I agree the Vero has really solidified its place as a phenomenal DIY growing lamp, especially for builds that emphasize up front cost, great commercial lamp opportunity. I love the fact that it goes slightly deeper into the red spectrum. That said, the CXA still has the upper hand at lower current levels. I run the CXA3070 3000K at 800mA (49.4% typical) and the CXA3590 5000K vegging lamps at 270mA (62% typical). The Vero cannot offer us this kind of performance and
I really appreciate the lowest heat output possible in the grow space.
Also, the Vero has a wide range of performance from minimum to typical. That is partially how they keep costs down. Imagine buying a Corvette with no guarantee of which engine it might have? Id much rather pay more to know what I am buying.
Small details :
1)CXA3070 : 1 mm thick Ceramic case. Breaks apart,cracks,chips almost as easy as an eggshell ..
(Come to 'think' about it ..An eggshell of 1 mm thickness ,probably would 've been more tough ,than the CXA3070 ...
)
Vero29 : Copper case ,'riveted' in polymer outer 'disc shaped ' case.Robust enough construction.
So far I have broken 1 CXA out of 230 I have handled. It broke because I was trying to remove it from the heatsink surface incorrectly. I was prying to break it free, but you have to twist it. Once I learned that no more broken COBs and I have removed dozens. Even though it is cracked, i
t still works . Also, the ceramic package does have its benefits and trade offs. Compare the XPE red vs XPE2 red. The XPE2 switched to ceramic and achieved a much better current droop but increased Vf. This stuff is above my head.
2)CXA3070 :Needs and array holder and two screws,to be correctly installed...
Vero29 : Needs 4x screws ,to be correctly installed..
I dont use COB holders and even with high current (2.2A), I measured only 2% decrease in light output from a cold start to fully warmed up (CXA3070 3000K Z4 bin mounted onto Arctic Alpine 11). I reduced the fan from 12V to 5V and the total light loss was only 3%. I conclude, there is nothing sub optimal about the thermal path and there are no worries about uneven pressure.
I did not screw in my Vero 18 either, simply mounted with a layer of PK3 and kapton tape. This particular Vero is very inefficient at 2.2A (18.3%) because it is 97 CRI so I thought it would be a good test. It is a testament to the awesomeness of the Vero package. I cranked 2.2A through it and measured a decrease of only 6%. I reduced the fan to 5V and the total light loss was 12.5%.
I conclude that we do not need COB holders, which may help make DIY more accessible to some growers. I also conclude that with aggressive cooling, we can run at very low junction temps even with higher currents.
3)CXA3070 :Needs very good work on thermal design and built.Otherwise COBs suffers and will 'die' sooner ...
Vero29 :Needs a flat & smooth heatsink ,a fan and a tad of TIM .....
With very good work on thermal design and built,Vero29 gets the flu at 1.4 A ...
The junction temps DIYers run growing lamps at are so low
the COBs will never burn out. They may not even suffer any lumen depreciation whatsoever. I believe Mr Flux suggested that we may even see lumen appreciation?
I had a few warm white XTEs that I ran completely disconnected from their heatsinks. They were on 10mm stars and running at 700mA. Some of them were left this way for months and not a single one burned out. I put them in a bag labeled "scorched" so I could analyze their output later. A testament to the toughness of Cree LEDs (and Bridgelux I expect).
4)CXA3070: Next to this array in rarity ,is the fungus eating , siberian crocodile .
Oh no-no-no ..This particular reptile species is third in row,actually ...
Second thing n rarity,comes the Ideal array holder for the CXA3070 ...
Vero29 : Soon at your local 7-11 .. (ok ,that was way much...).
Easy to find & obtain.Simple as that.
A bit of web search and you 'll easily trace it ,in US,Canada ,Asia,Oceania & Europe...
Almost always ,on stock.
I agree with this, I love the availability of the Veros!