DIY led grow light- need help understanding.

M

MickyMouseSmokeHouse

Member
Okay I came across someone build

8 x SI-B8R221B2HUS
1 x Meanwell HLG185H-C1050B

Using 22.5Vf the system will have a total forward voltage of 180V at 960mA. That should be a good match to the Meanwell driver and return an efficacy of 192 lm/W for a total of 33,248 lumens if my math is right. (Cap't Morgan may have been involved) That's similar to a four cob CXB3590 36V system running at 1.5A, but the cost is less at the same level of light. Once I get everything in and assembled.

Update on Samsung F-Series Gen3 3500K grow light performance

If you've been on the fence this may help you decide which side to get off on. This grow is a RDWC in a fully environmentally controlled space running 18/6 with CO2. YMMV, objects in mirrors are closer than they appear, and all that. Nov. 16 (four plants on left) Dec. 13 I'd call that a win.
www.rollitup.org

So furthermore I piece one together my self. Haven't bought anything yet. Just want to get some opinions. Would this be as efficient or better than this other guy build. Not quite understanding how people are getting there math. So please explain. Don't have to if you don't. Just gives me better understanding.

Strictly veg stage light build. Any recommendations on color temperature would help. I see people shoot for 5000k but read somewhere that for veg stage they need somewhere around 6500k-6000k. Last question do these put out decent heat. Or hardly at.
Build an specs are in photos

Light
8x SI-B8R201B20US current test 450ma
Driver
1x HVGC-320-700B. Current output max 700ma
Or
1x HLG-185H-C500A. Current output max 500ma
 

Attachments

NukaKola

NukaKola

Well-Known Member
3000K = Flower
3500K = Full Cycle
4000K = Veg

Both the H & Q series strips you listed are quite expensive for ~$20 putting out ~20w per strip. You could get Bridgelux EB Gen2 strips for $8.40/ea & run them ~40w per strip.

I prefer matching my driver's voltage to the strips I'm using and wiring in parallel.

So for instance, you could run 4x BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 strips on an LNE-48V-185WAAA driver for around $60.

STRIPS

BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 Bridgelux | Optoelectronics | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 – LED Lighting COBs Engines Modules LED Module series White, Warm Linear Light Strip from Bridgelux. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.
www.digikey.com www.digikey.com

DRIVER


This link has tons of detailed build ideas as well.

ledgardener.com

DIY LED Strip Build Designs for Samsung H-Series, F-Series, Q-Series, and Bridgelux EB Gen.2 - LED Gardener

DIY LED strip builds have become very popular recently. The mid-power section of our forum is full of threads created by DIYers looking to build their own custom lights, and new builds and ideas are surfacing every day. If you don’t live somewhere where you have easy access to premade lights...
ledgardener.com

EDIT: Linked the wrong strips
 
Last edited:
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
MickyMouseSmokeHouse said:
Okay I came across someone build

8 x SI-B8R221B2HUS
1 x Meanwell HLG185H-C1050B

Using 22.5Vf the system will have a total forward voltage of 180V at 960mA. That should be a good match to the Meanwell driver and return an efficacy of 192 lm/W for a total of 33,248 lumens if my math is right. (Cap't Morgan may have been involved) That's similar to a four cob CXB3590 36V system running at 1.5A, but the cost is less at the same level of light. Once I get everything in and assembled.

Update on Samsung F-Series Gen3 3500K grow light performance

If you've been on the fence this may help you decide which side to get off on. This grow is a RDWC in a fully environmentally controlled space running 18/6 with CO2. YMMV, objects in mirrors are closer than they appear, and all that. Nov. 16 (four plants on left) Dec. 13 I'd call that a win.
www.rollitup.org

So furthermore I piece one together my self. Haven't bought anything yet. Just want to get some opinions. Would this be as efficient or better than this other guy build. Not quite understanding how people are getting there math. So please explain. Don't have to if you don't. Just gives me better understanding.

