Cheap and Cheerful DIY using Citizen cobs

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
Anyone have info on the clu550? It seems like it would be awesome to replace 1000w hps with 4 of them run at 250w each
That's last generation as far as I know. Better off with the 3618, but I'd run 6 at 150W if you want to replace a 1000Wer. Citizen and my digitized data says that puts you at 2000 umols, combined with real world measurements, maybe a bit more. Harder to say at high currents.
 

Ryante55

Well-Known Member
That's last generation as far as I know. Better off with the 3618, but I'd run 6 at 150W if you want to replace a 1000Wer. Citizen and my digitized data says that puts you at 2000 umols, combined with real world measurements, maybe a bit more. Harder to say at high currents.
Whats the price on those? I was thinking the clu550 at 250w would cost less than 250 but I didn't look up heatsink cost. And it might shut up all the hps guys that preach about penetration haha
 

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
Whats the price on those? I was thinking the clu550 at 250w would cost less than 250 but I didn't look up heatsink cost. And it might shut up all the hps guys that preach about penetration haha
Actually this is something I discussed briefly with @Growmau5 in a PM, if you combined a couple of these https://www.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/ICELEDULTRA-mechatronix/573532/ for $14 with a couple CLU058s running at 150W, you'd have a $200 monster, driver included. That's the loudest cheapest light I can think of.

No optics, though. Actually I think a 250W driver is better value. So an actual 250W replacement.
 

Ryante55

Well-Known Member
I have a couple of those heatsinks I dont think I would buy one again I'll do a little more research I'm thinking a CPU cooler might be a good cheap option if it could cool 250w
 

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
I have a couple of those heatsinks I dont think I would buy one again I'll do a little more research I'm thinking a CPU cooler might be a good cheap option if it could cool 250w
What's wrong with them? Serious question. @nevergoodenuf mentioned but didn't necessarily recommend them to me.

I'd want a massive passive if I was building a 150W light for myself, but you mentioned cost.
 

Ryante55

Well-Known Member
What's wrong with them? Serious question. @nevergoodenuf mentioned but didn't necessarily recommend them to me.

I'd want a massive passive if I was building a 150W light for myself, but you mentioned cost.
Nothing is really wrong with them I just wasn't impressed they seem kinda cheap and I didn't like how the chips mounted to them I don't use them anymore I bought a heatsink usa bar and sold the lights that I made with those heatsinks but I know the grower that's been using them for like 6 months an they work fine I would go with pin heatsinks for future builds. There are some sweet looking high bay heatsinks but they don't show the price online
 

nevergoodenuf

Well-Known Member
There is nothing wrong with the CLU 550. It's just expensive at over $100 each. This is what I have been trying to show in my thread. Running Soft right now with 1800 watts, I am only using 12 COBs (about 60 square feet). I do have a CLU550 and CLU056 3618's in the mix. I will be updating my thread soon.IMG_20160630_084642267.jpg I would like to see some #'s to see the difference that $40 makes between the CLU058 and the CLU550 @ 200w and 250w.
 

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
There is nothing wrong with the CLU 550. It's just expensive at over $100 each. This is what I have been trying to show in my thread. Running Soft right now with 1800 watts, I am only using 12 COBs (about 60 square feet). I do have a CLU550 and CLU056 3618's in the mix. I will be updating my thread soon.View attachment 3721075 I would like to see some #'s to see the difference that $40 makes between the CLU058 and the CLU550 @ 200w and 250w.
Your thread is awesome.

According to Citizen, the CLU058-3618 is the better cob, and much cheaper as you said. But they are within a few lm/W at 250W, and same thermal resistance. Since the CLU058 is cheaper, well...no reason to upgrade the 550, or buy a 550 new I guess.
 

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
There has to be some kind of advantage to the CLU550 over the CLU058 if you take price out of it, right?
Not according to Citizen, no. The CLU550 is one generation back, like I said. So presumably the improved efficiency and thermal resistance of the CLU058-3618 more than makes up for the reduced die count.

Maybe the retail price of the CLU550 was simply higher and the old stock prices reflect that. I know CDI still sells the 0x6 series for the same prices as the 0x8, which makes zero sense.
 

weed-whacker

Well-Known Member
i think the clu550 is like 2x 300w cobs in one while the clu058 is a single 360w cobs

so in theory if we were to drive both cobs at say 100w then we would actually be driving 2 300w cobs at 50w vs 1 360w cob at 100

efficiency should be much higher, right?
 

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
i think the clu550 is like 2x 300w cobs in one while the clu058 is a single 360w cobs

so in theory if we were to drive both cobs at say 100w then we would actually be driving 2 300w cobs at 50w vs 1 360w cob at 100

efficiency should be much higher, right?
Again, I can only tell you what Citizen says, the CLU058-3618 is newer and better at all currents. Even @ 300W.
 

nevergoodenuf

Well-Known Member
Are you sure Jorge??? I can't use excel, but the CLU058 @168 watts is 135 lm/w and the CLU550 @ 243 watts is 134 lm/w, according to CDIwebs pages.
 

JorgeGonzales

Well-Known Member
Are you sure Jorge??? I can't use excel, but the CLU058 @168 watts is 135 lm/w and the CLU550 @ 243 watts is 134 lm/w, according to CDIwebs pages.
Further investigation reveals that the data sheet is likely incorrect.

Temp vs vF chart:

image.jpg

Specs they are using for lm/W:

image.jpg

Notice the typical voltage is 112.3V. This makes little sense. It should be ~2x 52V, or exactly what the temp vs vF chart says. Somebody made a boo boo. That's errors I've found in Samsung, Bridgelux, and now Citizen data sheets. Jeez. And don't get me started on the Cree PCT.
 
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