DIY led grow

I love the display. I am debating one for my new project. Was it fairly easy to put together?

Nice Ferrari Posi!

Damn, I am impressed!

Greengenes707 said:

I love the display. I am debating one for my new project. Was it fairly easy to put together?

Click to expand...

Not easy for me, I've never used any of these components before and I don't really understand the computer connections.

But I've been reading what I can find and have figured out most of it. Things like 5v, 12v, 3 pin fans, 4 pin pwm....how they all work together.

The controller is nice. The price was right too...about $25 for temp reading and fan control is a good deal I think. Up to 5 temp sensors...easy to replace the sensors and fan connections on the board too. Remove the silicone and everything plugs in. Fan control is the catch. Even the computer guys have a hard time running 4 pin pwm fans with them. But the 2 pin I have on now goes through the whole speed range so I'm hoping the 3 pins I ordered will work the same. The 4 pin works but only on high.

There is also set table alarms on the temp sensors which is nice. Set it at 50*c or something and it'll beep. Same if a fan goes out..it starts beeping.

I'll update and let you know when I get everything working right..

Sds is probably laughing at my temp sensor and me trying to figure it out! He's building them from scratch...

Things like the 4 pin fans not working I'm not sure on yet. Waiting on a new controller...this one is broken from crossing wires. Some of the fan channels are out. If it doesn't work on the new one I'll know it's incompatible with pwm

This one in particular is very sensitive. Apply 12v to the wrong wire and the unit is toast. Needs a 5v step down off the 12v. Cross wires it's toast. But when it works...it's pretty sweet.

Hopefully I'll get it figured out..

Positivity said:

Just somewhere to screw things down without making a million holes in the case. The mesh is nice and rigid and can be screwed right into. Mounting points galore..

Click to expand...

"Perforated Stainless steel sheet "
https://www.google.gr/search?q=Perforated+Stainless+steel+sheet&client=firefox-a&hs=1gw&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=nts&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=slpoVOvAHefIyAO19YLYBw&ved=0CD4QsAQ&biw=1280&bih=903

vs


"Stainless steel mesh "
https://www.google.gr/search?q=Perforated+Stainless+steel+sheet&client=firefox-a&hs=1gw&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=nts&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=slpoVOvAHefIyAO19YLYBw&ved=0CD4QsAQ&biw=1280&bih=903#rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=nts&tbm=isch&q=Stainless+steel+mesh


Both nice and useful ,in constracting rigid frames for heatsink/ drivers attachement frames (perfor. sheet)
or for covering vent inlets/ outlets ,at " casing " .(mesh )
.
Perforated steel is not so easy to cut in shape .(thick ).

Mesh ,from the other hand is prune to impacts and deforming ..
Also it 'cloggs" more easily than perf. sheet ,from dust and debris .
And more tricky to clean.

I like much the mirror-polished stainless steel perforated steel.
Very good material for high quality ,tough and robust led grow lights.

Cheers.

Positivity said:

Thanks mandragoras...sounds excellent! Really looking forward to some new genetics

Got some DIY stuff done. Put a nzxt fan controller on but it wouldn't control the pwm fans. So I put a 2 wire fan on to replace the zalman CPU cooler 4 wire pwm fan. Works well but now I have to order some better replacements to keep the fan speed up.

So it reports temp on each 3590, one ambient case, and one middle led star and one star at the end. Early readings are about a 8*C rise at the full 1a. So from 30*C to 38*C on the big cxas and about a 3*C rise on the back of the heatsink right behind the stars. 3w royal blues and 430nm violet on at 700ma

Having problems with my current ammeter too...

Can't get it to read out correctly and I'm wondering if I need a shunt for it. If I do I might just scrap the idea..

Coming along....it's not too bad building when your in no rush to light a room..

View attachment 3294438
View attachment 3294439

Full draw
View attachment 3294440

Click to expand...

You 're getting exceptionally good ,in the art of making high quality led grow lights.
Amazing job !

And some
Blah blah between designers -makers:

-Lately (although I've used them plenty of times ) I kinda do not feel sympathetic about those fan grills.

