yaksplat
Aquarium Advice Freak
Here's my $32 moonlight. I'll rewire it once i build my hood. All of the parts were purchased at RadioShack. The most expensive part was the transformer. Each LED was $4.
5 LED Moonlight
- Thread starter yaksplat
- Start date
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if you wanna make another one:
http://www.lsdiodes.com/
$.45 leds
spend less than $20 and shipping is $2 anywhere in the world!
ive purchased from them before and will again
http://www.lsdiodes.com/
$.45 leds
spend less than $20 and shipping is $2 anywhere in the world!
ive purchased from them before and will again
dansemacabre
Aquarium Advice Freak
That's a cool site! I like the tutorial section. Now I can build some moonlights! If my hood is 72", and they can only fit across the front and back...how many should I have, and should they alternate on the top and bottom...kinda like:
, ` , ` , ` , `
Where ` are the back and , are the front? thanks! btw yakplsat, cool lookin' lights!
, ` , ` , ` , `
Where ` are the back and , are the front? thanks! btw yakplsat, cool lookin' lights!
TheMadNucleus
Aquarium Advice Freak
Looks very cool. I am in the process of building a similar device but I have recently seen the CS moonlight for sale for 20 bucks.
None the less - checked out that LED site - it is really good and they are obviously making an honest profit rather than a 1000% mark-up like some places. However, the LED's they sell are minimum 4000mcd and the Radio Shack LED's that yaksplat (cool handle) used are probably somewhere between about 600mcd and 2500mcd (pls correct me if I'm wrong). I'm a little concerned about the 4000 mcds as that may be way too bright and intense. Non-diffused LEDs may have low wattage but their intensity can be focused in one very intense and narrow beam. At the 4000 mcd it might even be stressful to the tank inhabitants. The site even warns that their bulbs are so intense that if you look directly at them they could cause permanent eye damage.
Yaksplat - Does your moon unit (thank you Frank Zappa) provide enough light? And are you pleased with the effect it gives? If you are, I may follow in your brave, trailblazing footsteps
Tom
None the less - checked out that LED site - it is really good and they are obviously making an honest profit rather than a 1000% mark-up like some places. However, the LED's they sell are minimum 4000mcd and the Radio Shack LED's that yaksplat (cool handle) used are probably somewhere between about 600mcd and 2500mcd (pls correct me if I'm wrong). I'm a little concerned about the 4000 mcds as that may be way too bright and intense. Non-diffused LEDs may have low wattage but their intensity can be focused in one very intense and narrow beam. At the 4000 mcd it might even be stressful to the tank inhabitants. The site even warns that their bulbs are so intense that if you look directly at them they could cause permanent eye damage.
Yaksplat - Does your moon unit (thank you Frank Zappa) provide enough light? And are you pleased with the effect it gives? If you are, I may follow in your brave, trailblazing footsteps
Tom
TheMadNucleus
Aquarium Advice Freak
Thought the 4000 mcd issue out for awhile and realized I could put an LED dimmer on the lights. Generally a 555 TTL timer chip wired up as a monostable pulse generator where the frequency of the pulse is fixed (high so no flicker in the LEDs) and where the duty cylce of the pulse is adjustable from 50% to 100%.
So I ordered the LEDs from LSdiode.
Really appreciate the ideas folks. Gave some kudos to both of you.
Tom
So I ordered the LEDs from LSdiode.
Really appreciate the ideas folks. Gave some kudos to both of you.
Tom
Galerius
Aquarium Advice Regular
I'm an electronics idiot.
What parts were used, and how were they connected? Got a diagram?
TIA
What parts were used, and how were they connected? Got a diagram?
