Growmau5's BML Spydr clone: a diy led build
- Thread starter Growmau5
- Start date
Reggae1017
Active Member
Precisely my friend. Hopefully someone sparky enough can tell me
.EDIT: on second thought im just gonna go wago, they look plenty easy and reliable.
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silvrsurfer77
Well-Known Member
I plan on building this or something similar but I know just about nothing when is comes to designing one of these. I do have the technical abilities to build it with instruction lol. I can solder and Im extremely handy, but I dont know anything about Cobs, efficiency, ratings and specs, drivers, etc. Being that you are pretty awesome at this, maybe you could let me on on how to build this or something like it thats better, faster, cheaper ? I read that you dont like the luxeons, any alternatives? Id be really happy with those yields out of my 4x4x6 and I also have 3 other tents that are 31"x31"x48". I will use those for a mix of flower and veg.
Any advice? a shopping list for me? and any reading material to help me understand all the stats and terms like BIN, CRI, etc. Understanding efficiency achieving high GPW. Drivers and how many I can put on a driver....I honestly dont know much about electric current and the math involved either. I have to say I when it comes to plants and hps I know my stuff but my led experience is limited to playing with 5050 smd led strips, and one grow with chinese cobs and MARS 2. I really dont expect someone to explain all of this to me but if you could point me in the right direction, Ill be happy to put in the time to read and learn it on my own, but in the meantime I want to build a light comparable to yours.
Thanks for all the knowledge your bringing to the forum!
Reggae1017
Active Member
Hey man just read thru this thread, Growmau5 just helped me step by step lots of info in this thread and growmau5 also linked a couple in a reply to me that are full of info. Workin on mine right now (rough build), hopefully will have it turned on and working shortly!
No go- cant find my meter but all I have left to do is hook my combined positives and negatives up to my ac receptacle and plug it all in. Just need the meter to tell which part of the power cord/receptacle is what. Hopefully tomorrow, but likely friday or saturday I will have an update.
No go- cant find my meter but all I have left to do is hook my combined positives and negatives up to my ac receptacle and plug it all in. Just need the meter to tell which part of the power cord/receptacle is what. Hopefully tomorrow, but likely friday or saturday I will have an update.
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silvrsurfer77
Well-Known Member
I did read through everything and am gaining a decent understanding so far. I under stand the HLG185c1400b can power 4 cxb 3070 and that was what Growmau5 said would be good for a 2x2 or 3x3. I will most likely do something simply like that for my 3x3 but I want to get max production and efficiency.
For the 4x4 would it be best to get 2 HLG185c1400b and 8 cxa/b 3070 and put them on 2 heat sinks ? should I get some 3w red n blue luxeon leds? will it produce similar or better results as the spydr clone? How do I determine what current to run them to get the efficiency? I dont understand the efficiency charts thread, I have looked at it. I wanna get results this spydr clone or better if possible. I dont necesarily have to stay do exactly the same thing and wattage but I want the high gpw. I also want it to be primarily flower and effective for veg as well. For the 30"x 30" tents the HLG185c1400b can power 4 cxb 3070 will be best? what the difference with cxa and cxb ?
For the 4x4 would it be best to get 2 HLG185c1400b and 8 cxa/b 3070 and put them on 2 heat sinks ? should I get some 3w red n blue luxeon leds? will it produce similar or better results as the spydr clone? How do I determine what current to run them to get the efficiency? I dont understand the efficiency charts thread, I have looked at it. I wanna get results this spydr clone or better if possible. I dont necesarily have to stay do exactly the same thing and wattage but I want the high gpw. I also want it to be primarily flower and effective for veg as well. For the 30"x 30" tents the HLG185c1400b can power 4 cxb 3070 will be best? what the difference with cxa and cxb ?
Reggae1017
Active Member
ok so my understanding is that you can run these up fairly high but 1400 ma drivers is what most folks use as a power/efficiency balance. You get more efficient driving them weaker but then each ones produces less total light, meaning for a light the same brightness with better efficiency you must run more cobs with less power, at $40 a crack its up to you which route is best to go, I just build my light with 1400ma drivers.
