ImpulsiveGrower
Well-Known Member
Hey fam let’s see your custom DIY builds!!! 
Custom DIY 240 watt 6 bar LED grow light!!
- Thread starter ImpulsiveGrower
- Start date
ImpulsiveGrower
Well-Known Member
Looking good guys!! Anyone else??? Building a light is a lot easier than you may have thought before. You gotta have a basic understanding on some electrical stuff but on the website growdaddyled.com they have very descriptive information as to what you need to properly build a light and will even email you a wiring diagram if you’re still lost. It’s very satisfying when you get solid dense colas under a light you built yourself!!
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
So i wanted to post my fav light i ever built here as my client just harvested with it: 
Its meant for a small auto tent but got enough light to run a a m2.
Dimensions are 70x70cm or 28" each side approx for a 80cm tent. It replaced a 400w hps.
Its based on bridgelux vesta strips: dual 90cri channels, one for 5000k one for 2700k and you get around 3800k if you run both at the same time. The photo above is with both channels, not sure why it has such an intense warm white look. Each strip is almost 200 diodes so with 14 strips its almost 2800 white diodes and 22 red monos: 630/660nm spread.
The reason i like this light so much other than my undying love of vestas is the amount of control it allows with just a few simple measures. First: spread control: theres 2 circuits, one for all the strips is the middle and one for the strips running along the edges. This means you can control the hotspot or boost the sides for more even spread. Here we see the centre circuit only:
Again this is both channels but the white balance makes it look more cold. Also all the cabling was tidied before delivery.
On the centre circuit i opted to add some reds, since all strips are 24-25V it gives us an approx 25% extra reds on the centre circuit (12.5 of total wattage) spread over both 630 and 660. Keen eyes can see the difference, 630 slightly more orangy.
For drivers i used xlg-150m : voltages are around 100V so still not dangerously high, the M version is constant power so its easy to driver watch and the light does 300w in total, although seems like 100w is enough for my clients space.
In order to get spectrum control i added some switches on each circuit:,
So driver + to right side wago splits the current in 2. White switch sends light thru the CW circuit, black to the WW circuit. Same again for the 2 circuits so you can mix and match spectrums between centre and perifery.
The design of the light wasnt really clear at first i already had the strips but during lock down i got this ambitious idea.
What i really like is the amount of control you get with this light, it really puts the grower in the driving seat for full cycle growing. Seedlings stay nice and bushy under cold white and under pure warm white in flower its hard to keep up with the plants. All its missing is some uv and and far red on separate channels.
Stats: the driver runs the strips at 750mA each at full, which is about 2.4ppf/w, vesta gen1 isnt all that efficient. But this run each driver was running at about 50w so each strip around 250mA which is about 2.6-2.7ppf/w. If we then factor in that a big part of the grow this 250mA is shared by 2 channels this number goes up even more but i think its pointless to make efficiency estimates anymore. If my memory and calulations arent messed up that would mean running each diode at around 10mA or less than a 6th of common nominal current of 65mA and less than a 10th of what people usually run their lm301bs.
All values based around tekniks vesta tests here on site.
These are some pre harvest pics at 100w for approx 7 square foot:
Its meant for a small auto tent but got enough light to run a a m2.
Dimensions are 70x70cm or 28" each side approx for a 80cm tent. It replaced a 400w hps.
Its based on bridgelux vesta strips: dual 90cri channels, one for 5000k one for 2700k and you get around 3800k if you run both at the same time. The photo above is with both channels, not sure why it has such an intense warm white look. Each strip is almost 200 diodes so with 14 strips its almost 2800 white diodes and 22 red monos: 630/660nm spread.
The reason i like this light so much other than my undying love of vestas is the amount of control it allows with just a few simple measures. First: spread control: theres 2 circuits, one for all the strips is the middle and one for the strips running along the edges. This means you can control the hotspot or boost the sides for more even spread. Here we see the centre circuit only:
Again this is both channels but the white balance makes it look more cold. Also all the cabling was tidied before delivery.
On the centre circuit i opted to add some reds, since all strips are 24-25V it gives us an approx 25% extra reds on the centre circuit (12.5 of total wattage) spread over both 630 and 660. Keen eyes can see the difference, 630 slightly more orangy.
For drivers i used xlg-150m : voltages are around 100V so still not dangerously high, the M version is constant power so its easy to driver watch and the light does 300w in total, although seems like 100w is enough for my clients space.
In order to get spectrum control i added some switches on each circuit:,
So driver + to right side wago splits the current in 2. White switch sends light thru the CW circuit, black to the WW circuit. Same again for the 2 circuits so you can mix and match spectrums between centre and perifery.
The design of the light wasnt really clear at first i already had the strips but during lock down i got this ambitious idea.
What i really like is the amount of control you get with this light, it really puts the grower in the driving seat for full cycle growing. Seedlings stay nice and bushy under cold white and under pure warm white in flower its hard to keep up with the plants. All its missing is some uv and and far red on separate channels.
Stats: the driver runs the strips at 750mA each at full, which is about 2.4ppf/w, vesta gen1 isnt all that efficient. But this run each driver was running at about 50w so each strip around 250mA which is about 2.6-2.7ppf/w. If we then factor in that a big part of the grow this 250mA is shared by 2 channels this number goes up even more but i think its pointless to make efficiency estimates anymore. If my memory and calulations arent messed up that would mean running each diode at around 10mA or less than a 6th of common nominal current of 65mA and less than a 10th of what people usually run their lm301bs.
All values based around tekniks vesta tests here on site.
