The Chinese Quantum Board Knock Off Builds

[Rocket Soul]

Hi guys
Another person looking at Chinese QBs. Kingbrite have got back to me, one board with LM301b diodes and the other with LCM561C...
Which is better?
Cheers!

Depends on price and how much you want to cover.
We tried both and on our setup it made more sense to use lm561c, it was near double the price to lm301b.
Another way to judge it: whats the price of 301b board with heatsink visavi 2 x 561c boards with no heat sink? If its more or less the same id go for 2 boards run at half power rather than 1 board with better spec. You get more light (and spread) by doubling your diodes rather than using a 7 % more efficient board.
But if you are setting up one space and want to maximize it it makes sense to use 301b. But you can again apply the same criteria: compare what your full order costs if you double the boards and lose the heatsinks. If its close, like 20-30% id go for double boards with no heatsink.

 

[shiva71]

Cheers RS, actually im a very small scale grower, will be using a 2 x 2 ft tent. So a one lamp set up. The kit with 301s is $7 more than 561 so its either or.
Cheers!

 

[Rocket Soul]

In that case 301b all the way.

 

[shiva71]

Brilliant, much appreciated RS!

 

[OLD MOTHER SATIVA]

I have 2 cheap Chinese leds with (epileds COBs) and 3watt osram chips. Each 240 watt with veg and bloom switch. I also have a high pressure sodium 400 watt I’m basically using these as supplemental light in 4x4 grow tent. https://www.amazon.com/Hipargero-Lights-Indoor-Plants-Spectrum/dp/B075XSFB5X
I’ve done a lot of research and I finally decided to buy these a week or so ago and they seem to be pretty decent but they have 120° Lens. I asked Customer service and they told me they use these for (whatever reasons) I forgot. Anyways I can send these back if I need to but my mind is boggled at this point from all the information about lighting. I know I should’ve started out simple but did not do that. Do You think I should keep these and just remove the glass lens covering the COB? Or go a different rout. These are the 800 W version not the 400 in the link
I should have mentioned that I have cheap Chinese things from Amazon instead of just saying I have CO B’s thanks for any help

sorry ..i thought you had some good cobs..then yes ..good cobs..orgood panels would help you..there is plenty of good adiice here

 

[Rocket Soul]

I have 2 cheap Chinese leds with (epileds COBs) and 3watt osram chips. Each 240 watt with veg and bloom switch. I also have a high pressure sodium 400 watt I’m basically using these as supplemental light in 4x4 grow tent. https://www.amazon.com/Hipargero-Lights-Indoor-Plants-Spectrum/dp/B075XSFB5X
I’ve done a lot of research and I finally decided to buy these a week or so ago and they seem to be pretty decent but they have 120° Lens. I asked Customer service and they told me they use these for (whatever reasons) I forgot. Anyways I can send these back if I need to but my mind is boggled at this point from all the information about lighting. I know I should’ve started out simple but did not do that. Do You think I should keep these and just remove the glass lens covering the COB? Or go a different rout. These are the 800 W version not the 400 in the link
I should have mentioned that I have cheap Chinese things from Amazon instead of just saying I have CO B’s thanks for any help

This is what i i would do, not having been able really to assess your led lights and assuming you got the dough:
Return those led lights. Amazon tends to be real shitty lights.
Get 3 FoTop boards from meijiu and a hlg480h-48A and some 4 way wago connections to connect those in parallel.
Go for lm561c s6 diodes for the 3 fotops. The lm301b isnt worth it imo at almost double the price. 3000-3500k spectrum. No heatsinks.
For summer or anytime its easy to maintain 81-84°F: use the 3 boards
For winter or anytime you have problems maintaining heat: remove one board and replace it with your 400w hps. Use either vertical or a batwing reflector that is less than 2 feet wide or long. And dim the boards appropriately, 2 boards cant take a full 480 w of the driver. Thats your year around setup.

 

[Midnight Warrior]

Just flipped them to flower and so far they are loving the QBs. The bagseed Purple Trainwreck is the star of the show.

 

[Labrador weed]

This is what i i would do, not having been able really to assess your led lights and assuming you got the dough:
Return those led lights. Amazon tends to be real shitty lights.
Get 3 FoTop boards from meijiu and a hlg480h-48A and some 4 way wago connections to connect those in parallel.
Go for lm561c s6 diodes for the 3 fotops. The lm301b isnt worth it imo at almost double the price. 3000-3500k spectrum. No heatsinks.
For summer or anytime its easy to maintain 81-84°F: use the 3 boards
For winter or anytime you have problems maintaining heat: remove one board and replace it with your 400w hps. Use either vertical or a batwing reflector that is less than 2 feet wide or long. And dim the boards appropriately, 2 boards cant take a full 480 w of the driver. Thats your year around setup.

