LED FAQ) Building and DIY

[John LOQUE]

So i gutted the failed driver i have. It's first full of a solid foam, that makes it waterproof but not good for cooling purposes. I had to remove the foam with a cutter, little by little, to see the components and the PCB.
Something has burnt, a solder on the pcb to a little fuse at the input of the circuit. The first thing is a fuse, the fuse is dead and the pcb has got a hole where there was the solder.
So there are capacitors, electrolytic and tantalium, a big resistor, a big diode, a little transformer and very little diodes and IC's, a voltage regulator or bridge, i don't know. Well really not easy to reverse the schemo because of too tiny components...

So if someone has got info about that, i'll take it. The goal is to build only one power supply for one tent, so maybe a 400w led driver. But with cooling system, and good components...

 

[Koondense]

It should be basically a gretz with some capacitors in parallel to smooth out the spikes, wired along with a transformer part for proper voltage output.
But to be sure I should open up my driver...
Obviously I won't do it because it's of good use right now
Please post your findings when you can.

Cheers

 

[John LOQUE]

It should be basically a gretz with some capacitors in parallel to smooth out the spikes, wired along with a transformer part for proper voltage output.
But to be sure I should open up my driver...
Obviously I won't do it because it's of good use right now
Please post your findings when you can.

Cheers

If you're interested, i searched the web and i found maybe a solution : the idea is to use constant current adjustable voltage regulator, like the LM350. It delivers 3A of an adjustable voltage up to 33V. So i can power 2x33V cob's in // at 1500 mA each. Are there cob's that run at 33V ? i don't remember...LOL...So before the LM350, a gretz bridge, some capacitors and it's ok. A big heatsink for the voltage reg. So it does not work exactly as a led driver, as it does not set to the led voltage automatically, but it possible to use it as a led driver. I found some examples with the LM317 and led's, but it's only 100 mA, and we need more. BUT here is the idea ...

 

[Dion]

Actually, yes. I think the LPC-60-1400 will do nicely

http://www.jameco.com/1/1/52093-hlg...led-power-supply-constant-current-design.html

 

[Dion]

If you're interested, i searched the web and i found maybe a solution : the idea is to use constant current adjustable voltage regulator, like the LM350. It delivers 3A of an adjustable voltage up to 33V. So i can power 2x33V cob's in // at 1500 mA each. Are there cob's that run at 33V ? i don't remember...LOL...So before the LM350, a gretz bridge, some capacitors and it's ok. A big heatsink for the voltage reg. So it does not work exactly as a led driver, as it does not set to the led voltage automatically, but it possible to use it as a led driver. I found some examples with the LM317 and led's, but it's only 100 mA, and we need more. BUT here is the idea ...

How (in)efficient will taht be?

Do u really think u can desighn a better driver than a professional by looking on the web?

And then if the efficiency is less why spend all the money on expensive cobs?
Wholisticaly speaking why not just use hps? If the heat than just add aircon,no?

It's a cool idea but I'm doubtful anyone will be able to do it

Have u read old guy's threads yet?

 

[God bless]

Thank you Dion for taking the time to make this forum. I was considering buying an led and do a grow from germination to flower, but now I'm thinking it is best to build my own with the $500-$600 I was thinking about spending. Only thing is I'm a bit intimidated with all the things I need to know. I'm not too electronically savvy, I have installed a few ceiling fans lol, but that's about it. Not sure if I can pull off building a good led light that will last me.

 

[John LOQUE]

How (in)efficient will taht be?

Do u really think u can desighn a better driver than a professional by looking on the web?

And then if the efficiency is less why spend all the money on expensive cobs?
Wholisticaly speaking why not just use hps? If the heat than just add aircon,no?

It's a cool idea but I'm doubtful anyone will be able to do it

Have u read old guy's threads yet?

????????????????????

 

[Dion]

Thank you Dion for taking the time to make this forum. I was considering buying an led and do a grow from germination to flower, but now I'm thinking it is best to build my own with the $500-$600 I was thinking about spending. Only thing is I'm a bit intimidated with all the things I need to know. I'm not too electronically savvy, I have installed a few ceiling fans lol, but that's about it. Not sure if I can pull off building a good led light that will last me.

the hard part is matching the parts and working with ur space

thats what im here for

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdN6d0v814

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EULTIEf3fSI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elBzBTtE78I

 

[Dion]

????????????????????

i mean that there is no benefit to persue this way

u r just reinventing the wheel( just my opinion if u prove me wrong I will be very happy to learn)

 

[mugenbao]

So, fired up a DIY LED fixture for the first time today.....

Holy crap!

I guess I should have known not to look straight at it when I fired it up, but I failed to look away for whatever reason. Still seeing spots. Pretty insane

Already working on the next one, which is going to be larger and a lot less ghetto than this one. Gonna put this one into service in the meantime, though

 

[jesbuds]

Whelp, pulled the trigger on some LED stuff, (6) 3070's, (2) HLG185s, DC fan adapter and some ideal chip-lock connectors. Figure I'll fit the rest locally (heatsinks/wires/fans/casing/etc). Been itching for a new DIY project and this seemed like a fun choice.

