Seeking Help - Building Custom-Designed DIY LED Grow Lights using CREE CXA3070 COBs
- Thread starter Gaius
- Start date
Gaius
Active Member
A few weeks ago I knew nothing of DIY LED
Here we are today with a fully functioning panel.
Thank you RIU!!!! 
And so it begins...
6x CREE CXA3070 @ 3000K
2x CREE CXA3070 @ 5000K
8X Meanwell LPC-60-1400 Drivers
8 Arctic Cool CPU Coolers & Thermal Adhesive
3'x1' White Shelving board (Lowes)
4x Bottom Sliders for Drawers
3x Home Depot 2-way Switches
4 heavy-duty stainless hanging bolts
Does your light do THIS?!?
Oh yeah, and we got 3 modes here:
Babies:
Teenagers:
And Sexy-Hot Bitches
Special thanks to SupraSPL, guod, caretak3r, mtnstream, smokey the cat, MrFlux, Positivity, and all the other contributors.
Gaius
Active Member
Very cool. You guys give me too many ideas.
That's a wood or particle board correct? No issues with wood and heat?
Thanks WDIK.
At Lowes they sell pre-cut 1'x3" white boards for shelving projects. I just used one of those, and didn't even have to saw anything except the holes for the 5000K chips.
Positivity
Well-Known Member
A beautiful thing. Can't wait to see that beast in action! Can always make adjustments and improvements with time...that's the way I look at it
y'all making me jealous running those cobs. I'm gonna hold out a little and finish my xml setup, but I'm keeping an eye on these things for sure
y'all making me jealous running those cobs. I'm gonna hold out a little and finish my xml setup, but I'm keeping an eye on these things for sure
Chronikool
Well-Known Member
Smashing it.... 
puffenuff
Well-Known Member
I wish there was a "how to build led fixtures for dummies" manual. Something that is all laid out for us in language a third grader can understand...I'd be all over that
Nice light, G! Looking forward I seeing it in action
G, nice work! You learn well. Did you use butt connectors for driver leads as Supra suggested?
I used similar rails for heat sinks but not permanently attached so they slide for variable spacing.
After you experiment with a run or 2, You might consider a few more chips (1-3590, 2 or 3 3050's,
2.7k) in center possibly flanked by a far red and UVB bulb on separate timers.
edit: I would also consider removing drivers from array and mounting remotely to enhance heat dissipation of sinks. Simply add wire connectors to driver/chips wire leads for easy disconnects.
This will also open up the center of panel should you need to add chips to center.
Stay safe.
I used similar rails for heat sinks but not permanently attached so they slide for variable spacing.
After you experiment with a run or 2, You might consider a few more chips (1-3590, 2 or 3 3050's,
2.7k) in center possibly flanked by a far red and UVB bulb on separate timers.
edit: I would also consider removing drivers from array and mounting remotely to enhance heat dissipation of sinks. Simply add wire connectors to driver/chips wire leads for easy disconnects.
This will also open up the center of panel should you need to add chips to center.
Stay safe.
midgetaus
Member
yeah me too man... I have watched enough single chip LED vides to have a go but still cant work out how to wire the fan into it all.
Now After seeing this monster I want to build one.
The biggest fuck up for me is knowing which drivers to use with which lights and how they all get connected
Gaius
Active Member
Couldn't have done it without you Sup! Hey this thing need a fuse or ground? Right now everything is wired to only the 2 main prongs on plug, and something tells me that's unsafe. The light doesn't have a metal frame, but maybe I can create a common ground by running some wire from that 3rd (center) prong to each and every heatsink? Fuse is for surge protection?
I'll post a wiring diagram sometime soon, really I just scaled up the diagram Guod posted earlier in this thread.
I think the BOM was around $700, but I'd need to look back a receipts to give you a precise number.
There's almost no heat coming off the thing as it is, so I probably won't mess with it much. If anything I'll add CREE LED bulbs on desk clip lights for precise aim.
Time is somewhat limited this weekend, so I'll try to post more once I have the opportunity. Here's some COB porn to hold y'all over:
And here's some 4.5 week old buds that have been getting 400w of T5 + XGS190
