Vero 29 big build

[freemanjack]

Hi folks, first post here, if nothin else but to stop everyone bitchin at me for NOT postin on rolitup
so here it is, drum roll please........
my next build will be 5 pairs of extruded heatsinks each with 3 vero29's driven by a pair of 300w dimmable drivers hopefully incorporating thermistor thermal protection. 2 of these pairs of units will be actively cooled using a trinity of 80mm pc case fans from a small buck converter in the lighting circuit. The other 3 pairs will be run fully passive at first to assess the effectiveness of our standard extrusion against these 70w monsters, esp as we are gonna overdrive em by around 50% if the temps will allow. I'll do my best to make a build video but sadly I often build these suckers then slap meself hard when i realise i fergot to video the events, so 'after build' vids are more my style!
'ere's me work to date, or at least as much s i could be arsed to video, edit and upload;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsuV6VESP68JvxL34OkjQfA
don't hotbox the kitchen, you will set off the smoke alarm

 

[verticalgrow]

Hi folks, first post here, if nothin else but to stop everyone bitchin at me for NOT postin on rolitup
so here it is, drum roll please........
my next build will be 5 pairs of extruded heatsinks each with 3 vero29's driven by a pair of 300w dimmable drivers hopefully incorporating thermistor thermal protection. 2 of these pairs of units will be actively cooled using a trinity of 80mm pc case fans from a small buck converter in the lighting circuit. The other 3 pairs will be run fully passive at first to assess the effectiveness of our standard extrusion against these 70w monsters, esp as we are gonna overdrive em by around 50% if the temps will allow. I'll do my best to make a build video but sadly I often build these suckers then slap meself hard when i realise i fergot to video the events, so 'after build' vids are more my style!
'ere's me work to date, or at least as much s i could be arsed to video, edit and upload;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsuV6VESP68JvxL34OkjQfA
don't hotbox the kitchen, you will set off the smoke alarm

g'day Jack,
were did u get the clear tube that covers the COBs?
nice build & thx for sharing
VG

 

[freemanjack]

g'day Jack,
were did u get the clear tube that covers the COBs?
nice build & thx for sharing
VG

Hey VG, the clear half pipe in the vid is a 1000 x 100(od) 95(id) clear acrylic tube sourced locally but found using google, prices vary widely but from memory that piece cost me around £30 (gbp) but was cut in half to make both covers, there is a little scattering, even with the clear acrylic but with these watts, it is nominal. i would alter that design slightly if i were to repeat it by cutting the ally in half rather than 230deg and mating the two with some 'h' section extrusion and aquarium silicon to bond the two, that screwed together design was a bitch to get right, despite looking impressive in that vid.
Keep watchin out fer the vero 29 3kw build coming very soon (first of 5 arrays already assembled and in testing)

 

[verticalgrow]

Hey VG, the clear half pipe in the vid is a 1000 x 100(od) 95(id) clear acrylic tube sourced locally but found using google, prices vary widely but from memory that piece cost me around £30 (gbp) but was cut in half to make both covers, there is a little scattering, even with the clear acrylic but with these watts, it is nominal. i would alter that design slightly if i were to repeat it by cutting the ally in half rather than 230deg and mating the two with some 'h' section extrusion and aquarium silicon to bond the two, that screwed together design was a bitch to get right, despite looking impressive in that vid.
Keep watchin out fer the vero 29 3kw build coming very soon (first of 5 arrays already assembled and in testing)

Thx Jack,
is the top a round flue pipe for a stove?
did u ever try cutting 3 inch round holes along 1 side flue pipe for the COB's?
VG

 

[freemanjack]

Thx Jack,
is the top a round flue pipe for a stove?
did u ever try cutting 3 inch round holes along 1 side flue pipe for the COB's?
VG

No, I opted for 16swg 100mm ally tube, I was having to shave the sides of the h/s down from 105 to 95mm so I wanted plenty thick enough ally to act as additional h/s, that array really pushed our previous known best thermal pattern to new extremes and I wanted to 'belt and braces' that build. I had thought about recessed CoB's in holes but from experience the 115 deg 'beam' is actually closer to 180 and with a fully reflective room the cobs are best being given as much angle of action possible, hence the 230 deg slice out of the ally pipe, this allowed unfettered exit of all those angry pixies without resorting to a reflector, reflectors rarely reflect accurately in my experience. I tested a few cob spacing's out and found hotspots are real easy to set up if you are not careful. Plants seem to respond best to an even light distribution and plenty of it.