Strictly veg stage light build. Any recommendations on color temperature would help. I see people shoot for 5000k but read somewhere that for veg stage they need somewhere around 6500k-6000k. Last question do these put out decent heat. Or hardly at.
Build an specs are in photos

Light
8x SI-B8R201B20US current test 450ma
Driver
1x HVGC-320-700B. Current output max 700ma
Or
1x HLG-185H-C500A. Current output max 500ma
Click to expand...
1x HVGC-320-700B driver: its a very high voltage driver, over 400V if my clacs correct. Although its low current most people avoid these high voltages due to safety. A 48V driver, even with much higher amps, is much less likely to do anything fatal to you if something would go wrong. Id go for parallel as adviced above.
 
M

MickyMouseSmokeHouse

Member
NukaKola said:
3000K = Flower
3500K = Full Cycle
4000K = Veg

Both the H & Q series strips you listed are quite expensive for ~$20 putting out ~20w per strip. You could get Bridgelux EB Gen2 strips for $8.40/ea & run them ~40w per strip.

I prefer matching my driver's voltage to the strips I'm using and wiring in parallel.

So for instance, you could run 4x BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 strips on an LNE-48V-185WAAA driver for around $60.

STRIPS

BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 Bridgelux | Optoelectronics | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 – LED Lighting COBs Engines Modules LED Module series White, Warm Linear Light Strip from Bridgelux. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.
www.digikey.com www.digikey.com

DRIVER


This link has tons of detailed build ideas as well.

ledgardener.com

DIY LED Strip Build Designs for Samsung H-Series, F-Series, Q-Series, and Bridgelux EB Gen.2 - LED Gardener

DIY LED strip builds have become very popular recently. The mid-power section of our forum is full of threads created by DIYers looking to build their own custom lights, and new builds and ideas are surfacing every day. If you don’t live somewhere where you have easy access to premade lights...
ledgardener.com

EDIT: Linked the wrong strips
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
NukaKola

NukaKola

Well-Known Member
MickyMouseSmokeHouse said:
Thank you
Click to expand...
No problem.

Another thing I would like to add is that when running strips in parallel on a constant voltage driver close to their max current there is the possibility for thermal runaway which could potentially damage components. So if you are running 4x strips that are rated at 40w max per strip for a total of 160w and one of them fails, you would effectively be sending 160w to 3 strips which would be ~53w per strip and over their max rating.

One way to avoid this is to run extra strips and run them softer and/or add inline fuses.
 
M

MickyMouseSmokeHouse

Member
NukaKola said:
No problem.

Another thing I would like to add is that when running strips in parallel on a constant voltage driver close to their max current there is the possibility for thermal runaway which could potentially damage components. So if you are running 4x strips that are rated at 40w max per strip for a total of 160w and one of them fails, you would effectively be sending 160w to 3 strips which would be ~53w per strip and
Click to expand...
NukaKola said:
No problem.

Another thing I would like to add is that when running strips in parallel on a constant voltage driver close to their max current there is the possibility for thermal runaway which could potentially damage components. So if you are running 4x strips that are rated at 40w max per strip for a total of 160w and one of them fails, you would effectively be sending 160w to 3 strips which would be ~53w per strip and over their max rating.

One way to avoid this is to run extra strips and run them softer and/or add inline fuses.
Click to expand...
Okay so I think I'm going to use BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 stripes instead of using 4. I think I'm going to use 5 of them with FSP200-FZAE1(420)MG driver. Would that be good route or no. If not I'll follow one of the builds that you linked... another thing how do you know that BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 runs 40 watts per strip. Were do you see that on the specs.
Another thing, you recommend running inline fuses would i connect 1 fuse say on the positive side running from driver to strip or inline fuses between each strip.
 
7CardBud

7CardBud

Well-Known Member
Usually for veg only you want to run in the 5500K-6500K range. Something like the BXEB-L1120Z-57E4000-C-B3 will probably serve you much better.
If it was me...I would run them in series on something like the ELG-240-C1050A or the ELG-240-C1050B if I wanted to use a large pot instead of the small contained trimmer included in the A series.

If wired in parallel you could add a 1.25A fuse to each board for protection. The board maxes out at 1.4A.

Here is the datasheet

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top