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Building a Home Made LED

caljim

I'm on the edge. Of what I'm not sure.
Veteran
Can someone pkease link me to the correct potentiometer to dim a meanwell driver HBG-100-36B. Thanks for the help.
 
You'd think we're in a COB specific thread lately :)

I have a few questions, since I haven't seen much discussion of them recently. This all refers to single LED emitters on aluminum pcb's, run on 1000-1400mA Meanwell constant current drivers.

So, which Cree LEDs do you recommend? I have some XM-L but need more. Should I be looking at XP-G3, XP-G2 or XM-L2? The reason I list these is because they need to be able to run on the same strings as the XM-L's I already have.

What do you now use for veg and flower, in terms of WW, NW, CW ratios? I do not want to use anything other than Whites (because simplicity, aesthetics). I have a couple unused heatsinks 250x40x30mm that I plan to use for a veg light. Maybe 6-7 LEDs at 1000mA. Doable? Colour temperature ratios?
I also want to use approx. 400x150x30mm heatsinks for a flowering light. Maybe 12-14 LEDs at 1400mA. Again, what colour temperature ratios and chip classes do you recommend? The idea is to use two of these fixtures for a space a little bigger than 50cm squared. And by building more it would be possible to scale up to larger spaces.

I have read this whole thread and some others, I know there are a lot of comments about WW, NW, CW ratios; the idea of leaving out CW for flower and WW for veg. Is this still what some of you are doing? Any advances on that?

Just to make sure: Can I run XP-G3's and XM-L's and XM-L2's on the same string? I don't see any reason why not but have never had more than one type on a string.

Let me know your thoughts...!
 

Dion

Active member
really depends on what bin and price, more lower bins run softer can be better than less high bins run harder

work out your max budget then figure your max lumens
 
really depends on what bin and price, more lower bins run softer can be better than less high bins run harder

work out your max budget then figure your max lumens

Let's assume that my budget can accommodate the small differences in prices of bins, and the price difference of various emitter models.

How do you mean lower bins run softer (less current I guess you mean) can be better? Better in terms of what, precisely? Lumen efficiency? Well of course, that's kind of a given. Any design or prototype of mine will consider heat management and lumen/watt efficiency as among the most important parameters.

By the way what's the point of figuring out max lumens? Without detailed physical information on my design OR testing of a prototype (with equipment that I don't have) there are too many variables for this kind of consideration to be of much value. I have tried to make such calculations, and very quickly concluded that it is better to decide on a range of acceptable/required Watts per Area (using the knowledge of many people in many threads here and elsewhere), and then make sure that the design will deliver Lumens within the manufacturer specs for the current being used, by employing good heat management. Or am I misunderstanding your suggestion?

Any thoughts on any of the questions in my previous post?
 

Dion

Active member
Hey man unless I'm goofing here I'm seeing that the Vero 29s typically have a forward Voltage of about 50V. The driver I picked has an output of 154V; would this not mean the driver is nearly maxed out at 3 chips rather than 4 (4 would be over 200V and would not be sufficient to light as I understand it.)

Is there something I'm missing here? Am I looking at the wrong chips/driver?

3 versions of the vero 29, dif voltages, slightly dif prices

I'm suggesting the 36v because that seems to be more easily available


BUT I HAVE NO CONCLUSIVE THEORY
I'm also trying to decide which chips/cobs to go with for my new garden space....

let me know what you come up with
:tiphat:
 

earthwyrms

Active member
cheapest option i have seen so far, a $7 50W COB with built in driver

cheapest option i have seen so far, a $7 50W COB with built in driver

Working Voltage:AC 170-300V adapter 220V 240V AC
Lamp Power: 50W +-10%
Connect type: L N solder pad
Lamp Color: full spectrum 380nm-840nm
Dimension: L87*W53*H4mm


Advantage:
This led chip adapter the new technology, the chip built-in the led driver in to the lamp module,
people do not need additional larger led driver for that. the module save more the room place to install the lamp in small lamp.
the electronic compent are uesed waterproof glue, so it can use for the mistureproof place ."


i was looking for data on drivers i have, when

I SAW THIS $6.94 50W COB 380nm - 840nm LED chip

http://www.ebay.com/itm/50W-170-265...r-380NM-840NM-Full-Spectrum-LED-/262703085255

they are reportedly bridgelux. i suppose it is achieved with phosphor technology, like (most?, all?) the "white" LEDs do.

the quantum efficiency, like all phosphor based LEDs, will probably not come close to monochromatic LEDs, but it is probably on par with or better than white LEDs.

(if anyone has data otherwise please share)(also, i think some led technology that outputs wide spetra, have a stacking arrangement of many semiconductor layers (more than the normal amount and quantum wells or something (unless that is all LEDs, well anyway, it looks like they build it like minecraft or something, with a higher mountain area and and block like, if you see pictures in google images, you'll know what to look for)). i am not sure if some of the current "vero" white LEDs don't use phosphors, but it seems most to all do, and absorbtion and re-emmision of energy, loses energy generally (but i believe in bob lazar, heat to energy 100% efficiency, some of you know what i mean). if anyone has data on the LED technology and/or this bridgelux plant spectrum technology, please share it)

EDIT: for US 120V to 220V converter/transformer is needed and maybe a surge protector strip, in case all the chips are run with their own plugs.
 

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Rageous8899

Question regarding my steves led driver

Question regarding my steves led driver

Hey i saw this forum has lots of replies and i figuref someone here might be able to help me. I bought this steves LED single driver 700 ma 24.5 volts with dimmer. The thing is. It looks way different compared to my meanwell drivers and i feel like this little thing shouldnt power 24.5 volts of 1-3 watt chips. I hqve a few pics of previous builds where i wire the series and then use wago clips to my driver. Im just seeing if anyone knows if this is the same concept? Its all snap together so i hqve no wires showing like the usual drivers and i wanna make sure its right
 

gbauto

Member
Also just noticed-the 'A' version of that Meanwell doesn't use an external dimming function-just an internal pot.
 

denaturace

New member
Hi, I want to order on a rapidled light for a microgrow. I want to use Solderless LED. I have a surface of about 9 "x 5" aluminum cooler. I want to put 12 pieces. how to choose the worst combination. Do you know any other Solderless LED supplier?
 

hayday

Well-known member
Veteran
A quick question...

A quick question...

I'm building a new room and want my drivers outside the grow space. Is 20' of 18-2 too long a run?I'll be running between 100 watts and 360 watts a leg.
Is this O.K?
 

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
I'm building a new room and want my drivers outside the grow space. Is 20' of 18-2 too long a run?I'll be running between 100 watts and 360 watts a leg.
Is this O.K?

What's that? about 7 amps with a 50v driver. Down a 1mm2 copper 20 foot long. You're nowhere near it's capacity at that


Things have moved on a bit since this thread was started. I'm not sure there is anything to save making your own now. The OP paid about $200 for 100w but that's a mirror strip of 7 14w lamps that might cost $50 now. 240w lm301 QB's arrive at 75c a watt. We make our own for fun and special circumstances now
 

Rageous

Member
I've done almost the same build. It's nice. Plants love it. But I've found that building a cob setup hits alot harder and performs better
 

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