DIY LED CREE under 100$ Build. Max 40,000 Lumen

jaggwaa

Well-Known Member
Welcome to my thread. Wanted to make this for some time, Here is what happened,
New to growing, 1 grow completed unfortunately with 10 of that 220v 50w Chinese purple pink cob chips. And it was 500W to the wall. Which i regret buying those chips, but it is what it is and u pay for what u learn. Am making this in a hope that if there are other folks like me, on a very tight budget, this is the way to go, at least for me. The grow i have under me is very interesting and answers some real world questions, i have pics, and i will make a journal soon about that. So back to Cree LEDsss
First, there are 3 options, CREE, Bridgelux Vero's and citizen Clu's....
Cree is the most expensive of those cobs, but that thats what u see in stadiums, football grounds, Commercial lightnings etc..... Cree is the way to go, during my research i have seen really good results. Also cree is making full spectrum lights and there LEDs and the light they emit are superior. That is solely my thoughts. Iam not affiliated in anyway with cree or with anyone else. It took me months to finally decide, First there are different bins and they have different performance. I dont know what a bin is or why it is important, all i want is a light setup, easy to afford, consumes less electricity, and give your plants good performance. Most expensive and super duper cob from cree is cxb3590. Which unfortunately i was unable to buy. this one cob will cost you like 30 to 40 bucks, Since my budget was 100$, i bought
10x cree cxa2540. for 50$. Now as i see it, the only difference between cxb3590 and cxa2540 is cxb3590 full power is like137watts or something, while cxa2540 max power is 85watts, but this is not the difference that matters, that one is the performance, cxb3590 will give u 170 lumen/watt at half power, while if you run it at full power, the efficiency decrease to like 100 lumens/watt.
While cxa2540 is rate at 150 lumens/watt at half power, and at full power, or full brightness, it comes down to like 90 lumens/watt. Remaining power/watts/ are emited as heat. There is this tool by Cree to see efficiency at different currents, here is the link... cant post links, ok, just google pct.cree and u will find the calculator.

Now back to my setup,
My cxa2540 10 cobs 3000K, V4
You can enter these details at above link and you can see how it will work at different currents.
Now, Drivers, man, such a big world, meanwell top of the line, but in my budget you can buy only one or two of those. So i decided to go with chinese drivers, After a lot research, i bought 10 drivers, for 30 bucks,which provide 900ma at 36volts,
 
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jaggwaa

Well-Known Member
2 Cob on 1 Driver 450mA Each
Lumen Each=2200
Total Lumen=4400
This X 4 = 4400x4= 17,600 Lumen
Led Watt 15x8=120
Ac Watt 32x4= 128
So
------17,600 Lumen @ 128W------
_______________________________________
Single 1 Led Setups
1 Led 1 Driver 900 mA
Led Watt = 30
Ac Watt =32
Lumens = 4000
So
1x1 = 4,000 L @ 32 W Led Watt 64
1x2 = 8,000 L @ 64 W Led Watt 128
1x3 = 12,000 L @ 96 W Led Watt 192
1x4 = 16,000 L @ 128 W Led Watt 256
1x5 = 20,000 L @ 160 W Led Watt 320
1x6 = 24,000 L @ 192 W Led Watt 384
1x7 = 28,500 L @ 224 W Led Watt 448
1x8 = 32,000 L @ 256 W Led Watt 512
1x9 = 36,500 L @ 288 W Led Watt 576
1x10 = 40,000 L @ 320 W Led Watt 640
 
