DIY 1000w LED

M

Mikkel Bjørn

New Member
Greetings everyone

It's been some years since i last purchased my MARS II. I think I got the idea via this site actually.
So anyway, the time has come for me to get some fresh new gear. Therefor I have been looking at DIY LED projects on google.
Nothing has changed, I mean... Surely everything has changed with the LED's, but it is still as hard to settle on something now, as it was back then.
Therefor I am asking for your advice. My ideal plan is to have 1000 actual watts sitting in my room. not nessecary in a one piece lamp, since I wont be able to afford that.
Therefor I was thinking of making 4 x 250 watt or 2 x 500 watt. I want it to be as simple to build as possible (one of those LED on heatsink with reflecter kinda thing), while
also being as cost effecient, both to build, but also to run.
Like I said i've been looking around, but I do not have a master degree in google, and I end up finding only old topics...

So please people. Enlighten me on which LED's i should go with. Do I go COB or this new quantum LED? Any help is really appriciated. BTW I am from EU, if that means anything
when shopping parts.

Best regards
Mikkel
 
nfhiggs

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
Mikkel Bjørn said:
Greetings everyone

It's been some years since i last purchased my MARS II. I think I got the idea via this site actually.
So anyway, the time has come for me to get some fresh new gear. Therefor I have been looking at DIY LED projects on google.
Nothing has changed, I mean... Surely everything has changed with the LED's, but it is still as hard to settle on something now, as it was back then.
Therefor I am asking for your advice. My ideal plan is to have 1000 actual watts sitting in my room. not nessecary in a one piece lamp, since I wont be able to afford that.
Therefor I was thinking of making 4 x 250 watt or 2 x 500 watt. I want it to be as simple to build as possible (one of those LED on heatsink with reflecter kinda thing), while
also being as cost effecient, both to build, but also to run.
Like I said i've been looking around, but I do not have a master degree in google, and I end up finding only old topics...

So please people. Enlighten me on which LED's i should go with. Do I go COB or this new quantum LED? Any help is really appriciated. BTW I am from EU, if that means anything
when shopping parts.

Best regards
Mikkel
Click to expand...
Right now, IMO the most cost effective and simple build is Samsung F-series LED strips. You can run them with no heatsinks, just lay them out in a frame and run them at nominal current or lower.
 
Humple

Humple

Well-Known Member
Mikkel Bjørn said:
Greetings everyone

It's been some years since i last purchased my MARS II. I think I got the idea via this site actually.
So anyway, the time has come for me to get some fresh new gear. Therefor I have been looking at DIY LED projects on google.
Nothing has changed, I mean... Surely everything has changed with the LED's, but it is still as hard to settle on something now, as it was back then.
Therefor I am asking for your advice. My ideal plan is to have 1000 actual watts sitting in my room. not nessecary in a one piece lamp, since I wont be able to afford that.
Therefor I was thinking of making 4 x 250 watt or 2 x 500 watt. I want it to be as simple to build as possible (one of those LED on heatsink with reflecter kinda thing), while
also being as cost effecient, both to build, but also to run.
Like I said i've been looking around, but I do not have a master degree in google, and I end up finding only old topics...

So please people. Enlighten me on which LED's i should go with. Do I go COB or this new quantum LED? Any help is really appriciated. BTW I am from EU, if that means anything
when shopping parts.

Best regards
Mikkel
Click to expand...
What size is your grow space?
 
Humple

Humple

Well-Known Member
conversekidz said:
plants can take more than 1000w in the right 4x4 setup....
Click to expand...
Some strains, yeah. But why do it? I don't think many would say that 750w of QBs wasn't enough (some would suggest 600w). I believe 1000w of COBs or QBs in a 4x4 would cross the line if diminishing returns, hence "too much" light.
 
C

conversekidz

Well-Known Member
Humple said:
Some strains, yeah. But why do it? I don't think many would say that 750w of QBs wasn't enough (some would suggest 600w). I believe 1000w of COBs or QBs in a 4x4 would cross the line if diminishing returns, hence "too much" light.
Click to expand...
What is diminishing returns in your opinion? less than 1 gram a watt?

People post up 1000w bulb 4x4 grows...
 