TIA
TheMadNucleus
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hi,
I'm not sure how Yaksplat did it but I can suggest a pretty cheap way with little to fail if you're not familiar with the electronics involved. Also a bit cheaper. First off I would purchase the following:
A few Blue 5mm LED's from www.LSdiodes.com as suggested by centurion (they are 45 cents each), A Transformer pack from http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=DCTX-512 (Cat# DCTX-512 - $3.50) and a few 70 ohm 1/4watt resisters also from allcorp. (perhaps a few cents each). Resisters can be close as the operating range of the LED's is 2.9 Volts to 4.0 Volts. I selected 70 ohms because the nominal operating voltage of the LED's is 3.6 and using Ohms law it works out to 70 ohms. (5V - 3.9V/20mAmps)
Then wire up as indicated in the attached diagram. You may have to cut the end of of the transformer wire and strip the leads. If you can not tell which side is plus try hooking up one LED as per the diagram - if it does not light, reverse the leads. You will not be able to burn out the LED as the resistor is limiting the voltage across the leads of the led to an acceptable level.
well, whole thing with 5 LEDS might cost you $6. You might want to add a switch or timer.
Good Luck.
Tom
I'm not sure how Yaksplat did it but I can suggest a pretty cheap way with little to fail if you're not familiar with the electronics involved. Also a bit cheaper. First off I would purchase the following:
A few Blue 5mm LED's from www.LSdiodes.com as suggested by centurion (they are 45 cents each), A Transformer pack from http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=DCTX-512 (Cat# DCTX-512 - $3.50) and a few 70 ohm 1/4watt resisters also from allcorp. (perhaps a few cents each). Resisters can be close as the operating range of the LED's is 2.9 Volts to 4.0 Volts. I selected 70 ohms because the nominal operating voltage of the LED's is 3.6 and using Ohms law it works out to 70 ohms. (5V - 3.9V/20mAmps)
Then wire up as indicated in the attached diagram. You may have to cut the end of of the transformer wire and strip the leads. If you can not tell which side is plus try hooking up one LED as per the diagram - if it does not light, reverse the leads. You will not be able to burn out the LED as the resistor is limiting the voltage across the leads of the led to an acceptable level.
well, whole thing with 5 LEDS might cost you $6. You might want to add a switch or timer.
Good Luck.
Tom
yaksplat
Aquarium Advice Freak
yeah, i basically did the same thing. except i used a 12v transformer with 470 ohm resistors, but it's all the same
I'm working on a solid state timer to control all of my lights. I'm not an EE but a ME that's willing to learn.
Jim
I'm working on a solid state timer to control all of my lights. I'm not an EE but a ME that's willing to learn.
Jim
TheMadNucleus
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hey Jim,
Cool. I started in EE then midstream switched to Comp Sci when I realized you could make twice as much if you even knew how to spell computer (ahhh those were the days - back when Disco ran rampant like a plague and computer geeks were held in awe rather then ridiculed.
Well if you need some EE help - I can always give it a try.
Lata'
Tom
Cool. I started in EE then midstream switched to Comp Sci when I realized you could make twice as much if you even knew how to spell computer (ahhh those were the days - back when Disco ran rampant like a plague and computer geeks were held in awe rather then ridiculed.
Well if you need some EE help - I can always give it a try.
Lata'
Tom
bigreddastud
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Where and what parts would I find to accomplish the timer and dimmer effects people speak about. I have done some wiring/soldering, but don't have the component knowledge of EE's.
I'd love to add a reasonable timed, dimmable moonlight to my tank.
TIA.
I'd love to add a reasonable timed, dimmable moonlight to my tank.
TIA.
yaksplat
Aquarium Advice Freak
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but for dimming I'd attempt to use a pot (potentiameter) to control the voltage. This may have the desired voltage.
As far as the timer goes, I've only found plans to create a timer to run relays. But the problem is that it's timer based and not clock based. Therefore events only happen at intervals that you specify, not times. That means that if you want the lights to go on at noon and off at midnight, a 12 hour time, then that must be based on the current time. If you start the timer at 8am, then you would set the light to go on at 4 and off at 16.
Then again as a computer science and ME I'm now thinking that I should just write an application to control a bunch of relays based on signals sent from my serial port. Then everything could be based on the system clock in the computer.
That should shed a little bit of light on the topic for you.
Jim
As far as the timer goes, I've only found plans to create a timer to run relays. But the problem is that it's timer based and not clock based. Therefore events only happen at intervals that you specify, not times. That means that if you want the lights to go on at noon and off at midnight, a 12 hour time, then that must be based on the current time. If you start the timer at 8am, then you would set the light to go on at 4 and off at 16.
