DIY LED grow lights experiences

[green surfer]

Hola RIU,

I discovered recently that many people here do their LED lights! RIU seems the place to be for DIY LED MJ growers

I would like to share my experience about DIY. I started 3 weeks ago with the help of knna, and now i can't stop to design new lights, as the LED efficiency is getting better and better.

Forgive me, english is not my mother tongue.

My first light was a veg lamp for a 2x2 tent:



i'm still using it, it worked like a charm since 3 years, knna leds, Osram GDs

After that i made her little sister, with GDs and Cree XPGs



An the big flowering lamp project, 120W for 2x2 tent, with many issues but finally she worked!


but the SP novas had a big soldering issue, so now the 660nm channel is not enough reliable, so i use this lamp only for veg.
here is the driver box, with different channel selection and dimmable drivers (knna's SOCC)

 

[green surfer]

here is the same pannel (each U module can be used separately), as a supplement for a Hydro Grow LED penetrator 345, it worked well.



after that I used the penetrator only with 16xCreeXPG neutral R4 in a 80cmx80cm tent, and the big DIY lamp in another tent, but she was lacking of lenses

the old penetrator worked very well (the new one the X type does not so well), here a NYCD after 10 weeks under a P345+16 XPGs neutral 4000K R4


Here a 84X PRO HGL with the 16 Cree XPGs



After that I built a new lamp, with custom led engines, Luxeon rebels and Rebels ES, 3x4500K/1x630/3x660, for a 40x40 tent, 60W power



It worked well, i had 2 critical mass and 2 cannalope hazes, here at the start, just before switchin to 12/12 under the new flo light in the 40x40cm tent



the cannalopes 8 weeks after


the criticals 8 weeks after


After that I tried another spectrum, always with Rebels, 7 clusters 63° optics 3x5000K/2x630/2x660, same design thermally as the first one.
The first lamp had individual 70° lenses.
This second lamp worked like a charm, here a kolossus (sannie) grow, 50g of primo dried buds grown organicly in a 40x40cm tent, with 70W of power



now I won't go with copper+kapton again, or with individual stars, I prefer multi leds MCPCBs. This is possible to find some companies who can make the reflow soldering.

For bigger grows i'm still using HPS, but for veg and flowering in small spacies i won't use anything else than LEDS.

My last lamps are with Oslons SSL80 (they have very efficient 450/630/660 leds with the right angle 80° so no meed for lenses).
The Oslon footprint is almost the same than for Cree XP, so the footprint on the PCB can be designed to receive Oslons or XPs (or XTs). I ordered a custom PCB, now I will probaly try XTE warm W+ oslon LD + oslon LR + oslon LH.

I'm already using 2 streetwhite 5700K OSLONS ssl80 + 2 LR + 2 LH and it works fine.
This design with multiled PCBs is very reliable, and thermal management is easy.

 

[jubiare]

Nice, nice ..
Welcome welcome to RIU
Eh eh

 

[jcmjrt]

On optics/lenses, what are your feelings about using them? I've got makings for a couple of fixtures now - couple Cree XML based and four small Rebel ES fixtures - but have so far chosen no optics for any of them. I'm not sure the losses are worth it.

On all they are individual stars and I'll be mounting using Berquist thermal pads. Why do you prefer the multi led MPCBs?

BTW, it looks like you have some nice LEDs and grows going. Thanks for sharing.

 

[puffenuff]

I am super interested in building my own, but my only problem is not knowing what all the smaller parts / tools I will need. If only I could find an exhaustive list that tells me exactly what I will need...

 

[green surfer]

Thanks Jubiare!

On optics/lenses, what are your feelings about using them? I've got makings for a couple of fixtures now - couple Cree XML based and four small Rebel ES fixtures - but have so far chosen no optics for any of them. I'm not sure the losses are worth it.

On all they are individual stars and I'll be mounting using Berquist thermal pads. Why do you prefer the multi led MPCBs?

BTW, it looks like you have some nice LEDs and grows going. Thanks for sharing.

about optics:

-they are costly, this not always easy to find the good one according to the emitters you are using, there is a lost of flux when you use them, at least 10%

-but if you are using wide angle emitters, the lamp won't have enough penetration if the plant are tall, so this is better to use optics. But for a small grow with small height and distance from plant to lamp small you can go without lenses. Wide angles will allow better spectrum mixing if the distance between emitters is not very small.

about multiled MCPCBs:

- when i was searching for very efficient emitters last year, i found rebels and rebels ES. They are pricey, and mounted on stars the price increase.
I found some at Future Electronics but not mounted on stars, they have a big choice, with a lot of CCTs and bins.At the same time I found multiled PCBs at led-mounting-bases, 7 leds standard PCBs for Rebels, so I bought the emitters separately, i shipped them to led-mounting-bases and they did the reflow soldering.
Luxeonstar.com can make such custom multiled pcbs too.

I like the multiled pcbs because you can buy the emitters separately so you have more choice. The number of soldering points on the lamp is much lower, so better reliability. Better spectrum mixing because the emitters are close together. Less holes or tapped holes to drill. Only one thermal sheet for many leds. Less wires, possibility to use multiled optics.

The design is simpler and generally, when you design a system, simpler is ever better. This way of making a lamp is very simple, there is no need to solder.

I had a 40mm round PCB, i bought 40x30x200mm heatsinks at conrad, i drilled 4 holes for a 40x40mm 12V fan, with very good thermal efficiency. I verified the cooling with a multimeter and thermal probe, perfect.

