Building my first cob help needed

HansBud

HansBud

Well-Known Member
Hey guys so I kinda got into LEDs a couple months ago and bought four Mars hydro 300's now realizing if I built my own I could have the same light output but with 400 less watts.
I was wondering if any one has a link where you buy your chips, I'm.looking to get crees cxb3070's but am unsure of what spectrum to buy as I grow autos and would love to have a nice mixed spectrum. I have everything else picked out and just have to order it ( 36" heatsink USA 5.886, hlg185h-c1400 power supply,chip locks, thermal pads,140mm fan, 12v fan supply, and other small random things I'll.need)
Hoping someone can lead me in the right direction to finding to the best chips I can get for my money
 
thetr33man

thetr33man

Well-Known Member
If you are going to eat the 300s, and money is an issue, you could convert the mars lights to cob. If you have a market to sell them and recoup your cost. Id go that route. If you are actively cooling that heatsink Id go with a little more power, Maybe a hlg240h-1040b and use a pot so you can dial down if necessary. Consider citizen chips, they are cheaper and as good as cree IMO, you could do 7 of these with the power supply I listed on that heatsink.
https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/CLU0481212C4303H5K2-Citizen-Electronics-Co-Ltd/590968/
Id go with 3000k or 3500k 90cri whatever brand you choose.
If you go with citizen cobs, these holders are decent... https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/47319203050-BJB-GmbH-Co-KG/592663/
 
SimonBarSinister

SimonBarSinister

Well-Known Member
thetr33man said:
If you are going to eat the 300s, and money is an issue, you could convert the mars lights to cob. If you have a market to sell them and recoup your cost. Id go that route. If you are actively cooling that heatsink Id go with a little more power, Maybe a hlg240h-1040b and use a pot so you can dial down if necessary. Consider citizen chips, they are cheaper and as good as cree IMO, you could do 7 of these with the power supply I listed on that heatsink.
https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/CLU0481212C4303H5K2-Citizen-Electronics-Co-Ltd/590968/
Id go with 3000k or 3500k 90cri whatever brand you choose.
If you go with citizen cobs, these holders are decent... https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/47319203050-BJB-GmbH-Co-KG/592663/
Click to expand...
Yeah, i forgot about that option. I dont know how to post the link but if you google mars cob conversion you'll find it. I think its called growhack from growMau5. He walks you through it, looks like fun. May be a great option ?
 
thetr33man

thetr33man

Well-Known Member
Its an option, mars power supplies arent nearly the quality of meanwell hlg series, or as efficient, but they will produce light. Fans and heatsinks should be more than fine as you would be moving to more efficient chips, producing less heat. Youll get significantly more light than you were with the mars diodes, and better spectrum. Really all you should need is some wire, cob holders and cobs to do the conversion, maybe a chunk of aluminum sheet you can get cut for a few bucks at any metal working place in your area.

If you can get even half what you paid for your mars, by selling them to friends or locally online, Id go that route and start over from scratch, but if you cant its very possible to refit them and save some money.
 
HansBud

HansBud

Well-Known Member
thetr33man said:
If you are going to eat the 300s, and money is an issue, you could convert the mars lights to cob. If you have a market to sell them and recoup your cost. Id go that route. If you are actively cooling that heatsink Id go with a little more power, Maybe a hlg240h-1040b and use a pot so you can dial down if necessary. Consider citizen chips, they are cheaper and as good as cree IMO, you could do 7 of these with the power supply I listed on that heatsink.
https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/CLU0481212C4303H5K2-Citizen-Electronics-Co-Ltd/590968/
Id go with 3000k or 3500k 90cri whatever brand you choose.
If you go with citizen cobs, these holders are decent... https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/47319203050-BJB-GmbH-Co-KG/592663/
Click to expand...
I'm thinking for now while money is a little tight I'll sacrifice one of the Mars and try a conversion using citizens and if that goes well I'll do one more and use those for another grow or two until I have money for a diy kit ( I've been looking at growmau5's kit) I've seen his conversion video as well and doesn't seem too complicated at all I'll get the chips ordered this weekend along with the holders and the smaller stuff. Another question is in growmau5's video he was gonna use 6 chips so for my 300 should I go half that and use 3? I still need to do my home work and figure out electricity a little better, I'm haven't figured out the math part such as how many cobs I can use with so.many volts, amps etc
 
HansBud

HansBud

Well-Known Member
thetr33man said:
If you are going to eat the 300s, and money is an issue, you could convert the mars lights to cob. If you have a market to sell them and recoup your cost. Id go that route. If you are actively cooling that heatsink Id go with a little more power, Maybe a hlg240h-1040b and use a pot so you can dial down if necessary. Consider citizen chips, they are cheaper and as good as cree IMO, you could do 7 of these with the power supply I listed on that heatsink.
https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/CLU0481212C4303H5K2-Citizen-Electronics-Co-Ltd/590968/
Id go with 3000k or 3500k 90cri whatever brand you choose.
If you go with citizen cobs, these holders are decent... https://led.cdiweb.com/ProductDetail/47319203050-BJB-GmbH-Co-KG/592663/
Click to expand...
They're sold out on the link you provided huge thanks by the way! I found these on eBay are they the same ones? Cause I'll order these just wanna make sure they are not fakes or anything like that it's to trust eBay haha

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Citizen-CLU048-1212-COB-LED-3000K-90-CRI-Fast-shipping-from-US-seller-/112108603844?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150519202348%26meid%3D832661b57c1d4b93a043bd5bcbd1c378%26pid%3D100408%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D25%26sd%3D112108597982&_trksid=p2056116.c100408.m2460
 
thetr33man

thetr33man

Well-Known Member
I cant vouch for an ebay seller, but typically if they are bad youd find out by reading reviews and looking at their rating Id assume.
 
HansBud

HansBud

Well-Known Member
thetr33man said:
I cant vouch for an ebay seller, but typically if they are bad youd find out by reading reviews and looking at their rating Id assume.
Click to expand...
Right I'll look into the link you provided but I think I'll do a Mars hydro conversion, I was looking at the timber lights as well I may purchase a 200w citizen from them in a couple weeks and then have 1 or 2 Mars hydro conversions to go along and both together should more than enough for my 3x3 footprint
 
Closet-Gardenholic

Closet-Gardenholic

Well-Known Member
MediheaLed said:
Rapid Led gots some pretty good stuff.
Click to expand...
I will second RapidLED as a good source for CREE and Vero COBs.

Mike has been nothing but helpful to me with choosing components for my fixture. He currently has plenty of 3590s different spectrums for either $39 or $40.

He also has the drivers for a fair price, a limited supply of the solderless holders, optics, and the individual pin heat sinks.

Vero Gen 7s were shipped out to him today and then new SEs with the poke in wiring (no need for holders) will be there late next week or the first week of February.

http://rapidled.com/cobs
 
Mike Cap

Mike Cap

Active Member
Closet-Gardenholic said:
I will second RapidLED as a good source for CREE and Vero COBs.

Mike has been nothing but helpful to me with choosing components for my fixture. He currently has plenty of 3590s different spectrums for either $39 or $40.

He also has the drivers for a fair price, a limited supply of the solderless holders, optics, and the individual pin heat sinks.

Vero Gen 7s were shipped out to him today and then new SEs with the poke in wiring (no need for holders) will be there late next week or the first week of February.

http://rapidled.com/cobs
Click to expand...
I will 3rd? RapidLed. Mike special ordered the 72v CXB3590's@3500k for me, and they are on there way as I type. Just built bar 1 of 3 the 36v bar.
took 4hr's to build
 
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