DIY LED lighting strip...

I ws thinking of maybe doing a LED strip in the canopy.

I read an article on the net somewhere that refered me to this thread
http://www.notlehs.com/reef/salt.html

and i had this link saved on converting an old PSU i had laying around that no longer powers anything and is only gathering dust..
http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-a-Computer-ATX-Power-Supply-to-a-Lab-Power-Supply

now, i'm hoping someone might give me some insight into a project like this, if they've done it before, i'll be using normal LED'y leds, none of those Limiwhotsits pcb leds, it'll just be for some atmospheric lighting at night, when the tubes go down and i wanna do some fishy watching.

I saw a 12V LED osram/some make light in a hardware store today that looked like those big 12V "cup" lights you somethimes see in display cabinets, or focus lighting on paintings, wondered if i could maybe possibly use those instead on a PSU 12V rail... I'll be going back this weekend to get the specs on those lights, will post up when i have it, in the mean while, anyone have an opinion on this idea? anyone done it? any tips?

I'll be contacting a Z-Eng buddy of mine to help design a circut, i used to do electronics too, but its all a bit fuzzy since last i did any projects.

I can say this much, i'll probably be hooking the LEDS in a parralel config with resistors if i go the small LED'y led route...

 

Your 12V PSU supply will drive the Osrams fine - BTW using a PC poer supply to run LED's is like trying flatten sand in a 600 tank with a bulldozer, use a wall wart instead, you only need a little current - Led's in series/parallel just calculate your currents through each leg...

 

wall wart?
what the frigg is a wall wart?

... ah, never mind, just looked it up, what kind of wall wart would you suggest.
I'm still gonna do the PSU convert anyway, i recieved about five of them a week ago from the same friend who gave me my tank, he's been doing some cleaning out, chucking away stuff he had no space for... lol. i got a tank and a PC and some PSU's from the whole thing

I made a regulatable DC power source in Highschool, its around here somewhere, has a max 12v output, i might decide to use that instead

 

Simplest is a txformer, bridge rectifier, 4700uF cap and a 78L12 with 1Uf cap on input and 1nF cap on output ...

 

this might sound stupid, but, do you maybe have a circuit diagram somewhere for something like that, that'll do the trick?

 

I can give you a verbal cct diagram - the 12v tappings on the txformer go to the ac side of the bridge rectifier - the dc side of the BR has the large cap connected across the DC. from the large cap + goto IN on the 78l12, GND on the 78L12 goes to - on the large cap. OUT on the 78l12 is your +12V, - is common from the BR. The small caps go ftrom IN and OUT of the 78l12 to GND

 

i think i got that, thanks! i put my qualified BEng(Z) buddy on figuring out what input and resistors i need on the LED's, lol, i'm too lazy hehe, and besides, i left electronics after i finished my first year for law, lol, HE's always talking about how he's the only qualified engineer, lol, so its his task to design the specs now, i'll just build it

 

normally 2k2:blink1:

 

thanks, we've already built out and planned the circuit on some bread board, LED's are working, now, instead of PVC pipe, i figure i'll use that square conduit you usually use for sorting network cables etc, the back clicks in, helps for if/when i'd need to change a burnt out led, just need to figure out how to make the fitting a little better than just soldering leds to wire, maybe i can find some PIC sockets to use to insert the leds into... i'll post up pics when this thing starts taking actual form, still making plannetjies

thanks slojo@2k2, i was thinking its somewhere around 300ohm or such, it'll be the clear cap, super bright blue kind, but i'm not gonna bother with the refractors like the guy in the link did, i personally think his tank looked nicer without the light refraction...

Now, who can give me ideas on what to build my canopy from, lol, i wanted wood, but where the dinges am i gonna find "cheap" wood? i looked at some kind of shelf thing at builders today, almost R300 for that, and then its still only usable as a lid for the canopy...

 

@Ferryman: There is a guy dougbb on www.apsa.co.za who started a thread on that forum about DIY LEDs. Sounds interesting. Not sure if I am allowed to post the link here.

 

i'll go have a look-see.

