Current optimum budget friendly lighting options for 3x3

[InTheValley]

250 watts 4xluminus cobs, 3x7 area,

67 days from seed, photos, 12/12 start from seed.

 

[InTheValley]

doesnt look bright, because i dimmed them down, and towards the end of the day, i run just 3500K at 85 watts, and night puck farred sleep initiator, last hour, and beginning of the day. nice bud developement at 45 inches away furthest from light.

i use 2 drivers which bumped price up, they are active cooled with fan+heatsink combo from CobKits. so needed a driver for those to.

around $260 plus a frame and wagos.

$36 per LED+heatsinkfan, cant beat it.

going to redo my rig and add 2 more cobs.

 

[1212ham]

You could go with 14 eb gen 1 strips 3500k for a veg bloom light. At approximately 318w. $132
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3156

Driven by a PF-P400CC-C105-S-DM
. And find a 100k ohm linear taper potentiometer for dimming. $144
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut2999

Source some aluminum angle and/or sheet.
Find some wagos or connectors. Get some thermal paste and screws, thermal tape, or thermal adhesive, a hanger, a power cord, some 16 GA sold core wire for connector to connector, 18ga wire for connector to strips, and you should be good to go.

About $280 for strips and driver. And maybe another 100-200 depending on sourcing of other items.

Very good. And the OP already has hangers and wire etc.
The EB Gen-2 are preferred, but I don't know about cost and availability in Australia.

Just an idea, 22" and 11" strips could be placed end to end for excellent coverage in a 3x3. The 11" could be daisy chained (parallel wired) to the 22". It would have saved a little wiring on this build for a 36" x 20" tent.

 

[Cherkan]

You could go with 14 eb gen 1 strips 3500k for a veg bloom light. At approximately 318w. $132
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3156

Driven by a PF-P400CC-C105-S-DM
. And find a 100k ohm linear taper potentiometer for dimming. $144
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut2999

Source some aluminum angle and/or sheet.
Find some wagos or connectors. Get some thermal paste and screws, thermal tape, or thermal adhesive, a hanger, a power cord, some 16 GA sold core wire for connector to connector, 18ga wire for connector to strips, and you should be good to go.

About $280 for strips and driver. And maybe another 100-200 depending on sourcing of other items.

This looks like a good build. Seeing as though I have a bit of the other items (wire, paste, 18ga, and hanger etc.) that won't cost much more than $360 I think!

 

[NothinYet]

Very good. And the OP already has hangers and wire etc.
The EB Gen-2 are preferred, but I don't know about cost and availability in Australia.

Just an idea, 22" and 11" strips could be placed end to end for excellent coverage in a 3x3. The 11" could be daisy chained (parallel wired) to the 22". It would have saved a little wiring on this build for a 36" x 20" tent.

Yes gen 2 is better, but gen 1 work also. I'll see if I can locate some gen 2 strips in austrailia.

@Cherkan also


*edit* no luck on the austrailian import for eb gen 2's

 

[Chip Green]

I built all my EB series "lamps" before the Gen2 was available, and they are working fantastic at 700ma with ZERO heatsinking. Racks of bare naked strips.....Even at 1050ma the temps are easily manageable with minimal aluminum flashing sheets as a backing.
The Gen2 have gains in efficiency, with lower forward V, but there is nothing wrong with the Gen1, IMO the gains are basically insignificant on a small scale.