Help with LED set up / design

Hello,

While I am finishing up my current grow (1 week since flip to 12/12) in a 4x4, I am looking to add a second tent same size or 4x8 and use the 4x4 for veg only either way I will have 4x8 of space for flowers for my next grow.

Im currently using 4x 304 samsung LED board from alibaba (2 per heatsink). Id like to add a bit more power but since I order from china and shipping cost is high I thought about adding only boards without heatsink (only 25$usd each) to save a bit on the shipping. I was thinking of adding 3 boards at 40-50w (should be able to handle it without heatsink) here is the design I came up with. Because these 3 boards would run at lower power I wanted them closer to the canopy compared to my boards on heatsink however I didnt want those boards to reflect off the back of the lower boards. I used 120 degrees for the samsung led and came up with this design
Top view:

Face view :


Based on my calculation (i had to dig the web to remember how to calculate triangle sides.. ) if I put the lights with heatsink at 20 inches from the canopy.. i could put the 40-50w 10.4inches lower (with a space of 6inches between the boards) so the light from above doesnt bounce on the back of the lower powered boards.. (assuming LED have 120degrees spread)"

The 304 boards im currently using run at 130w each (2 boards on heatsink= 260w) with a hlg-240-c2100 at about 115-117V

So I would probably power the 3 board with hlg-120h-c1050 which should get me about 40w/ boards (115Vx1.05A=120w/3 boards) bringing the total to 660w for each 4x4 space.

Based on all the above, does it make sense? Any other suggestion on the design/ set up, driver selection, layout, etc?

*please dont get in the subject of legit vs chinese light, i cannot care less.

**I considered putting up 12 boards at 50w but 3 boards per 2x2 is an odd number and I would need to design a frame and so on which Id like to avoid, simplier the better..

***following bullet 2 above, strips is a nice option as well but not prefered option as id have to build a frame as well and from what ive calculates would end up probably a bit more expensive

If you have any questions please let me know, any input is very appreciated.

You just need some U- channel, 2 M6 threaded rods, and some nuts to help space things apart, and some cheap plastic wire conduit to cap it off.
Genuine 50W Samsung strips are something like $27 at Digikey.

ANC said:

You just need some U- channel, 2 M6 threaded rods, and some nuts to help space things apart, and some cheap plastic wire conduit to cap it off.
Genuine 50W Samsung strips are something like $27 at Digikey.

Click to expand...

Whats the m6 theaded rods for?

Ill look again into strips, there is no questions that they are good.. but If I work out the numbers from ledgardener it gets to about 500usd+shipping for 4foot strips for 505w more or less at 1152 LED. i currently run 1204 LED at 520w so about the same efficiency (5% more power but 5% more LED) for 400usd including shipping yes spread is better but at what cost (20%+) this is why I didnt want to get in the debate of chinese vs legit LED.. (also consider im in Canada and need to pay sales taxes on purchases from digikey).

Anyone using different light intensity with different light height within the same grow room/tent?

Viceman666 said:

Whats the m6 theaded rods for?

Ill look again into strips, there is no questions that they are good.. but If I work out the numbers from ledgardener it gets to about 500usd+shipping for 4foot strips for 505w more or less at 1152 LED. i currently run 1204 LED at 520w so about the same efficiency (5% more power but 5% more LED) for 400usd including shipping yes spread is better but at what cost (20%+) this is why I didnt want to get in the debate of chinese vs legit LED.. (also consider im in Canada and need to pay sales taxes on purchases from digikey).

Anyone using different light intensity with different light height within the same grow room/tent?

Click to expand...

I've used blurple led panels with different intensities in the same tent before. I didn't like it, but I had 1 260w and 1 130w on each side of a 2x4 space, which is less uniform than what you have planned out. My recommendation is to avoid it if possible though.

If that's the price difference between the boards and strips, it's hard to justify using the strips. But it might be a good idea since you will not only have a bit more uniformity in general, but you wont have to deal with differing intensities and heights.