Recently I made a veg lamp, with 5 leds PCBs and passive cooling, this is so easy to mount my grand mother could do it.
View attachment 2450867


Stars are fine, but so many holes to drill, so many wires to solder and to manage, color mixing is not always good, color distribution is an headache...
Multiled PCBs are easy to dispatch along the grow area, a multiled PCB on a PINBLOC heatsink could do a good led module.

hi puffenuf,

this related to your needs: a veg lamp? a flowering lamp? what is the size of your grow space?

 

[puffenuff]

I would be intrerested in building a lamp for both veg and flower. Its not the amount or which nm of leds I need help with. I need help with knowing what else I need besides the led chips, driver, heat sink, fans, soldering iron, etc. I know that there are other items / tools needed, just dont know what else. I tried searching but couldn't find one list that plainly spells out all items needed.

 

[green surfer]

puffenuff,

the first step is to know:

- how much money you have for the project, led lamps are costly
- what is the size of your grow area, and height

they are many ways to build a led lamp, some are simple some are complicated, some are relatively cheap, some not

a flowering lamp will work for veg, a veg lamp wont work for flowering. The easier way is to reduce power (current) when you are vegging and increase it when you flower. Another way is to turn off some red leds when you are vegging.

 

[puffenuff]

Money is no object, and the grow areas are 2x2 and 3x3, all with a 6 foot roof. I would be building as many panels as I feel would be needed. like I said, I have the spectrums in mind already, and led chips, heat sinks, drivers, all chosen. What are the remaining parts and tools I will need?

 

[HiloReign]

I would be intrerested in building a lamp for both veg and flower. Its not the amount or which nm of leds I need help with. I need help with knowing what else I need besides the led chips, driver, heat sink, fans, soldering iron, etc. I know that there are other items / tools needed, just dont know what else. I tried searching but couldn't find one list that plainly spells out all items needed.

Besides the panels themselves, drivers, soldering iron etc...
You'll need some means of attaching your LEDs to your heatsink (i.e thermal adhesive, thermal pads etc.).
Solid 22AWG wire (not the only kind you can use, you'd have to talk to someone more educated for that ) to attach leds/heatsink.
Maybe some wire connectors to keep your connections solid.
Soldering tin, perhaps some tweezers to do the finer work.
A multimeter to test your connections/leds! This can save you from potential problems.
A plug to attach to your driver!
And perhaps something to hang your light from. I don't think I've excluded anything, but this is just a rough setup for a quick job. I completed my panel a couple days ago, but in my drunken stupor, I attached the driver the wrong way one night before I had my LEDs... Bad news LMAO! My second working driver is on the way and my first and smaller lights work just fine.


Hope it helps

 

[puffenuff]

Thanks, Hilo. Pretty much exaxtly what I was looking for. I've been wanting to get my hands dirty and build my own for a while now, but didn't know where to start. Is it cool if I make a list of everything I think I'll need and run it by you to see if I missed anything?

 

[HiloReign]

Thanks, Hilo. Pretty much exaxtly what I was looking for. I've been wanting to get my hands dirty and build my own for a while now, but didn't know where to start. Is it cool if I make a list of everything I think I'll need and run it by you to see if I missed anything?

Definitely, glad to be of assistance. A post of your list here would be great.

 

[green surfer]

i apologize puffenuff, i didn't understand very well your question

and the parts/tools you will need are a bit related to your design so if i don't know you design, i can't answer completely to your question.

Try to imagine how you will start, how you will do each part of the assembly, but for sure you will need wires (22AWG is fine), plug(s) for the driver (s), connectors, something to hang your lamp, something to manage the wires.

 

[puffenuff]

Thanks guys, I'll come back with a list soon and maybe even some schematics of the light I intend to make. Thanks again.

 

[jcmjrt]

Green, thanks for your thoughts on the optics and mpcbs. I'm going without optics for now and just figure that I can add them later if I decide that you work better.

Puff, are you going with dimmable drivers? If so, it will depend on the driver what you need but most will work with a potentiometer...and you'll probably want to dress it up with a knob. Can't be looking slouchy in our grow rooms! ....and it's just easier to get hold of...

If you wanted to turn off/on only some of the spectrum on your panel, you might want a switch to turn off that driver and leds and leave the others on.

You'll need connectors to go from the power supply to the driver (if separate).

I'm making an assumption that you are going passive so there's no fan, fan housing, fan power supply...

 

[green surfer]

Puff,

these connectors are nice and cheap, WAGO 222

 

[ledcrank]

Hi Green Surfer!

Very informative post, thanks dude.

A question regarding driving of your second fixture, I mean the pictures 17, 19 and 20. Do you drive the colours separatedly? On pic 19 there are mixed colours and on 20 is neutral/cool white only?

Second question: what distance do you hold beetween the leds and top of the plants?

Thanks!

 

[green surfer]

Hi ledcrank,

thanks bro

I do not drive the colours separetely, on the led engine, all the leds are wired in serial, for this lamp I drive them at 700mA.

Right, on pic 19 these are led engines with mixed colours (neutral white/630/660) and on 20 this is a neutral white 16xCree XPG R4 only for supplementing the penetrator wich is almost blue/red.

Distance between ledds and top of the plants with my last DIY lamps is 20cm (8"), under 7" plants got apical chlorosis.
greetz
GS

 

[bytal]

Surfer do you know what happened to Knna? I read his thread on another forum (all 100 or so pages of it) and Knna's thread seems to have died off and him absent.

 

[green surfer]

hi Bytal,

you are probably talking about "How to build your LED array"?

Last knna's posts dated from the beginning of 2012, since february 2012 I have no news from him.

He had health issues last years, he came back one year ago, he feeled better but since february 2012 no news again, I hope he is doing well.