I need an Electical Engineers help for LED's

[Grasso]

Hello,

your plan is flawed, DeadlyFoez. The efficiency of LEDs is highest at low currents. Light output rises in logarithm or in root to current but not linearily. Even at reasonably low currents efficiency of LEDs is at most 1/3, the same as the efficiency of HID lighting.

LEDs can be used for sub-miniature pocket grows without high voltages. Picture yourself japanese school-girls nursing their planties in the home-bound train!

Uli

 

[DeadlyFoez]

I'm not concerned about efficiency of higher powered leds, what I'm concerned with is putting out as much light in as many usable wavelengths, on the smallest space I can. Yes I could use lowered power LED's, but the array would be a lot larger than if I used the higher powered led's for what I can.

Kanna.....I want one of those drivers.......

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Ok, so ur best friend in the world is asking for free samples from companies. I just recieved 3 welco wpx-1 peristaltic pumps for free. They value at over $100 each. Pretty sweet. So I am applying that same thing towards LED's.

But as an update. I have done plenty of research. On of the avenues that I am wanting to take as far as pwm goes, I could either use 2 555 (or 1 556) or a Picaxe IC. It would work very well. Precision timing is more achievable through using the Picaxe ic.

I'm still trying to figure out what would be best to use to switch on and off 400 watts at a timing of 100 ns. Still trying to figure out power supply. I want to build from the ground up and not have to purchase power units online because all that I have found dont meet my needs well enough.

I have been doing a lot of playing around with electricity in the past few weeks. I bought a breadboard and a whole bunch of different thing that I can play with and I have been doing a lot of different things.

But any help or ideas from you folks would really be great. I need to get this going. I have been going far beyond what I was hoping to be done by, basically because I am learning from scratch and have a lot to figure out.

Does someone also know of a way I can have a display that shows the pwm rate in ns?

 

[een]

DF: Do you mind if the LEDs are driven directly from mains voltage? This seems to be what knna is doing, it's more dangerous (especially for him, he's on 230V) but it's simpler and more efficient. As for displaying the on-time, if you use a microcontroller (such as a Picaxe) they can easily interface to an LCD display. I have one on my bench right now lol:



Knna: Can you please post the schematic for your driver circuit?

 

[DeadlyFoez]

Knna, u already know ur a man of genius. I honestly dont think you need anyones aprroval to know you've got a good idea.

But, in case you need it anyways... Thats a good idea. Let us know how it works.


So I'll tell you folks somethign, free samples are an awesome thing. I just got a bunch of superflux. Hell, I bet if I do it to enough companies and under enough names then I'd have all my leds for rfee. Pretty freakin sweet

 

[DeadlyFoez]

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/me32inpsumos.html

Would that work good for a psu? I know its not my 400 watts like I want, but it could work for me for now if you guys think it's good to use.

 

[CMatzner]

Why don't you just rig up a cheap computer power supply?

 

[DeadlyFoez]

not good enough from what everyone is teling me.

 

[Turnip]

wow, must say that this makes for some VERY interesting reading. Kudos for putting so much energy into research and experimentation. I guess there are those who wait for the future, and those who work for it...

 

[DeadlyFoez]

I actually get a few thousand dollars in a couple weeks and I am ready to go all the way with this. Anyone wanting to help with electrical experience. Let me know. I am willing to pay $$$ for the help.

 

[Grasso]

Hello,

why not use a strobe, also known as pump lamp, with an AC/AC converter of variable frequency? The disco types may not be fast enough, but there surely are other types, too. In Marconi's times arcs were used for radio transmission.

Uli

 

[alphacat]

Don't remember where at the moment but recall seeing an article about someone who used strobing LEDs - want to say at around .5 Hz - with decent results and halved their power consumption...

Also, here's a link to an interesting DIY LED growlight article:

http://www.dabblings.net/subpage2.html