DIY with Quantum Boards

[muleface]

This is where the DIY strip lights have advantage with even light and PAR values over entire canopy.

you mean like this??

Actually, for the same cost as a QB304 and heatsink, you're getting 20% more light, and its spread of a larger surface area. IMO, the biggest drawback of the QB's is that they are too compact.

this is the conversation I was hoping to have here. I always begrudgingly accepted cobs because they allowed me to create my own light design. But I always hated the fact you were looking at in some cases upwards of $85 a light.

CREE cob - $50
Heatsink - $25
Holder/reflector - $10

It seemed really pricey, the common idea on this was to run them a little lower wattage to reap the rewards of efficiency. So run them at 50-60 watts you needed, what 8 - 10 of them in a 4x4? That could run you up to $800. I moved from that to more of a google data center approach. Run lower cost cobs on cheaper heatsinks, and if and when they burn out replace them. I have 105 mm heat sinks with $6 getian cobs. With holder i'm at $15 a light. If i burn out a cob, then i replace it with another $6 cob. But I was hoping for something a little better. I did build a bridgelux strip light, see photo, and have not done a grow with that yet. I am optimistic about it. But it requires a lot of aluminum. My light has 45 feet of it. that isn't cheap.

I like the QBs, I like them a lot, but my brain tells me i would like them bigger, physically bigger so i could create a better distribution of light. So if i could run say 9 - 120s over a 4x4, that puts me at $240, plus driver. Or for the same price (more or less) i could run 3 - 304s and get pretty close to the same amount of light. But is the light distribution super critical here? would the 3 QB's putting out 483 watt total provide enough light? sorry to ramble here...

 

[smokeybeard]

you mean like this??



this is the conversation I was hoping to have here. I always begrudgingly accepted cobs because they allowed me to create my own light design. But I always hated the fact you were looking at in some cases upwards of $85 a light.

CREE cob - $50
Heatsink - $25
Holder/reflector - $10

It seemed really pricey, the common idea on this was to run them a little lower wattage to reap the rewards of efficiency. So run them at 50-60 watts you needed, what 8 - 10 of them in a 4x4? That could run you up to $800. I moved from that to more of a google data center approach. Run lower cost cobs on cheaper heatsinks, and if and when they burn out replace them. I have 105 mm heat sinks with $6 getian cobs. With holder i'm at $15 a light. If i burn out a cob, then i replace it with another $6 cob. But I was hoping for something a little better. I did build a bridgelux strip light, see photo, and have not done a grow with that yet. I am optimistic about it. But it requires a lot of aluminum. My light has 45 feet of it. that isn't cheap.

I like the QBs, I like them a lot, but my brain tells me i would like them bigger, physically bigger so i could create a better distribution of light. So if i could run say 9 - 120s over a 4x4, that puts me at $240, plus driver. Or for the same price (more or less) i could run 3 - 304s and get pretty close to the same amount of light. But is the light distribution super critical here? would the 3 QB's putting out 483 watt total provide enough light? sorry to ramble here...

I put my 260w kit on a slate 2 triple in a 2'x4' and the spread is way better. I've got a different driver to run both boards at 160w apiece and I feel like that would be over kill. (2x304 QB on a slate 2 triple.) I plan on running a lower wattage with more lumens and a better spread. The 120's are a solid deal, no doubt about that, but I (and my plants) are loving the QB 304's around 160ish~ watts total, not per board but total. No dark corners, it seems (I don't have a par meter) to have a way more consistent spread than on a slate 2 double for sure.

I guess what I am getting at is you could run 4 QBs at less than half wattage with the 2, slate 2 triple's and achieve the same thing. Larger investment, yes. Room for expansion (If you would like to) is always a great option to have. Not talking ish on the 120, but if there is a chance in the future you might upgrade, worth the investment for sure.

If I ever decide to use Co2 in my room, I will be buying 4 120's to supplement side/under lighting and really see what a low watt, high lumen build can do.

By the way I am new at this, take my advice with a grain of salt. What works for me may not work for everyone else. I am just stating my advice with what I do and the results I have achieved.

I have also had some barley pops and a dab or two, just wanting to help contribute. My setup is for a more stealth grower than a full scale commercial grow.

 

[coreywebster]

Anybody have a 135W Qb in their tent? if so what is the average temps in the tent? im running a mars hydro 300 and the temp in my tent is running at about 75F with the light out and about 82F when the light is on.

It depends on size of tent, ambient temps, amount of air flow, amount of extraction.