I just tested out some LEDs i have lying arounf with me, lol, i'm positive they're not superbrights, as they didn't even make a dent in the darkness of my sitting room,,, let alone my tank, but for the final thing i'll be using real superbrights, not the toy crap i got now

thanks for the headsup darryn, but the leds on that guy's post are $$$$$$ stuff, and way overkill for what i want to do, i just want a nightlight effect, not something that'll light the whole aquarium instead of florecents, when you go the 3watt luxeon leds route, you're probably looking to replace tubes... see the link i posted in my thread start, i'm looking to build a small led strip like the guy built into that pvc pipe, no more than that.

 

right, so its done, and looking good, even in cloudy water, only thing is now i wanna build another one, lol...

i think if i place one at the front and one at the back of the tank it'll look excellent... comments, querries?


for better pictures, see link here
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showpost.php?p=15767&postcount=117

i think its a bit pointless uploading the pics twice..

also remember it may look a bit odd with the light peaking out over the tank, i haven't built a canopy yet

 

Wow, mood lighting for fish how romantic LOL.
Just kidding that is very nice.

 

@Ferryman: Looking good. I think I should give it a go too. LOL
Can you post the specs of the components you used?

 

+1

 

er... i have nearly no idea what components were used
codes T1 - e2n222asomething tincap transistor,
spannings resistors, brown-red-red, 122? cant remember how the codes work.

Vin------------------------------+ LED pos
............l
............l
............l............... _________ LED neg
..........lR1l.............l c
............l_______b(T1)
............l...............l e
..........lR2l.............l
............l...............l
Vneg----------------------------- GND

Thats basically the Amp boosted circuit, the LEDs arent being er... driven? aangedryf, by Volts, but rather a regulated amperage.
The Vinput comes from a small power supply i built in highscholl, it has a 220AC to 22AC tx, then from there a bridge rectifier, and a cap circuit to smooth out the input, then a pot to regulate amperage and voltage
Circuit built with LEDs parallel, switches on at i'm guessing 3v or there abouts, turning up voltage has negatable influence past the switch on... turning down amp regulation may blow circuit, not sure, but also results in more light from leds...

Excuse the semi geek speak, hope that helps...
Lol, pre-engineering electronics geek turned bonsai keeping law student who now wants to keep fish. hahaahah, sigh, i am weird arent i?

bugger,,, the circuit didn't post right.. hang on,,, ignore fullstops in above sketch

 

i'll post up a closeup of the "finished" strip when my phone is charged again. sigh, it sucks to work on my old phone again, stupid vodacom and their stupid between the lines warranty regulations...
:shout: i want my nice big screened 5mp samsung screen fixed dammit :doh:

and connection and transfer of pics was so easy, now i gotta wiggle the SE connection all the time to get it connected

 

lol, off topic for my own topic, but i just found the warranty card, and in no terms do they state or cover a clause that says the phone will not be repaired if the hardware is broken...
i'm going back to vodacare demanding a repair, or a sustainable legal arguement as to how they wish to exclude repairs for a design weakness in their screen support which they forsake for sleek flatness... that warranty does not barr me from repair, that clerk didn't know what she was talking about, ...probably why they couldn't produce the warranty terms when i asked for it.
"defects in material, DESIGN and workmanship" are covered...
wish me luck, i'm gonna try to lawyer this one... hopefully get my phone fixed without a R900 fee, and then i can take good aquarium pics again :thumbs crossed:

 

excuse the bad drawing, i tried to ascii draw it as best i could

Mind, with regulated voltage, the right resistance, you could power some LEDs without that circuit
Then the components are:
- a power source, necessary voltage should match whats needed to power your specific led colour,
- a resistor connected in series with the top rail
- the leds all connected in parallel between top V+ and bottom V- rail, given that they're placed after the resistor in your circuit

check :
http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

http://ledz.com/?p=zz.led.resistor.calculator

 

Quickly did a measurement, circuit will function on 4 to 5Volt minimum. (My psu quickly jumps from 1v to 4. . )
And on 0.3 amps
Now to find a salvagable cell charger to replace my psu