Using a phone charger as LED power supply?

biostudent said:

I wouldn't be surprised if I fucked something up. My knowledge and dexterity in this field was limited to plugging cables in the wall, before this build, or "call an electrician before your house catches fire".

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Well it looks like you have the right people helping you out. Which is a major bonus with this project.

biostudent said:

Well.. I don't have spare computer ps cords but I might have some regular power extension cords (but they don't have a ground wire i think). Will these work? If not, if I go to a hardware store, is there any specific wire/cord I should be looking for?

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Yes, regular extension cords will work.

Finally got it to work. 1 6500k strip didn't work. I'm guessing bad soldering joints. I will resolder tomorrow and mount them in my setup.
Just wondering what would happen if I left it as is.. would the other strips be affected?

Thanks everyone for the great help!!!

biostudent said:

Finally got it to work. 1 6500k strip didn't work. I'm guessing bad soldering joints. I will resolder tomorrow and mount them in my setup.
Just wondering what would happen if I left it as is.. would the other strips be affected?

Thanks everyone for the great help!!!

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In not sure what you mean by as is. But in case you're wondering about your off strip,,,, if no power is getting to a circuit it went have an effect to the rest of the circuit

Had a minor fuck up. The strips were supposed to be alternating but somehow I put them in 2's.

biostudent said:

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Had a minor fuck up. The strips were supposed to be alternating but somehow I put them in 2's.

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lmao i did the same shit trying to alternate rows of 3000k and 4000k. i ended up having to peel up a non-flexible strip with razor blades and my thumb slid under lengthwise. caused me to bleed from rubbing against the thermal tape. THAT stuff is no joke holy heck.

Awesome looking panel biostudent!

iHearAll said:

lmao i did the same shit trying to alternate rows of 3000k and 4000k. i ended up having to peel up a non-flexible strip with razor blades and my thumb slid under lengthwise. caused me to bleed from rubbing against the thermal tape. THAT stuff is no joke holy heck.

Awesome looking panel biostudent!

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Thanks.
I didn't wanna peel it off cuz I'm afraid the adhesive might wear off and I might damage the chips because the strip layer in between is really, really thin and looks fragile. Also, I don't know what to put as replacement. Not too bothered either.

I'm testing the vegetative phase of growth. I haven't found very conclusive evidence of why high-powered chips are better than low-powered if the overall wattage is same. In the shelf above, I have two LED panels of 3blue:1red, 72W each, 3W chips. 144W (red blue) vs 194W (full spectrum). I still think the full spectrum will yield better results. What do you guys think?



Btw thanks for all the help.

I actually really like the grow I did under full spectrum cobs. Unfortunately I burned them out in one run. It was a smellier and hashier plant from my perspective. Hashier than mono that is.

How did you burn them out?

I'm not sure if my strips are gonna last as long as they are supposed to. I mounted them on 1/8" wooden board and it gets hot around 40C/104F. I don't think I can even add a heat sink at this point.

biostudent said:

How did you burn them out?

I'm not sure if my strips are gonna last as long as they are supposed to. I mounted them on 1/8" wooden board and it gets hot around 40C/104F. I don't think I can even add a heat sink at this point.

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Incorrect heatsinks. They were 30v 3.5a chips on an active cooled heatsinks but still was not enough. I think I powered them to 2a on a car amplifier heatsink which was the problem. I would try them again if I found them at a price comparable to led strips.