DIY LED Resource Thread: Recommendations, Ideas, Links, Tips, Tricks, Grows and More!

[Douglas.Curtis]

Working on DIY LEDs? Have skills which are useful for DIY electrical projects? Have a tutorial on an LED build? Please, link and share what you've found so others can do the same. I'll keep this post updated as the thread fills with the gems we've gleaned on LEDs.

I want to take a moment and thank all the members who have already contributed here. There is an amazing amount of information available, and all of you make it possible. This exchange of information is what drives progress in leaps and bounds. I, for one, greatly appreciate what you do.

Thank you so very much.

Basic Categories (Any additional suggestions?)

Basic LED Info
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Information About Grow Light Spectrum, PAR, Photosynthesis, Leaf Surface Temperature
Ibchillin
Amazing collection of information on current LED technology and cannabis. Ibchillin, you're doing an awesome job finding all this. Thank you!

Using Spectrum Control to "Design" Your Plant - AKA - Photomorphogenetics
California Light Works
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This covers the effects of spectrum on plant expression, and how to adjust your spectrum for specific results. Full oil production, max flower production, max terpene production or a combination at different times during flower.

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3 days of No-Red-Light before harvest showing an increase in terpene content
Lumigrow.com
Study covering the effects of 3 days of no-red light on several strains. Almost all strains tested showed an increase in terpene content.

[/FONT][/FONT]

Screw In LED (SIL)
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Circuit On Board (COB)
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Basic Information on COB LEDs

Strip
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Drivers
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Recommended Parts/Mfgs
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Have you worked with LEDs? What parts or manufacturers do you recommend and why?

SIL
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Off the Shelf Retail Store Screw In LED and CFL Bulb Comparisons
blynx

COB
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CXB3590 COB LED

Strip
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WIRING BASICS
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SIL
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COB
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CoB LED Basics
ledgardner.com

Strip
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Intro to LED Strip Lighting
Instructables.com

Build Threads
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SILs
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Screw-In around. High Wattage SIL Grows and Designs
Drop That Sound

COBs
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Strips
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Samsung LM561C flexible strips
AvidLerner

My 8 Solostrip DIY Light
Lost in a Sog

My DIY Quantum Boards
warpese

Hybrids
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Grow Diaries
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SILs
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Screw In LED 40x40
Ganjic

El Tigre's LED/ZEN Tent
El Tigre

Blynx's 1 sqft CFL cab & other CFL Micro Cabs (Starts CFL then converted to SIL)
Blynx

ACE (and other sats) Indoor Tricks
Terpene

Chevy's Blumatized Organic Soil LED Mini Grow
Chevy cHaze

-Erminio Bio-SIL Perpetual Garden (Italian)
Erminio

COBs
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Strips
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Hybrids
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Thermodynamics of Cooling Systems
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(would love to find a great tutorial/info thread/post on this subject. Something which explains the differences and challenges of both, or individually.)

Heat Sink Design 101
Free On-Demand Webinar (Link for no account?)

Basics of Water Cooling
AVADirect.com

Passive/Active Air and Water Cooling Designs
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LEDs like to be the cool guy, and efficiency here matters.

PASSIVE
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Air
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Heat Sink Design Guide

Water
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ACTIVE
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Air
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Water
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2.8K Watts of LEDs Being Water Cooled!!!

I'm very excited about the future of LED lighting and technology. Thank you again for participating in this thread, may your projects bring forth many wonderful flowers.


Go BE Awesome!!

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I've begun to add links I know of. Right now I'm just beginning my research. I've recently begun working on integrating more structure in my projects. Though I've been aware of my autism for some time, I've recently been made aware of how severely debilitating my ADHD is. Too late for this project, but I'm beginning to keep more detailed notes on my research. lol

Ultimately I would like to see builds for the more common sized flowering areas. Micro grows and also tents at 2x2, 4x4, 5x5 and 4x8. (Edit: I'm surprised there aren't more around, but I'll keep adding them slowly. Check back often. lol)

Suggestions on formatting are very welcome. A data dump of resources isn't much help if it's not very well organized.

 

[ozzieAI]

REALLY....

 

[EcoNepenthe]

FYI COB (circuit on board)

Stay safe!!!
Success w/ya grow!!!

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

FYI COB (circuit on board)

Stay safe!!!
Success w/ya grow!!!

LOL

Hey thanks. Missed that one.

Keep BEing Awesome!

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

2018 Emerald Cup Symposium
Eric Harrington explains the current state of HID vs. LED lighting, as of the end of 2018
LINK

I found it very enlightening, especially how the new ceramic based chips have reduced the breakdown time significantly. These new chips take over a decade to lose 10% of their output. Unless HID makes some novel changes, I don't see them competing in the next few years at all.