You can make & install some shinny perforated steel sheet .
(At the inside of the top lid ,with rivets or screws.)
It will look more "clean" ( flat ) and also will be easier to clean .

Inox Perf. steel won't rust ,while those grills do ,over time ,as humid air is always/often present around them .

The color LCD screen and the blue 7-seg ,are amazing and 'match' together ....
I'm amazed.

-I like also more the good ol' metal toggle switches (those with the shinny lever" ) ,rather than plastic red/black ones ..

They look more "retro"/ "pro" and for sure they will last longer .
Or you can try a rotary ones with shinny knobs !

-The pot knob is beautiful.

-The phillips screw besides ain't .
Allen or Torx .
"New Age " screw heads ...
..

-Better install some kind of stand & protection underneath.

If you're going reflectors ,then make sure about the 'height' of the stands
so the reflectors have adequate clearance with a flat level surface ,where the fixture stands .
(very useful ,specially while servicing-cleaning.)
Try the inox or aluminium wardrobe/closet/door small handles ,for that job ..

https://www.google.gr/search?q=stainless steel closet handles&client=firefox-a&hs=MYc&rls=org.mozilla:en-GBfficial&channel=nts&biw=1280&bih=903&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=mmJoVOOfEsbIyAPo9oHwBg&ved=0CB4QsAQ



Once more :
Very-Very good job!


Cheers.

As for the 7 seg digital meter ....

If its an Ampere meter it should be connected in series with led out ( + & - ) ,thus in series with the leds/cobs driving line.
And does not need a shunt .
Better to be powered from another DC source though.

(Except in the case having one black wire (cathode ) ,thus it has to be commong grounded with the led drivers .
Powering directly from led drivers ,might be impossible,as most of these meters have a max VDC of ~30 Volt.


**If it is a Voltmeter ,then it needs a shunt of 0.1 Ohm ,in order to show amperage.
(connection: shunt resistor in series with leds/cobs powering line,meter connects parallel to shunt ends ..

I think ...

Regarding pots and knobs ....

Multiturn pots can be very useful for precise adjustments ,
but in real life applications is rather a PIA ,
to turn the pot three-four full turns ,just to increase driving from 700mA to 1000mA for example.

"Single turn" pots ,
( actually less than full 360 ° ...from ~ "7 oclock " to ~ "5 o' clock" ,clockwise turning ...)
are the bread ! Quick adjustment.

Save the multiturn ones for lab grade - research led fixture adjusting schemes.




Aluminium knobs are nice ,but somewhat can be pretty expensive to buy .
Salvage them from old electronics ,at every case possible !
With a tad of polishing and cleaning with IPA ,they can look as brand new!

Very good also,are the ones made of "retro" black bakelite ,
those with the brass tightening screw on side.
(far right at the pic).

Pots and knobs ,are amongst the first things ,to be salvaged ,so to be used again.
Clean old pots with contact cleaner spray and IPA.


Rotary switches are nice .(two of the at the bottom of pic )
But they need pcb making experience in order to look "clean" and "tidy" ...
Otherwise they look like attached to a colorful spaghetti of wiring ...

Pos,don't you think ,that is time for ya ,to get a B/W laser printer ,some sodium persulfate &
bare FR4 pcb sheets ?

DipTrace software is easy ,free to download and use up to 300 pins designs .
(more than enough for us ..) and you can print whatever you like or wish of a pcb ...

Make you own pcbs ..
As for actual electronics designs & circuits ...
The web is full of almost whatever you wish .
Full of different examples of same thing or almost ..
You do not have to be an expertise in electronics ..
(Tought by time your knowledge will definately increase ,that's for sure ...)
Just copy & paste ,and make your own knight rider led circuit pcb or whatever else you wish !

Trust me ..
Comparing with what you are able to build right now ...
It should be a piece of cake for ya !

I think you might like it a lot ,actually !

Cheers!

-Lately (although I've used them plenty of times ) I kinda do not feel sympathetic about those fan grills.

Click to expand...