 

[verticalgrow]

No, I opted for 16swg 100mm ally tube, I was having to shave the sides of the h/s down from 105 to 95mm so I wanted plenty thick enough ally to act as additional h/s, that array really pushed our previous known best thermal pattern to new extremes and I wanted to 'belt and braces' that build. I had thought about recessed CoB's in holes but from experience the 115 deg 'beam' is actually closer to 180 and with a fully reflective room the cobs are best being given as much angle of action possible, hence the 230 deg slice out of the ally pipe, this allowed unfettered exit of all those angry pixies without resorting to a reflector, reflectors rarely reflect accurately in my experience. I tested a few cob spacing's out and found hotspots are real easy to set up if you are not careful. Plants seem to respond best to an even light distribution and plenty of it.

Do u mind if i ask how much it cost for just the parts?
Loved watching that video had to watch it twice,
when is ur nxt video coming?

 

[freemanjack]

Thanks, as to costings? I'm afraid I was building that one for a mate and never really kept tabs of overall cost, I suspect its likely to be around £350 (gbp) but don't tell the wife, i think I only took £260 off him! but those were our used gen 2 luxeons that I pretty much gave him as we had just upgraded to all gen 3's and i wanted to share the luv with a first timer, let the big boys pay full price fer their toys eh?
I will have full costings of this next build, vid will be up soon as i can be arsed to vid/edit/upload it, to be honest, I'd need to put down the spliff and pick up a camera, #firstworldproblems!!

 

[coreywebster]

Like your style freemanjack.. Always used cooltubes with HPS previously so have been wondering how one would go about doing something similar since I started looking into cobs several months back. Great work.

 

[freemanjack]

Like your style freemanjack.. Always used cooltubes with HPS previously so have been wondering how one would go about doing something similar since I started looking into cobs several months back. Great work.

Thanks Corey, glad you like it, the vero 29 vid (when I get round to recording it) will be covering the most basic 'populated heatsink' design and seeing as we just found a heatsink supplier who can drill and thread to order, I should be able to provide a full parts list, with prices and a list of all my parts suppliers. If you are based in the US you will probably be able to beat my costings on every part too due to appalling exchange rate (gbp). I'm happy to share everything I have and answer any questions anyone wants to ask.

 

[freemanjack]

Hi folks, first post here, if nothin else but to stop everyone bitchin at me for NOT postin on rolitup
so here it is, drum roll please........
my next build will be 5 pairs of extruded heatsinks each with 3 vero29's driven by a pair of 300w dimmable drivers hopefully incorporating thermistor thermal protection. 2 of these pairs of units will be actively cooled using a trinity of 80mm pc case fans from a small buck converter in the lighting circuit. The other 3 pairs will be run fully passive at first to assess the effectiveness of our standard extrusion against these 70w monsters, esp as we are gonna overdrive em by around 50% if the temps will allow. I'll do my best to make a build video but sadly I often build these suckers then slap meself hard when i realise i fergot to video the events, so 'after build' vids are more my style!
'ere's me work to date, or at least as much s i could be arsed to video, edit and upload;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsuV6VESP68JvxL34OkjQfA
don't hotbox the kitchen, you will set off the smoke alarm

Do u mind if i ask how much it cost for just the parts?
Loved watching that video had to watch it twice,
when is ur nxt video coming?

New Vid live now m8, will have to cover thermal protection circuits in a later vid, i figured this one deserved a proper 'build vid' so best i did it while building i guess!