Mau5Capades: builds & grow journal

Shredderthirty · Nov 11, 2015

Growmau5 said:
The new build: ( 32 ) cxb3590 ( 36v ) CD 3500K @ 700ma for a 4'x8' space

Parts List / King Brite Invoice / Budget: $2600+

View attachment 3517170

View attachment 3517171

This is my first experience with cxb3590s and to be honest, I am a little unsure if a 700ma drive current will provide enough ppfd for my 4x8 space. In designing this build, I wanted to be able to quickly and easily swap drivers to one HLG185h-c1400 per bar if I decide that I need more light. So I wired each hlg700 to be able to accept a connection from each bar, individually.

Wiring pictured in attachments: Using 2 DC female jacks, I wired the (+) from the driver to the (+) of one female jack, then the (-) to the (-) of another jack. Then I added a yellow jumper wire from the (-) of jack one to the (+) of jack two. This allows me to complete the circuit for ( 8 ) cobs to one 700ma driver while allowing me to quickly plug a bar into a 1400ma driver without rewiring.

View attachment 3517180

Im calculating 659 PPFD, for this setup over 32 sqft. Do you guys think this will be enough juice, or do you think I should add another 8 cobs @ 700ma?

what is that you have all your drivers wired into? the typhoon??

nevergoodenuf · Nov 11, 2015

What if you just put lenses on the outer edge of COBs and leave the lenses off the inner COBs? That should bring up the penetration at the edges where there is less cross lighting. Should also control wasted light around the edge of the canopy.

trichomatic · Nov 11, 2015

Growmau5 said:
What up tricho, thanks for stopping by! DGC represent!
- im in week 7 on the 700ma high efficiency run. So TBH, i dont know what I think of it yet, ill have to see the final product and weight. But I will publish the results.
-If it is sub par, I will not hesitate to order a bunch of 1400ma drivers and pump up the volume to 11.

cheers

Awesome brotha, I can't wait to see the results!

I am still trying to understand the matching of COBs to drivers and how to calculate efficiency. I watched your video on Dude Grows, but I am missing a few things. I have two main questions:

How does Supra calculate how many COBs a specific driver can handle? I was doing some calculations myself based on voltage but they weren't matching up to his results.
How do you calculate the efficiency of a COB based on the number of COBs you are using with a specific driver? How much would your efficiency decrease by moving to the 1400ma driver @ one per bar?
How do you calculate PPFD?
By moving to one 1400ma driver per bar, does this affect the ability of the heatsink to passively cool the COBs?

Sorry for the rudimentary questions, any useful thread links would be greatly appreciated

Growmau5 · Nov 11, 2015

Shredderthirty said:
what is that you have all your drivers wired into? the typhoon??

It is a small project box from amazon. just a simple ABS plastic box to contain all the wiring.

nevergoodenuf said:
What if you just put lenses on the outer edge of COBs and leave the lenses off the inner COBs? That should bring up the penetration at the edges where there is less cross lighting. Should also control wasted light around the edge of the canopy.

that is basically what a reflector does...

trichomatic said:
Awesome brotha, I can't wait to see the results!

I am still trying to understand the matching of COBs to drivers and how to calculate efficiency. I watched your video on Dude Grows, but I am missing a few things. I have two main questions:

How does Supra calculate how many COBs a specific driver can handle? I was doing some calculations myself based on voltage but they weren't matching up to his results.

How do you calculate the efficiency of a COB based on the number of COBs you are using with a specific driver? How much would your efficiency decrease by moving to the 1400ma driver @ one per bar?

How do you calculate PPFD?

By moving to one 1400ma driver per bar, does this affect the ability of the heatsink to passively cool the COBs?

Sorry for the rudimentary questions, any useful thread links would be greatly appreciated

1. take the max out put voltage of the driver, say 286 volts. divide that by the forward voltage of one cob (36v) = 8 cobs per driver.
2. Supra has done all the efficiency testing by comparing data sheets to real world measurement. they are all listed in this thread.
3. dunno
4. yes. increasing the drive current increases the Cobs output and heat generation.

Matt Kitski · Nov 12, 2015

Hi growmau5,

I wanted to follow your flowering initiator guide but wasn't sure on the best method of use since there were so many opinions on the thread. Just wanted to know your recommendations on the time to run it? Thanks for all the great information!