That sounds like a really good idea and I think I’m bout to do everything you just said.
I’m guessing I can just take one of the fotop boards to use for veg And just lower the wattage right? because I definitely need to have one for veg. And then I would be just using the other two with my HPS.
Or I could use my HPS as a veg light with MH bulb and then 3 fotops for flower.
I am very ignorant in this whole lighting thing and very confused.
Also 3000 K is usually better for flowering right? and 4000 is usually better for veg?
Also I would like to add I was reading some things about mixing HID with LED lights and it giving a much better yield. is this a possibility compared to just using LED?
Also how do I make sure I’m getting the right price? Do Their prices fluctuate? I’m looking to spend somewhere around $500 or less... hopefully around 300 but more is ok
Lastly should I try to do anything with full spectrum at all? sorry if this is a lot. Feel free to answer however you feel like. help is much appreciated thanks

 

[Rocket Soul]

That sounds like a really good idea and I think I’m bout to do everything you just said.
I’m guessing I can just take one of the fotop boards to use for veg And just lower the wattage right? because I definitely need to have one for veg. And then I would be just using the other two with my HPS.
Or I could use my HPS as a veg light with MH bulb and then 3 fotops for flower.
I am very ignorant in this whole lighting thing and very confused.
Also 3000 K is usually better for flowering right? and 4000 is usually better for veg?
Also I would like to add I was reading some things about mixing HID with LED lights and it giving a much better yield. is this a possibility compared to just using LED?
Also how do I make sure I’m getting the right price? Do Their prices fluctuate? I’m looking to spend somewhere around $500 or less... hopefully around 300 but more is ok
Lastly should I try to do anything with full spectrum at all? sorry if this is a lot. Feel free to answer however you feel like. help is much appreciated thanks

First of all i think you are over thinking the lighting part of your grow. Getting a good light in your tent is useless if you cannot control your environment properly. Whats your plan for that? Extraction/intraction of air? From where (your house or from outside?) Or will it be sealed with CO2 in some form? Is it humid, dry, hot or cold where you grow? How will you control heat or cold and humidity? And what about the smell, carbon filter etc? All of this is at least as important as lighting, but this thread is probably not the right place for those questions. The easy answer for these questions is: a good extraction fan with variable speed with a controller that turns the extraction on/higher when it gets too hot. And a heater with a thermostat and something that takes care of the humidity. So check out some threads about setting up growrooms for this

As for lighting: all of the stuff you say are doable. If you wanna veg and flower with maybe one board get it in 3500k. And the other 2 in 3000k. If your short of cash dont think too much about another vegg tent, cause it means you need another extractor heater tent, power supply etc. Do your first cycle in your 4x4 and figure it out from there. For a soft vegg you can even get some cheap led light bulbs, either in neutral white or mix half an half cold and warm.
HPS and led complement eachother naturally in a cold environment. HPS has a fair bit of far red and infrared which helps the plant to flowrr and drink more.
Buying: i cant tell you what price they will give you, its its usually around 75-80$ per fotop board with rita/meijiu. Shipping is pretry steep about 120$ but with dhl so you get it real fast. Dont get your powersupply from china, if you have a problem you need to send it to china for warranty. Perhaps several times. Digikeys prices are more or less the same and then you have a US supplier.
Full spectrum: seems to do a nice vegg and can flower if you find a good light.
Now get growing son, its too easy not to start just cause youre fuzzing over details.

 

[Labrador weed]

First of all i think you are over thinking the lighting part of your grow. Getting a good light in your tent is useless if you cannot control your environment properly. Whats your plan for that? Extraction/intraction of air? From where (your house or from outside?) Or will it be sealed with CO2 in some form? Is it humid, dry, hot or cold where you grow? How will you control heat or cold and humidity? And what about the smell, carbon filter etc? All of this is at least as important as lighting, but this thread is probably not the right place for those questions. The easy answer for these questions is: a good extraction fan with variable speed with a controller that turns the extraction on/higher when it gets too hot. And a heater with a thermostat and something that takes care of the humidity. So check out some threads about setting up growrooms for this

As for lighting: all of the stuff you say are doable. If you wanna veg and flower with maybe one board get it in 3500k. And the other 2 in 3000k. If your short of cash dont think too much about another vegg tent, cause it means you need another extractor heater tent, power supply etc. Do your first cycle in your 4x4 and figure it out from there. For a soft vegg you can even get some cheap led light bulbs, either in neutral white or mix half an half cold and warm.
HPS and led complement eachother naturally in a cold environment. HPS has a fair bit of far red and infrared which helps the plant to flowrr and drink more.
Buying: i cant tell you what price they will give you, its its usually around 75-80$ per fotop board with rita/meijiu. Shipping is pretry steep about 120$ but with dhl so you get it real fast. Dont get your powersupply from china, if you have a problem you need to send it to china for warranty. Perhaps several times. Digikeys prices are more or less the same and then you have a US supplier.
Full spectrum: seems to do a nice vegg and can flower if you find a good light.
Now get growing son, its too easy not to start just cause youre fuzzing over details.