The blue and red Lux ES add more to the edges of your spectrum which is good, they are just less powerful. That said my light currently has 4 cobs and 12 lux es red/blue (waiting on my driver to doube that).
if you use 3000k or 4000k it should work for veg flower, Growmau5 suggested to me to use 4000k as the best all around and to prevent the stretch to the 3000ks, some people use 5000k also or in combonation
CXA are the older generation, CXB are the new. People are still running CXA because availability is not great yet on the CXB yet ( cant get 4000k without bulk order, thus why my light is (2)CXB 3000k&(2) CXA 4000k).
Make sure to check the datasheet of the COB before you buy it will have a chart telling you which bins are best, try to get top bin, or runner up.
On heatsink choice you need to determine how much light you want (how many COBs, at how many Watts), if you want extra capacity for red/blue, determine the fan size you want to use, I looked at the 5.886 profile (fits 140mm computer fans) and the 8.46 profile (fits 200mm Computer fan). Earlier in this threat Growmau5 explains to me how to calculate how much cooling my heatsink can do, I ask questions and he answers, just follow the examples there and post if you need help. Keep in mind you want to keep the thick base plate (.3 in), but other sizes can be used. The smaller profile heatsinks are the cheapest per cooling, but can end up needing longer and multiple heatsinks depending on application. I went 8.46 with a 200mm fan so I could just build a light on 1 heatsink. I left myself an extra 2 cob cooling capacity, and when I have time I will enclose the top of the heatsink making my light just a simplle rectangular prism.
As to driver choices im not much further down this road than you are, I will defer to those wiser than myself! Hope this helps!
edit:corrected
The blue and red Lux ES add more to the edges of your spectrum which is good, they are just less powerful. That said my light currently has 4 cobs and 12 lux es red/blue (waiting on my driver to doube that).
if you use 3000k or 4000k it should work for veg flower, Growmau5 suggested to me to use 4000k as the best all around and to prevent the stretch to the 3000ks, some people use 5000k also or in combonation
CXA are the older generation, CXB are the new. People are still running CXA because availability is not great yet on the CXB yet ( cant get 4000k without bulk order, thus why my light is (2)CXB 3000k&(2) CXA 4000k).
Make sure to check the datasheet of the COB before you buy it will have a chart telling you which bins are best, try to get top bin, or runner up.
On heatsink choice you need to determine how much light you want (how many COBs, at how many Watts), if you want extra capacity for red/blue, determine the fan size you want to use, I looked at the 5.886 profile (fits 140mm computer fans) and the 8.46 profile (fits 200mm Computer fan). Earlier in this threat Growmau5 explains to me how to calculate how much cooling my heatsink can do, I ask questions and he answers, just follow the examples there and post if you need help. Keep in mind you want to keep the thick base plate (.3 in), but other sizes can be used. The smaller profile heatsinks are the cheapest per cooling, but can end up needing longer and multiple heatsinks depending on application. I went 8.46 with a 200mm fan so I could just build a light on 1 heatsink. I left myself an extra 2 cob cooling capacity, and when I have time I will enclose the top of the heatsink making my light just a simplle rectangular prism.
As to driver choices im not much further down this road than you are, I will defer to those wiser than myself! Hope this helps!
edit:corrected
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monos are still more efficient than whites. monos are also useful to fill out the extra voltage available from the driver, that's why I prefer to go with 1050ma drivers instead of 1400ma.
Reggae1017
Active Member
How can you do that? just run a driver ma that wont blow the monos and use up the "slack" with them?
uhhh yeah you got it! example:
HLG-185H-C1050A is 1050ma at 95-190V
5 vero18s: BXRC-30E4000-F-2x 3000K 1050ma 28.6V typical, uses about 150Volts total
4 x cree XT--E Royal Blue (1500 ma max current) at 3.2V, total 12.8
8 x cree Photo Red (1000 ma max current) at 2.5, total 24
total voltage 186.8, which is < 190V
actually looks like one of these units
Greengenes707
Well-Known Member
You don't need to run a lower current though the cobs if you don't want to. You can run 1400ma then split two strings of monos(OR single die) from the 1400 string...making each parallel pull 700ma.
true!
but I haven't been comfortable running parallel strings, fear of off balances between the strings and runaways.
