Worth A Look

[nitro7]

hi all
some one on a nother topic asked about under water lights so i though i would give it a go
TOOLS
drill and bit
soldering iron
solder
marker
l.e.d 06w/3volts any colour( i used blue)
3v transformer (same one as you use for cold cats)
silocon(didnt have any getting some tomorrow )

Mark the slate were you wont to drill (i am useing 5 leds ,but you can use as many as you like )

holes now drilled in the slate to the size of the leds,you can be put in a line or any shape you like.

solder leds onto about 6ins of two core cable. then put silicon on where you solderd them to make them water proof

insert leds to make sure they fit,then remove them again.

solder all leds to a 6 foot lenth of two core cable that will go to your transformer,these will be coverd with silicon to make them water proof.
Little TIP/i conected my 6 foot two core cable to my transformer and conected all my leds to it , and turned it on to see if i had conected them proply
before i solderd them on

tested they work

reinsert them back into the slate and silicon them into place from the back.

wires can be hidden in the sand or gravel when put in your tank.and you can point it where you like

this can be done with rocks,or even bog wood.the choiceis yours
thank you all for looking

 

[keenonfish]

that looks pretty cool actually but one thing I would say is that transformer will be unregulated and the quoted 3v will be with a specified load so if you are not careful you could end up killing your led's especially without a resistor each! Just put you meter on the supply when LED's are on make sure the measured voltage doesn't exceed Vs of LED's, normally about 3.6v maximum.

Cool to see what it looks like in a tank of water.

 

[Truck]

my guess is the step down transformer is going to have a safety device fitted so a knock off switch. so if the output voltage exceeds 3 volts it will knock off

 

[nitro7]

that looks pretty cool actually but one thing I would say is that transformer will be unregulated and the quoted 3v will be with a specified load so if you are not careful you could end up killing your led's especially without a resistor each! Just put you meter on the supply when LED's are on make sure the measured voltage doesn't exceed Vs of LED's, normally about 3.6v maximum.

Cool to see what it looks like in a tank of water.

thanks for the comment keenonfish
the transformer is regulated,so it says lol

 

[killudead]

i like that setup. I really want to see them in the tank.
you should create detailed instructions on it and throw it up here.

 

[Rooster]

I would NEVER run LEDs without a resistor, and in the way yours are wired, failure of one would probably cause the rest to fail...

Voltage is irrelevant - its current that kills (LEDs and people) , and the resistor that controls it.... you may find them TOO bright, in which case increase the value of the resistor.
...and make SURE the power supply is "double insulated" AND is plugged into a "RCD" even though you are playing with supposed low voltage, you are only ever a tiny amount away from mains voltage ! (transformer fault)

I admire a DIYer... but water+electricity only lets you #### up ONCE... So PLAY SAFE

 

[Truck]

and i dont know if you have but it may be worth wiring them in parallel

 

[Schmill]

I think anyone that runs any tank equipment without an RCD fitted is playing a dangerous game, it's just not worth scrimping on those £5, go get one!

 

[nitro7]

my guess is the step down transformer is going to have a safety device fitted so a knock off switch. so if the output voltage exceeds 3 volts it will knock off

hi all thanks for the comments
taken on board ,what resistor would you use
yes you should use a rcd on your tanks ,i do on both my tanks and pond.
just sorting some pics.Not that good at taking pics in the dark lol.

 

[nitro7]

in the tank now
sorry the tank is not finished but still waiting for bits and bobs.
Lights at the front

Lights at the rear

You can hi light some thing you like

AND for THEM that LIKE BUBBLES heres one

thank you all

 

[Truck]

looks great

 

[LellowFish]

It looks amazing in the tank! Well done.

 

[chesterscot]

that looks sound m8
scot

 

[SteveyG]

I would NEVER run LEDs without a resistor, and in the way yours are wired, failure of one would probably cause the rest to fail...

Voltage is irrelevant - its current that kills (LEDs and people) , and the resistor that controls it.... you may find them TOO bright, in which case increase the value of the resistor.
...and make SURE the power supply is "double insulated" AND is plugged into a "RCD" even though you are playing with supposed low voltage, you are only ever a tiny amount away from mains voltage ! (transformer fault)

I admire a DIYer... but water+electricity only lets you #### up ONCE... So PLAY SAFE

The power supply he has used has a proper EI core transformer in it. An RCD would do nothing for protection as the secondary is fully isolated from the primary.

Get some current limiting on those LEDs swiftly though - they will not last long as you have them. Those transformers are notorious for being poorly regulated (if at all!)

He has wired the LEDs in parallel so one LED failure will not cause the others to fail, although they will all fail anyway because they're being overdriven!!

 

[Rooster]

The power supply he has used has a proper EI core transformer in it. An RCD would do nothing for protection as the secondary is fully isolated from the primary.

Get some current limiting on those LEDs swiftly though - they will not last long as you have them. Those transformers are notorious for being poorly regulated (if at all!)

He has wired the LEDs in parallel so one LED failure will not cause the others to fail, although they will all fail anyway because they're being overdriven!!

A transformer is NEVER a guarantee of ABSOLUTE safety... less so when you employ the cheapest rubbish the inevitable far east manufacturer has put in there ! A primary/secondary fault WOULD cause mains voltage to appear at the LEDs, AND in your tank water... This could be caused by overheating of the PSU, a fault in the wiring causing a short... etc etc - so there is STILL a NEED for an RCD.

Because they are wired in parellel, they are all sharing the load, so if one pops the others will suffer a voltage spike at best - at worst the voltage will jump up due to the drop in current. (more so if the PSU is not regulated... and by regulated, I DO NOT mean the crappy zener that cheapo units use !)