I don't care for them much either. Looks dated now. There was a silver one irritating me so I put a black one on for now, little better. I had a mesh filter that I was hoping would fit but it was for a 140mm fan. That's my preferred way right now...to filter the air coming in with a washable filter.

As for the 7 seg digital meter ....

If its an Ampere meter it should be connected in series with led out ( + & - ) ,thus in series with the leds/cobs driving line.
And does not need a shunt .
Better to be powered from another DC source though.

(Except in the case having one black wire (cathode ) ,thus it has to be commong grounded with the led drivers .
Powering directly from led drivers ,might be impossible,as most of these meters have a max VDC of ~30 Volt.

Click to expand...

I tried that way. There's only one led driver per cob so it's easy to put one before and after the led. But all I got was a erratic bunch of numbers coming out. I figured maybe it needed a shunt to lower the current to a readable level. I noticed some have shunts built in that show being wired in series. Mine shows a shunt in the directions. Ahhh well...lots of brain stimulation..haha

Regarding pots and knobs

Click to expand...

I've always had something against toggles..lol. Was looking at lots of switches but none really struck me..need to look more. The ones I got the price was right so I just got a bunch of them.

Regarding pots and knobs ....

Click to expand...

Yeah..don't need that fine an adjustment. I do like the 10v dimming way though. Works how I would expect a dimmer to work. The resistor was pretty abrupt. The only thing I favor on the resistor is a few less wires...wiring adds up quickly!

Make you own pcbs ..
As for actual electronics designs & circuits ...
The web is full of almost whatever you wish .
Full of different examples of same thing or almost ..
You do not have to be an expertise in electronics ..
(Tought by time your knowledge will definately increase ,that's for sure ...)
Just copy & paste ,and make your own knight rider led circuit pcb or whatever else you wish !

Trust me ..
Comparing with what you are able to build right now ...
It should be a piece of cake for ya !

I think you might like it a lot ,actually !

Click to expand...

I'm always looking into it. Might jump in soon...it's interesting for sure. Just trying to get other things a bit more dialed in first. I'm sure once I get comfortable I'll be looking for a new challenge.

You 're getting exceptionally good ,in the art of making high quality led grow lights.

Click to expand...

Thanks sds..always appreciate your input and critique.
This was my first try at a nicely enclosed unit that would be closer to a store bought unit. It's one of the most fun and interesting things I've ever taken on. Just a stepping stone for other projects. Have a much better grasp of what I can and can't do now. The next should come out very nicely now that I'm getting more comfortable with the process. I'll probably always have a project going on as long as the technology keeps doing what's its doing...advancing quickly..

The projects never end for me either. Besides having a full time job and working with my own projects, I am also building a stealth CXA cabinet for one guy and a couple XM-L2 veg bars for another guy. I like your new build Pos, its a nice look with the integrated controller. I have been working on a arduino controller project that monitors temp/humidity and controls the on/off of the main lights, flower initiator and cycle timer for uv if its used. All of the functions work at this point I'm just waiting for some more parts to show up before putting it into use for testing.

epicfail said:

The projects never end for me either. Besides having a full time job and working with my own projects, I am also building a stealth CXA cabinet for one guy and a couple XM-L2 veg bars for another guy. I like your new build Pos, its a nice look with the integrated controller. I have been working on a arduino controller project that monitors temp/humidity and controls the on/off of the main lights, flower initiator and cycle timer for uv if its used. All of the functions work at this point I'm just waiting for some more parts to show up before putting it into use for testing.

Click to expand...

The arduino project sounds awesome. I'll have to try that out one day. Something like the dim4 would be nice to build..plus with temp sensors and stuff. I wonder how hard it is to get the pwm to work well with all drivers though. I've read a few times the meanwell hlg is hit and miss on compatibility with arduino pwm

DIY is addicting but most of the tools I buy are useful in other areas around the house..the silicone came in handy making a gasket for my sink today..lol

Well the easiest way to control the dimming that I found was not real PWM, its done using the 0-5v and amplified to 0-10v. SDS was the one who drew out the circuit for me months ago its done with a 10v regulator and transistor. I put it together and everything worked great but I still just use a 100K pot to dim. For now there is no dimming in this project, its not that advanced yet. To start its going to be something that most people could put together relatively easily and just use my code. I've always been an open source geek so when I get it all working I'll be posting the code and design for anyone to use how they wish.