Growmau5 · Nov 12, 2015

Matt Kitski said:
Hi growmau5,

I wanted to follow your flowering initiator guide but wasn't sure on the best method of use since there were so many opinions on the thread. Just wanted to know your recommendations on the time to run it? Thanks for all the great information!

Here are the assumptions that I am operating under:
The purpose of the far red spectrum is to put plants to sleep faster
Running the light at lights on has no value
Running the light before the room is completely dark has no value
Running a duration longer than 10-15 mins has no increased effect.

In my garden, @ lights out , I can see the leaves go from praying to drooping in 3-4 minutes with the 730nm light. So I am trying just a 5 min duration.

Shredderthirty · Nov 12, 2015

Growmau5 said:
It is a small project box from amazon. just a simple ABS plastic box to contain all the wiring.

oh you just cut all the holes for all those fittings, gotcha

Growmau5 said:
@salmonetin I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism.

The metal ones I used are just fine. I did some stress testing to them, jiggling them around and such. The connections are solid. But I agree, these would be better... Ill used them next time::

View attachment 3518290

what were those connectors you put in that last pic?

Shredderthirty · Nov 12, 2015

Growmau5 said:
The new build: ( 32 ) cxb3590 ( 36v ) CD 3500K @ 700ma for a 4'x8' space

Parts List / King Brite Invoice / Budget: $2600+

View attachment 3517170

View attachment 3517171

This is my first experience with cxb3590s and to be honest, I am a little unsure if a 700ma drive current will provide enough ppfd for my 4x8 space. In designing this build, I wanted to be able to quickly and easily swap drivers to one HLG185h-c1400 per bar if I decide that I need more light. So I wired each hlg700 to be able to accept a connection from each bar, individually.

Wiring pictured in attachments: Using 2 DC female jacks, I wired the (+) from the driver to the (+) of one female jack, then the (-) to the (-) of another jack. Then I added a yellow jumper wire from the (-) of jack one to the (+) of jack two. This allows me to complete the circuit for ( 8 ) cobs to one 700ma driver while allowing me to quickly plug a bar into a 1400ma driver without rewiring.

View attachment 3517180

Im calculating 659 PPFD, for this setup over 32 sqft. Do you guys think this will be enough juice, or do you think I should add another 8 cobs @ 700ma?

okay i think i got it now, that light you have lit up and connected, one dc plug is the (-) and goes in series and plugs in on the other dc plug (+) what is that cord/sheathe you used?

sorry for all the questions but that setup is to clean and i gotta clean up my panel

Growmau5 · Nov 12, 2015

Shredderthirty said:
oh you just cut all the holes for all those fittings, gotcha

what were those connectors you put in that last pic?

Page 10 post # 183 has all the hotlinks. just hover over the bold black text, and click thru to amazon, where I got all my stuff.

Thats right. I wired ( 2) dc female barrel connectors per driver so that I can quickly power each bar at 1400ma by simply plugging into a new driver.
The sheathing is called:
Techflex PTN0.25BK25 Flexo PET General Purpose 1/4-inch Braided Cable Sleeve, Black - 25 Foot

its no worries on the questions, thats what im here for. also, I am seriously considering switching to LEDIL angelina reflectors after this next run.

Growmau5 · Nov 12, 2015

Digging through pages and pages of threads is a necessary evil to obtain the knowledge and find the link to that one part that you think is cool. Hopefully this will save some time:

Build parts:
Cheap heatshrink kit
Female pigtail leads
male DC pigtail leads
Universal decorative potentiometer knob
Nylon washers for screwing down small leds
4-40 1/4" pan head metal screws
18awg stranded wire "supra style"
Bulk cooler master thermal comp
terminal blocks
terminal block connectors (insulated)
male PC AC power plug
femal PC AC power plug

decent cheap 6" dc computer fan
ABS black project box
waterproof thru hole connectors
Daisey chain AC plugs
wire shealth (organization)
excellent precision wire snippers
perfect sized solid core wire for Ideal cob holders
Thru hole DC solder connectors
DC quick connectors- power supply to fan
waterproof dc side connectors- driver to cobs
MW APV 12-12 multiple fan power supply

Shredderthirty · Nov 12, 2015

EDIT: now that is awesome man!! ^^^^^^

oh yea i already got the items you liked in bold in my amazon basket (now sleeve, waterproof cable gland connectors) but i'm looking for some better dc connectors (since you said you would have picked a different one)

Shredderthirty · Nov 12, 2015

so as i'm making my shopping cart bigger and bigger i saw this
http://www.amazon.com/URBEST®Inlet-Module-Switch-Socket-IEC320/dp/B00ME5YAPK/ref=pd_sim_23_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=41CecjJE81L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=0C7KZ9HMJSBBGKWXTHXE

what do you think of these compared to the one you used without a switch?