 

[gaiusmarius]

thread cleaned up at the thread starters request. some folks needto please read the terms of service of this site, just to refresh themselves,

we don't allow personal insults and squabbling, or bringing personal bs from another site to this one.

thank you kindly for taking note.

 

[SuperBadGrower]

Wondering about driver on board AC COB leds? (I did, I built a few) Don't bother! Migro tested them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnaVr2Cgspc Results after 3:25.

Blurple: 0.3 ppfd/watt
Warm white: 0.65 ppfd/watt

They're quite bright, but so is 50 watts of fluorescent and we all know how inferior it is. The leds I've tried all have a strong flicker that you can capture on camera, it gives me a headache if I witness the light.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Quality definitely differs from mfg to mfg with these. It'll be nice when I have the equipment to test all this stuff myself. Spectrum output also changes between mfgs.

They tend to do quite a bit better when kept cool, since they have a power limiting factor as the heat goes up. Water cooling does look promising for this, especially with micro-grow spaces. They really shine in small spaces.

 

[SuperBadGrower]

^ Right. I have some more modern ones with solderless connectors which seem a bit better. But it's not a huge improvement. I've also watched the bigclive youtube videos on these with interest . They would be a dream come true: what more would you want than a $2 50w driver on board led? With a $10 cooler+fan that's $12 for 50 watts, nothing can really compete. 2 9v fans running in parallel at 6v will keep 2 of them super cool. But I don't have the balls to try them out because of the worryingly low efficiency reports. I too lack the gear to test things properly. I wish more people would test them; I almost can't believe the low ppfd from the purple one migro tested.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

It's the heatsink he used, I'm sure. I was powering my fans with 5v USB chargers, and the 50w chips were running almost too hot to touch the heat sink. I swapped out the 5v for a real 12v source and they're running very cool now.

I had to raise the lights up a few inches due to the increased output. (still trying to figure out the correct distance)

 

[f-e]

I had a dream, and in this dream, I needed a token gesture heatsink rapidly. So in this dream, I made a pin style heatsink from thermal glue and 1" No10 csk screws. I dreamt the helix actually added to the surface area, if it were open enough to breathe, not such a tight pitch it would impede airflow. Fan's came to mind, a bed of nails, and Frankenstein neck bolts. Before thankfully I awoke.


The 70w led panels that Big Clive looked at are interesting. Up to, and perhaps including 36w (which occurs at 12v) they don't need a heatsink. They're a typical array of leds on an alloy plate. 115x220mm. I think a PC case grow could use a couple stuck to the roof. The PC would provide the 12v psu, to which a variable voltage regulator could be added to set the brightness. It would be a £25 job, for 75w. Similar figures to the 14w superstore lamps, at UK prices. But almost no space required, variable output and light from all angles. PC case winner, or a newbie toaster? lol

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

lol Crazy, right? Too much time with heatsinks and LEDs maybe? hehehehe

I'd like to see a PC grow with those, yes.

 

[Medfinder]

25 socket outdoor light string from harbor frieght 17.99 4 to 1 socket adapters are 2.70 each on ebay each 15000 lumin buld 2700k or 5000k or vedge was under 180 buck..

6000 lumin's per plant at 60 watts each socket

aprox 320 watts per 11hours..

chemrilla strain

 

[Platinumtitty]

Heatsinks

Heatsinks

Get these pieces of steel from work at my disposal. Pretty much endless supply. Started using them as heatsinks and they work pretty good (passively or adding pc fan to be safe) if anyone needs any pieces send me a pm. \m/

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

How big are they? What do they weigh? lol My first thought is an impromptu/surprise rosin press. lol No offense

They look great as heat sinks, seriously.

 

[ion]

good thread D.C, i'll jump in......i could provide the backwoods/halfass/hillbilly approach that produces uber-awesome reefer flowers. more later....im currently getting ready to unfold a new 3x3 with 42 available holes spread evenly separated into 3 banks with height adjustment for the CofGreen....18 flavors!!

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Hey ion, thanks. Looking forward to seeing it

Medfinder, do you have a build or grow diary with those lights? I'd like to link it.

 

[Platinumtitty]

Heatsinks

Heatsinks

How big are they? What do they weigh? lol My first thought is an impromptu/surprise rosin press. lol No offense

They look great as heat sinks, seriously.

They dont look the prettiest, but they sink the heat retry well lol. Rosin press eh? That could be a good odea too. They are various sizes and I can probably find time to cut one to fit your needs. I just grab pieces from scrap bins that are leftover punches from a big hydraulic press. I grabbed a few that are around 6inx12in roughly. Id have to weigh em out but if i had to guess theyre 5+lbs.
ive bought sinks from heatsinks USA and i around 30$ for a 1.5footer. They are heavier, not as pretty, but a cost effective alternative. All the diy stuff has me thinking creatively. Lol.

 

[Platinumtitty]

Ive even cut a junked car audio amplifier into sections to use as heatsinks for my earlier builds. Lol