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LED FAQ) Building and DIY
- Thread starter Dion
- Start date
Safe Gardener
Active member
Well, Had to post to show the LED light I managed to finally assemble based on the support I got from Dion and the good folks on this list. I figured by the time I get this built, it would be out of date, but what the heck. It is a learning experience for me.
Anyway, the specs are 12 Vero29 COBs at 3500K using 12 Alpine CPU coolers and being powered by 3 HLG-185H-C1050 drivers.
I did use 3 separate dimmers (1 for each power supply) as I was not sure if I could link them all together and use one. But it seems to be working, if a little more complicated than I would like.
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=70833&pictureid=1686509&thumb=1]View Image[/url]
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=70833&pictureid=1686512&thumb=1]View Image[/url]
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[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=70833&pictureid=1686510&thumb=1]View Image[/url]
Special thanks the Dion for the help and advice.
Very nice build man. What are the overall dimensions of it? How far apart are the chips from one another? Again great job man.
That's quite right. But keep in mind low amps also mean less total light output.
A good "amp window" for cobs is 700-1400mA, for newest Veros and Citizen even 2100mA and more(approx. 25-50W/cob; 75W/cob).
I chose 1400mA for the 36V Cree CXB cobs and I'm very happy with this choice. However, my setup is small and if I had a higher space I'd go with new Veros and 2100mA drivers.
I hope this info helps you.
Which CREEs you use ? 3590 ?
To be frankly honest I still don't understand the analogy for driving the COB soft to achieve better efficiency.
If you run 3590 at max and it lights the hardest, what exactly does one gain if he only powers it with half the juice and the COB works only with half of its capability ?
To be frankly honest I still don't understand the analogy for driving the COB soft to achieve better efficiency.
If you run 3590 at max and it lights the hardest, what exactly does one gain if he only powers it with half the juice and the COB works only with half of its capability ?
Yes, CXB3590 36V 3000K CD bin @700-1400mA, mostly on 1000-1400mA.
Take a look at some efficency charts in this thread that Dion posted.
The point is this: with less amp load the cob gets to work less and is able to achieve a better light output per used W of electricity(better light/heat ratio). So efficency is highest at minimal loads but still you need some usable amount of light so you drive them to around 50% capacity and get around 50% efficency, depending on model, bin and cooling. Cooler leds give out more light than hot leds and also they last much longer.
It's not a straight thing to know, takes a bit of effort to understand but once you get it, it becomes so obvious
OK, so if I understood this correctly and if I try to describe this with made up numbers, for the purpose of easier understanding:
if a COB uses lets say 2000mA and gives in return also 2000lum, if we split its amperage to only 1000mA, the amount of lumens wont drop for a half as a n00b such as myself would assume, but rather lets say to 1200lum instead ?
Once again theses are made up numbers for demonstration purpose
if a COB uses lets say 2000mA and gives in return also 2000lum, if we split its amperage to only 1000mA, the amount of lumens wont drop for a half as a n00b such as myself would assume, but rather lets say to 1200lum instead ?
Once again theses are made up numbers for demonstration purpose
I was planning the exact same thing. What size area were you going to use it for, and what pattern? I was going for a 4' X 8' tent, and planned 3 rows, 6,4,6.
Thanks!!
I am looking at running 2 sets of these, which are 1/3 cheaper, running at 90 watts each, so 8 per tent. Also told 3500K is better -
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3122
Dion
Active member
You will save a lot of money and have a better light if u don't buy the kit.
Instead take the heatsinks and Vero 29 gem 7 from cutter and take a meanwell driver from mouser.
That's over 600 bucks for 4 cobs at 200w from cutter.
If u take the hlg 240 36a and run 4 of the 37v in parallel u will have the same light but each cob at around 62w and about 2000 bucks less
Ofcourse that kit has hangers and brackets and stuff which u will have to diy from aluminium and chain...
Up to u but that's what I'm building right noe
Dion
Active member
You will save a lot of money and have a better light if u don't buy the kit.
Instead take the heatsinks and Vero 29 gen 7 from cutter and take a meanwell driver from mouser.
That's over 600 bucks for 4 cobs at 200w from cutter.
If u take the hlg 240 36a and run 4 of the 37v in parallel u will have the same light but each cob at around 62w and about 200 bucks less
Ofcourse that kit has hangers and brackets and stuff which u will have to diy from aluminium and chain...
Up to u but that's what I'm building right now
Instead take the heatsinks and Vero 29 gen 7 from cutter and take a meanwell driver from mouser.
That's over 600 bucks for 4 cobs at 200w from cutter.
If u take the hlg 240 36a and run 4 of the 37v in parallel u will have the same light but each cob at around 62w and about 200 bucks less
Ofcourse that kit has hangers and brackets and stuff which u will have to diy from aluminium and chain...
Up to u but that's what I'm building right now
Sorry for the delay, been visiting relatives for X-mas. The dimensions are as follows. The frame is 27.5 inches tall by 43 inches wide. The lights are spaced 11 inches apart in the width and 12 inches apart in the height. So approximately on 12 inch centers if I could measure better! Mostly just based on the space I had and the material at hand.
Now that it is done, in the future, I might think about mounting the drivers remotely from the frame, as this bugger does have some weight. I have not put it on a scale yet, but I would guess it is pushing 25 lbs or better. I will get it on a scale soon.
I did map out the light intensity with a light meter that measures Lums. I guess they are not the right thing to use to measure a LED light, but at least it provides me with something to measure in regards to other lights I have.
I hung the light over a 4 X 4 foot sheet of butcher paper and took readings at the intersections of the 12 inch marks. The light is still drawing a very steady 531 watts at the wall.
Ended up with something like this
at 1 foot height
at 2 foot height
10500 12300 16200 15800 10700
11400 16706 19000 17700 14100
11500 38500 29500 45000 28800
15400 25000 29000 26300 19100
20000 60100 65000 60000 33600
19000 30500 37100 33500 23800
18500 53000 59700 54500 30000
16500 28000 33000 27200 20200
10500 23500 24800 20000 15000
9700 18000 20500 19000 14300
Not sure what it all means, I am sure some is effected by the items around my work bench, but it is interesting as a baseline anyway.
