-boring 'ol 230w 154lm/w led strip build

Hairiest_Stamen

Well-Known Member
This will be my veg and flower light.
I'm using the Meizhi while they are still small and once they get large enough I'll switch on my DIY frame as well.
Let them veg for a couple more weeks then. Flip to flower.
Don't see any screws... what's holding the strips on? Thermal tape?
 

SonsOfAvery

Well-Known Member
Don't see any screws... what's holding the strips on? Thermal tape?
Yeh, I used a thermal adhesive to stick them on. If for some reason it fails to do the job, I'll screw them down like I did on my previous 'build'.

I wouldn't even bother - its just going to make a big fat hot spot in the center. Be much better off putting a couple more of the TCI strips down the middle, and lose the Mehzi
I don't have any spare TCI strips at the moment, and I like having the ability to raise/lower and switch on the two lights individually
However, as soon as I can afford more strips, I'll be adding another 5 and replacing the Meizhi all together.

In your opinion, How many strips would you recommend to replace the Meizhi?
The Meizhi draws around 250w (from what I've researched) and 5 strips at 23w each totals 115w, but earlier in this thread I seen someone say they had 5 strips drawing 154w..
 

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
Yeh, I used a thermal adhesive to stick them on. If for some reason it fails to do the job, I'll screw them down like I did on my previous 'build'.


I don't have any spare TCI strips at the moment, and I like having the ability to raise/lower and switch on the two lights individually
However, as soon as I can afford more strips, I'll be adding another 5 and replacing the Meizhi all together.

In your opinion, How many strips would you recommend to replace the Meizhi?
The Meizhi draws around 250w (from what I've researched) and 5 strips at 23w each totals 115w, but earlier in this thread I seen someone say they had 5 strips drawing 154w..
Two more bars with four more strips total should fill it in nicely.
 

SonsOfAvery

Well-Known Member
Two more bars with four more strips total should fill it in nicely.
So are the diodes in these TCI strips that much more efficient?
Because the Meizhi is drawing more than x2.5 the wattage of 4 strips. (I know the Meizhi is just a cheapo light, but 2.5 times less efficient seems a bit of a stretch.)

I'd love to be able to replace it with just 4 of these TCI's!
 

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
So are the diodes in these TCI strips that much more efficient?
Because the Meizhi is drawing more than x2.5 the wattage of 4 strips. (I know the Meizhi is just a cheapo light, but 2.5 times less efficient seems a bit of a stretch.)

I'd love to be able to replace it with just 4 of these TCI's!
Its not so much about total, its about evening out the spread. That meizhi is going to make a huge hot spot in the center.
 

Hairiest_Stamen

Well-Known Member
So are the diodes in these TCI strips that much more efficient?
Because the Meizhi is drawing more than x2.5 the wattage of 4 strips. (I know the Meizhi is just a cheapo light, but 2.5 times less efficient seems a bit of a stretch.)

I'd love to be able to replace it with just 4 of these TCI's!
That looks like the '600w' Meizhi 277w actual. rough numbers... but the Amazon page says 16500 lumens for that light.. that's about 5 tci strips.

Plus if you look at the intensity diagram just like higgs says. .. the max 1121umol is right at the center. .. and by the time you're 1 foot away youre down to 800umol... 2 foot away from dead center you're down to 300umol.
 

SonsOfAvery

Well-Known Member
@nfhiggs @Hairiest_Stamen thanks for the advice, just seems to easy to replace a £110 light (Meizhi) with £40 worth of these TCI strips.

I'm not doubting the numbers, but I'll have to stick with this set up until I can get 5 more strips.
 

Hairiest_Stamen

Well-Known Member
@nfhiggs @Hairiest_Stamen thanks for the advice, just seems to easy to replace a £110 light (Meizhi) with £40 worth of these TCI strips.

I'm not doubting the numbers, but I'll have to stick with this set up until I can get 5 more strips.
grab one of those lux meter apps... numbers are helpful in a relative sense... useful tool to determine hot spots. Helped me figure out that my cob led fixture was way too close to the canopy, too bad I measured at the end of flower.
 

Hairiest_Stamen

Well-Known Member
Got most of my holes drilled for mounting. Thinking I was going to need screws to hold down strips in case tape failed, but the tape seems rock solid. I used small button 1/4-20 screws with sliced in half rubber grommet to apply some pressure. But probably not needed with the tape.. also would require 60 drilled and tapped holes... ouch.

20180216_095732.jpg

Two strips of the 3/4" cheap thermal works great.

Old temps strip on 1/2" aluminum bar
1) 113F
2) 108F
3) 102F
New temps in 2" heatsink
1) 94F
2) 93F
3) 93F

Wondering if it's even worth the time to try thermal compound to shave another few degrees off. Tape is SO easy.
 

Lucky Luke

Well-Known Member
Would someone mind throwing up a link to some thermal tape/ adhesive that you have found works well? Just trying to get an idea of what your are using and what may be available here.
Thanks in advance.
 
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Hairiest_Stamen

Well-Known Member
Would someone mind throwing up a link to some thermal tape/ adhesive that you have found works well? Just trying to get an idea of what your are using and what may be available here.
Thanks in advance.
I grabbed some stuff from ebay
https://m.ebay.com/itm/BCP-1roll-20mm-x-25m-Double-Side-Adhesive-Thermal-Conductive-Tape-for-Heatsink/352012001315?item=352012001315&ppid=PPX000608&cnac=US&rsta=en_US(en_US)&cust=9DX27875PJ1402043&unptid=2deb6c8a-df4f-11e7-8438-8cdcd4b6f348&cal=ceeabbb99e640&calc=ceeabbb99e640&calf=ceeabbb99e640&unp_tpcid=email-receipt-auction-payment&page=main:email&pgrp=main:email&e=op&mchn=em&s=ci&mail=sys&epid=2134066345
... get the 20mm wide stuff, two strips just about covers the 41mm wide strip.
 

Hairiest_Stamen

Well-Known Member
More playing around. Have one of these lighting some seedlings. Forgive the crap cable management.

20180221_123907.jpg


4 power levels using supplied driver..measured with a killawatt:
26w
24w
19w
17w

Also... measured back of supplied driver temps... 120F in the center of the driver... Hot!

Not sure it's a great idea to lay the drivers directly on the heatsinks that are cooling the strips.
 

SonsOfAvery

Well-Known Member
More playing around. Have one of these lighting some seedlings. Forgive the crap cable management.

View attachment 4093693


4 power levels using supplied driver..measured with a killawatt:
26w
24w
19w
17w

Also... measured back of supplied driver temps... 120F in the center of the driver... Hot!

Not sure it's a great idea to lay the drivers directly on the heatsinks that are cooling the strips.
I'm still slightly confused as to how the switches work, or rather how I know what mode they're in without having a way to measure.
All of my driver's switches are in this position, so I'm assuming that will be the '26w' mode?
(I realise it's difficult to see in the picture, but both switches are pushed up as you look at it in the picture.)
 

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