Building a Cree Light for a 2x2 area. ( suggestions, thoughts, etc. )

Remember the temps will be different when there's plants in there. So this test will be good to give you an idea what's going on but you need to re-do this observation when you get plants in there.
 
Evil-Mobo said:
Remember the temps will be different when there's plants in there. So this test will be good to give you an idea what's going on but you need to re-do this observation when you get plants in there.
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Yes of course and with the exhaust system, carbon, etc.....lots to test :)
 
HydroRed said:
Cool little build. Im interested to see what temps your going to get from it in a room that is at a good comfortable ambient temp & humidity.
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Hey thanks, yeah I can't wait to get it all set up in the back closet where the shade trees are over for most of the day with all the bells and whistles attached.
 
So can we laser thermal read the leds if they are turned off? I was trying to figure out how to measure led temp. The steel holder on the bottom is the same temp as the rest of the bottom parts. I think that would show something since it's connected to the chip.
 
I had been measuring the face of the led and catch a hot spot and get a base reading from there then run averages after a few good hot readings. Im using a finned heatsink bar with active cooling so mine cools differently than yours but I check from the outside edge of heatsink to outside edge of cob as well. I do this for each cob down the row exactly the same. My numbers run a bit higher on the ends since that is the farthest point from the active cooling. My bars run very cool, cool enough that I'd trust running it passively if I needed to.
 
Hey there, maxed it out now 1750 mA highest temp reading anywhere shooting so far is 42-43C under the plate right at lights edge. top of plate 34-35C or so fans 40-42C

84F in the house 91 F in the tent.

Doing tests right now on the spot watching temps... :P

This thing is doing better than I thought so far.
 
Ok.... about blind myself testing......I did the faces of all of them for 5 mins or so temps average 47-53C

I am going to keep testing em and see if I can catch a really hot number,

OK got it!!! figured it out.

right now I have temps of the 3 cxb 54-55C the cxa 56C at this ambient
 
Uberknot said:
Ok we have Lights! Right now I am testing at the lowest Amps, 875 mA, for a few hours and seeing how hot the plate gets and around the led and fans. It's 26C in the house and the initial reading after turning on the light for a few mins were in the 27-29C range. Closing the tent atm is not going to work with no exhaust hooked up and temps went up fast to 31C or so.

Here a a couple pictures of the light in the tent running! one with flash one with auto camera.

I pointed the two fans up rather than down and left the very edge of the door upzipped and pulled the 6 inch roof exhaust port up like a chimney to let hot air escape.

l90ZaES.jpg



EauoOlN.jpg
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looks really good
 
Tim Fox said:
looks really good
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Thanks! atm temps are creeping up.... cxb 55-57C.... cxa 58-59C.... at maxed driver amps 1750 mA.

Ok.... things are getting hot now just saw 60C+ turned it all the way back to 875 mA and I am going to watch the face temps from here for awhile. Ambient temp still 83F in the house.

Ok led temps falling now 37-38C for the cxb abd 42C for the cxa

I am going to let them level out and get a baseline from the lowest mA's of the driver.
 
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OK enough testing for tonight....approx 1300 mA chip temps stayed below 50C @ 42-46C.

Basically I think I can run 1500 mA or so and be around the 50C mark all depends on ambient temps which are now at 79F in the house. Without any exhaust fan tent temps average 5-10F higher than ambient. For Sure anything close to 1750 mA 250w will send led chip temps over 60C eventually in the heat we have right now.

I'll track down the multimeter and get some more accurate readings and test a bit more another day.
 
Stayed cooler in the house today 79-81F had the air on low. I hooked up the inline exhaust and ran all closed up for a while with bottom vents open. Everything looked good inside tent temps were about 82-85F LED temps all stayed in the 36-39C range at 1300 mA. I was surprised they stayed that cool that's a good sign I think and the TIM may have settle in.
 
Thats a ton of light for such a small space. Overkill but nice.
I run about 15 par watts or 25watts a sqf in my 2 x 2 tent and I cant see adding more light than that. Nice light :)
Will be folling this thread
 
Trippyness said:
Thats a ton of light for such a small space. Overkill but nice.
I run about 15 par watts or 25watts a sqf in my 2 x 2 tent and I cant see adding more light than that. Nice light :)
Will be folling this thread
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Yeah, I know, it's running about 28-29k lumens total at 1300 mA thats at the 1/2 way mark on the driver. My goal was to get the 7k lumens or better per sqt ft. The one thing about this light bugs me is those 4 fans and no covers so you have to be really careful with everything you do or you can hit one of the blades. I will have to figure on something in the long run.
 
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