I have everything except lights figured out.
But I agree with you on overthinking it.
I’m just way in deep in information on led lights and I wish I had a never look at anything in the first place lol and just stuck with my HPS and stayed simple.
My temperature stays between 68 and 80° depending on whether light is off or on. Humidity between 45 and 60. ( no co2)
I have 6 inch carbon filter pulling air out of tent into the room that it’s in And a 4 inch sucking air in from a different room into the tent. It seems to be going pretty well so far everything looks good I’m just stuck on all this New lighting technology and it’s making my Head to turn around in circles.
I appreciate you helping me and all the information you supplied me with thanks
Basically I just want to get the right lighting so I don’t have to buy anymore for a while.
I fully admit I am a noob But I am a self-sufficient and determined noob. (I just get a bit overwhelmed with information especially when everybody has a different opinion.
That being said I’ve been researching LED lights for weeks now and finally decided that quantum boards are probably the best thing to get especially since china has a pretty good deal on them.
This photo was a week or so ago before I switched to 12/12 I Would take a newer one but lights are off at the moment
also you can see it’s packed I had to get rid of a few heartbreaking.
(I Sacrificed them away from all the other ones so they couldn’t see

 

[Labrador weed]

Thanks for helping me everyone
I ordered 3 of the 240 watt quantum boards on alibaba and will be here pretty soon.
Wanted to add there are some pretty good deals on ebay for quantum boards, whole setups or just single boards. They are from China and have long shipping but it’s also free, it’s a better deal than alibaba depending on him much u want to purchace and if your ok with waiting a month.
One last thing does anyone know if there is any added Benefit to running cob with quantum boards? and if so what would that be. I’m not Planing on buying any anytime soon I just curious and obsessed with LEDs NOW!!!

 

[OLD MOTHER SATIVA]

finally got around to using the 4' metal samsung 561 strips i had made a few years ago

they do grow pretty good....

 

[Opie1971]

finally got around to using the 4' metal samsung 561 strips i had made a few years ago

they do grow pretty good....View attachment 4250036

Yeah, kinda looks that way don't it?
Looking good OMS.

 

[Labrador weed]

finally got around to using the 4' metal samsung 561 strips i had made a few years ago

they do grow pretty good....View attachment 4250036

Shit yea they do

 

[Hurricane09]

@Rocket Soul, do you know how many amps you are drawing with 3 Fotops with an HLG 480? I just ordered 6 Fotops and 2 480s, so should be rolling soon!

 

[Rocket Soul]

Depends on if youre running 110 or 220 Volts. Should be in the datasheet perhaps?
On full power these should draw about 1010 watts. Divide by voltage to get amp draw. But the meanwells are usually underrated: they give a little bit more power than what they are rated for so could be a little bit more.

Tl;dr: about the same as one 1000w hps

 

[Airwalker16]

@Rocket Soul, do you know how many amps you are drawing with 3 Fotops with an HLG 480? I just ordered 6 Fotops and 2 480s, so should be rolling soon!

Whatd Rita hook you up on for price?

 

[Labrador weed]

Whatd Rita hook you up on for price?

Hey I have a question about the shipping from China. I got mine from the same peeps as Rita (Meijiu) but a girl named Emily help me. my questions is Why did they ship my order in three separate boxes I got 3 full kits of fo lite (The ones that separate from each other using a 240 meanwhile driver) with meanwhile driver cause I didn’t feel like ordering separate things But my question is why did they ship it in three separate boxes? my shipping came out to $120 DHL seemed pretty good because 3 fotop kits were 180 shipping.
Could I have saved money by having them shipped in one box? I got my three complete folite kits for 175 each lm309 diodes ( cheapest they could go because I got the ones that separate from each other)
For 666 bucks (no demon puns hidden)
Including shipping. Im on the East coast.
Just wondering if I could’ve saved any money also helpful for future reference
Does this sound right?
Opening my boxes now

 

[Airwalker16]

Hey I have a question about the shipping from China. I got mine from the same peeps as Rita but a girl named Emily help me. my questions is Why did they ship my order in three separate boxes I got 3 full kits of fo lite (The ones that separate from each other using a 240 meanwhile driver) with meanwhile driver cause I didn’t feel like ordering separate things But my question is why did they ship it in three separate boxes? my shipping came out to $120 DHL seemed pretty good because 3 fotop kits were 180 shipping.
Could I have saved money by having them shipped in one box? I got my three complete folite kits for 175 each lm309 diodes ( cheapest they could go because I got the ones that separate from each other)
For 666 bucks (no demon puns hidden)
Including shipping. Im on the East coast.
Just wondering if I could’ve saved any money also helpful for future reference
Does this sound right?
Opening my boxes now

Maybe they just ship kits individually.

 

[Labrador weed]

Maybe they just ship kits individually.

I’m just curious if anybody else has had their order shipped in separate boxes
I’m guessing you only buy the boards from them. And yeah you’re probably right about the kits