nfhiggs
Well-Known Member
Nope... I'm in that category as well...
Cheap Lights
- Thread starter Mullumbimby
- Start date
Underground Scientist
Well-Known Member
I just never felt like building all this stuff. I own 4 - 100w 6500k COBs from Amazon, LePower for $43 each. Finned heat sinks, reflectors, mount, cord, no idea what the chips or drivers are but pulls 104 from the wall. Pulled the glass out of em. I'm using 4 in a 4x4 and I'm picking up 45,000 lux at 18-20" away fairly evenly distributed. I don't veg for more than 8 weeks from seed, so it's good for me. Setup is new, but I've vegged 9 one gallons in a 2x2 with one of these.
BuddyColas
Well-Known Member
Found those on Amazon. They are 8000 lumens for 100 watts. Not very efficient. I like that the case is the heatsink. It probably would work as a veg light for 8000 lumens in a 2x2 foot space. If you did like to build/retrofit you could probably change out the existing cobs for some much more efficient cobs...and still use the power supply, heatsink and reflector.
Underground Scientist
Well-Known Member
Yup, not that efficient, but that was the upside to getting them.Found those on Amazon. They are 8000 lumens for 100 watts. Not very efficient. I like that the case is the heatsink. It probably would work as a veg light for 8000 lumens in a 2x2 foot space. If you did like to build/retrofit you could probably change out the existing cobs for some much more efficient cobs...and still use the power supply, heatsink and reflector.
I can just upgrade the chips...I really hate soldering though.
It's just veg though. Running CMH in flower. I kinda wanted to run CMH veg, but I didn't think I could get as even a footprint of light over that area.
Is the heat off them, when stuck to a good metal plate, really high enough to justify active cooling?
I mean, I run a similar idea using the 12v version, cheaper and seems to be doing ok at 1 per plant, and the temperatures coming off that struggle to hit 30°C, 90°F, but I'm thinking of upping it to 24v next time round so some idea of the temperatures you're getting would be handy to help me plan that as I can't see the temps being an issue on a slightly different layout (14"x11", same ball hair over 1 sq ft but ever so slightly smaller total area at 1.04 instead of 1.18 sq. ft., works in at 9.8m of strip and that few inches makes no real difference in the grand scheme of things) hanging in free air.
Enclose it, sure, cooling is needed but hanging in free, moving, air?
uncle!mumbles
Active Member
Active cooling may be more of a personal preference, or perhaps extra caution on my part... I am using 0.025 thick sheet aluminum not a plate. If I had gaps between the strips and/or had thicker aluminum, I may not feel the need for fans.
I have purchased the 12v version of these and they run a little cooler than the 24v. But if properly manager, I don't think active cooling would not be needed for either.
I like the 24v version of these better because they are a little more efficient lumen per watt according to my lux meter, but the 12v are cheaper per lumen.
We're not that different, you're using a single ally sheet, I'm using a cut down PC side panel and not a frame. Your sheet will likely conduct heat better than my thin steel one, so I think we would be pretty even there.
Good to know, I was thinking 24v for the better lumen per watt but would definitely have to be careful with the height because I have managed to get the dreaded Photon Burn using the 12v 5730 3000k and 5050 blurple mix I have now, so going fully 5730 will increase the chances of that happening, especially stepping up the voltage, plus there's the extra costs of moving to 24v.
Decisions decisions....