DiY LEDs - How to Power Them

weedistoosick

Active Member
Hi
Posted this elsewhere but just incase..

Looking to start a new experience with a.cob led grow ,probably a bunch of 50w ,probably 6-9

Wanted to ask a couple of questions

are driverless LEDs useless as some people go on ?
Quite confusing as the grows and articles based on research show otherwise

Also is this due to the efficiency e.g run to hard therefore running way hot.?

If not then why?

Which cob LEDs should I get ?
Are epistars a good bet ?
Also would 4 full spectrum.2 cool white and 3 warm.white be a good set up ?

I've seen millions on eBay so can't really distinguish but some direction would be great

And if standard driver LEDs are the way to go then how efficient can they be if running them adequately soft ?
I ask this as some.of the driverless LEDs I have been assured are about 50% ,e.g 50w cob =25w actual light lumens


Hoping to have a decent discussion about this

Also if standard cobs with a driver are the way to go can someone please help me sourcing some of these ,the ones on AliExpress and eBay are like 90lpw ,what'sthe point , live in the UK
 

oilfield bud

Well-Known Member
I'm about to do my first build and the guy from cobkits.com has been a great help you might try his company out. He has been very helpful


Hi
Posted this elsewhere but just incase..

Looking to start a new experience with a.cob led grow ,probably a bunch of 50w ,probably 6-9

Wanted to ask a couple of questions

are driverless LEDs useless as some people go on ?
Quite confusing as the grows and articles based on research show otherwise

Also is this due to the efficiency e.g run to hard therefore running way hot.?

If not then why?

Which cob LEDs should I get ?
Are epistars a good bet ?
Also would 4 full spectrum.2 cool white and 3 warm.white be a good set up ?

I've seen millions on eBay so can't really distinguish but some direction would be great

And if standard driver LEDs are the way to go then how efficient can they be if running them adequately soft ?
I ask this as some.of the driverless LEDs I have been assured are about 50% ,e.g 50w cob =25w actual light lumens


Hoping to have a decent discussion about this

Also if standard cobs with a driver are the way to go can someone please help me sourcing some of these ,the ones on AliExpress and eBay are like 90lpw ,what'sthe point , live in the UK
 

boilingoil

Well-Known Member
LED drivers give the best efficiency under full power, Most diodes has the opposite and the efficiency improves at lower than max output, just takes more diodes or cobs to reproduce the same light.
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Hi
Posted this elsewhere but just incase..

Looking to start a new experience with a.cob led grow ,probably a bunch of 50w ,probably 6-9

Wanted to ask a couple of questions

are driverless LEDs useless as some people go on ?
Quite confusing as the grows and articles based on research show otherwise

Also is this due to the efficiency e.g run to hard therefore running way hot.?

If not then why?

Which cob LEDs should I get ?
Are epistars a good bet ?
Also would 4 full spectrum.2 cool white and 3 warm.white be a good set up ?

I've seen millions on eBay so can't really distinguish but some direction would be great

And if standard driver LEDs are the way to go then how efficient can they be if running them adequately soft ?
I ask this as some.of the driverless LEDs I have been assured are about 50% ,e.g 50w cob =25w actual light lumens


Hoping to have a decent discussion about this

Also if standard cobs with a driver are the way to go can someone please help me sourcing some of these ,the ones on AliExpress and eBay are like 90lpw ,what'sthe point , live in the UK
There's a guy on ebay.co.uk from Estonia I think sells citizen 1212 cobs pretty cheap.
There are also a lot of suppliers here but they usually want you to buy a whole tray.

Then there is kingbrite on Alibaba who is competitive.

If your going to do it I suggest using good cobs.

These days it can be much cheaper to do a diy strip build since you don't have to source heavy and expensive heat sinks like you do with cobs. Pin heat sinks are not so easy to get inside UK.

If your going to go with cobs then check out growmau5 on youtube, look for his early vids, there is a 7 part series explaining the basics.

What sort of space are you lighting up?
 

weedistoosick

Active Member
There's a guy on from Estonia I think sells citizen 1212 cobs pretty cheap.
There are also a lot of suppliers here but they usually want you to buy a whole tray.

Then there is kingbrite on Alibaba who is competitive.

If your going to do it I suggest using good cobs.

These days it can be much cheaper to do a diy strip build since you don't have to source heavy and expensive heat sinks like you do with cobs. Pin heat sinks are not so easy to get inside UK.

If your going to go with cobs then check out growmau5 on youtube, look for his early vids, there is a 7 part series explaining the basics.