From what I gather from the mars 300, its a 132w light. The QB 135w is going to be about the same heat. But you can dim it down by a fair bit and still be getting more light from the QB than from the mars.

Also there's nothing wrong with 82 degrees with an LED. Keeps leaf temp up.
I'm only guessing here but I would imagine you could run that QB at 100w or less and still outperform the 132w mars light.
Plus you have a far better spectrum with the QB

 

[Grimtek]

Hey all, im new to the forum^·^. I had a question for anyone with some spare time/knowledge
Im planning out a QB build and this is what ive come up with so far
480w
(1x)-HLG 480h-c2100a
(4x)-QB304 boards
(2x)-slate 2 double
???(Series or parallel)???
Or
500w
(2x)HLG 240h-c1050a
(4x)-QB304 boards
(2x)-slate 2 double
(Series)
I am wondering how i would wire the 480h if it be in series or parallel for the best result .
Thank you in advance, im very new to DIY LED ..

 

[Stephenj37826]

Hey all, im new to the forum^·^. I had a question for anyone with some spare time/knowledge
Im planning out a QB build and this is what ive come up with so far
480w
(1x)-HLG 480h-c2100a
(4x)-QB304 boards
(2x)-slate 2 double
???(Series or parallel)???
Or
500w
(2x)HLG 240h-c1050a
(4x)-QB304 boards
(2x)-slate 2 double
(Series)
I am wondering how i would wire the 480h if it be in series or parallel for the best result .
Thank you in advance, im very new to DIY LED ..

I would do the 4 QB 304 with 480 driver. You would wire 2 of the boards in series. Then wire the other 2 boards in series. Those 2 "strings" will be in parallel.

Or much easier 4 QB 288 all in series on the 480 driver.

 

[Grimtek]

I would do the 4 QB 304 with 480 driver. You would wire 2 of the boards in series. Then wire the other 2 boards in series. Those 2 "strings" will be in parallel.

Or much easier 4 QB 288 all in series on the 480 driver.

Thank you very much for the timely advice! I'll research that a bit more and get a solid understanding of how to wire everything.
Happy growing!

 

[Humple]

I put my 260w kit on a slate 2 triple in a 2'x4' and the spread is way better. I've got a different driver to run both boards at 160w apiece and I feel like that would be over kill. (2x304 QB on a slate 2 triple.) I plan on running a lower wattage with more lumens and a better spread. The 120's are a solid deal, no doubt about that, but I (and my plants) are loving the QB 304's around 160ish~ watts total, not per board but total. No dark corners, it seems (I don't have a par meter) to have a way more consistent spread than on a slate 2 double for sure.

I guess what I am getting at is you could run 4 QBs at less than half wattage with the 2, slate 2 triple's and achieve the same thing. Larger investment, yes. Room for expansion (If you would like to) is always a great option to have. Not talking ish on the 120, but if there is a chance in the future you might upgrade, worth the investment for sure.

If I ever decide to use Co2 in my room, I will be buying 4 120's to supplement side/under lighting and really see what a low watt, high lumen build can do.

By the way I am new at this, take my advice with a grain of salt. What works for me may not work for everyone else. I am just stating my advice with what I do and the results I have achieved.

I have also had some barley pops and a dab or two, just wanting to help contribute. My setup is for a more stealth grower than a full scale commercial grow.

It's a toughy for sure. I think it comes down to intensity (288/304) vs. spread/coverage (120). The 120's low cost and low heat mean that for a tent-sized grow you can pretty much create a canopy of light that can practically sit on top of your plants. It certainly seems to me (little as I know) that it wouldn't be as practical to build with 120s for an open room though.

 

[lukio]

~ 1100w, 2700k and 3000k quantum boards in a 4 x 8

View attachment 4032553

 

[Ryante55]

~ 1100w, 2700k and 3000k quantum boards in a 4 x 8
View attachment 4032554
View attachment 4032551 View attachment 4032552 View attachment 4032555 View attachment 4032553 View attachment 4032556View attachment 4032557

Nice you running 6 pots per 4x4? What size pots how much veg time? I ran 12 per 4x4 last time that was a little too much haha

 

[muleface]

Nice you running 6 pots per 4x4? What size pots how much veg time? I ran 12 per 4x4 last time that was a little too much haha

Yep. Did the same. It didn't go well. Lol

 

[lukio]

Nice you running 6 pots per 4x4? What size pots how much veg time? I ran 12 per 4x4 last time that was a little too much haha

12?! straight up or top em? think ive seen pics havent i?

I go 15 plants per 4x8 in 6 litre coco pots. I go for the small pots so i can feed 4-5 times a day in flower, drawing lots of oxygen.

