QB96 build

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dalack

Member
Have a 9x9 space and want to build a led setup

8 QB96's V2
8 HLG-320H-54's

My plan is to add pc fans and try to run the QB's at 300+ watts each to put out 2400 watts of light over my growing area.

Does anyone see any problems with this setup in regards to driving these boards at this wattage?
Are there other led setups that would do better in this space for approximately the $1600 i'm going to spend on this setup?

Thanks

David
 
JavaCo

JavaCo

Well-Known Member
You will be at the absolute maximum of the QB96's v2 you are going to have to find some really beefy heat sinks to run them that hard. HLG only gives heat sink recommendations up to 200 watts a board. Pretty sure you will go over 1600 after paying for 8 heat sinks that can handle 324 watts of LED, that is if you can find some that can handle that kind of wattage. Personally I would never drive one of QB96 v2 boards more then 150 watts
 
grotbags

grotbags

Well-Known Member
dalack said:
Have a 9x9 space and want to build a led setup

8 QB96's V2
8 HLG-320H-54's

My plan is to add pc fans and try to run the QB's at 300+ watts each to put out 2400 watts of light over my growing area.

Does anyone see any problems with this setup in regards to driving these boards at this wattage?
Are there other led setups that would do better in this space for approximately the $1600 i'm going to spend on this setup?

Thanks

David
Click to expand...
i have been looking at theses boards lately and although your not going to want to hear it you probably should use twice as many qb96's and drive them half as hard. at 300w you are really pushing them you are going to have to hang em higher and an even canopy par spread is out the window.

even twice as many isnt a crazy amount you could easily use 20+ in that area.
 
whytewidow

whytewidow

Well-Known Member
grotbags said:
i have been looking at theses boards lately and although your not going to want to hear it you probably should use twice as many qb96's and drive them half as hard. at 300w you are really pushing them you are going to have to hang em higher and an even canopy par spread is out the window.

even twice as many isnt a crazy amount you could easily use 20+ in that area.
Click to expand...

Yup I agree pushing them at 300 they will have to be crazy high above the canopy. I'd rather double up or even 20 of them pushed softer. Better efficiency. And save on cooling in the ling run as well.

20 of those over a 9x9 would be ideal. 2 per driver. Hlg320 each pushed at 150-160 watts. And more than likely only pushing them at 150ish passive cooling will be enough. I imagine. As ling as he keeps his ambient temps in check.
 
whytewidow

whytewidow

Well-Known Member
2400 is a little on the low end for a 9x9 isnt it. That's under 30 watts per sqft. I'd wanna be in the ballpark of 3300-3500 watts. Just over 40w per sqft at 3300

With each puck pushing 160w that's 3200 watts total spread over 20 96v2s. That would get the job done.
 
grotbags

grotbags

Well-Known Member
whytewidow said:
2400 is a little on the low end for a 9x9 isnt it. That's under 30 watts per sqft. I'd wanna be in the ballpark of 3300-3500 watts. Just over 40w per sqft at 3300

With each puck pushing 160w that's 3200 watts total spread over 20 96v2s. That would get the job done.
Click to expand...
yer at 2400w your plants will be barely breaking a sweat.:bigjoint:
 
JavaCo

JavaCo

Well-Known Member
I don't know 30 watts a square foot if spread out evenly will take you up over 700 PPFD with any LED over 2.3 umols efficiency. Seems about right to me unless you are going to add Co2, only way the plants are going to use any more added light.
 
R

Ryante55

Well-Known Member
dalack said:
Have a 9x9 space and want to build a led setup

8 QB96's V2
8 HLG-320H-54's

My plan is to add pc fans and try to run the QB's at 300+ watts each to put out 2400 watts of light over my growing area.

Does anyone see any problems with this setup in regards to driving these boards at this wattage?
Are there other led setups that would do better in this space for approximately the $1600 i'm going to spend on this setup?

