What led would work best ?

torontoke

torontoke

Well-Known Member
Ok i think im finally ready to say uncle and try out led's.
The heat in my cabinet from the 400 is just too much to deal with.

So my cabinet that im trying to flower in is 30" wide 34" deep and 48" tall.
Should i build something or should i buy one of the premade ebay panels?
Square round ?
Any and all advice is welcome. I should say that im definately not a newbie but i am new to led. I am also on a very very limited budget and would like to spend as little as possible. I havent worked in a year and the doctors wont let me work anytime soon.
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
skip the pre made and piece together Brideglux Vero's or Cree CXA3070's. You cab will thank you.

I have roughly the same dimensions, minus the height and 4 Cree CXA's running @54w apiece would put you just above 25/watts a sq. ft. 30"x34" works out to just a tad over 7 sq. ft.

You can build each cob into a separate module to help with price, heat and light spread. About $70 apiece, give or take a few dollars.
You would be above, just about any commerical fixture out there for LED Tech. You would be getting double the efficiency most likely, over an EBAY fixture.

So the "300w" Ebay light which really puts out about 170w's on a good day, has about half the amount of photons being put into the canopy as 4 of the Cree's, which you may be able to put together for bout $250-$350 when all said and done. [That's still a 200+ watt light for $100 less than best commercial fixtures]....

Even just two modules that would be rated at 100+watts together. They will put you on a right start, and can be had for the same price as an Ebay panel, but twice as efficient from 100 watts vs. 170watts.
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
Efficiency.jpg


Sorry, rambled on, but right at the top, I mentioned [x4] Cree CXA 3070. 4 will give you roughly 208watts/7 sq. ft = 30 watts/per sq. ft. Excellent #'s.

Captain Morgan and SupraSPL both are pulling 1+ grams/per watt........ off of about 25 watts/per sq. ft with these same LED's. :peace:
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
I would aim for the 3K Z4 bin or the 3500k AB bin

https://parts.arrow.com/item/search/#st=cree cxa3070;reMzFE

I dropped think link earlier, because it is the best prices I have found on the Cree's. But someone mentioned earlier today that high bin 4K diode was only available in 20 pieces at a time.

Some are single quantity, so I don't know the truth in the above statement. :peace:


3000k Z2 bins are the cheapest and are/were a staple before the Z4 and AB bins, which are higher and thus more efficienct, came out later. However, both of the top bins are hard to find as well.
 
G

getsoutalive

Well-Known Member
Abiqua is right on, that will provide. However, if funding is really that tight, you can get very solid performance from 4 x Vero 18s with Fastech 50W drivers at a significant cost savings over the 3070s and larger drivers. If they seem to be coming up short add two more when funds allow. The fastech does require an AC lead to be soldered on. But the Vero 18s are the what you want if cost is that important.
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
torontoke said:
Thanks alot
I will be looking into ordering this stuff tomorrow so a total parts list would be....

4 of the cob leds (bright white or warm?)
4 drivers
4 heatsinks
4 fans
Thermo paste
4 Adapters

Anything else?
Click to expand...
The general consensus so far has been the 3000k WW's. Virtually everyone running CXA lights is using these in different bins. I would go Z4 or AB 3000k if you can afford it. @Positivity @SupraSPL @stardustsailor @Greengenes707 @mc130p @captainmorgan

The Alpine Arctic 11+ is a CPU cooler[heatsink] w/fan. $10 @ Newegg.
I would go with the Prolimatech PKIII? as recommended by Supra
Wago 222 connectors, make easy work for connecting power cords to drivers and LED drivers to diodes.

Also most people are using the solderless wiring harness, which requires you to tap 2 small holes for the Diode holder and then plug and play with wiring connectors from there.
Positivity did in this post: http://rollitup.org/t/diy-leds-how-to-power-them.801554/page-16#post-10587986

This will run you about $5 per cob to do. Each holder is the majority of that @ $2.
 
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mc130p

mc130p

Well-Known Member
Abiqua said:
The general consensus so far has been the 3000k WW's. Virtually everyone running CXA lights is using these in different bins. I would go Z4 or AB 3000k if you can afford it. @Positivity @SupraSPL @stardustsailor @Greengenes707 @mc130p @captainmorgan

The Alpine Arctic 11+ is a CPU cooler[heatsink] w/fan. $10 @ Newegg.
I would go with the Prolimatech PKIII? as recommended by Supra
Wago 222 connectors, make easy work for connecting power cords to drivers and LED drivers to diodes.