Then again as a computer science and ME I'm now thinking that I should just write an application to control a bunch of relays based on signals sent from my serial port. Then everything could be based on the system clock in the computer.
That should shed a little bit of light on the topic for you.
Jim
TheMadNucleus
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hey Yaksplat - how are things. Wanted to add a little note to your advice above. Yep Potentiometers are good choice for dimming some things that are voltage sensitive however, LED's are really transistors that go to saturation at a particular foward volatage and then remain in that state (i.e. giving off photons) until they reach a max voltage at wich point the diode substrates become permantly biased (i.e. the thing gets burnt out).
Bottom line is that they sort of operate in a window of voltage and the amount of light they generate in the window is only midly different. So then the question - how do you dim an LED or group of LED's. The trick is to use a 555 timer chip as an Astable pulse generator. The frequency of the Pulses should be fixed and high like 5-10 Khz. However, the duty cycle of the pulses should be variable (the duty cycle is the relative on/off time ratio). For example, adjustable for 10% of the frequency the pulse is on and for 90% it is off adjust up to 90% of time the pulse is on and 10% it is off. The eye can not recognize that the LED's are being tunred an and off because the frequency is too high but the eye can detect the differnce in the ratio of how long the lamp is on or off.
I recommend the Forest M. Mims III hobby books available from radio shack. There is one specifically for the 555 timer and I believe it has a simple circuit to do this.
tom
Bottom line is that they sort of operate in a window of voltage and the amount of light they generate in the window is only midly different. So then the question - how do you dim an LED or group of LED's. The trick is to use a 555 timer chip as an Astable pulse generator. The frequency of the Pulses should be fixed and high like 5-10 Khz. However, the duty cycle of the pulses should be variable (the duty cycle is the relative on/off time ratio). For example, adjustable for 10% of the frequency the pulse is on and for 90% it is off adjust up to 90% of time the pulse is on and 10% it is off. The eye can not recognize that the LED's are being tunred an and off because the frequency is too high but the eye can detect the differnce in the ratio of how long the lamp is on or off.
I recommend the Forest M. Mims III hobby books available from radio shack. There is one specifically for the 555 timer and I believe it has a simple circuit to do this.
tom
JProx
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hey guys, sorry about being a little late to the post..
I just finished up an associate degree, in EE about 1.5 yrs ago, and currently working on ba in computer science. If anyone needs any advice, suggestions, circuit diagrams, or explanations on components don't hesitate to ask, my email address is ijedi@hotmail.com or you can get a hold of my on aim or icq.
mad your right on the money, your explanations are perfect. Radio shack in my opinion is heavily overpriced, and a great alternative for circuit diagrams is to use google. i found this 555timer diagram back when i was getting my degree, it needs to be specially tuned for it's job, but it's pretty simple to do. http://www.mitedu.freeserve.co.uk/Circuits/Timing/555mono.htm
lastly though, 555timers from my experiences are unstable and unreliable. you wouldn't believe how many bad chips i have come across during my electronics degree and the few that did work, would either run great for a few hours, or they would generate very sporadic, crazy results. but on the light side, the chip is dirt cheap, and easy to wire. if you're going to use one, just make sure you triple check your wiring job before power is applied.
if anyone needs any help, just let me know!
I just finished up an associate degree, in EE about 1.5 yrs ago, and currently working on ba in computer science. If anyone needs any advice, suggestions, circuit diagrams, or explanations on components don't hesitate to ask, my email address is ijedi@hotmail.com or you can get a hold of my on aim or icq.
mad your right on the money, your explanations are perfect. Radio shack in my opinion is heavily overpriced, and a great alternative for circuit diagrams is to use google. i found this 555timer diagram back when i was getting my degree, it needs to be specially tuned for it's job, but it's pretty simple to do. http://www.mitedu.freeserve.co.uk/Circuits/Timing/555mono.htm
lastly though, 555timers from my experiences are unstable and unreliable. you wouldn't believe how many bad chips i have come across during my electronics degree and the few that did work, would either run great for a few hours, or they would generate very sporadic, crazy results. but on the light side, the chip is dirt cheap, and easy to wire. if you're going to use one, just make sure you triple check your wiring job before power is applied.
if anyone needs any help, just let me know!
