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Cheap Diy Led Project!


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I decided to build my own lights due to the cost of most lights out there being way past my budget.

So I found some really good sources for building the led lighting i chose to go with.

Item & Item cost:

- Gu10 3w blue led x5. $22.00

- Gu10 3w cool white led x10. $34.00

- Gu10 led ceramic base sockets.$15.00

Total: $71.00

Tools you will need:

- Needle nose pliers.

- Black electrical tape.

- Wire strippers.

- Silicone (optional).

post-6083-0-99402700-1358418822_thumb.jpg

post-6083-0-07667600-1358419773_thumb.jpg

It was really easy to wire everything together. All you need to do is connect all your sockets in a parallel

circuit using either solder or electrical tape. You can also use the silicone on your connections to keep

them from corroding.

The best part about these bulbs is they do not need a ballast to run them. All you need is a plug off any

thing you are not using around the house. I used a plug off one of my old filters.

post-6083-0-04439500-1358420389_thumb.jpg

Here is everything all wired together and working.

post-6083-0-45879700-1358420462_thumb.jpg

post-6083-0-75713600-1358420491_thumb.jpg

Now to think up ideas for a hood to install them into. Shouldn't be to hard seeing how i work in a fabrication

shop. Thank you for your time.

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I decided to build my own lights due to the cost of most lights out there being way past my budget.

So I found some really good sources for building the led lighting i chose to go with.

Item & Item cost:

- Gu10 3w blue led x5. $22.00

- Gu10 3w cool white led x10. $34.00

- Gu10 led ceramic base sockets.$15.00

Total: $71.00

Tools you will need:

- Needle nose pliers.

- Black electrical tape.

- Wire strippers.

- Silicone (optional).

post-6083-0-99402700-1358418822_thumb.jpg

post-6083-0-07667600-1358419773_thumb.jpg

It was really easy to wire everything together. All you need to do is connect all your sockets in a parallel

circuit using either solder or electrical tape. You can also use the silicone on your connections to keep

them from corroding.

The best part about these bulbs is they do not need a ballast to run them. All you need is a plug off any

thing you are not using around the house. I used a plug off one of my old filters.

post-6083-0-04439500-1358420389_thumb.jpg

Here is everything all wired together and working.

post-6083-0-45879700-1358420462_thumb.jpg

post-6083-0-75713600-1358420491_thumb.jpg

Now to think up ideas for a hood to install them into. Shouldn't be to hard seeing how i work in a fabrication

shop. Thank you for your time.

Nice idea, though on the wiring side of it I've got a few cringes going on. On the wiring hook up, approved methods would be solder with electrical tape over top, or wire nut

connectors. Just using electrical tape is NOT an approved method and can lead to a lot of problems with wires coming apart and someone getting hurt. Not sure if that's what you meant, but from reading the above it seems to state that. Now, as well code requirements do say any splicing (joining of wires ) must be done in a CEC approve box or fixture etc. So you need to make sure whatever enclosure you use protects all those electrical connections properly and is not flammable as well.

Since you work in a fab shop, a light weight metal enclosure with holes for the sockets to poke through, or mount should work well. Add a small hole for where the 120v power supply cable enters and make sure all your connections are inside and hidden away.

Hope I didn't come off the wrong way on that, but I don't want to see someone with zero (ie other readers) background in putting stuff together try this out and end up getting hurt.

cheers,

Antonio

Edited by Tigs
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Mk you can find everthing on ebay. Tigs thank you for adding that in as well. I was just explaining how to wire everything together. I will be making another right away with the plans for the hood. Which will be sealed off from water.

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Are you using those LEDs just for the sake of lighting up the aquarium? Or do they rate well for plants?

I'm still learning here and I thought a specific wavelength and lumen for light is targeted for the content of your aquarium. Do those LEDs fulfill the requirements?

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Are you using those LEDs just for the sake of lighting up the aquarium? Or do they rate well for plants?

I'm still learning here and I thought a specific wavelength and lumen for light is targeted for the content of your aquarium. Do those LEDs fulfill the requirements?

Cool white bulbs put out 6000-7000k so yes they are in the proper wave length for plants. They also can sustain hard and soft corals.

Edited by Bagzoffish
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Alright I drew up some plans at work using the water jet lay out program. This is what i came up with let me know what you think:

post-6083-0-30493800-1358493000_thumb.jpg

I am going to pick up a sheet of aluminium in the morning. Then i will use the water jet to cut out the out line.

Then i have to bend it all by hand. It should be finished by the end of the weekend.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would really like to get some cheap lighting, and I don't mean to discourage you, but it can done more safely.

While it is true that the bulbs you have picked up do not require ballasts to power the bulbs that you have, there is internal wiring to convert the AC power from your outlet to DC to power the small LEDs within those bulbs. I would highly suggest using wire nuts (maretts) to connect everything together, and once it's connected and going into a humid environment, use silicone to seal the end of the wire nuts.

Also looking at your drawing, you mention using a USB fan. USB powers fans at +5V DC. If you plug it into the wall like the rest, it will not run, or you will burn it out extremely fast. Find yourself a fan that runs off AC, and you can add a rheostat if you wish as well to change how fast it turns.

Since you are mounting everything inside aluminum, remember that aluminum is conductive. You have to keep your wiring far enough away from the aluminum to prevent arcing. Be sure to install grommets on all sharp edges that wires go through.

The last suggestion I have for you is to enclose everything on the bottom using a piece of plexiglass so that no humidity can enter where the wiring is.

All of this is may seem miniscule but is actually quite critical especially if you're planning a salt water tank. All the free-flowing ions in the water are a potential for a short in your system. The 15A breaker in your box isn't meant to save you or your fish, it's meant to stop you from drawing too much amperage and costing the power company money. It's also technically supposed to stop a house fire by preventing hot spots in this wiring. Each junction in your wiring is a point of higher resistance - a point at which it heats up more. As your junctions expand and contract with heat, they may loosen and create arcs which will in turn create fires. To make sure that breaker actually activates if there's problems, use a 3 prong cord and attach the ground to the aluminum frame. Drill and tap, use a pemsert, or just a bolt with a lock-nut to keep everything secure.

And before I get asked these questions, no I'm not an electrician, but I have done my own wiring. I am also an electronics engineering student at NAIT.

If you need any more guidance, I'll be happy to help.

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  • 7 months later...

I'm planning on doing something similar for a fw planted tank. I'm planning on using mr16's instead of gu10's. I feel much better with 12v over and open top aquarium than 120v. Anyone that is interested there's a giant thread on gu10 led lighting over on nanoreef.com . http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/267432-gu10-led-build-thread-chinese-ebay-lights/

Edited by Deano85
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