Thanks again for the thread and inspiration.

 

[Dion]

So, fired up a DIY LED fixture for the first time today.....

Holy crap!

I guess I should have known not to look straight at it when I fired it up, but I failed to look away for whatever reason. Still seeing spots. Pretty insane

Already working on the next one, which is going to be larger and a lot less ghetto than this one. Gonna put this one into service in the meantime, though

lol i know i cant help it either

hahaha

 

[krood]

Hey dion, i basically have the same setup as jesbuds except i have alpine eleven heatsinks. I bought some screws from the hardware store labeled as 4-1/2 and called metal screws they look like theyre going to fit fine, but should i worry about the What the screws are made out of, i know not to use brass. Also i am having a hqrd time finding a tap this small do you think that i would be ok using a pilot hole and just drilling the screws in by themselves?

 

[Dion]

Hey dion, i basically have the same setup as jesbuds except i have alpine eleven heatsinks. I bought some screws from the hardware store labeled as 4-1/2 and called metal screws they look like theyre going to fit fine, but should i worry about the What the screws are made out of, i know not to use brass. Also i am having a hqrd time finding a tap this small do you think that i would be ok using a pilot hole and just drilling the screws in by themselves?

Hey, any steel screw usually labeled for metal or self tapping will work.

Drill the hole the size of the screw minus thread,

Or look into push pull rivots

 

[krood]

Ok, thanks for the tip

 

[jesbuds]

I always like how I have no concept of how large something is until I see it, like damn these COBs are tiny but the power supplies are pretty damn beefy. Now the fun part of putting this together!

 

[mugenbao]

Yeah, the power supplies can be a bit large. The Meanwell LPC-60 models are 163x43x32mm, and if you're using a driver that can power multiple cobs they are predictably even larger.

the chip loks wont fit on that cooler

the chiplok for 3070 is 58.4mm diameter that cpu cooler is 45ish mm width(the raised part on the bottom).

so no there is not a chiplok that fits the 3070 and also this sink

he needs to use a different cpu cooler or go with kapton tape and grease to mount

Since I was waiting for the new heatsinks to arrive, I thought I'd go ahead and give it a shot anyways. I managed to line everything up so that the entire underside of the LES is in contact with the heatsink, and the chip-lok holder contacts the heatsink at the metal dimples as well as at the plastic nubs under the contacts and seems solid and flat. As far as I can tell, it works perfectly. Though some of the cob holder's rim does protrude beyond the profile of the bottom bevelled area on the heatsink, it seems that the most important contact points can be aligned to fit if you're careful.

Having said that, I wouldn't recommend it. There are better options, and I'd rather mount the holder on a flat properly-sized heatsink any day. I only did this because I was impatient.

 

[mugenbao]

Hey dion, i basically have the same setup as jesbuds except i have alpine eleven heatsinks. I bought some screws from the hardware store labeled as 4-1/2 and called metal screws they look like theyre going to fit fine, but should i worry about the What the screws are made out of, i know not to use brass. Also i am having a hqrd time finding a tap this small do you think that i would be ok using a pilot hole and just drilling the screws in by themselves?

I used a 3/32" drill bit (closest I had, very close to the proper metric size) and #4 self-tapping screws. It was super easy and fairly quick.

Hey, any steel screw usually labeled for metal or self tapping will work.

Drill the hole the size of the screw minus thread,

Or look into push pull rivots

I'm sure any screws will work if you drill the proper hole, like Dion said. There are many charts on the internet that show the right size drill bit to use for any type of screw.

 

[jesbuds]

Yeah, the power supplies can be a bit large. The Meanwell LPC-60 models are 163x43x32mm, and if you're using a driver that can power multiple cobs they are predictably even larger.

Yea I got the HLG185 so one of the larger ones.

Quick question if anyone knows (researching now for myself), the DIM leads on these power supplies are for hookup to a dimmer switch correct? I don't plan to dim anything so probably just going to cap them off but want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Edit: Reading the datasheet through would have answered that for me (doh! stupid me, it would be there), figured it out.

 

[mugenbao]

Yea I got the HLG185 so one of the larger ones.

Yikes. 228x68x39mm is a little bit larger than the ones I use, lol

Quick question if anyone knows (researching now for myself), the DIM leads on these power supplies are for hookup to a dimmer switch correct? I don't plan to dim anything so probably just going to cap them off but want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Yes, on the B models it is for hooking up to an external dimmer like a resistor/potentiometer combo, etc.

I am almost certain you don't want to cap them off. I'm trying to find the original post I read on that, but in the meantime I remember someone mentioning why you don't want to short that circuit and suggesting at least a simple resistor instead.