These are some pre harvest pics at 100w for approx 7 square foot:
Attachments
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Bud pics:
Vesta is not a slouch for being a gen1 2835 @15w per square foot and 20/4 light/night cycle. Still waiting for the total weigh in
Vesta is not a slouch for being a gen1 2835 @15w per square foot and 20/4 light/night cycle. Still waiting for the total weigh in
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amneziaHaze
Well-Known Member
Can you order this on amazon? What do i need to type in for a name to find it?
How much g/w where you able to get from it?
How much g/w where you able to get from it?
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
No, this is custom built. Grams per watt is somewhat hard to say since in most comparisons this is made for 12/12 cycle: the 20/4 cycle is 66% more light per day so it should really be though pf more like 24w/ft.
My client hopes for somewhere between 250-300g on this run. First plant out of 6 came just short of 3 ounces. Cant remember how long the run was, just over 3months.
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Catskillze
Member
A few builds from the past couple months
Attachments
Horselover fat
Well-Known Member
Four led tech boards with 308 lm301b each. Two meanwell elg 200 c2100b drivers. In this configuration each board runs at 80w max. I could swap out the drivers and push almost twice the watts if I wanted to use a bigger tent.
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Bring on the builds, there used to be a monster thread just on diys but i cant find it anymore
amneziaHaze
Well-Known Member
I am interested in diy led bars seems they are best for growing
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Depends on the space and money. In a perfectly square place 4 boards, one in each corner is a great fit for even cover. Strip lights have even cover on low hanging height but the more you raise them the more you accentuate a hotspot in the middle, i know this goes completely counter intuitive.
The 2 channel strips used in the previous build are bridgelux Vesta gen1, probably not available from amazon but check the usual ones: Digikey/mouser/arrow electronics/future electronics, someone will have them. Should be around 10$ iirc
MidnightSun72
Well-Known Member
300w Veg light Samsung strips. I use for my orange tress
400W Veg light eb gen 3 strips
800W 4x4 fixture EB Gen 3 slims
400W Veg light eb gen 3 strips
800W 4x4 fixture EB Gen 3 slims
Horselover fat
Well-Known Member
<Cough>boards</cough>
Though one should seperate the hlg quantum style boards from the kind I run. They are quite different. These make more sense to me, because they don't need heatsinks and have better coverage. If I used smaller boards I would definitely use reflectors with them.... Actually I would use reflectors with my boards if I had the space.
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Really like the clean work on walls and ceiling, grower porn
Whatbare the things hanging from the ceiling in pic nr 3?
Your next light is gonna be killer...
MidnightSun72
Well-Known Member
Thanks rocket. The laser level is my friend.Really like the clean work on walls and ceiling, grower porn
Whatbare the things hanging from the ceiling in pic nr 3?
Your next light is gonna be killer...
I've been consulting rocket on my next build for best flower fixture I can afford. Super tuneable spectrum looking at strips from cutter. I am stoked to get started.
Edit: what's hanging is the Trolmaster smoke detector, CO2 sensor and humidity and temp sensor.
also the gas monkey which is just a powder coated steel plate that hold the CO2 line pointing down in the centre of the room so it doesn't curl like a pigs tail. I like shit to look straight and perpendicular in my room.
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amneziaHaze
Well-Known Member
What would you recommend for 80x80x180cm?
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
A donkey kong for donkey dicks?
Also for autos? Id rec something similar to this build although the connections was a little tight @70cm wide, better 75 but then it gets tight in the tent.
My thinking re autos is to push the spectrum side more than raw intensity; the less light you have the more spectrum seems to matter and autos, having a longer day, dont really need full 12/12 flower strength.
MidnightSun72
Well-Known Member
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i would go for a meanwell XLG 240 M AB. Can be had all day for 50USD or less.
Along with either these strips or some Samsung. But let's say eb Gen 3 2 foot strips. $111usd for 20 of them 19.1V by 700
then together I would put two parallel sets of 8 strips in series. You will have four strips left over. You can order from other supplier that let you get multiples of 1 strip if you like.
Your total Vf will be 153V which has a corresponding amperage of 1.56a. Split it over the two led strings and you got 0.75ma to each strip which is barely above nominal. It should give you about 160lm/w at the board.
after driver losses you are looking at a light that does 240W of light at 0.925x160= 148lm/w which corresponds to roughly 2.82umol/j based on the waveform lighting calculator because it's 3000K 90CRI. So the uMol is a bit higher vs the lumens. If you are running autos you can dim it to accommodate the higher DLI of running longer hours.
anyway total cost for the light would be around $160 + whatever aluminum wires and thermal adhesive you buy.
You have 6.88 sqft so let's say 7 sqft. Light it with 35w per square foot gives you 245W. So a meanwell 240W would fit well.
i would go for a meanwell XLG 240 M AB. Can be had all day for 50USD or less.
Along with either these strips or some Samsung. But let's say eb Gen 3 2 foot strips. $111usd for 20 of them 19.1V by 700
then together I would put two parallel sets of 8 strips in series. You will have four strips left over. You can order from other supplier that let you get multiples of 1 strip if you like.
Your total Vf will be 153V which has a corresponding amperage of 1.56a. Split it over the two led strings and you got 0.75ma to each strip which is barely above nominal. It should give you about 160lm/w at the board.
after driver losses you are looking at a light that does 240W of light at 0.925x160= 148lm/w which corresponds to roughly 2.82umol/j based on the waveform lighting calculator because it's 3000K 90CRI. So the uMol is a bit higher vs the lumens. If you are running autos you can dim it to accommodate the higher DLI of running longer hours.
anyway total cost for the light would be around $160 + whatever aluminum wires and thermal adhesive you buy.
Lol gas monkey so I can grow them gorilla arm colas.A donkey kong for donkey dicks?