What sort of space are you lighting up?
Hey thanks alot
I'll be honest I'm completely new so I don't know what a 1212.bulb is ATM
Wait so you don't need any heat sink with led strips ?

Are they generally the same.light .e.f par as lpw as.cobs ?if not that what are the drawbacks ?

So as far as space I'm unsure

Thinking about getting a shed or a similar fixture and putting it in their so I'm fairly.open but I would assume Atleast a 1.2m.squared area?

Thanks alot
Appreciate your time

Also If anyone could recommended links to journals.and.newbie guides so I can understand ppfd and how to work out par on specific lights I'd be very grateful :)

Don't mind a long.read as.lonfnas it's digestible
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Hey thanks alot
I'll be honest I'm completely new so I don't know what a 1212.bulb is ATM
Wait so you don't need any heat sink with led strips ?

Are they generally the same.light .e.f par as lpw as.cobs ?if not that what are the drawbacks ?

So as far as space I'm unsure

Thinking about getting a shed or a similar fixture and putting it in their so I'm fairly.open but I would assume Atleast a 1.2m.squared area?

Thanks alot
Appreciate your time

Also If anyone could recommended links to journals.and.newbie guides so I can understand ppfd and how to work out par on specific lights I'd be very grateful :)

Don't mind a long.read as.lonfnas it's digestible
A 1212 is one series of COB made by citizen , its 12 diodes in series and 12 in parallel. Its a entery level cob in terms of price but obviously not as efficient as a more expensive on at certain currents. citizen also make 1812,1818, 1825 ect

So with strips you can use heatsinks but at low current you can get away without any and a lot of people just use basic aluminium U shape profile which is enough to dissipate the heat since we don't generally run them hard.

https://www.aluminiumwarehouse.co.uk/aluminium/channel?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqcn7h9Th4wIVC7DtCh3xHQ2nEAAYASACEgKKZ_D_BwE

Its cheap as chips and they will even cut it to the size you like.

As far as light goes yeah its the same white light, same Kelvin rating available, you can actually achieve a higher lumen per watt cheaper. Commonly used diodes are Samsung lm561 or 301b or cree or bridgelux eb strips.
The EB strips are pretty damn cheap and on offer at digi key at the moment.

It has advantages over COBs , been a lighter weight build, cheaper and forms a blanket of light rather than say 9 points of intense light.

I don't know if you have heard of quantum boards but essentially its the same thing but spread out more.

If you want to learn more about them I would suggest googling ledgardener strip build. Though the prices are out of date.

Aim for 30-35w per square foot and you will get great results in flower.

If you have any questions giz a shout.


@Rocket Soul @Randomblame do you guys know of a specific thread on ppfd or any useful tools for this dude?
 

weedistoosick

Active Member
A 1212 is one series of COB made by citizen , its 12 diodes in series and 12 in parallel. Its a entery level cob in terms of price but obviously not as efficient as a more expensive on at certain currents. citizen also make 1812,1818, 1825 ect

So with strips you can use heatsinks but at low current you can get away without any and a lot of people just use basic aluminium U shape profile which is enough to dissipate the heat since we don't generally run them hard.

Its cheap as chips and they will even cut it to the size you like.

As far as light goes yeah its the same white light, same Kelvin rating available, you can actually achieve a higher lumen per watt cheaper. Commonly used diodes are Samsung lm561 or 301b or cree or bridgelux eb strips.
The EB strips are pretty damn cheap and on offer at digi key at the moment.

It has advantages over COBs , been a lighter weight build, cheaper and forms a blanket of light rather than say 9 points of intense light.

I don't know if you have heard of quantum boards but essentially its the same thing but spread out more.

If you want to learn more about them I would suggest ledgardener strip build. Though the prices are out of date.

Aim for 30-35w per square foot and you will get great results in flower.

If you have any questions giz a shout.


@Rocket Soul @Randomblame do you guys know of a specific thread on ppfd or any useful tools for this dude?
Thanks alot Corey
I've been reading and diving into different rabbit holes of info and was looking at the f series strips on digikey uk
Now ,this might sound dumb at ,as I swear I read up on this but can't locate the info anymore

What is this flux@current/temperature mean ?
The more I read the more.people.are.linking it to lumens per watt :/



This is the only different between the strips.

Btw the strips.im.having a good.look at are the samsung SI-B8U521B20WW ,thought these were ok ?


BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 bridgelux seem good but once again their is a difference with the flux being rated lower but the bridgelux seem far more cost effective

You think 6 of these would.cover a 1.2m?

Also spectrum ,should I mix it up or 3500k from.start to finish.?

