HOw to contruct a DIY LED GROWLIGHT

[Dion]

no issues so i went ahead and greased the chips



then i did the other bar



seen as this was 2 bars but 1 unit i joined them with some rods and decided to mount the drivers to those rods i just taped it down at the end and used those screw connector things







and beacuse i wanted it to be waterproof i layed some tape and preperd for siliconing

 

[Dion]

then i applied the silicon



and after it dried i removed the tape


easy right?

then about 2 years later i built some cobs

 

[Dion]

i apologise because i had planned to do a detailed tutorial but i got distracted during so didnt even get all the photos but the procress is the same regardless of what type of chips drivers n sinks u use

there r plenty of vids on youtube and for selecting your parts just step into my other thread and ill help you out

so first a shot of what you will need( i apologise id already drilled the sink when i took this)


so we have:

chips
driver
sink
chip holder
TIM- i used pads because i just couldnt find my grease

you will also need some wire, screws/bolts n nuts
i like the chip holders with electrical connection for cobs as well as pads for noobs- basically you can build an led growlight without soldering or drilling-its like lego



first i checked so see which side was flattest to mount the chips on





i drilled all the way through because i didnt have a tap tool the right size and was using pads so just used nuts and bolts( in this case the holder was moot just had it to hold down the soldered wires)

 

[Dion]

next i checked the holes were correct and polished the sink


then i put a plug on the driver ac side


and soldered the chips

 

[Dion]

(sorry had to run down to the bank and lost focus on the tute from here)

then connected the driver as well( using screw clamp things)
next i tested the volts/amps

after that i used the pad to connect the chip
and then i hung it up and tested temps on the chip(check the chips pdf it has a spot you can rig a sensor to that gives the tj temp)and the sink( to be sure that heat is transferring to it)


everything was fine but the temps were a bit high( still usualble but the cooler they run the more efficient/more lumens they produce) so i decided to add a fan- am waiting for it to arrive

 

[Dready_jake]

Dope. Saving for later as others did. Gonna build a "1000 watt killer" one day

 

[CannaBuilding]

Great tute Dion, reall good info mate, thankyou for posting up, much appreciated.

I dont remember were i read it, if it was this thread or another, But im wondering why its not a good idea to connect to LED drivers in Parallel, E.g a meanwell 185 c500 Variable voltage driver, contant current driver, current of 500ma, Connecting 2 in parallel,making the current 1a.

As im in the process of ordering parts for a cob LED light im making to add to my current LED grow.

I also was looking at some Epistar Cob LEDS with drivers that go for about 15us shipping from Aliexpress/Alibaba, The drivers are only 1500ma, when the LEDs can handle 3a, thats something im looking for, But at the same time saving money, on a student budget. Anyone have any luck with these type of COB LEDS, I have read alot of positive results from Cree cobs, but they are way out of my prices range.

Any info would be much appreciated.

 

[Dion]

cxa rebuild

cxa rebuild

as u know i had a lot of issues with the passive heatinsk for the cobs so i rebuilt this unit
still have to rewire it but its up and running-looks like this