LED or DIY suggestions and ideas

I asked for some suggestions in the main LED thread but only got one response so I am hoping to get a few more in here.

I am currently running 2 1k hps, and I am looking to switch to something that will give roughly the same yield (1gpw) but with the added benefits of LED. My set up is 1k over 4x4 or so.

Now I've looked at both led and diy and I am pretty much lost to all the definitions and what not. So I was hoping to go prebuilt led but it seems no one is really happy with them in the end. I looked at the Apache but they have nothing that I think would be a replacement, I also looked at KingLED 1600w, but it seems no one likes them on this board.

For the diy ive checked out Growmau5 "Cree Mega Panel" and Greengenes "200w Cree". I am sorry if I have missed some other good ones, but I've had to take a lot in. Is there any other ones I should check out?

For the diy what is the difference between 3070 and 3590, is it worth the upgrade?

Please help me out!!

RIU advertiser and member "Rahz" is tastyled.com

Good question about 3070 vs 3590. The outputs of different bins can be compared with this Cree spreadsheet: http://pct.cree.com/dt/index.html

Comparing prices at cutter.au.com, I'd say 3070 is the better value BUT there is a 90CRI 3000K CXB3590 available. http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut2861 CUTANDROLL discount code.

The added "muscle" of 90CRI 3000K on the red end of the spectrum is attractive to me. I'm already loaded with parts to make 80CRI 3000K CXB3590 luminairs, though.

For passive cooling applications I like the larger surface area of the 3590 series.

Apache Tech AT600 or the Fluence SpydrX Plus should match or better your 1K HPS over a 4x4

Im planning on doing a build similar to grow mou5. But i want to add some extra ir and uv diodes. Does anyone have any suggestions on single 3 or 5 watt ir and uv diodes. What kind of driver would push 15 - 20 of the single diodes?

Djloud said:

Im planning on doing a build similar to grow mou5. But i want to add some extra ir and uv diodes. Does anyone have any suggestions on single 3 or 5 watt ir and uv diodes. What kind of driver would push 15 - 20 of the single diodes?

Click to expand...

Most uv and ir chips run 700-1000ma. Add up the voltage to select the best constant current driver for your needs.

grouch said:

Most uv and ir chips run 700-1000ma. Add up the voltage to select the best constant current driver for your needs.

Click to expand...

Im still not very proficient on adding up current to match drivers yet. Im a fast learner i just started wanting to build a light just to see what i can do. Im gonna make a badass light and show it every step of the way. I hope i can get a lil help along the way from the led vets.

What's people's opinions on the Spydr X Plus? That looks pretty good to me.

Djloud said:

Im planning on doing a build similar to grow mou5. But i want to add some extra ir and uv diodes. Does anyone have any suggestions on single 3 or 5 watt ir and uv diodes. What kind of driver would push 15 - 20 of the single diodes?

Click to expand...

Your going to need around 60-100 watt driver, will depend on whether you want to run all colours on one chaneel opr be able to control IR/UV separately in which case you will need two drivers or a two channel driver, I would suggest UV use Semileds, IR not so straight forward, what wavelength are you after?
Cheers
Mark

welight said:

Your going to need around 60-100 watt driver, will depend on whether you want to run all colours on one chaneel opr be able to control IR/UV separately in which case you will need two drivers or a two channel driver, I would suggest UV use Semileds, IR not so straight forward, what wavelength are you after?
Cheers
Mark

Click to expand...

Not sure im new to this. I know an hps puts out a ton of ir especially the gavita i use. And they work great so i think that with the addition of some ir to a full spectrum led it would boost the light capability. Its a theory. Im gonna try it. What wavelength do u recommend? Any input is well appreciated

Djloud said:

Not sure im new to this. I know an hps puts out a ton of ir especially the gavita i use. And they work great so i think that with the addition of some ir to a full spectrum led it would boost the light capability. Its a theory. Im gonna try it. What wavelength do u recommend? Any input is well appreciated

Click to expand...

Maybee a combo of wavelengths

Using ir as part of the flowering light will induce stretch according to others here who have tried it. It's common to only use them for 5 minutes after lights out to put the girls to sleep quicker.

grouch said:

Using ir as part of the flowering light will induce stretch according to others here who have tried it. It's common to only use them for 5 minutes after lights out to put the girls to sleep quicker.

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I rethought the light and i just want a few ir and uv. Not much . I think it will produce better. Just a theory

Would love to see how it performs

Put you uv on its own driver and ir on its own driver. That way you can control them better. you dont want to blast uv for 12 hours. At least it never worked well for people I saw using it. My schedule is 15 on 3 hours off 30 min 3 hours off 15 on etc. Gives me the frosties for dry sift and doest burn the crap outta my plants. just a thought and my 2 cents

I wonder if small led chips mounted on the same heatsink with larger cobs could be left on for the full 12 hours. At less intense levels they may be just what we are looking for

after I wrote that I was thinking the same. I need to go crunch some number on these 1w 3w 5 w diodes and really see what harm "if any" they are capable of. I just picture those solar storm lights with the t8 uvb bulbs on the side for some reason or another

An idea I had was to make some bars out of aluminum angle that could be mounted to the walls to shine the uv leds down at 45°. Using magnets on the bars and steel yard sticks mounted to the walls I would be able to adjust them to whatever height I want.

wrinkles88 said:

I asked for some suggestions in the main LED thread but only got one response so I am hoping to get a few more in here.

I am currently running 2 1k hps, and I am looking to switch to something that will give roughly the same yield (1gpw) but with the added benefits of LED. My set up is 1k over 4x4 or so.

Now I've looked at both led and diy and I am pretty much lost to all the definitions and what not. So I was hoping to go prebuilt led but it seems no one is really happy with them in the end. I looked at the Apache but they have nothing that I think would be a replacement, I also looked at KingLED 1600w, but it seems no one likes them on this board.

For the diy ive checked out Growmau5 "Cree Mega Panel" and Greengenes "200w Cree". I am sorry if I have missed some other good ones, but I've had to take a lot in. Is there any other ones I should check out?

For the diy what is the difference between 3070 and 3590, is it worth the upgrade?

Please help me out!!

Click to expand...

Wow wrinkles, looks like you've got bad thread karma. First you ask in a larger thread and get no love, then you try to start your own and it gets hijacked. I guess that's the randomness of the interweb.

Personally I don't have the answers to your questions, but hang in there, the answers are out there and eventually either you'll find them, or someone will guide you to them.

As a side note, you don't need to understand the underlying science of how DIY lights work to build one. Just find a successful grower who built a light for the same size space you have, and copy it -- COBs, drivers, heat sinks, everything. That's basically what I did, once you have the right parts its just connecting them. There are some fundamental decisions you'll need to make at the outset (passive or fan cooled, for instance), but there really aren't that many variables.

That said if you can afford to buy one, this seems like a good time to go pre-built. When I was looking six months ago, there were fewer options and I was driven to DIY. If I had the cash flow I'd certainly be buying lights, not parts. Good luck to you.

luv2grow said:

Put you uv on its own driver and ir on its own driver. That way you can control them better. you dont want to blast uv for 12 hours. At least it never worked well for people I saw using it. My schedule is 15 on 3 hours off 30 min 3 hours off 15 on etc. Gives me the frosties for dry sift and doest burn the crap outta my plants. just a thought and my 2 cents

Click to expand...

Cool sounds like a plan to me

grouch said:

Most uv and ir chips run 700-1000ma. Add up the voltage to select the best constant current driver for your needs.

Click to expand...

Thanks