Also most people are using the solderless wiring harness, which requires you to tap 2 small holes for the Diode holder and then plug and play with wiring connectors from there.
Supra did detail that in this post: http://rollitup.org/t/diy-leds-how-to-power-them.801554/page-16#post-10587986

This will run you about $5 per cob to do. Each holder is the majority of that @ $2.
Click to expand...
I'm using a 3000K Z2(only thing available at the time I bought it) and a 5000K higher bin, but I can't remember what it is-3070, combined with a 2700K 3590. Idk if it's good, but the plant's are growing:)

Does anyone use wire-nuts anymore?
 
torontoke

torontoke

Well-Known Member
I was looking around at all the different part options and i have another question.
Does each led require its own driver or can one driver power more than one led?
If i make some kind of holder can i power all the drivers and or fans together or does everything have to be to each individual piece?
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
Most just run a circuit for the LED's, involving remote mounted drivers to keep the heat out of the grow chamber, and a separate circuit for Fan power.

................You would have to run a buck driver or something similar to power the fans coming directly of the mains for the Led Drivers, before the driver input, not after. If you were looking to power the fans and drivers in ONE circuit.
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Inventronics and Meanwell make drivers with enough voltage to run multiple diode's that are wired in a series.

Not much savings over buying 4 drivers, but the heat and space savings are immense. These might do 4 CXA 3070's. Right on the borderline, voltage wise.
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2189302_-1

You could ask SupraSpl if that is possible, he runs these I believe. They might provide voltage at a slightly lower amperage too, like 1300mA or 1200mA dropping the overall wattage slightly. I dunno specifically. The math is borderline.

----------------------------------

Wire your power sink fans in parallel. You could use Wago's or again terminal blocks and I like these for fan power supplies:
http://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/RS-15-12.shtml

You could run a few more than 4 fans with that supply, especially the Arctic cooler fans. Some are just buying the same no name versions off Ebay for a $1 or $2 less.
 
torontoke

torontoke

Well-Known Member
I was thinking more about all the adapters taking up alot of plugs and being a bigger wiring mess.
I hate wires dangling everywhere.
 
torontoke

torontoke

Well-Known Member
I was looking into the bigger drivers.
So for instance if the driver is rated to handle 400 watts it could run 4-100watt diodes.
The cpu fan coolers i dont mind buying one for each diode but the drivers seem way more expensive.

I really want to find the cheapest easiest way to do this.
 
TheChemist77

TheChemist77

Well-Known Member
i guess ill just get another 6oo watt ballast since no led can cover that area for $200,00... i was really thinking of buying that generic 300 watt or the global star 100x5watt diodes but no replies??
 
C

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
Matching drivers with cobs meant to be run in series is sort of a puzzle. You sort of have to try all the combinations of drives and cobs, operating current, etc, to find something more worthwhile than just getting a bunch of individual drivers.

It's also possible to drive strings of leds in parallel, but that's even more of a puzzle. You would have to match up the actual forward voltage of each cob at the operating current, and match them into strings with equal total forward voltage. MrFlux does this with vero 10 (5 strings of 5 with a 143V max current supply.

Check out my DIY build with Vero 18. I use 1 supply to drive 4 of them in series.

http://rollitup.org/t/diy-80w-vero-18-ufo-killer.846752/

torontoke said:
I was looking into the bigger drivers.
So for instance if the driver is rated to handle 400 watts it could run 4-100watt diodes.
The cpu fan coolers i dont mind buying one for each diode but the drivers seem way more expensive.

I really want to find the cheapest easiest way to do this.
Click to expand...
 
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TheChemist77

TheChemist77

Well-Known Member
churchhaze said:
Matching drivers with cobs meant to be run in series is sort of a puzzle. You sort of have to try all the combinations of drives and cobs, operating current, etc, to find something more worthwhile than just getting a bunch of individual drivers.

It's also possible to drive strings of leds in parallel, but that's even more of a puzzle. You would have to match up the actual forward voltage of each cob at the operating current, and match them into strings with equal total forward voltage. MrFlux does this with vero 10 (5 strings of 5 with a 143V max current supply.

Check out my DIY build with Vero 18. I use 1 supply to drive 4 of them in series.

http://rollitup.org/t/diy-80w-vero-18-ufo-killer.846752/
Click to expand...
Jus wondering if you can tell me whats the big difference between the cob style leds and the panels?? why do the cobs cost so much more?? from looking at them it looks like the panels have way more led lights on them as the cobs seem to have small leds with big cone looking reflectors around them..is one better than the other?? also on the panels on the info it tells you the leds are at a 90 or 120 degree angle or both.. anyways which is better and why???
 
torontoke

torontoke

Well-Known Member
Cob is chip on board.
Usually one large diode 100watt
The panels are usually made up of 100 3 or 5 watt diodes.

Naturally the 100w cob give alot more lumens then
Multiple tiny ones.

I havent built one yet but by the math a cob setup with 3-400watts can be built for the price of a crappy ebay china light.

I ordered some parts today so we shall see in a few weeks when i get the parts and can throw one of these together.
 
TheChemist77

TheChemist77

Well-Known Member
Hope it works out, its to complicated for me to try building one.. i wish i could though. thanks for answering my question
 
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