One thing to keep in mind is the 40-50w boards in the middle wont be able to penetrate as well as the 130w boards on the sides. If you're in a scrog, you'll be fine but if not it's definitely something to consider.

Viceman666 said:

Whats the m6 theaded rods for?

Ill look again into strips, there is no questions that they are good.. but If I work out the numbers from ledgardener it gets to about 500usd+shipping for 4foot strips for 505w more or less at 1152 LED. i currently run 1204 LED at 520w so about the same efficiency (5% more power but 5% more LED) for 400usd including shipping yes spread is better but at what cost (20%+) this is why I didnt want to get in the debate of chinese vs legit LED.. (also consider im in Canada and need to pay sales taxes on purchases from digikey).

Anyone using different light intensity with different light height within the same grow room/tent?

Click to expand...

Threaded rods are to make this cheap frame.

A genuine 4' 100W 288 LED strip is about $50
So you can get 1000W (actually a bit more), for $500 with free shipping from Digikey.

So you can get 2880 LEDs for your money.

@Viceman666 , how about buying 4 x 304 boards instead of 3?
Bring the 2 x 260 boards into a more central position and filling the corners with the 4 extra boards?
It looks in your diagram as if the 2 x 260s are only 3" away from the walls on the long sides.

Just my thoughts.... lol
Good luck with your build mate

Moflow said:

@Viceman666 , how about buying 4 x 304 boards instead of 3?
Bring the 2 x 260 boards into a more central position and filling the corners with the 4 extra boards?
It looks in your diagram as if the 2 x 260s are only 3" away from the walls on the long sides.

Just my thoughts.... lol
Good luck with your build mate

Click to expand...

Definitively possible.. my main issue with 4 in the corners would be hanging them.. lets say i use a 185h-c1400 driver pushing 200w over the 4 boards.. wiring would be a mess flying around the room to each corner but also those boards would have lower power than my current boards so id want them closer to the canopy.. putting them in the middle allowed me to just build a simple frame for the 3 together with 1 hanging kit for example.. but yeah I think in terms of coverage your idea does make more sense tho.. i am considering the big 800 boards as well but id need 3 maybe 4 and value is just not there with that many boards..

As a reference here is the price I was quoted :
304 boards : USD25.35 2. single heatsink: USD10.48 3. 2 board heatsink: USD18.22 4. driver HLG-240H-C2100B: USD54.69 5. dimmer: USD10.65

586usd for 2x2 boards with heatsink and drivers+6boards including shipping.. id be missing just 2 drivers 1 for each 3 boards.. which seems like good value..

But im really open to any suggestions

What about dimming the 2x 260s down and upping the central boards wattage a bit?
Any ideas on the temps on the back of the 304s without a heatsink?
I think with a piece of flat alloy plate stuck on the back or as @ANC suggested u channel you could up the wattage on the 3 central boards.

Here's some back of an envelope calculations for you.....
Well front of the envelope..... lol


Anyhow, here' a PAR MAP of 288 QB at 39 wall watts.


2mm aluminium plate heatsink.
Back of board temps after 3/4 hour

Ambient room Temperature was

Moflow said:

Here's some back of an envelope calculations for you.....
Well front of the envelope..... lol
View attachment 4116540

Anyhow, here' a PAR MAP of 288 QB at 39 wall watts.
View attachment 4116541
View attachment 4116542
2mm aluminium plate heatsink.
Back of board temps after 3/4 hour
View attachment 4116543
Ambient room Temperature was
View attachment 4116544

Click to expand...

Wow! Just wow! Thanks so much for that info thats great! No I dont have anything to measure temp but from HLG website it states the 304 board can be run up to 60w without heatsink so I based myself off that value and I came up with 40w just because of the driver selection.. but as you pointed out might as well just add the heatsink and run them at whatever power I want while dimming the other 2 to match.. oh well back to the drawing board.. lol thanks again for the testing really appreciated

https://www.amazon.ca/Handheld-Non-..._5?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1522862077&sr=1-5

Cheap as chips

The tip on that thermometer looks like it would hurt.