First Time DIY COBS builder

rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
I intend to build a light fixture for a new grow.
The space will be small (2'x4' foot print) but I plan to use 8 cree 3070's to get max penetration and light spread.

- 8 cxa3070-0000-000N0Z430H
- 8 Arctic cool Alpine 11 plus cooler fans
- 8 Meanwell LPC-60-1400 drivers
-(1) Meanwell plc-30-12 driver ??? (To power the fans/coolers)
-18 gauge wire for wiring everything needed
-20"x40" white mdf/particall board (mount for fans and Cobs)

Just a couple questions before I start making purchases.
1.) Will the meanwell plc -30-12 driver be sufficient enough to power the fans I listed? The fans only draw .16amps a piece I believe, so all together it would seem to stay under the drivers max output of 2.5amps.
2.) Any recommendations for connection blocks to wire the cob drivers together? Also probably a similar block for wiring the fans together. Or would I be just fine soldering all wires together in parallel and using heat shrink wraps around those connection points.

3.) Am I going overboard with the 8 Cobs in my space? I'd just like to ensure I have optimum coverage. Will be going s.o.g. setup this time so plant height will be minimal.

I know I can find most of this information , in fact I've probably read it a dozen times. I'm just new to the l.e.d. scene in general, let alone diy fixtures. So I'm seeing a lot of information but still having a hard time determining what's best for my application. Any tips or additional supplies recommendations are welcome. Thanks !
 
Last edited:
G

grouch

Well-Known Member
Why did you choose the z4 bin cxa? The ab bin is easily available in cxa and the cxb ad bin is great too.

Using two hlg-185-1400b drivers may be a little cheaper and you would be able to dim it if desired
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
Doubt
grouch said:
Will the apv12-12 handle 8 fans?

The cxa runs a couple volts higher and will sometimes put out more lumens at a given current then the cxb version.
Click to expand...
Doubt it. What amperage do they run at? Apv12-12 has 1 amp of current. Check the box like this. Notice the input current is 0.5 amps. So I could only run 2 on the apv 12-1220160208_114223.jpg
 
rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
grouch said:
Why did you choose the z4 bin cxa? The ab bin is easily available in cxa and the cxb ad bin is great too.

Using two hlg-185-1400b drivers may be a little cheaper and you would be able to dim it if desired
Click to expand...
I chose those z4s mainly because I was under the impression those were the best model of the 3070s. That was just information from a previous thread, but that could be missing information or old information. I'll change my Cobs to the cxb model
So...
-8 cxb3070-0000-000NOHAB30G.
However I'm content with running the 8 MEANWELL drivers for the Cobs vs the 2 larger deivers. It'll be simple for me to wire and Ito my understanding the Cobs will run more efficiently this way. I appreciate the input !!!
 
rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
Airwalker16 said:
Mean well apv 12-12 for fans in parallel. Definitely buy cxB not A.
Click to expand...
It doesn't seem like that driver would be able to handle all 8 fans... Am I wrong? If the plc-30-12 will work for powering the fans without being close to overloaded, I would be inclined to just go ahead and buy that. I mean if I had to buy 2 of the apv12-12 vs 1 of the plc 30-12, I'm only really saving 10$. I'd rather use the single driver for the fans. If you do have another suggestion though or if I'm mistaken in my post, please let me know ! Again, thanks for the help
 
rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
Actually now I'm second guessing. Considering that with the MW LPC-60-1400 I would be running each cob around 60w, that would be ridiculous.
So rather than decreasing the amount of bulbs (and sacrificing light coverage) I could use a smaller driver per cob. And this would benefit in multiple ways as far as effeciency, heat reduction, and increased lifespan of the cobs. Am I right to assume that?.
The question is which drivers for the cobs?
MW lpc-35-1400ma
MW lpc-35-1050ma

I'm not entirely sure if it makes a big difference as to which of these 2 drivers I go with. Please correct me if I'm wrong but, the MA rating is simply there stating the max amperage the driver can support. If I used the lpc-35-1400 I could run each cob at 35watts and since I'm barely loading the driver, the setup should therefore be even more effecient and reliable. Correct?
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
Another driver you might consider for the fans is APV-25-12. Similar efficiency, would run all your fans and half the cost.

The LPC-60-1400 would power the cobs at 50 watts each and wouldn't use the full 60 watts, but I would consider grouch's suggestion and use 2 HLG-185H-C1400B drivers instead. It would cost less, and is almost 10 percent more efficient. Your fixture would use over 30 watts less just by switching to the more efficient driver.

Also, what you're talking about is some serious light intensity. LPC drivers don't dim and you probably want to be able to dim your lamp.

Consider upgrading those 3070s to BB bin, from PLC or other source. In fact, using BB bin you could drop the max current to 1.05 amps using 2 HLG-120H-C1050B, save 100 watts, and still get almost 1000 PPFD (which is very bright) or run them at 1.4 and hit over 1250.

rickymac21 said:
I intend to build a light fixture for a new grow.
The space will be small (2'x4' foot print) but I plan to use 8 cree 3070's to get max penetration and light spread.

