HELP! DIY RGB LED - Complete Novice!

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TomStav

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
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550
Location
Rhode Island, USA
Hi Guys,

I'm hoping someone here can help as I have searched the web all night with no luck! I know absolutely nothing about LEDs but am determined to get this to work! :confused:

I am trying to make a remote controlled single 10W LED spotlight to put over my IM-10 fusion nano tank... I want this to be a controllable RGB light so that I can change the color with the remote. This will be purely for aesthetics and not to support plants/corals. I don't want to use the pre-made LED strip lights because I am housing this inside a Kessil A150 (the Kassil burnt out a while ago so I am repurposing the housing).

Right... So here are the components I have...


So, now my goal is to (if it's even possible) connect these 4 coloured cables into a single 10W RGB LED chip. I have bought the following two chips hoping one of them would work...


Will either of these chips connect to the 4 coloured cables? If so, how do I connect them? If not, what kind of chip should I be using?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated! :thanks:

Thanks!
Tom
 

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Your color controller is for red green blue. Only the rgb chip will work not the rgbw one. 12v red and black go to the red black inputs to color controller. Red green blue outputs each go to corresponding red green blue + sides of the chip. The red green blue -- sides of the chip will ALL BE connected together and connect to the one remaining black connector on the output side of the controller. I didn't check but assume the power converter (from AC to DC) has the correct voltage and milliamperage that the led chip is designed for. Check this before hooking or soldering any wires together.


Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk
 
You could use the rgbw chip. Just don't hook anything to the w+ or w- connections on the board.

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I know nothing about DIY led lights but wish I did.
Ziggy is building/rebuilding his leds with new 3 watt drivers in his 54g corner build
...http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/ziggys-54g-corner-rescape-344686.html
Maybe he could help you out?
Definitely interested in the build.:popcorn:

Thanks, I took a look and he definitely knows his LEDs! Unfortunately for me he wasn't messing around with RGBs so I am still in the dark (literally).

I'll post a video to show what I am trying to achieve and how I have it setup so far.
 
Your color controller is for red green blue. Only the rgb chip will work not the rgbw one. 12v red and black go to the red black inputs to color controller. Red green blue outputs each go to corresponding red green blue + sides of the chip. The red green blue -- sides of the chip will ALL BE connected together and connect to the one remaining black connector on the output side of the controller. I didn't check but assume the power converter (from AC to DC) has the correct voltage and milliamperage that the led chip is designed for. Check this before hooking or soldering any wires together.

Thanks Mike! The chips haven't arrived yet but I'll give the RGB one a try when it does. I know the AC to DC power converter has the correct voltage (12V 10W) and is outputting DC0.83 amps. With the particular chip I ordered (see it here) the amps are not specified in the description. I think I'll just hook it up and see what happens. I assume the worst case it is burns out the LED chip and the controller will be perfectly fine, right?

My main goal is just to get an RGB LED floodlight inside a Kessil A150 housing. I'd really prefer to use the controller box as I have already purchased it and mounted it and wired it in under my tank (along with the power converter). Obviously the RBG LED strips would be a simple plug and play but they wouldn't fit in the Kessil and I'm adamant about using it!

As it stands my tank has an empty Kessil fixture hanging over it with the 4 cables hanging out of it - don't worry it's not plugged in! With my self-diagnosed OCD, this is driving me mad!

The chip should arrive within the next couple of days and I'll give it a go. Fingers crossed!
 
Yes only the chips will burn out, not controller or power supply. Most less run at less than 12 volts. They're made to be connected in series to totally draw the 12 volts. I would test the LEDs with a 1.5 volt flashlight battery first.


Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk
 
Yes only the chips will burn out, not controller or power supply. Most less run at less than 12 volts. They're made to be connected in series to totally draw the 12 volts. I would test the LEDs with a 1.5 volt flashlight battery first.


Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk

Great tip, I'll do that! I think if all else fails I might just end up cramming a flexi LED strip light into the kessil fixture... Not ideal but may be sufficient.

I'm only intending to use this light as an accent light in the evenings once my main light is out (the main light is a kessil A150 Amazon Sun). So the light doesn't need to be very bright.

Thanks again!
 
I got some of those 12' rgb strips off amazon, they're freakin sweet. They'd make excellent accent lighting and they'd probably grow plants of you could get all 12' switch back style into a hood.

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I got some of those 12' rgb strips off amazon, they're freakin sweet. They'd make excellent accent lighting and they'd probably grow plants of you could get all 12' switch back style into a hood.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Cheers Bookster (y), the only problem I have with using the strips is that I want to house the light inside a Kessil A150 shell which is roughly the shape and size of a soda can... I could potentially wrap them up in there but I'm not sure how well the light would disperse.

I also have a Kessil A150 Amazon Sun currently running on the tank which is more than sufficient for my plants so this light will be purely just for in the evenings to add some ambient lighting.

I'll post some pics to give everyone a better idea of what i'm trying to achieve...
 
Here are some pics of the gutted Kessil in which I want to add the RGB light...

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1452118855.890087.jpg

The front kessil is the Amazon Sun which I will be using for my regular light. The back housing is from an old broken Kessil I had laying around. I gutted it except for the aluminum heat sink and lens. I didn't want to include the fan because it is a bit noisy and the heat sink alone is probably sufficient for a 10w.

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1452119068.170746.jpg

I mounted them together using 2 zip-ties and a thin strip of rubber between them, you can barley see the zip-ties.

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1452119181.059670.jpg

So basically, I have the transformer and controller box all wired in and the 4 colored cables sitting inside the Kessil housing.

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1452119418.289007.jpg

Now I just need to work out how to attach the RGB LEDs and hope they work... I am not too hopeful and think it will need some kind of additional transformers/resistors or something (I know nothing about this!)

Hoping the LED chip will arrive this week.


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