RapidLED Coralife BioCube 29 Aurora Array Retrofit User manual

RapidLEDCoralifeBioCube29Retrofit
Contents
Overview.......................................................................................................................................................1
HoodPreparation..........................................................................................................................................2
FastenerRemoval.....................................................................................................................................2
ReflectorandLEDStripRemoval..............................................................................................................3
BallastRemoval.........................................................................................................................................4
TransformerRemoval...............................................................................................................................8
RightSideACInRemoval........................................................................................................................10
PreparedHood........................................................................................................................................11
InstallingtheHeatsink.................................................................................................................................12
AttachingLEDstotheHeatsink...................................................................................................................14
WiringtheLEDStrings.................................................................................................................................15
InsideHoodWiringforLEDStringstoV+andV‐........................................................................................16
OutsideHoodWiringforLEDStringstoV+andV‐.....................................................................................19
WiringtheDrivertoACPower....................................................................................................................20
AdjustingDriverCurrentwithaMultimeter...............................................................................................22
FinishingUp.................................................................................................................................................23

Overview
Aswithanytypeoflightingretrofit,therearemanydangers,difficulties,andpitfallsthatmay
occur.TheRapidLEDCoralifeBioCube29retrofitshouldonlybeattemptedbypeoplefamiliarwithAC
powerandwiring,electronics,LEDs,LEDDrivers,seriescircuits,andbecomfortablewiththefactthat
thisretrofitwillrequirecompletedisassemblyandremovalofmajorcomponentsoftheoriginalhood.If
youareuncomfortablewithorinexperiencedatanyoftheprerequisitesrequiredforthisretrofit,you
shouldnotattemptthisretrofit.NOTE:TheseinstructionsareforinstallingindividualLEDsinyourhood.
IfyouareusingthekitwiththeAuroraArray,refertotheinstructionslocatedhere:CoralifeBiocube29
AuroraArrayInstructions

HoodPreparation
Ensureeverythingisunplugged.Inthisportionoftheretrofitwewillremovethehoodfromthe
tank,atransformer,thefluorescentbulbsandballasts,thereflector,theLEDstripsocketsandsome
wiringamongotherthings.
FastenerRemoval

Tobegin,youmustremovethreefastenersfromtherearofthehoodtogetitoffofthetank.
Wefounditeasiesttoinsertahexwrenchintoonesideofthefastenerandgentlytaplaterallywitha
hammeruntilitreleases.Thefastenersreleaseeasily,littlepowerisrequired.Repeatthisforallthree
andremovethehoodfromthetank.


Afterthehoodisremoved,unscrewandremovetheplasticcoverthatprotectsthefluorescent
bulbsandthenremovethefluorescentbulbs.





ReflectorandLEDStripRemoval
Next,wewillunscrewthereflectorandLEDsocketsfromthehood.Reflectorremovalrequires
unscrewingthetwometalfluorescentbulbholdersandtheLEDstripsocketinthemiddleofthehood.
Thereflectorshouldliftouteasily.Cutthegreengroundingwirefromthehoodtocompletelyremove
it.



Afterremovingthereflector,unscrewthefourLEDstripsocketsincludedwiththetank.Eightscrews
holdthemdown.

AfterunscrewingtheLEDstripsockets,unplugallfiveofthemfromthecircuitboard,andremove:
 

Next,wewillremovethetwofluorescentbulbsockets.Unscrewthefourmountingscrewsasindicated
bythearrowsinthephotobelow,unclip,andremovethesockets.