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Ryante55

Well-Known Member
Welcome to my thread. Wanted to make this for some time, Here is what happened,
New to growing, 1 grow completed unfortunately with 10 of that 220v 50w Chinese purple pink cob chips. And it was 500W to the wall. Which i regret buying those chips, but it is what it is and u pay for what u learn. Am making this in a hope that if there are other folks like me, on a very tight budget, this is the way to go, at least for me. The grow i have under me is very interesting and answers some real world questions, i have pics, and i will make a journal soon about that. So back to Cree LEDsss
First, there are 3 options, CREE, Bridgelux Vero's and citizen Clu's....
Cree is the most expensive of those cobs, but that thats what u see in stadiums, football grounds, Commercial lightnings etc..... Cree is the way to go, during my research i have seen really good results. Also cree is making full spectrum lights and there LEDs and the light they emit are superior. That is solely my thoughts. Iam not affiliated in anyway with cree or with anyone else. It took me months to finally decide, First there are different bins and they have different performance. I dont know what a bin is or why it is important, all i want is a light setup, easy to afford, consumes less electricity, and give your plants good performance. Most expensive and super duper cob from cree is cxb3590. Which unfortunately i was unable to buy. this one cob will cost you like 30 to 40 bucks, Since my budget was 100$, i bought
10x cree cxa2540. for 50$. Now as i see it, the only difference between cxb3590 and cxa2540 is cxb3590 full power is like137watts or something, while cxa2540 max power is 85watts, but this is not the difference that matters, that one is the performance, cxb3590 will give u 170 lumen/watt at half power, while if you run it at full power, the efficiency decrease to like 100 lumens/watt.
While cxa2540 is rate at 150 lumens/watt at half power, and at full power, or full brightness, it comes down to like 90 lumens/watt. Remaining power/watts/ are emited as heat. There is this tool by Cree to see efficiency at different currents, here is the link... cant post links, ok, just google pct.cree and u will find the calculator.

Now back to my setup,
My cxa2540 10 cobs 3000K, V4
You can enter these details at above link and you can see how it will work at different currents.
Now, Drivers, man, such a big world, meanwell top of the line, but in my budget you can buy only one or two of those. So i decided to go with chinese drivers, After a lot research, i bought 10 drivers, for 30 bucks,which were supposed to provide 900ma at 36volts, but to my surprise they were actually giving out double of that current, i.e 1800ma or 1790ma to be precise. Which is strange but its ok because i attached two cobs in parallel, so current is divided and both cobs get 900ma each. While from the wall, sucking 32 watts. Which is again confusing and surprising. 32 watts from wall and 64 watts of led lights, i checked it with multimeters and its same result, So now thats out of the ways lets talk some numbers and then some pics:cool:
Your build looks awesome! There's is 1 flaw your logic about heat isn't quite right 100w will produce the same amount of heat no matter what the effeciency so a 60% effecient light with produce 60% of the heat in the form of light and 40% of the heat goes strait to the heatsink. Hopefully I explained that ok. Another note for future builders you should spend extra money on drivers and go a little cheaper on the chips using bridgelux or citizen is a better option for budget grows you get the same light for a little less money.
 

shimbob

Well-Known Member
And lastly 5th image is 4 cobs in parallel. each running at 14.1w @0.43A
Parallel wiring means the 0.43A gets divided by four to each cob. Each cob is not getting 0.43A but 0.43/4=0.11A, and they're all running at 3.5watts each, not 14W.
 

jaggwaa

Well-Known Member
Your build looks awesome! There's is 1 flaw your logic about heat isn't quite right 100w will produce the same amount of heat no matter what the effeciency so a 60% effecient light with produce 60% of the heat in the form of light and 40% of the heat goes strait to the heatsink. Hopefully I explained that ok. Another note for future builders you should spend extra money on drivers and go a little cheaper on the chips using bridgelux or citizen is a better option for budget grows you get the same light for a little less money.
Thank You Ryante55, Now i took all these values from cree website, Different watts running at different currents. That data sheet about my led model shows me that. The first image show readings at lower currents, and cobs efficiency and its total lumens at that current and a lumen/watt. This is done by cree in there labs, at least thats what i think. Second image, on higher currents. You can visit this page tool, and insert any model and check its parameters.low current.PNG high current.PNG
 

Ryante55

Well-Known Member
Thank You Ryante55, Now i took all these values from cree website, Different watts running at different currents. That data sheet about my led model shows me that. The first image show readings at lower currents, and cobs efficiency and its total lumens at that current and a lumen/watt. This is done by cree in there labs, at least thats what i think. Second image, on higher currents. You can visit this page tool, and insert any model and check its parameters.View attachment 4154143 View attachment 4154144
None of that changes the heat output per watt. you would have the same light output for less cost with citizen or bridgelux which would leave you extra cash for the meanwell driver which is much more effecient and reliable than those Chinese ones I have a box of the Chinese drivers laying around some fail some don't some output what they say some don't haha
 

shimbob

Well-Known Member
It is a cool build, glad you're enjoying it.