About 6 - 7 weeks veg under T5, i top a lot. Veg tents also a 4x8 and nearly ready to flip works well

 

[robincnn]

You saying like this instead ?

View attachment 4032342

You can use connector on either side.
Series means between boards + to -
Power supply + to + of first board
Power supply - to - of last board

 

[Black Thumb]

You can use connector on either side.
Series means between boards + to -
Power supply + to + of first board
Power supply - to - of last board
View attachment 4032626

Thanks

 

[pop22]

Here's 4 QB304 @363 watts at the wall, in a 4x4 tent. I can't even imagine running it at close to 500 watts! In a sealed room with CO2, yes, in a tent without, even my light borders on overkill. I'm thinking of changing the drver, its dimming circuit doesn't work. I'm thinking of replacing the 320H-C2800 with a 240H-C2100b for about 55 watts per board instead of 85.

My plants got out of control, I wasn't expecting this kind of growth! Thats just three plants

you mean like this??



this is the conversation I was hoping to have here. I always begrudgingly accepted cobs because they allowed me to create my own light design. But I always hated the fact you were looking at in some cases upwards of $85 a light.

CREE cob - $50
Heatsink - $25
Holder/reflector - $10

It seemed really pricey, the common idea on this was to run them a little lower wattage to reap the rewards of efficiency. So run them at 50-60 watts you needed, what 8 - 10 of them in a 4x4? That could run you up to $800. I moved from that to more of a google data center approach. Run lower cost cobs on cheaper heatsinks, and if and when they burn out replace them. I have 105 mm heat sinks with $6 getian cobs. With holder i'm at $15 a light. If i burn out a cob, then i replace it with another $6 cob. But I was hoping for something a little better. I did build a bridgelux strip light, see photo, and have not done a grow with that yet. I am optimistic about it. But it requires a lot of aluminum. My light has 45 feet of it. that isn't cheap.

I like the QBs, I like them a lot, but my brain tells me i would like them bigger, physically bigger so i could create a better distribution of light. So if i could run say 9 - 120s over a 4x4, that puts me at $240, plus driver. Or for the same price (more or less) i could run 3 - 304s and get pretty close to the same amount of light. But is the light distribution super critical here? would the 3 QB's putting out 483 watt total provide enough light? sorry to ramble here...

 

[BigCityGrow]

I'm wiring up my boards from watching the video on the HLG web site. I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. In the video on the DC the wires are black and red, mine are blue and brown, I know the hot is brown and the blue is ground, Do I attach my black wire to brown with the Wago and the red wire to blue?

 

[muleface]

I'm wiring up my boards from watching the video on the HLG web site. I just want to make sure I'm doing this right. In the video on the DC the wires are black and red, mine are blue and brown, I know the hot is brown and the blue is ground, Do I attach my black wire to brown with the Wago and the red wire to blue?

If on the cob side..
Don't worry about it. If you do it wrong nothing happens. If you do it right the board turns on. I remote mount my drivers and my wires are nondiscript so i wire it wrong 50% of the time. Connect the wires, plug in the driver if nothing happens unplug the driver and flip flop your cob side wires and try again. If nothing happens you have other issues.

 

[BigCityGrow]

thats what I was thinking, they are the same, i just have to make sure the + wire goes tho the + terminal on the board?

If on the cob side..
Don't worry about it. If you do it wrong nothing happens. If you do it right the board turns on. I remote mount my drivers and my wires are nondiscript so i wire it wrong 50% of the time. Connect the wires, plug in the driver if nothing happens unplug the driver and flip flop your cob side wires and try again. If nothing happens you have other issues.

 

[Humple]

You can use connector on either side.
Series means between boards + to -
Power supply + to + of first board
Power supply - to - of last board
View attachment 4032626

That's great to know Robin. I got my info from a dude who said he got it from you (different forum), but I guess I should have gone to the source first!

 

[Ryante55]

12?! straight up or top em? think ive seen pics havent i?

I go 15 plants per 4x8 in 6 litre coco pots. I go for the small pots so i can feed 4-5 times a day in flower, drawing lots of oxygen.

About 6 - 7 weeks veg under T5, i top a lot. Veg tents also a 4x8 and nearly ready to flip works well

Yeah I've posted some pics you have probably seen them I top a little but I only veg 2 weeks here's some pics of the chop this is a 4x4 750w 9 qb 304

 

[Ryante55]

Yep. Did the same. It didn't go well. Lol

Yeah I'm going 9 this time I think that will be good for a 2 week veg