Introducing CobKits.com - specializing in DIY and Citizen COBs

glitchsta said:
I am starting my first DIY project hopefully this weekend. I have a HLG-320H-C1400B and want to wire it up to 6x CLU048-1212C4-353M2K1. Do I need to wire this in series or parallel?
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series

glitchsta said:
Also does anyone know if I just need a potentionometer 100k resistance for the dimmer? Or does the resistance change because I am running 6 cobs?
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100k regardless of cob config. only thing that changes pot value is if you gang dimming circuits from multiple drivers
 
Thanks for all the info on PPFD/PAR/DLI etc. Anyone know a good brand of light meter that may help me out when dimming COBs, etc? Should I be looking for a good PAR meter? LUX meter?
Obviously something affordable would be nice, but I'm unsure of what "type" of light meter I should be looking for so I can dial things in a bit better (especially when dimming COBs, etc).

Thank you!

edit: a bit of searching I think I should go with a PAR meter.. which seems to be a lot harder to find/more expensive than a LUX meter - any recommendations?

That Apogee Full Spectrum Quantum Meter looks awfully nice.. don't think I'll be getting one anytime soon without breaking the bank, though... would be awesome to have!
 
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Where's the cheapest place to order 90 degree aluminum stock? Need about 24ft of it. Home Depot, or any particular place online?
 
CobKits said:
Its 150V so you should be fine. ive personally run them up to 200 without issue (tho i cant advocate that)

i could do the swap but that might run me out of ideals, i have to check
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So what do you think of running 5 1212's connected in series and using BJB holders, 180v, 250w?
 
qballizhere said:
You really compare a large company to an individual that is doing it to help others out and you want to complain about $7 difference in shipping. The few things that you bought go inside a medium flat rate box and its $15 to ship anywhere in the usa.If that is really going to kill you to pay it then you can wait 4-6 weeks and paying less for shipping.
Personally I would rather help out that individual that is here even if it cost more the information and resource is invaluable


There is a old saying on custom made things you can have it 2 out of 3 ways you get to pick, you can have it fast, you can get it cheap, or you can get it done right, but you cant have all 3
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I like that saying, seems like something my father would have said to me lol.

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If you order 5 Mechatronix 9980 heatsinks, you are gonna pay 50+11 for shipping, so 61$, rated at 48.5W, no side mount
At Cobbys, you are paying 92$ for 5 120mm plus 15$ for shipping, so 107$, rated to 60w I believe, side and top mount
Robin charges 14.50$ per 120mm pin heatsink, so 72.50$ plus 20$ for shipping, so 92.50$, top and side mount, 60W
Cutter charges 12.15 per 9980 heatsink, so 61+30$=91$ (cheaper if you live in AU)

I broke down the cheapest vendors for heatsinks above if anyone is interested. I would have gone with the mechatronix ones and looking back it, maybe I should have selected a different driver so I could run them. But I didn't because
A.) Cheap looking and feeling(according to some)
B.) Were not rated correctly
C.) I wanted to use L aluminum
D.) Pins rid themselves of heat more efficiently

I think if you are a small grower, hobby grower, go for the premium (cobby/robin) heat sinks. It'll cost you more but they look nicer and your products will be finished faster, also they give a more flush looking design.

If you are a large commercial grower, then you don't care what your lights look like, so go for the cheaper ones. You could potentially save 100's if not thousands. I mean look at my example, just for 5 cobs, I could have saved 40$ minimum, that's 2 COBS and 2 Heatsinks. I think it really depends on your situation

Im getting the new 90 cri genration 6 citizens soon, 1212 and 1218
 
Ive run 9980s @ 50 watts with no major issues, but they do get warm to the touch, still way below thermal limits of cobs. If I had to do it over again I would have went a size larger. I see you said you can top mount the pins, but Im not sure how to do it, radial fins are easy to do, you can screw right into the built in spots on top of the sink or just drill a hole in the center of sink and screw into that. Ive got some pin sinks and the pins are fragile, they are much easier to damage than the fins. I just ordered some mecha
MODULED GIGA 15250-B for $15 each and they are rated at 75w, but Im going to run them at 50. Also gotta figure that the 'rated' watts is HEAT watts, not power supplied to cob. So Im going to be producing maybe 30watts of heat on a 75w rated sink, should work great.
 
thetr33man said:
Ive run 9980s @ 50 watts with no major issues, but they do get warm to the touch, still way below thermal limits of cobs. If I had to do it over again I would have went a size larger. I see you said you can top mount the pins, but Im not sure how to do it, radial fins are easy to do, you can screw right into the built in spots on top of the sink or just drill a hole in the center of sink and screw into that. Ive got some pin sinks and the pins are fragile, they are much easier to damage than the fins. I just ordered some mecha
MODULED GIGA 15250-B for $15 each and they are rated at 75w, but Im going to run them at 50. Also gotta figure that the 'rated' watts is HEAT watts, not power supplied to cob. So Im going to be producing maybe 30watts of heat on a 75w rated sink, should work great.
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Yeah, I may buy the radial heatsinks next time and compare them to the pins, always a different story when they are in your hand. I did feel a little bummed I paid 30$ more than what I could have spent, but it's too late to go in the past lol. I forgot the difference between heat watts and watts. Worst comes to worst, I'll have to 2 cob lights haha.

Although I may just do a mars300 conversion, maybe running 2 1818's instead,
 
Ive got some big pin fins that were given to me by robincnn with 3590s on them at 1750 passive and ive got a 9980 in center of same unit with a 1212 on it at same current, but I glued a fan to the top, so its actively cooled, it stays way cooler with the fan than the pins do. BTW gasket silicone works great to glue fans to the top of the radial sinks... No screwing necessary, that shit is TOUGH once its cured, may never get that fan off again tho, haha
 
blues147 said:
Hey six, post a pic of that plasma table. Is that aluminum 1/8", I'm def envious. Hate to see what that might cost at a local shop.
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No pics of table atm,its at my dads shop.might do a video some day down the road.aluminum plate im using is 8th in. 4 x 8ft sheets.
 
DarthPlagueis said:
If you order 5 Mechatronix 9980 heatsinks, you are gonna pay 50+11 for shipping, so 61$, rated at 48.5W, no side mount
At Cobbys, you are paying 92$ for 5 120mm plus 15$ for shipping, so 107$, rated to 60w I believe, side and top mount
Robin charges 14.50$ per 120mm pin heatsink, so 72.50$ plus 20$ for shipping, so 92.50$, top and side mount, 60W
Cutter charges 12.15 per 9980 heatsink, so 61+30$=91$ (cheaper if you live in AU)
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-10% RIU code of course
 
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