Your input on my idea to make a led system

[evilc66]

I have never been a big fan of using just blue and red for growth. I always feel there is something missing. Granted, in theory it's the most efficient use of light, but doesn't always yield the best results. I'm a much bigger fan of using a broad spectrum light for marine and terrestrial growth.

[fawkes]

You may well be right. That is why I am testing and not committing the entire collection to the test. I may hate it. If it goes bad, I will have some parts to use for some DIY project

Many years ago, a bonsai grower insisted that his mix for his trees had to have some dirt in it. He just couldn't bring himself to not use it. I have seen trees growing very well in soil-less mixes. And certainly hydroponics shows us that soil can be avoided. That said, all that is avoided is the soil - they still add the nutrients.

[Corvette Reefer]

k thanks, do u have a diagram on how to wire up everything?

[Corvette Reefer]

do u have a diagram to show how u wire everything up, im kinda confused on the wiring.

[Corvette Reefer]

oh and if i want the ability to put a power switch would i want 2 12 volt power supply's rather than just 1, so each color can have independence? also how do u chose how many A's i need 2.5, 4, 1.7, what ever how do i know?

[evilc66]

Wiring is pretty straight forward. The Buckpuck shows it fairly clearly. Just duplicate for each color. If you want to be able to turn each color on and off seperately, at least by timers, then you will need two power supplies. One for each color. If you just want to turn them off manually with a switch, then you can use just one power supply, and a switch inline with each Buckpuck. As for capacity, just get something a little larger than you need for the load. For example, if you run one 1000mA Buckpuck on one power supply, then you need about 1.2A or greater. Whichever way you go, you will need it to be 24v. That is mandatory.

[Corvette Reefer]

alright thanks i got 2 swiches already i can use so i guess just one power supply, okayyyy i got it thanks for the help.

[Corvette Reefer]

http://ledsupply.com/aata-5g.php
can u use this stuff to mount the heat sinks and leds and aluminum sheet together?

also how much power will these have over t-5 or halides, for the set up im got in mind?

[Corvette Reefer]

do i need 24V for each driver or together? i calcualted that with 12V to one driver with 6 bulbs each bulb gets only 2V, with 24V it gets 4V. and they say the bulbs handle 3.3V, soo idk.

[evilc66]

Originally Posted by Corvette Reefer

http://ledsupply.com/aata-5g.php
can u use this stuff to mount the heat sinks and leds and aluminum sheet together?

also how much power will these have over t-5 or halides, for the set up im got in mind?

Yes, you can use that. It's pretty permanent, and needs pressure applied to the LED as it cures to get the best performance.

As for power, you should be similar to a 150W MH.

Originally Posted by Corvette Reefer

do i need 24V for each driver or together? i calcualted that with 12V to one driver with 6 bulbs each bulb gets only 2V, with 24V it gets 4V. and they say the bulbs handle 3.3V, soo idk.

Doesn't work that way. LED drivers will automatically adjust the voltage to the needs of the LEDs. With a buck type driver like the Buckpuck, you need to have the input voltage higher than the forward voltage of the LEDs. If you were to run 6 LEDs with a 12v power supply, you would kill the driver in seconds. For 6 LEDs, you need at least a 24v power supply.

You don't need a separate power supply per driver, but it offers more control. You can run more than one driver per power supply as long as it has enough current to handle the number of drivers. You add the max current for each driver together, then add a little for saftey, and that's the minimum current you need on your power supply. For example, two 1000mA drivers would need 2.2A or more.