Reggae1017
Active Member
Ok so sadly while almost done its not going to get turned on before work, hopefully on the weekend. I had some things come up and have had to forget building a real housing so I improvised to try and get something workable that I can finish later. Never got my holders so kapton tape it was. Here are some build pics!
Questions: Could you guys look at the pics and make sure im not wiring wrong? Im not a big electrical guy. All I have wiring-wise to finish is hooking together my positive and negative terminals on the receptacle (pc type), and finish wiring my mono driver cord ( I had to stop because I dont know which side of the pc receptacle is which, without my misplaced meter).
Am I okay to just hook all my positives together and all my neutrals together and hook to recetpacle(had 4 drivers because I was originally gonna build individual units)? This would give me one cord for the 4 cobs and 1 for the mono string.
Also only the cheap steves driver has a ground wire at all but im using a 2 prong cord so I assume thats just unused? No grounding on these meanwell drivers?
Any Fatal Flaws? Suggestions?
Thanks for all the help, I just want to make sure it doesnt all blow up when I turn it on!
Steves messed up my order but I am getting another driver to run another string of monos down the other side, when I see how the light/heatsink does I will add 1-2 more COBs. I will also eventually try to go to less drivers and use these to build supplemental individuals.
Questions: Could you guys look at the pics and make sure im not wiring wrong? Im not a big electrical guy. All I have wiring-wise to finish is hooking together my positive and negative terminals on the receptacle (pc type), and finish wiring my mono driver cord ( I had to stop because I dont know which side of the pc receptacle is which, without my misplaced meter).
Am I okay to just hook all my positives together and all my neutrals together and hook to recetpacle(had 4 drivers because I was originally gonna build individual units)? This would give me one cord for the 4 cobs and 1 for the mono string.
Also only the cheap steves driver has a ground wire at all but im using a 2 prong cord so I assume thats just unused? No grounding on these meanwell drivers?
Any Fatal Flaws? Suggestions?
Thanks for all the help, I just want to make sure it doesnt all blow up when I turn it on!
Steves messed up my order but I am getting another driver to run another string of monos down the other side, when I see how the light/heatsink does I will add 1-2 more COBs. I will also eventually try to go to less drivers and use these to build supplemental individuals.
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testiclees
Well-Known Member
Haha so cool. Nice work Reggae.
Reggae1017
Active Member
Done! Woot! I have 3 lux 3w that were dead but I will replace those when I add the other string and another cob.
pop22
Well-Known Member
I've read many, many pages here on DIY LED growligthts. Its seems everyone want to talk tech specs etc. but I see very little about application. I want to know about "where the rubber meets the road"! If your spending hundreds of dollars to build a light, does anyone buy and use a meter to see if your design is distributing all that light in an efficient manner? I would think that would be the way to tweak the final design. and how do you go about deciding proper spacing of the LEDs, as that's critical to optimum coverage. What height above canopy are you/others running their lights? I don't want to just bolt LEDs to a heatsink and see what happens!
cdgmoney250
Well-Known Member
A lot of the folks around here miss the boat when it comes to real world application. I've been experimented with COB spacing and drive currents, and measuring the output with a PAR meter. I've only messed around with the larger COB's and 90 degree reflectors.
I would say when dealing with optics, that COB spacing is crucial for determining coverage foot print/ penetrating intensity, as well as how many COB's you will need to cover a given space.
Here's a link to my measured results if anybody is interested.
https://www.rollitup.org/t/pictures-of-your-diy-lights-post-your-pics.871625/page-13
Towards the bottom of the page..
Growmau5
Well-Known Member
I have had so much money going out lately on the equipment I need to run my garden, I just can't find an extra $350 right now for a par meter. i use a simple LUX meter to measure distribution & determine mounting height etc. If I burn something, I check it with a meter and make note. I know it isn't optimal, but it is data and I find it very useful comparing relative "brightness" between my cree led builds. I just dont publish it here or on youtube because I don't want to hear or read "lumens are for humans bro"
maybe pop22 can buy us all par meters for xmas
I wonder if he knows just how much an accurate par meter costs
Alexander Supertramp
Well-Known Member
Most hydro shops have PAR meters that can be rented. Or just spend 250-350 bucks and buy your own quality PAR meter. A simple Lux meter wont give you PAR readings but certainly could be useful in overall distribution.