Sources/forums for diy led grow light building

Nieto

Nieto

Member
Seeing some nice examples of diy led lights, and I would really like to build one myself. Is there anyplace in the interwebs with throughout info on how to build these? I'm quite handicapped in the electrical engineering-department...
 
The process is pretty simple after you wrap your head around a few terms and understand what you need:

  • Power supply (PSU) = Power unit, usually AC to DC that powers the LEDs. Most LEDS are powered by DC power meaning they usually only have a positive and a negative terminal. Not much room for error.
  • LEDs, STRIPS, COBS, SMD, BOARDS, ETC = Usually the same thing, just a different package. People usually use only one of these per build, although some people like growmau5 have played around using different kinds in one Light. Not harder at all, just more work overall.
  • Heatsink/Holder/Frame = Where the LEDS are mounted or attached to. Usually also serves as a heatsink.
So:

  1. Figure out which LED you're going to use, and what it needs as far as cooling and power requirements.
    (Example: 5 Generation 2 EB strips 2 feet long, which need 20 volts EACH and can be run safely without active cooling up to 20W per strip)
  2. Buy the appropriate power supply.
    (Example: HLG-100H-20B... Very expensive, but top notch adjustable power supply, good enough for ~100 watts of power and outputs voltage in the 18 to 22V range more than enough to run 5 of the above mentioned strips running in parallel)
  3. Buy Framing, or mounting kit, or a big slab of Heatsink material
    (Example: Build a frame using angled aluminum like this)
  4. Put it all together and plug it in
The wiring is usually explained all over the internet, you can check growmau5 videos for reference...

Another thing which is important is the difference between series and parallel:
  • Usually SERIES requires voltage to be added, and the items are connected one after the other like Christmas lights: 20V strip + 20V strip + 20V strip + 20V strip +20V strip = 100 Volts.
  • Parallel outputs the same voltage to all of the items connected to the same "spot", but the current is divided equally among all the items.
Of course, an electrical engineer could add a million safety precautions and little details to ensure a quality build. But i'm just encapsulating the whole process into a short posts, just to point out whats necessary. It may be scary to mess with at first if you've never played with electricity before, but it's not hard at all.
 
Purchase a budget LED witch are just as good as a MARS or SPIDER top of the price line LEDs.Green fingers produce a quality budget lights at half the price of most other manufacturers tried and proven a 600watt green fingers cost $80 AUS and has yielded a pound a month. Then there’s the option to build on with x4 50w full spectrum white COB literally 4X alloy flat bolted each side extending 30-50cm from LED 4xsides then heatsink and COBS mounted hanging 24inches produces a PPFD of 1620. 28000lux and DLI of 37.5 18-6 cycle cost me less then $200 AUS my veg is literally Phillips E27 LED bulbs 5x 24w 3500k 2x4000k 19w with 2x 100w full spectrum white center so there are numerous ways with out the up market over priced Lights excelvan was a cheap budget LED manufacturer that produced a 300w light that was if not better then a $500 up market LEDs for under $100 I’ve had varspectra MARs and latest a Samsung QBL 2 witch with out a doubt is a brilliant light but with a price tag but the green fingers DIY COB Still yielded the same quantity dry weight in a 1.5m-1.5m
 
Thrive#1 said:
Purchase a budget LED witch are just as good as a MARS or SPIDER top of the price line LEDs.Green fingers produce a quality budget lights at half the price of most other manufacturers tried and proven a 600watt green fingers cost $80 AUS and has yielded a pound a month. Then there’s the option to build on with x4 50w full spectrum white COB literally 4X alloy flat bolted each side extending 30-50cm from LED 4xsides then heatsink and COBS mounted hanging 24inches produces a PPFD of 1620. 28000lux and DLI of 37.5 18-6 cycle cost me less then $200 AUS my veg is literally Phillips E27 LED bulbs 5x 24w 3500k 2x4000k 19w with 2x 100w full spectrum white center so there are numerous ways with out the up market over priced Lights excelvan was a cheap budget LED manufacturer that produced a 300w light that was if not better then a $500 up market LEDs for under $100 I’ve had varspectra MARs and latest a Samsung QBL 2 witch with out a doubt is a brilliant light but with a price tag but the green fingers DIY COB Still yielded the same quantity dry weight in a 1.5m-1.5m
Click to expand...
100%agree and proven brilliant minds think alike if the strain allows 1/2 pound too 1.3 from blue gelato with an excelvan 600w witch I think now is green fingers brand but only 600w has reflector that is all I’ve use with amazing results for the price laughing at others comments cheap lights are a waste won’t yeild any where near what a $500+ light will isn’t efficient poor build quality won’t last etc etc lucky enough the first led I purchased was a 600w excelvan/green fingers but before bloom everyone else’s opinions comments got the better and wasted my money literally on Mars just incase the green fingers couldn’t bloom etc well it smoked it in and was tested against the mars on the next grow and sadly produced 60-100grams more same distance same strain same everything just a wall between them was only differences please explain lol yes probably 99% of the cheap leds are totally crap and no brighter then a candle green fingers is the 1% that can tried and proven
 
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