TheMadNucleus
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hey Jprox,
Welcome - great to have an EE. I started in EE and about 3/4 of the way through my B.S. shifted to Comp Sci. But that was back in the early 80's. Went on to get a masters in Comp Sci as well.
It's been a little rough holding down the electronics-question fort, here at the Aquarium advice Alamo so I'm glad you joined.
Funny you have had bad experiences with the 555, it is a very standard chip and used all over the place. I've found it to be pretty reliable. Although I will agree that it is not very tolerant of operating, even for a fraction of a second, beyond its paramters. I.e. they burn out pretty easy so there are a lot of oops! if your not careful.
Tom
Welcome - great to have an EE. I started in EE and about 3/4 of the way through my B.S. shifted to Comp Sci. But that was back in the early 80's. Went on to get a masters in Comp Sci as well.
It's been a little rough holding down the electronics-question fort, here at the Aquarium advice Alamo
so I'm glad you joined.Funny you have had bad experiences with the 555, it is a very standard chip and used all over the place. I've found it to be pretty reliable. Although I will agree that it is not very tolerant of operating, even for a fraction of a second, beyond its paramters. I.e. they burn out pretty easy so there are a lot of oops! if your not careful.
Tom
JProx
Aquarium Advice Freak
well when they work, they rock. Most of the chips were provided by the college i attended, which could explain their behavior.. however about 1/2 through the program, a bunch of classmates and myself ordered about 25-30 7555 chips from digikey, and after they were divided up, 4 of the 6 i got were dead on arrival, the same was true for another classmate. the rest i played with were pretty much alright, expect for 1 or 2 that acted funny, having the timing systems distorted, or just popping the minute power was applied, which lead to my post about them. of course some of the problems could be contributed to operator error, but after you get to 4-5 dead chips you start looking for another reason you know? and after the digikey experience, i just started avoiding the 555 whenever i could.
lastly, it might be easier (and a little more costly) just to get a regular lighting timer from wal mart, and tear it apart and use that as the timer but add a step down transformer on the output to meet certain needs. i agree it's not very adventurous, but it will work quickly with minimal circuit designing and there is alot less to go wrong.
tom, i'm glad to help when ever i can and it's nice knowing i am not the only one with an ee and computer science background.
bryan
lastly, it might be easier (and a little more costly) just to get a regular lighting timer from wal mart, and tear it apart and use that as the timer but add a step down transformer on the output to meet certain needs. i agree it's not very adventurous, but it will work quickly with minimal circuit designing and there is alot less to go wrong.
tom, i'm glad to help when ever i can and it's nice knowing i am not the only one with an ee and computer science background.
bryan
yaksplat
Aquarium Advice Freak
I got my BS in Mechanical Engineering two years ago and i'm finishing up my BS in computer science this semester. Either of you consider writing a program to monitor and control your aquarium? That's the next thing i'm going to do.....
Jim
Jim
JProx
Aquarium Advice Freak
Jim, i have thought about it, i really have. it would be awesome to have a computer monitor temp, lighting, chems ect then activate heaters/chillers start up the dosing systems or turn the lights on and off. I have like 3 486's laying around i would love to put to use. but that's a long away for me, i have a bunch of projects i need to finish before i can even think of trying this. [side note: Jim if you need anything computer related let me know i have bunch of old computer stuff i wouldn't mind parting with.] my stand just needs a finish and doors, i still have to design and build a sump/fuge system. finalize my filter selection (i have a bunch of stuff sitting in a box collecting dust, so i am trying to figure out which would be good to take out of retirement.) a boat load of cleaning to do on everything tank related and the list just goes on and on and on.
when i finally get around to it, i will be more than happy to post whatever i develop. hell who knows maybe we comp science majors can go into business selling software to control tank setups.. but isn't that somehow giving into laziness ?
bryan
when i finally get around to it, i will be more than happy to post whatever i develop. hell who knows maybe we comp science majors can go into business selling software to control tank setups.. but isn't that somehow giving into laziness ?
bryan
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