Growmau5 · Nov 12, 2015

Shredderthirty said:
so as i'm making my shopping cart bigger and bigger i saw this
http://www.amazon.com/URBEST®Inlet-Module-Switch-Socket-IEC320/dp/B00ME5YAPK/ref=pd_sim_23_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=41CecjJE81L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=0C7KZ9HMJSBBGKWXTHXE

what do you think of these compared to the one you used without a switch?

I've seen those with a switch and sometimes a fuse. i think that would be a great addition/improvment.
-as far as the DC side (driver to Cobs). I added a link to some water proof leads

Shredderthirty · Nov 12, 2015

nice nice i've got:
abs project box
male power socket (main power supply)
waterproof cable "through hole" (all driver cords into box)
heat shrink tubing
waterproof connector (male/fem fem comes out box male to go in series to cobs)
braided sleeve

what did you use the:
Terminal barrier
dual row terminal
daisy chain AC plug for?

Positivity · Nov 12, 2015

Growmau5 said:
Here are the assumptions that I am operating under:
The purpose of the far red spectrum is to put plants to sleep faster
Running the light at lights on has no value
Running the light before the room is completely dark has no value
Running a duration longer than 10-15 mins has no increased effect.

In my garden, @ lights out , I can see the leaves go from praying to drooping in 3-4 minutes with the 730nm light. So I am trying just a 5 min duration.

I've used them at 2 minutes at lights out with good results. Seems to be a fast process. 5 minutes is definitely enough and can help make seperate timers work together more easily.

Might want to read some of sds posts. He explained the role of far red quite thoroughly and if I remember correctly far red is reflected less in the later flowering stages. So there may be use and absorption of far red at lights on

Matt Kitski · Nov 12, 2015

Growmau5 said:
Here are the assumptions that I am operating under:
The purpose of the far red spectrum is to put plants to sleep faster
Running the light at lights on has no value
Running the light before the room is completely dark has no value
Running a duration longer than 10-15 mins has no increased effect.

In my garden, @ lights out , I can see the leaves go from praying to drooping in 3-4 minutes with the 730nm light. So I am trying just a 5 min duration.

Thanks for the help! Will try them out for 5 min durations after lights out.

Will the far red also increase the stretching or is that only if you apply the 730 during lights on?

PurpleBuz · Nov 13, 2015

Matt Kitski said:
Thanks for the help! Will try them out for 5 min durations after lights out.

Will the far red also increase the stretching or is that only if you apply the 730 during lights on?

yes only if you have a significant amount on during the day cycle.

Shredderthirty · Nov 13, 2015

alright this is prob a stupid question.... but those little red led's seem like they don't take that much power, is there some way you could put a little solar panel on your unit to power those, i mean 5-10 min can't take that much power. and on that topic how much power could we store with our lights using a solar panel? if that sounds extra stupid then just forget it, if it's super smart then don't copy my patented idea

Growmau5 · Nov 13, 2015

Shredderthirty said:
alright this is prob a stupid question.... but those little red led's seem like they don't take that much power, is there some way you could put a little solar panel on your unit to power those, i mean 5-10 min can't take that much power. and on that topic how much power could we store with our lights using a solar panel? if that sounds extra stupid then just forget it, if it's super smart then don't copy my patented idea

I like your progressive thinking, perhaps a solar panel or film on the back wall of a garden. But I wonder what the ROI would be versus the pennies it costs to power a few mono leds.
My instinct tells me that a person interested in utilizing solar would be better off slapping a panel up on the roof and offset their dissipation more dramatically.

* A for effort tho. smoke some more & hit me back with your next "patented idea" lol. cheers

PurpleBuz · Nov 13, 2015

Shredderthirty said:
alright this is prob a stupid question.... but those little red led's seem like they don't take that much power, is there some way you could put a little solar panel on your unit to power those, i mean 5-10 min can't take that much power. and on that topic how much power could we store with our lights using a solar panel? if that sounds extra stupid then just forget it, if it's super smart then don't copy my patented idea

indagro uses a rechargeable battery for the far red, that triggers when the power shuts down, that's actually pretty cool.

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