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Old 03-15-2010, 08:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueAbyss View Post
Hmm...

LEDs, drivers, optics:

www.ledsupply.com - US
www.cutter.com.au - Australia, more choice

Heat sinks:

www.heatsinkusa.com - US

Arduino, mechanical bits, etc:

www.robotshop.ca - Canada

I'll be building an LED rig this summer, using Cree MC-E whites and XR-E blues. I have yet to decide which driver will be the best for my needs though, so I'm still in the research phase.

I'm actually considering building a plant growth rig with XP-G whites, partially to see how these new LEDs are and partially because I don't have enough window space for all my seedlings... maybe I'll build that first and put it on my 10 gallon when the seedlings move outside.

Either way, hope it goes well for you... can't wait to see how it works when you're done.
I would add nanotuners.com for LEDs and drivers as they have slightly better prices than ledsupply and also carry the Meanwell drivers which are a good choice. The Meanwells are nice because they come in dimming versions, run off AC power so there is no need for a separate power supply and can drive a good number of emitters.

Heatsink USA is not bad if you want a brand new heatsink. But the heatsinks I bought are actually wider at 12" than heatsink USA's widest at just over 10" and for a similar length of the 10" wide from heatsink USA it would have cost well over $200 with shipping. I have 45" x 12" of surplus heatsink at a total cost with shipping of $75. So keep your eyes on eBay as there are lots of used heatsinks available. If you are patient you can find what you need at a good price.

I'm not sure the MC-Es offer a huge advantage over the XR-Es. Yes, they have more lumens but they also generate more heat since they are essentially 4 emitters on one die. Also, are there any good choices in optics for MC-Es? I feel that the XR-Es with good optics provide more than enough PAR and if you need more for say a deeper tank than the XP-G may be a better option at this point.
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