Also for future reference ,can you mix up.strips.on the same driver ,e.g volts amps or not recommended ?

Trying to absorb what I can as quick as I can
I'll have plenty more questions before this is done

Appreciate it
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Thanks alot Corey
I've been reading and diving into different rabbit holes of info and was looking at the f series strips on digikey uk
Now ,this might sound dumb at ,as I swear I read up on this but can't locate the info anymore

What is this flux@current/temperature mean ?
The more I read the more.people.are.linking it to lumens per watt :/



This is the only different between the strips.

Btw the strips.im.having a good.look at are the samsung SI-B8U521B20WW ,thought these were ok ?


BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 bridgelux seem good but once again their is a difference with the flux being rated lower but the bridgelux seem far more cost effective

You think 6 of these would.cover a 1.2m?

Also spectrum ,should I mix it up or 3500k from.start to finish.?

Also for future reference ,can you mix up.strips.on the same driver ,e.g volts amps or not recommended ?

Trying to absorb what I can as quick as I can
I'll have plenty more questions before this is done

Appreciate it
The flux is the total output in lumens at test current at a given test temp which is measured at Tc point on the strip. They run slightly better at cooler temp.

Those strips are good, but your looking at around 50w per strip..
You could use 8 on a hlg480-48a (f series)

But the EB gen 2 strips are currently like less than a 3rd of the price and running 12 of them would get you slightly higher lm/w according to LED gardener.
https://ledgardener.com/diy-led-strip-build-designs-samsung-bridgelux/ (read his whole site)

You dont want to be running different voltages or currents though it could be done it would be complicated.
You could use a mix of kelvin if you like but it kind of averages out, for example 6 in 4000k and 6 in 3000k would be the same as 12 in 3500k.

:bigjoint:
 

weedistoosick

Active Member
The flux is the total output in lumens at test current at a given test temp which is measured at Tc point on the strip. They run slightly better at cooler temp.

Those strips are good, but your looking at around 50w per strip..
You could use 8 on a hlg480-48a (f series)

But the EB gen 2 strips are currently like less than a 3rd of the price and running 12 of them would get you slightly higher lm/w according to LED gardener.
I

You dont want to be running different voltages or currents though it could be done it would be complicated.
You could use a mix of kelvin if you like but it kind of averages out, for example 6 in 4000k and 6 in 3000k would be the same as 12 in 3500k.

:bigjoint:
Hey man

so at 50w a strip ,is that bad then ? Lol

I see so the higher the flux the better the possible lpw can be depending on how soft you run it and also the integrity of the chip ,is that about right ?

How important is the flux then?

For example this eb series
BXEB-L0280Z-35E1000-C-B3
Is 1195lm at test

Where as some of the Samsung I was looking at I believe we're 12000-14000lm

Literally 10.times.more so little info on that would be great
And don't understand as wouldn't this mean the lpw would be significantly lower and therefore affect the amount of light the plant receives ?


Ok so 3500k the whole way is a good way to go then ?

Thanks man hope to hear from you soon
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Hey man

so at 50w a strip ,is that bad then ? Lol

I see so the higher the flux the better the possible lpw can be depending on how soft you run it and also the integrity of the chip ,is that about right ?

How important is the flux then?

For example this eb series
BXEB-L0280Z-35E1000-C-B3
Is 1195lm at test

Where as some of the Samsung I was looking at I believe we're 12000-14000lm

Literally 10.times.more so little info on that would be great
And don't understand as wouldn't this mean the lpw would be significantly lower and therefore affect the amount of light the plant receives ?


Ok so 3500k the whole way is a good way to go then ?

Thanks man hope to hear from you soon
50w per strip is not bad no, but with 6 of them is 300w and that's not enough for a 1.2x1.2.

The flux is the output at the test current they use but the test current will be higher or lower depending on the strip and its voltage and what the max current is.

So a 2ft strip with 10 diodes will have a lower voltage, say 10v, it might be ran at 1amp,
a 4ft strip could have 40 diodes and have a voltage of 40, if they test that at 1amp the luminous flux will be 4 times the smaller one assuming the diodes are the same type and bin.
What you want to look at is the lm/w which will be higher the softer you run the strip and lower if you run it hard.

You could build a light with minimum strips running at max current and be at like 160lm/w or you could have 50% more strips running lower current giving you 180lm/w
Both lights would have the same wattage or power draw but one would be more efficient and thus be putting out a bit more light for the power your using.

