wattage multichips. Since a 40b is only 16" deep you could probably go wiwth two 20w chips but then you will need two drivers and two coolers. The dimmable drivers in general are quite a bit more than the non-dimmable.

You'll probably have to look outside of Ebay for a PWM dimmable driver. Mean Well has them as well as a few other name brand companies but you will have to pay quite a bit more for them. I'll probably be going with Mean Well HLG-100H-36A, it's dimmable via 1~10Vdc, PWM, or resistance. I'll be controlling my lights via my Reef Angel via PWM.

Thanks! The tank is a 220g: 72" long x 24" front to back x 30" top to bottom.

 

Thanks

The arduino does both pwm and constant. Slowly starting to get the picture. It has a max of 5v and you need to add an op amp to get the 1 - 10k signal to the pot. I have seen people show diagrams that the leave it wired to the pot. Supposedly the arduino is constantly sending a signal.

 

You could also go with a DIM4 led controller.

The DIM4 is a custom LED controller created by a Flamin Systems engineer which is also an aquarist and LED expert.

 

I'm a noob, but how many of these could be used to light a 30" long tank

 

I am considering using 3 100w multiled-chip on my 72" tank. That will be overkill by a few factors. I'm not an expert, but my hunch is 1 would be plenty for your tank.