My Ultra Budget-friendly DIY Canopy + LED Build

[4D3]

Well I got my lights in today and I have to say I am a bit disappointed. I made sure to order the right lights and at first just put 2 strips across of the blue and 5050 and it wasn't bright enough. Then I used up the rest of the rolls which was good for another row, so 3 rows of each and it still isn't as bright as my t5ho and there isn't really that much of a shimmer even though I have good surface agitation and the lights are mounted directly to my canopy which is about 12" high.

I left them on, but I did put my t5ho lights back on for more light. I may order another roll of 5050 since its so cheap, we'll see. Did anyone else get theirs in and set them up yet?

5050 leds are terrible!

i used 27 meters in my 5050led setup and there was no shimmer, and it was really bright for about 2-3 months then started fading...

 

[coolkeith]

Thank you all. I forgot to mention these lights are powered by an old 12V adapter that belonged to a wireless router. Also, I don't recommend buying the 5050 RGB version as the white color looks more like green and it's way dimmer than the regular 5050.

How many amps was the 12v adapter you used? I just ordered the 5050 SMD White 5M Non-Waterproof 600LEDs Xmas Light Strip + 3Keys Dimmer Control for accent lighting in my fishroom. Was wondering if a 2.5 amp 12v adapter would be suitable.

 

[coolkeith]

How many amps was the 12v adapter you used? I just ordered the 5050 SMD White 5M Non-Waterproof 600LEDs Xmas Light Strip + 3Keys Dimmer Control for accent lighting in my fishroom. Was wondering if a 2.5 amp 12v adapter would be suitable.

Nevermind. I figured it out. I'd need a 5 amp adapter for the 300 LEDs (.192 watt each) which total 57.6 watts / 4.8 Amps . So I'm just going to make 2 - 8 foot light strips, each powered by a 2.5 amp adapter. One light will be on a timer, the other I'll have on a dimmer switch.

 

[Saints]

Hmm well I think I figured out why I was disappointed. The adapter that I got is only 2amps instead of 5 so ill have to find a 5 amp and see how it looks. Ill report back when I get one.

 

[Saints]

Got the 5amp adapter in today and it makes the lights blink...wtf?

 

[coolkeith]

Got the 5amp adapter in today and it makes the lights blink...wtf?

It sounds like the adapter doesn't have a transformer to change the current from AC to DC. If that's the case, the LEDs will blink at the frequency of the AC supply.

 

[Saints]

This is the adapter that I bought.

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=221224244276

These are the lights, am I missing something? They work fine on a 2a adapter, but are not bright enough so I thought it needed a 5a.

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=320655344497

 

[coolkeith]

I'm not sure what could be wrong then. I'm just spitballing here, but maybe using the 2A adapter damaged the LEDs somehow. Or maybe the new 5A adapter is damaged or faulty.

I also found a LED Troubleshooting website that says:
"If you are over-driving, or using more wattage on your LED Lights than the power supply is rated, this will cause your power supply to fail or flash on and off. "
Check #3 "Set Power Supply to Proper Input Voltage Setting" at this website about there being a voltage switch on the power supply. Maybe that's the problem?

If all else fails, you could try cutting the LED strip shorter so that it draws fewer watts. Or cutting it short enough for just the 2A adapter (2M or 120 LEDs).

 

[Condor13]

ty for the links! just purchased my LEDs

 

[thatbb6]

Time for some update!!

I just bought some 5050 blue to pair up with existing 5050 white. Current setup is 2 x 48" B + 2 x 48" W. For power adapter, I'm using a 12V 6A brick on Amazon for $8. Setup looks amazing and has not dimmed one bit.

Here are some pics. Not the best stock as most of my cichlids are still juvies but I'm upgrading to bigger tank soon!