Humple

Humple

Well-Known Member
conversekidz said:
I know you are not talking about HID....it was a jab that 1000w of LED is to much in a 4x4 space....
Click to expand...
Sorry, man, I guess I'm not understanding what you mean. Is it your belief that 1000w of COBs or QBs/strips is generally a practical amount of light to be using over a 4x4 grow?
 
C

conversekidz

Well-Known Member
Humple said:
Sorry, man, I guess I'm not understanding what you mean. Is it your belief that 1000w of COBs or QBs/strips is generally a practical amount of light to be using over a 4x4 grow?
Click to expand...
You are adding words such as practical, belief etc....everything you have stated about light output is your opinion, nothing more.


You can FEEL that is to much light, but until the output of the lights in a 4x4 exceed the Suns output you can add more light and the plants will thrive...
 
Humple

Humple

Well-Known Member
conversekidz said:
You are adding words such as practical, belief etc....everything you have stated about light output is your opinion, nothing more.


You can FEEL that is to much light, but until the output of the lights in a 4x4 exceed the Suns output you can add more light and the plants will thrive...
Click to expand...
Oh my.

OP, if you really want to put 1000w in your 4x4, I suggest you opt for HPS. No sense in spending a shit-ton more on LEDs unless you're taking advantage of the greater efficiency they provide. For example, HLG (Horticulture Lighting Group) recommends their HLG-550 fixture as a replacement for a single-ended 1000w HPS, and that runs at just a little over 500w. Personally, I'd go for their 600w kit if I was putting up a 4x4, because it's nice to have a little more on tap. As 1000w of LED would comfortably light up a 5x5 (and more), it's just "too much" light to be practical in the face of a much cheaper 1000w HPS setup.
 
C

conversekidz

Well-Known Member
Humple said:
Oh my.

OP, if you really want to put 1000w in your 4x4, I suggest you opt for HPS. No sense in spending a shit-ton more on LEDs unless you're taking advantage of the greater efficiency they provide. For example, HLG (Horticulture Lighting Group) recommends their HLG-550 fixture as a replacement for a single-ended 1000w HPS, and that runs at just a little over 500w. Personally, I'd go for their 600w kit if I was putting up a 4x4, because it's nice to have a little more on tap. As 1000w of LED would comfortably light up a 5x5 (and more), it's just "too much" light to be practical in the face of a much cheaper 1000w HPS setup.
Click to expand...

Ahh this makes more sense now....it's not that your are stating 1000w of LED is to much light (aka to many lumens) it's that the cost to build a 1000w led fixture does not make financial sense compared to the cost of a 1000w hps.


Your are correct on the cost portion, my 1200w led panel cost close to $400 to complete..
 
nfhiggs

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
conversekidz said:
What is diminishing returns in your opinion? less than 1 gram a watt?
Click to expand...
More than 1000-1100 uMols/sq .meter/sec. Above that the increases in photosynthesis (as intensity increases) diminishes rapidly until you hit the point of photo-inhibition. And yes, 1000W of *quality* LEDs will reach that level easily in a 4x4, so much so that you'd have to keep the lights 4 feet above the plants.
 
C

conversekidz

Well-Known Member
nfhiggs said:
More than 1000-1100 uMols/sq .meter/sec. Above that the increases in photosynthesis (as intensity increases) diminishes rapidly until you hit the point of photo-inhibition. And yes, 1000W of *quality* LEDs will reach that level easily in a 4x4, so much so that you'd have to keep the lights 4 feet above the plants.
Click to expand...
1500 uMols is peak, 2000 uMols is when things go south...

Not opinions...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3550641/pdf/12298_2008_Article_27.pdf
 
DesertPlants

DesertPlants

Well-Known Member
I recommend 30 to 50 watts per square foot. So, 480 to 800 watts total. I would go with 8 Vero 29 SE C COBS and 2 HLG 480 C1750B drivers. Make two lights with four cobs each. Each light will be able to push 477.4 watts for a total of 954.8 watts. That way you can dim down or still use it if you expand your area. Active cooling is advised. It’s hard to beat the cost effectiveness of vero cobs still when you include all costs.
 
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