Leaderboard

I thought I’d post a thread about my DIY LED lighting system.Some of you may have already seen this, but when I was researching mine, I found threads like these invaluable for gathering ideas and understanding how it all comes together. Materials 7 x 3W Cree LEDs Neutral White 7 x 3W Cree LEDs Cool White 8 x 65 degree lens 6 x 80 degree lens 4 x blue moonlight leds Arctic Alumina thermal adhesive Meanwell Dimmable driver ELN-60-48P Daylight controller Moonlight driver Twin pc stealth fan Heatsink Qubelok tubing Aluminium Angle Flat bracket strip (for fan mount) Aluminium Primer Black spray paint Electrical Wire Australian plugs (old computer power cables) Various electrical connectors Steel cable for suspension Fish eye adjustable hooks (I think?) Clear and Black Perspex Construction After gathering all my materials. I was ready to start work. I cut, bent and drilled the fan mounts into the heat sink. Here the LEDs have been attached to the heatsink with thermal adhesive. The four LEDs in the middle-row are the moonlights. The LEDs on the top and bottom row alternate between cool-white and neutral-white. Here the wiring has been soldering in place in series. Two separate circuits, one for the white lights and one for the moonlights. The LED lenses were then glued on next. The first test of the LEDs and it’s a resounding success (and also resulted in temporary blindness!) Next up, the PC fans were attached to the heat sink mounts I created. I decided to use cable ties as it seemed the easiest option. Here is the frame I contructed out of Qubelok tubing and connectors (also sold as Connect_It tubing and Bunnings for three times the price!). You can see the heatsink sitting inside the housing. This tubing has a metal lip sticking out, so is perfect for the job. The external housing for the light I made out of Aluminium angle that I cut to size, painted with primer and then spray-painted gloss black. I also created a stand for the lighting out of the Qubelok tubing and attemped to reinforce it with steel right angle brackets, but found that it still flexed too much, so I had to provide additional support by tying it to the wall. Also made the light suspension out of steel wires and some adjustable fish-eye hooks ( I think they were called). This allows for me to raise and lower the lighting as required and I can also slide the light forward and backwards to facilitate cleaning of the tank. The completed product. Please feel free to ask any questions. This was a quick type-up so I glossed over some details. Cheers, D