BallastRemoval
TheendgoalofthissectionistoremovetheballastsandtherightsideAClinein(twopowercords)
fromthehood.Wewillbeleftwithoneoriginalpowerplugthatwillpowertheoriginalfans.
RemovingtheballastsrequirescuttinganAClinein.Toavoidanyproblems,doublecheckandconfirm
allpowertothehoodisdisconnected.Thisportionoftheretrofithasitsownsectionbecauseproblems

canariseresultinginelectrocutionandpossiblydeath.Pleasehavealicensedelectriciandoublecheck
allmodificationsperformedonyourentireretrofit,andespeciallytheonesinthissection.
Pleasenotethatmodificationsonthisstepbeandlookdifferentdependingonmanufacturer
modificationsoutofourcontrol.Keepinmindtheactualgoalofthestepasopposedtothephotos.
Tobegin,withthehoodfacingupwiththebackofitnearestyourbody,cuttheAClineandneutral
wirescomingfromtherightmostballast.Ifyoucannotlocatethem,theballasthasawiringdiagramon
itslabelindicatingACLandACNforthedriver.















Next,stripandtightlycaptheACwirescutfromtheballastwithwirenuts.



Next,unclipthepowerconnectorfortheleftballast:








Afterunclippingtheleftballast,unscrewandremovebothballastsfromthehood.Therearetwoscrews
perballast.


TransformerRemoval
Toremovethetransformerontheright,wefirstunplugitfromthecircuitboard.Simplyunplugthetwo
wiresfromtheirsocketsinthelowerrighthandcornerofthepicturebelow.




Next,wewillremovetheunnecessarypowerconnectionsfromthehoodswitches.Becarefultonot
damagethecomponentsorhurtyourselfinthisstep–theconnectionscanbeverytightanddifficultto
remove.Pleasenotethatwewillleave4connectionsasis,whichwillswitchthefansonandoff.







Next,weremovethetransformerontheright.Simplyremovethetwoscrewsandremoveitfromthe
hood.


RightSideACInRemoval
ThelaststepinpreparingourhoodistoremoveBOTHpowercordsfromtherightsideofthehood.
First,unscrewthestrainreliefholdingdowntherightsidepowercords.





Next,cuttheendsoffofthecordsandpullthemoutofthehood.Replacethestrainreliefunscrewedin
theabovepictureandreplacetherubbergrommettheACinletwireswereremovedfrom.



PreparedHood
Yourpreppedhoodshouldlookliketheonebelow.Youshouldbeabletoplugitinandswitch
thefansoffandon.


InstallingtheHeatsink
Theheatsinkattachestotheplasticpostsalreadyinthehoodvia6screws.Thescrewsarethelarge
screwsincludedwiththekit.Tightengentlyuntilheatsinkissnug.Tighteningthemmorethanthismay
stripouttheplasticscrewbossesinthehoodatwhichpointyouwillhavefillthestrippedbosseswitha
hardglueorepoxyanddrillthembackoutsothescrewwillgripagain,orfindsomeothersolution.
Overtighteningmayalsosnapthescrewbossesfromthehood,inwhichcase,youwillhavetoattempt
repairwithsuperglue.

Forthisretrofit,itiseasiesttolineuponeoftherearmostscrewsandscrewitinfirst.Next,rotatethe
heatsinkaroundthisscrewuntilyoucandroptheotherthreerearscrewsintotheirmountingholes.Be
patient,theywilllineup.Oncetheylineup,screwthemallin.Notethetwoscrewsfurthestfromthe
rearofthehoodarenotscrewedinyet–theygolast.

Pleasenotethatnewerkitswillcomewithourgreenanodizednanotankheatsinkinsteadofa
traditionalsilverheatsink.Theholesandinstallationinstructionswillbeidentical,andyoucanusethis
holediagramforinstallation.










Afterthefourbottomscrewsaresnuglyaffixed,screwinthetoptwoscrews.Ensureyoudonotmake
themtootight.Overtighteningthetoptwoscrewsmaywarpyourhood(andthenthecoverwon’t
fit!).



