LED lighting help from Scott and ignobolis needed.

Hey guys,I finally started on setting up my spots up for lighting, not for algae now, they are going over my top tank and I am going to have a couple of corals up there,the types that shouldn’t go the ones in the bottom tank.

What I want to know is if this ac/dc elec transformer is okay and the plugs as well for my Mr16 -12 volt ac spots with 3-3 watt diodes in each.

Plus what would be the best thing to use for running two of those fans you got me Scott, would they run off this transformer as well?

That transformer 'should ' run about 3 of your spots, 2 minimum- connected in series it should be 12v though - one wire connected to the output of your transformer then the other wire to one wire of the next led then to the next led and into the transformer...

Problem being that its not constant current which is what's needed, that unit lowers the voltage to dim so it fights against the regulator built into your leds...... . I.e. the regulator tries to keep the LEDs supplied with constant current, even in the face of fluctuating supply voltage. So trying to dim it, i.e by reducing the input voltage, would just be fighting against the regulator.

I think all you need to power those lamps is a 12 DVC, or12V AC, source capable of supplying the required power, which works out to about 300 mA, per lamp, in terms of current. So that transformer, is rated at around 20-60watts, we really need to know constant amps but it can be converted at a fixed input voltage....all said that should be sufficient to power two lamps maybe 3 ?

If I'm right, these lamps will be somewhat hard to break electrically. The on-board regulator will go a long way towards protecting the LEDs, and probably the only way to break the thing would be with excessive voltage, like accidentally plugging them into the 240 v.

Just ensure all is unplugged before hooking anything up - and stand back when you plug it in

Ignobolis wrote:

Just ensure all is unplugged before hooking anything up - and stand back when you plug it in

Thanks mate, much appreciated, you know a lot more about this type of thing then me.

Oh and how far should I stand back,

the dimming for that transformer is not adjusting voltage its adjusting current thought if you load down the thing with 60W worth of bulbs trhen yeh the output voltage will drop by .2 volts

the dimming is done by adjusting the phase of the AC input. you would need to buy a phase adjusting dimmer from a light shop or electrical store.

as igno said they should be wired in series with a minium of 20 W worth of lights.

ie if ur lights lights have 3x 3 watt diodes then they are 9-10W each therefore you must have a minimum of 2 (id go 3)
and a maximum of 6 lights in series.

if you dont have enough lights then chances are they wont work even with the regulators inbuilt.
make sure if the lights a not rectified then you get the polarity the right way. in other words + and - most be the correct direction

oh and yeh make sure you check and triple check ur wiring before plugging into 240V and be ready to unplug if u see smoke

Thanks guys,I set it up and its going great and I will put six on it as recommended.

They have been running for 3 hours now and no ventilation to see if the heat affects the plastic tub they are set into and no worries at all.

These one of x-pe and two of x-pg seem brighter then my x-re diodes.

I would say six of them that wil equate to nearly 60 watts of grunt and from how i blinded my wife with these when i said have a look at this,they will do nicely

The transformer seemed cheap at $19,what do you think?

Guys what will run these fans at their best and something compact?

Thank you guys.

The transformer is AC/DC,how it would run both diodes and fans i don't know,i would have used something else for them any way,it's the voltage that i don't know what the fans needs.

Scott got them so i need to know the voltage for them.

If so,very cool,thats what i wanted to know .

sorry mate for not getting back to you yeh theyre 12Vfans u can either buy a small AC/DC power supply a 1 or 2A will do those fans only draw about .2 mA
or if you want i can bring an old laptop powersupply home from work that will do the job its small and pretty water tight.

ignore the yellow wire, its just to vary the speed and if there the ones i got for dendro then theyll be quiet as so no spend control needed

oh and run those in parrallel not series like the lights