The LEDgardener's builds are based around getting a good efficiency but still been cost effective. Somebody else might want to use twice the amount of strips and push that lm/w much higher, but at a price of more strips.
Which with expensive strips will soon add up, but with something like a EB gen 2 they are that cheap you can happily do it if you want and the fact you only require some aluminium U profile to act as a heatsink makes it more appealing.
 

boilingoil

Well-Known Member
Gen 3 F-series aren't a bad deal, you can get 25 F-series for around $11 for the 2' when bought in a quantity of 25.That's less than $.50 per watt for the strips.
 

weedistoosick

Active Member
50w per strip is not bad no, but with 6 of them is 300w and that's not enough for a 1.2x1.2.

The flux is the output at the test current they use but the test current will be higher or lower depending on the strip and its voltage and what the max current is.

So a 2ft strip with 10 diodes will have a lower voltage, say 10v, it might be ran at 1amp,
a 4ft strip could have 40 diodes and have a voltage of 40, if they test that at 1amp the luminous flux will be 4 times the smaller one assuming the diodes are the same type and bin.
What you want to look at is the lm/w which will be higher the softer you run the strip and lower if you run it hard.

You could build a light with minimum strips running at max current and be at like 160lm/w or you could have 50% more strips running lower current giving you 180lm/w
Both lights would have the same wattage or power draw but one would be more efficient and thus be putting out a bit more light for the power your using.

The LEDgardener's builds are based around getting a good efficiency but still been cost effective. Somebody else might want to use twice the amount of strips and push that lm/w much higher, but at a price of more strips.
Which with expensive strips will soon add up, but with something like a EB gen 2 they are that cheap you can happily do it if you want and the fact you only require some aluminium U profile to act as a heatsink makes it more appealing.
Thanks for your input
Truth be told still confused on the flux

Probably my fault
That being said all I need to do is get some help in purchasing and setting up my first set up and then I'm sure I'll gather knowledge

Was thinking if a 1m x1m

How many watts do you think I'd need ?
Gen 3 F-series aren't a bad deal, you can get 25 F-series for around $11 for the 2' when bought in a quantity of 25.That's less than $.50 per watt for the strips.

Hey thanks for your input

Tbh I'm.confused on the flux and how to work out the correlation of price between these diff generation bulbs

E.g what am I paying for ?
And why is the increased flux at TC important?

Thanks.people
 

ANC

Well-Known Member
Gen 3 F-series aren't a bad deal, you can get 25 F-series for around $11 for the 2' when bought in a quantity of 25.That's less than $.50 per watt for the strips.
The fuckers took the 25 price break away Right now the price dif between dual row H_inlfux and F series in 56cm, is so close, there is no real incentive to go for the F series in that size
 

boilingoil

Well-Known Member
The fuckers took the 25 price break away Right now the price dif between dual row H_inlfux and F series in 56cm, is so close, there is no real incentive to go for the F series in that size
They did take the 25 piece discount out!
You are correct as the difference is minimal between the 2 but the H-influx are 24mm wide would require more than a standard u-channel size for mounting and cooling. Also the H-influx thermal design is running at 55c compared to 65c for the f-series, so if you drop the thermal of the f-series to 55c the difference in lumen output becomes even closer. Then if you compare the output the h-influx puts out 4000 lumens over the f-series 4,400 lumens. Multiply that by 10 strips per fixture and you have a 10% increase in available light just from the strips for around $30 less, then you add the price difference of the aluminum required for mounting and cooling and the cost goes down more.

I am not trying to tell anybody what to buy or use, just explaining my thought process as far as value per cost.
 

weedistoosick

Active Member
They did take the 25 piece discount out!
You are correct as the difference is minimal between the 2 but the H-influx are 24mm wide would require more than a standard u-channel size for mounting and cooling. Also the H-influx thermal design is running at 55c compared to 65c for the f-series, so if you drop the thermal of the f-series to 55c the difference in lumen output becomes even closer. Then if you compare the output the h-influx puts out 4000 lumens over the f-series 4,400 lumens. Multiply that by 10 strips per fixture and you have a 10% increase in available light just from the strips for around $30 less, then you add the price difference of the aluminum required for mounting and cooling and the cost goes down more.

I am not trying to tell anybody what to buy or use, just explaining my thought process as far as value per cost.
I don't understand why you would get these over the eb series gen 2 when their far far more cost effective

Am I missing something ?

Should I get the the f series ??
 

boilingoil

Well-Known Member
I don't understand why you would get these over the eb series gen 2 when their far far more cost effective

Am I missing something ?

Should I get the the f series ??
Use what you want! I was only comparing the H-influx to the F-series and my thought progression as far as value and cost.
 
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