Alright...got it running.

Fan controller works, even with pwm fans now. Maybe not all types...you never know. Ammeter is online. Had it running side by side and not through the ammeter that was the main problem. The new ammeter with built in shunt had heavier gauge wire for the driver so the other one wouldn't have worked without a shunt...not with the puny wires it had.

All in all, I love knowing what current and temp my 3590s are running at. Build was pretty enjoyable for the most part. Kudos to sds for the idea..

So 2 5k 3590 cd bin, 4 luxeon 450nm, and 2 luxeon 430nm. Everything ready to be swapped out at any time...

Blindingly bright at 200w..tempted to flower with this thing. Thank god for the dimmers...

Positivity said:

Alright...got it running.

Fan controller works, even with pwm fans now. Maybe not all types...you never know. Ammeter is online. Had it running side by side and not through the ammeter that was the main problem. The new ammeter with built in shunt had heavier gauge wire for the driver so the other one wouldn't have worked without a shunt...not with the puny wires it had.

All in all, I love knowing what current and temp my 3590s are running at. Build was pretty enjoyable for the most part. Kudos to sds for the idea..

So 2 5k 3590 cd bin, 4 luxeon 450nm, and 2 luxeon 430nm. Everything ready to be swapped out at any time...


View attachment 3297986 View attachment 3297983 View attachment 3297984 View attachment 3297987

Click to expand...

You built that Poz?!

I have so much to look forward to after reading this page! I'm going to have to dig into this thread during my spare.

So thats the new veg light?

Amazing work. A true fixture there.

AquariusPanta said:

You built that Poz?!

I have so much to look forward to after reading this page! I'm going to have to dig into this thread during my spare.

Click to expand...

Just finished...done with mostly hand tools and a small workbench

DonPetro said:

So thats the new veg light?

Click to expand...

It will be for now. I'm curious to see how it affects my veg cab with the blues and 5k. It was running on a neutral/warm XML mix previously.

Going to redo all my lights in a similar style. May try some different parts but very similar. If I'm done by my next run I'll do a grow journal with 2 3590 lights like this. Just switch the blues for some 660s

Positivity said:

Just finished...done with mostly hand tools and a small workbench



It will be for now. I'm curious to see how it affects my veg cab with the blues and 5k. It was running on a neutral/warm XML mix previously.

Going to redo all my lights in a similar style. May try some different parts but very similar. If I'm done by my next run I'll do a grow journal with 2 3590 lights like this. Just switch the blues for some 660s

Click to expand...

So the 3590's will still be 5k along with the 660's?

Positivity said:

Just finished...done with mostly hand tools and a small workbench

Click to expand...

I'm impressed. It looks like something you'd buy online for a ton of money!

It's got a place in my top three favorite DIY LED light fixtures.

Positivity said:

Alright...got it running.

Fan controller works, even with pwm fans now. Maybe not all types...you never know. Ammeter is online. Had it running side by side and not through the ammeter that was the main problem. The new ammeter with built in shunt had heavier gauge wire for the driver so the other one wouldn't have worked without a shunt...not with the puny wires it had.

All in all, I love knowing what current and temp my 3590s are running at. Build was pretty enjoyable for the most part. Kudos to sds for the idea..

So 2 5k 3590 cd bin, 4 luxeon 450nm, and 2 luxeon 430nm. Everything ready to be swapped out at any time...

Blindingly bright at 200w..tempted to flower with this thing. Thank god for the dimmers...


View attachment 3297986 View attachment 3297983 View attachment 3297984 View attachment 3297987

Click to expand...

Keep up the amazing Job !
(it reminds me the "Jet" somewhat !!! .. )

Too much blue ,Pos ...
Even for a veg light ...
For my taste at least ..
You 'll get to see the results .

(not that it won't work ....But ...)

Cheers.