Thanks

David
Click to expand...
I would add 3-4 more QB you are at the minimum for your space with that setup. 35-40 watts/sqft is ideal you can get away with 30w/sqft but yield will be lower
 
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Ryante55

Well-Known Member
JavaCo said:
I don't know 30 watts a square foot if spread out evenly will take you up over 700 PPFD with any LED over 2.3 umols efficiency. Seems about right to me unless you are going to add Co2, only way the plants are going to use any more added light.
Click to expand...
700ppfd is pretty low you might get better grams per watt with that but overall yield will suffer alot
 
JavaCo

JavaCo

Well-Known Member
Ryante55 said:
700ppfd is pretty low you might get better grams per watt with that but overall yield will suffer alot
Click to expand...
No not going by the latest science you will be Co2 limited going much over 700 PPFD. So unless you are adding Co2 you are paying the Electric company more money then you need to. Here is a nice guide put out by a reputable LED light seller that going into Co2, high PPFD and a few other things. But yeah it pretty much goes like this ambient Co2 levels and light @ 700PPfd and higher will get you zero increase in yield, you HAVE to ADD Co2 to make use of light over 700-800 PPFD.
 

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Ryante55

Well-Known Member
JavaCo said:
No not going by the latest science you will be Co2 limited going much over 700 PPFD. So unless you are adding Co2 you are paying the Electric company more money then you need to. Here is a nice guide put out by a reputable LED light seller that going into Co2, high PPFD and a few other things. But yeah it pretty much goes like this ambient Co2 levels and light @ 700PPfd and higher will get you zero increase in yield, you HAVE to ADD Co2 to make use of light over 700-800 PPFD.
Click to expand...
Ok well I have about 10 grows with quantum boards at various intensity that I measure with a apogee mq500 Mar meter. Did you just read an article or are you speaking from experience?
 
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dalack

Member
Thanks everyone for the great feedback and ideas.

I am going to add a c02 propane generator to maximize the light potential.

Has anyone tried to water cool the qb96's and push them harder?

Someone recommenced I get 4 de 1000 hps lights or 12 315cmh setups for this space.
Where I live i'm paying 25 cents per kilowatt so I thought LED would pay for its self over time compared to HID.

Would a 3000 watt led system be comparable in terms of bud quality and yeild compared to these HID setups?

Thanks

David
 
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dalack

Member
I think I can get 4 1000 watt de fixtures for about $1400.

20 8 QB96's and 10 HLG-320H-54's will cost aprox $2900.

12 315 cmh's about $3360
 
whytewidow

whytewidow

Well-Known Member
I think if you flower a 9x9 with 8 96 elites. I think you'll be disappointed in the outcome. Leds right now are pretty much the best thing to grow with. And they are expensive. Upfront costs are higher than anything else. But not running minisplits and hid lights eating money away putting out 30% of heat that's wasted. Bc you have too cool it. The leds will pay for themselves you can buy hid now. Pay highBill's. Then still pay more upfront costs bc you wished you went with leds to begin with. And then you're trying to sell used hid equipment to pay for your leds.
 
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dalack

Member
Whytewidow
How much would that strip setup be for my space and how many total watts ?
How many gpw do you think I could get with this setup compared to a cmh

Thanks
David
 
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Chip Green

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
Well, for example purposes....
The HLG240H48A, will run 5x of the SI-B8V521B20WW (SamS Single row 4ft 3000k) at around 1100ma(ish) (250w)
That would be 10 drivers and 50 strips to get you in the bottom end of the overall wattage range,.... 50 bucks per driver, 30 bux a strip.... you'd have to fit all those strips together on aluminum U channel, for heatsink/ framework, 25+ 8ft lengths at 10-11 bucks a pop....
500+1500+250, plus the wiring, rivots, thermal tape , what have you.........I dunno 2500 bones, ballpark for 2500W, ....You can get it to $1 per W usually....extra savings with BULK part orders, drivers by the 10, ect….
I never needed anything that big, 2x4 panels max.... But it seems like the driver pricing is pretty stable, watt per watt , so its really just a matter of multiple collections of driver/strip combos....There's definitely other ways, that's just what I penciled out on a whim....

And it would be a spectacle of greatness.
 
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