Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
I
Dunno if it'd even be possible to do it by hand, honestly....
LED strip gurus around here? Stop by and check out this vertical setup that needs tweaking!!
- Thread starter Sir420
- Start date
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
SUN CLOAK!
nachooo
Well-Known Member
Yes , I have used them in a lot of different setups…. I built a few led lamps with 20 of these drivers for a friend that finally never used them… I am waiting for him to resell me only the drivers...
They were surprisingly cheap..I think about 10 $ each one.. Never see them in eBay again
TEKNIK
Well-Known Member
Italy has a few driver manufacturers that use the same format. Meanwell makes one similar also
Randomblame
Well-Known Member
These drivers are okay but their efficiency is a bit low. 85-89% probably cause of its construction. Efficiency also depends on dip switch setting and when you increase for instance the maximum current the max. voltage get's lower. Its probably impossible to run two strips at only 5w and even if its possible the driver efficiency would be maybe 80% or less.
These "dip switches" are nice cuz they allow lots of LED configs but to have a regular dimmer is a lot better.
An HLG-120 costs ~40€, an ELG-100 ~35€ and an ELG-150 maybe ~42€ or so. These little drivers could be used for additional side lights cause they are pretty small and easy to hide.
You can of course use them but compared to an HLG/ELG driver you would lose ~4-8% over all efficiency. And efficiency is one of your main targets.
The 3500°k spectrum also has enough blue. 3000°k yields always the best and also has enough blue for vegging. More blue would just reduce your yields. When you mix 3500°k with deep-red you automaticly get near to ~3000°k.
You get more than enough extra blue from the reptile bulbs and 365nm UVA if you decide to add them too and has the same effect on stem elongation like blue light. Together with the blue of the 3500°k strips you already have a pretty wide blue range. But also without UVA diodes and UVB bulbs you have already enough blue!
730nm is important for the flowering stage and depending on your area I would create something with at least 5-15w. But use a small extra driver to switch them on and off serarately. I've my far-red light connected to a single channel Sonoff(5 bucks). This way I can use it either in the 2nd half of the flowering stage(when stretch is done) or for EoD treatments to put the gals faster in "night mode".
Randomblame
Well-Known Member
Yeah, he is an "aussie" too that's the main reason I will ask him if he is interested. The company owner is also a member of this forum and I would keep my hand on fire for him. He put a lot of work into his boards and the pre production boards work already pretty well. The first regular charge of boards is currently in production and have better bins like the samples.
Would make more sense to test the final layouts. Maybe a few weeks until he get them, maybe less.
The boards get assembled in Malaysia btw by a Nichia partner. Nichia have helped him a lot with other things too. Really nice to deal with them...
Randomblame
Well-Known Member
10$ for 35w and ~90% efficiency(in the best configuration) is not cheap!
You can get an HLG-120H-42B for ~40€ to get the same watts like with 4 of them but you would have at least 4% better efficiency. Maybe you can find a datasheet of this drivers somewhere. But I'm pretty sure they are made like Meanwells LCM series and depending on dip switch settings the efficiency can be much lower.
How efficient an LED fixture is depends also on the driver; bad driver efficiency means lower system efficiency. They are good for kitchens, living rooms or maybe for a few culinary kitchen herbs but I would not recommend using them for flowering crops where efficiency is more important.
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
Wasn't it the suncloak?
Randomblame
Well-Known Member
H-influx driven at half nominal current would reach almost the same efficiency..
Yeah, PLC strips are not in stock but if you order them nevertheless you will get yours with the next arriving order.
Others do the same and thats the reason they are most of the time out of stock. If he get a new charge of strips they are already sold and he can ship them immediately.
Better contact Gene directly via email..
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
OLD MOTHER SATIVA
Well-Known Member
could i get the id or link for the new Nichia strips i wanna see if i can get em anywhere near locally
whytewidow
Well-Known Member
If you're in the states theres no where to get them locally. I spent 2 weeks looking for them locally state side.
Sir420
Active Member
@Randomblame it looks like the cheapest route is to double up on h influx to match efficiency.. but I didn't calculate drivers needed so maybe just getting like 18 PLC strips per pvc to add up to 700w (I know I wouldn't be able to keep 6" away anymore
) and getting like 2drivers per pvc would be cheaper? Please let me know if it's let factors im missing to make your calculation more accurate I do have more detail if needed
) and getting like 2drivers per pvc would be cheaper? Please let me know if it's let factors im missing to make your calculation more accurate I do have more detail if needed
Sir420
Active Member
I will keep a gate fence around the first 8" away from PVC and then add a second layer 16" away from PVC for ultimate vertical scrog like never before .. only thing I will need to do as a Gardener is keep environment in check & manually the only thing I'll have to do is defoliate .. as the plants naturally grow up, the gate will be angled to where I can bend them outward the more I pull the fence to the light...
This took some thinking lol
This took some thinking lol