AttachingLEDstotheHeatsink
Theheatsinkhasmanylittleholesinit.Twolittleholesareusedtosecure1LEDtotheheatsink
–oneateachendofeachLED.
WeneedtoapplythermalgreasetothebackofeachLEDandthenattachittotheheatsink.
ThermalgreaseensuresproperthermalconductivityofheatawayfromtheLEDintotheheatsink.A
verysmalldabofgreaseonthebackofeachLEDisallthatisnecessary.MoreisNOTnecessarilybetter.
Toolittlewilllowerconductivityandtoomuchwillcreateamess.Athinlayerworksbest.Thephoto
belowisabouthowmuchyoushoulduse.

Afterthethermalgreasehasbeenappliedtothestar,screwitintotheheatsinkwithtwolittle
screws,adjustingtheheightofthetwofasteningscrewstocentertheLEDbetweenthem.Onceagain,
donotovertighten.Thescrewsshouldbesnugbutnottight.WhenscrewingdowntheLEDs,ensure
thescrewisnottouchinganysolderorsolderpads.Thiswillgroundthestringatthatpointandcause
strangebehaviorandpossibly,damage.



WiringtheLEDStrings

*****NEVERAPPLYPOWERTOTHELEDDRIVERBEFOREALLWIRINGISCOMPLETE*****

PleasewatchourseeourSolderlessLEDTutorialatthelinkbelowbeforeproceeding:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j7fwVP61kiM

WiringyourLEDsisdoneasfollows:PlugthedriverjumperintothefirstLEDinyourstring.Plug
theLEDstogetherwiththeLEDtoLEDjumpersandinsertaterminalplug/jumperintothelastconnector
ofthelastLEDinyourstring.


Rememberto:
Applynopoweruntilallwiringiscomplete
EnsuretheminimumnumberofLEDsareattachedtoyourdriver
AdjustSVR2ifnecessary
DonotinstallLEDsupsidedownasindicatedbytheredXinthesecondexampleabove.

BelowaretwophotosofwhatyourheatsinkmightlooklikeifyouareusingRapidLEDSolderlessLEDs:





InsideHoodWiringforLEDStringstoV+andV‐
EachdriverhasaV+andV‐outputthatpowerstheLEDstrings.Sincewecannotputthedrivers
inthehoodnexttotheLEDs,wewillattachsomewiretothedriverjumpersandrunthatthroughthe
emptyspaceleftfromremovingsomeofthepowercords.
Westartbyrunningourwirethroughthevoidleftbyoneofthecutpowercords.



Next,werunitthroughtherubbergrommetseparatingtheinterioroftheprotectedhoodfromthe
exterior.Tiealooseknotaroundthestrainreliefposttopreventdamagetointernalcomponentsifthe
outerwiresgetpulledtoohard.




Next,wewiretheLEDstrings(jumpers)tothebulkwirewejustran.Herearewiringtablesforthis
particularexample:
String1Goesto:Attachesto:
RedDriverJumper(V+)RedV+onDriver1
BlackDriverJumper(V‐)BlackV‐onDriver1


String2  
RedDriverJumper(V+)BlueV+onDriver2
BlackDriverJumper(V‐)WhiteV‐onDriver2



Last,tuckthewiresneatlyunderneaththeheatsink.


OutsideHoodWiringforLEDStringstoV+andV‐
NowthattheLEDsareconnectedtotheLEDstrings,wehavetoattachthedriverstothosewires
togetpowertotheLEDs.Thewireswereattachedaccordingtothetableabove.Ifyouhaveaconstant
currentkit,ensureyouconnecttheLPC‐60‐1050tothewhiteLEDsandtheLPC‐35‐700totheblueLEDs.
Ifyouhaven’talready,striptheoutsidejacketoffofbothwiresandthenuseawirenutto
connectthemtogether.Anexampleisbelow,butthecolorsdiffer.
Usingawirenut,connectV+fromthedrivertoablue(orred)wirecomingfromyourhoodand
connectV‐fromthesamedrivertothecorrespondingwireaccordingtoourtable,inthiscaseitshould
beconnectedtothewhitewirefromourhood.