One last comment: based on the last two pictures, those Chinese drivers are running around 60% efficiency. Most Meanwell drivers run in the 90s efficient.
 

jaggwaa

Well-Known Member
It is a cool build, glad you're enjoying it.

One last comment: based on the last two pictures, those Chinese drivers are running around 60% efficiency. Most Meanwell drivers run in the 90s efficient.
Thank you again, trust me i wanted to buy meanwell, i wish i could. but anyways, june 19 was 1st day of 12-12 flip under these lights. Iam making a grow journal on that. i am eager to see the results with these lights, If we talk about veg, my plants exploded under this setup. Within -+two months i will have a result for you guyz:)
 

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
These pics are 1 month old. Now everything is in the grow cabinet. But i tested it several time with several combinations and result was same . somehow, 32 watt from wall is becoming 64watt at led. Either i attach one or 4 cobs. Maybe once i finish this round in 60 or 70 days, i will disamble the whole thing for cleaning. I'll run more tests and get back to you with results. ok?
Regardless of your measurements and readings, there is no magical power multiplier. SOMETHING is not connected the way you believe it is or your equipment is defective.
 

jaggwaa

Well-Known Member
SOMETHING is not connected the way you believe it is or your equipment is defective.
Wao thank you my friend. This sentence just fixed my confusion. FIRST OF ALL BIG APOLOGIES ...... there is a current setting in my voltmeter which was set at 100A and it was supposed to be at 50A with the configuration iam using. I have changed it to 50A and now my readings are different.
So it is indeed a 900ma driver, and yes iam not running my leds on 900ma each, infact iam running them at half of 900. Now i understand why they run so cool:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

SHIMBOB,RYANTE55, NFHIGGS... My Apoligies, let me redo the calculation. Everything is half now.
 

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nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
Wao thank you my friend. This sentence just fixed my confusion. FIRST OF ALL BIG APOLOGIES ...... there is a current setting in my voltmeter which was set at 100A and it was supposed to be at 50A with the configuration iam using. I have changed it to 50A and now my readings are different.
So it is indeed a 900ma driver, and yes iam not running my leds on 900ma each, infact iam running them at half of 900. Now i understand why they run so cool:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

SHIMBOB,RYANTE55, NFHIGGS... My Apoligies, let me redo the calculation. Everything is half now.
You should actually see some pretty decent efficiency running them at 450 mA
 

jaggwaa

Well-Known Member
Here is a test,i just took out two cobs from my clone cabinet. kindly see attached images. the voltmeter itself takes like a watt or less. Image one is no load. Image two, two cobs in parallel. So basically iam losing around two watts from wall to led, what will be the efficiency of this driver?
 

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shimbob

Well-Known Member
who said chinese drivers are 60% efficient(:
*raises hand* to be fair, garbage in garbage out.

What are those meters, I like them. The way you added the ac meter to a power strip is really neat, a DIY killawatt strip.
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
92.2% and 0.96 PF is really pretty good and surprising. I know you can get them as silver and gold versions but never thought they could be so efficient. I have a bunch of the silver 10w/38v/300mA drivers(remnants from 10w floodlight conversion into 6,5w IR triggers) and those are far away from 90%. Probably because they are so small?!? But 92,2% is very good for a 30w driver compared to a Meanwell APC-35-1050 it's even unbelievable(84%). On the other hand, the meters are not calibrated and it is questionable whether they show accurate values. But even if they had only 90% I would be very impressed.
 

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