- 8 cxa3070-0000-000N0Z430H
- 8 Arctic cool Alpine 11 plus cooler fans
- 8 Meanwell LPC-60-1400 drivers
-(1) Meanwell plc-30-12 driver ??? (To power the fans/coolers)
-18 gauge wire for wiring everything needed
-20"x40" white mdf/particall board (mount for fans and Cobs)

Just a couple questions before I start making purchases.
1.) Will the meanwell plc -30-12 driver be sufficient enough to power the fans I listed? The fans only draw .16amps a piece I believe, so all together it would seem to stay under the drivers max output of 2.5amps.
2.) Any recommendations for connection blocks to wire the cob drivers together? Also probably a similar block for wiring the fans together. Or would I be just fine soldering all wires together in parallel and using heat shrink wraps around those connection points.

3.) Am I going overboard with the 8 Cobs in my space? I'd just like to ensure I have optimum coverage. Will be going s.o.g. setup this time so plant height will be minimal.

I know I can find most of this information , in fact I've probably read it a dozen times. I'm just new to the l.e.d. scene in general, let alone diy fixtures. So I'm seeing a lot of information but still having a hard time determining what's best for my application. Any tips or additional supplies recommendations are welcome. Thanks !
Click to expand...
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
rickymac21 said:
Actually now I'm second guessing. Considering that with the MW LPC-60-1400 I would be running each cob around 60w, that would be ridiculous.
So rather than decreasing the amount of bulbs (and sacrificing light coverage) I could use a smaller driver per cob. And this would benefit in multiple ways as far as effeciency, heat reduction, and increased lifespan of the cobs. Am I right to assume that?.
The question is which drivers for the cobs?
MW lpc-35-1400ma
MW lpc-35-1050ma

I'm not entirely sure if it makes a big difference as to which of these 2 drivers I go with. Please correct me if I'm wrong but, the MA rating is simply there stating the max amperage the driver can support. If I used the lpc-35-1400 I could run each cob at 35watts and since I'm barely loading the driver, the setup should therefore be even more effecient and reliable. Correct?
Click to expand...
An LPC35 series any MA wouldn't work. They're 36 Vf cobs and less at lower amps but not clear to 35 right @Rahz
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
The LPC-35-1400 doesn't have enough voltage to run a 3070. the 700ma version would work, but at 700ma.
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
The LPC-35-1400 doesn't have enough voltage to run a 3070. the 700ma version would work, but at 700ma.
Click to expand...
Ya that's what I thought. Plus I don't see why you'd want to have to find a place to put 8 individual drivers or even more so mount them. 2 is much easier.
 
BOBBY_G

BOBBY_G

Well-Known Member
grouch said:
Why did you choose the z4 bin cxa? The ab bin is easily available in cxa and the cxb ad bin is great too.

Using two hlg-185-1400b drivers may be a little cheaper and you would be able to dim it if desired
Click to expand...
also 93% efficient vs 85%
 
rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
Another driver you might consider for the fans is APV-25-12. Similar efficiency, would run all your fans and half the cost.

The LPC-60-1400 would power the cobs at 50 watts each and wouldn't use the full 60 watts, but I would consider grouch's suggestion and use 2 HLG-185H-C1400B drivers instead. It would cost less, and is almost 10 percent more efficient. Your fixture would use over 30 watts less just by switching to the more efficient driver.

Also, what you're talking about is some serious light intensity. LPC drivers don't dim and you probably want to be able to dim your lamp.

Consider upgrading those 3070s to BB bin, from PLC or other source. In fact, using BB bin you could drop the max current to 1.05 amps using 2 HLG-120H-C1050B, save 100 watts, and still get almost 1000 PPFD (which is very bright) or run them at 1.4 and hit over 1250.
Click to expand...
First of all thank you for the help. Obviously I'm needing it..
The suggestion you made pertaining to the fan driver is perfect. Thank you.
As for the cobs and the drivers you made a few suggestions and scenarios. I hate to ask this but which combination would you use/should I use?
In your last paragraph you state that by switching to BB bin 3070s (also, just to be clear don you have ano order number for those? There seem to be so many variatons of these and it gets confusing) and running them at 1.05 amps with the HLG-120H-c1050B to be around 380w total?...
Or use the same bin 3070s but use 2 HLG-185H-C1400B drivers @ 1.4 amp..
If running at 1.05amp will significantly lower heat production and allow the lights to run easier/more efficiently, then that's what I should aim for correct. Especially if I'll still see 1000PPFD.
 
rickymac21

rickymac21

Well-Known Member
Rahz said:
Another driver you might consider for the fans is APV-25-12. Similar efficiency, would run all your fans and half the cost.

The LPC-60-1400 would power the cobs at 50 watts each and wouldn't use the full 60 watts, but I would consider grouch's suggestion and use 2 HLG-185H-C1400B drivers instead. It would cost less, and is almost 10 percent more efficient. Your fixture would use over 30 watts less just by switching to the more efficient driver.

Also, what you're talking about is some serious light intensity. LPC drivers don't dim and you probably want to be able to dim your lamp.

Consider upgrading those 3070s to BB bin, from PLC or other source. In fact, using BB bin you could drop the max current to 1.05 amps using 2 HLG-120H-C1050B, save 100 watts, and still get almost 1000 PPFD (which is very bright) or run them at 1.4 and hit over 1250.
Click to expand...
I'm trying to find these cobs
CXB3070 BB @3000k
I can't seem to find that they exist. However I can find them @3500k. But would that really be better than running another style bin at 3000k.? I'd like to keep it relatively simple. Dimming my light etc seems like an unnecessary luxury..
 
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