Samsung Q-series strips

These are newly available strips based on the LM301B chip and available in 1, 2, and 4 foot lengths. All three lengths have the same number of chips in parallel. This makes it easy mix different lengths by hooking them up in series to a constant current driver and cover odd spaces like three or five feet. Other strips like the H-series have the same forward voltage among the different lengths, so each strip length requires a different current in order to mix them with even output.

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/led/products/led-engine/ambient-light-engine/q-series
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/led/products/led-component/mid-power/lm301b

For drivers I'm looking at using one MeanWell LDD-H 500mA per four feet of LT-Q. Four feet of LT-Q at the max Vf adds up to a bit under 45 volts which is under the 3-Volt drop out of the LLD on a 48V power supply. The LDD-H's are cheap ($5), dimmable, and clean/easy when plugged into a one of the rapidled PCBs. You can use one big driver like the HLG too if you're OK with the high voltage.

The claimed efficiency on these things is great but I don't know how honest Samsung has been in the past with their numbers. Anyone have any insight?

I don't believe these are any more efficient than what is already available on the market, if they are it's minimal. They are also not meant to be driven like other strips and on the data sheet max out at 900ma. It makes me wonder if the pcb is much lighter duty than say the F series which are meant to be driven much harder. The 4' strip maxes out at 20w so you'd need say 10 of them to light up a 2'x4' veg tent but that's running them at their maximum, so you might be better off getting more and running them softer.

I don't think they are particularly good for our requirements, certainly not as good as the H and F series. It just seems to be about an incremental increase in efficiency rather than a new product line for a specific use.

Danielson999 said:

I don't believe these are any more efficient than what is already available on the market, if they are it's minimal. They are also not meant to be driven like other strips and on the data sheet max out at 900ma.

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It looks like the LM301B is a newer, more efficient LED than the LM561C found in the older F series. If you check the datasheets, the LM301B bins a bit higher. LM301B/3500K comes in 34-36 lm and 36-38 lm bins while the highest bin for LM561C is 35-37 lm and has a bin as low as 31-33.

My space is an odd size, 1.5 x 3 feet approximately and only 30 inches high. I can't use strips that only come in 2-foot size without putting a big hot spot right in the middle. I think eight 3 foot (LT-Q282 + LT-Q562) strips at 0.5A will be about right for my space, putting out similar quantity of light to the three first gen Vero 29's I'm running now but with maybe 2/3rds the power consumption and way better spread.

The spectra of the LM301Bs looks more blue heavy than the Veros. 3500K Q strips look closest to 4000K Vero.

StonerCol said:

I don't think they are particularly good for our requirements, certainly not as good as the H and F series. It just seems to be about an incremental increase in efficiency rather than a new product line for a specific use.

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Why aren't they good? They seem like the best thing available for my stealth cab.

They are certainly different because they come in three sizes and all three have the same number of chips in parallel and differ in the number of chips in series. This makes it easy to mix and match different sizes.

Observe & Report said:

Why aren't they good? They seem like the best thing available for my stealth cab.

They are certainly different because they come in three sizes and all three have the same number of chips in parallel and differ in the number of chips in series. This makes it easy to mix and match different sizes.

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Fair point, in a small cab they are great but not in a larger space, compared to the H or F series.

hi
at 19.7 watts and40c the q strips are 198lm/w (3500k)
at 19.7 watts and 40c the f strips are 195.9lm/w(3500k)
its a very small difference ,so it depend on the price
Does someone carry them already ?digikey?

kony brado said:

so it depend on the price

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I think you're missing the point. It isn't about price or efficiency. First and foremost it's about whether they can do the job. In a larger space it wouldn't be the best option by far.

LM561C - A1/S6 - 3000K @65mA
VF: 2.9V (max)
Flux: 34.5 lm/W (min)
QER: 321.6 lm/W
LER: 4.86 µmol/J
-> 2.766 µmol/J

LM301B - A1/SK - 3000K @65mA
VF: 2.9V (max)
Flux: 36 lm/W (min)
QER: 331.83 lm/W
LER: 4.816 µmol/J
-> 2.772 µmol/J

Just more lumens, but not necessarily more PAR.

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/samsung-semiconductor-inc/SI-B8U101560US/1510-2286-ND/7562244

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/samsung-semiconductor-inc/SI-B8U261560WW/1510-2218-ND/6624002

they are actually cheaper than f strips in the 2 feet.

@StonerCol ,what is the best option ,and why?
@tomate ,where did you find QER,LER data for the 301b,pleas?
thanks

@kony brado
Calculated from the datasheet using @alesh his excel file and the webplotdigitizer.

thanks for this @tomate
i think that if you go for a high efficiency rig they are viable option,since the are cheaper than f strips

kony brado said:

what is the best option ,and why?

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It depends on the size of the space you are trying to light I guess. The Q strips are low current so good for a small space but if you have say a 10x6 ft space then F or H series would be better. They wont be very efficient in a large area cos you'd need loads of them. Part of their efficiency comes from the fact that they run on a lower current but that is pointless in a larger area. Better off with the FB24B beasts.
Like I said in my earlier post, efficiency shouldn't be the first thought. It should be are they appropriate for the requirement. It's no good having a super efficient rig (In terms of power usage) if they won't grow decent weed. Then they become totally inefficient.

kony brado said:

i think that if you go for a high efficiency rig they are viable option,since the are cheaper than f strips

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They aren't.

2' Q-Series -> 40 Diodes
2' F-Series -> 72 Diodes

StonerCol said:

It depends on the size of the space you are trying to light I guess. The Q strips are low current so good for a small space but if you have say a 10x6 ft space then F or H series would be better. They wont be very efficient in a large area cos you'd need loads of them. Part of their efficiency comes from the fact that they run on a lower current but that is pointless in a larger area. Better off with the FB24B beasts.
Like I said in my earlier post, efficiency shouldn't be the first thought. It should be are they appropriate for the requirement. It's no good having a super efficient rig (In terms of power usage) if they won't grow decent weed. Then they become totally inefficient.

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don't get me wrong,i agree about having many strips is a pain in the ass,but i do grow some great weed with great yields on a ~192lm/w 4*8 (f strip) rig ,i grow 50-55cm plants 16 per 4*4 (half way scrog) ,so it depend on your method of growing.
i dont agree that hi efficiency dont grow good weed..did i just say that?

tomate said:

They aren't.

2' Q-Series -> 40 Diodes
2' F-Series -> 72 Diodes

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i think they are more comparable with h strips,but yes ,f strips win

Funny thing is the thickness of the pcb .
in the 1 and 2 feet its a 1.6mm ,and in the 4 feet its 1mm same as h strips,all copper pcb,i guess same like the f strips 1mm pcb

Kony, I wondered about that also. The 4 footers are super flippity floppety. What the hell were they thinking?

It may have to do with repurposing the M Series 4' strip for the H Series builds. The PCBs are printed as Ms but the build tag says H. Samsung confirmed this was true.

kony brado said:

i dont agree that hi efficiency dont grow good weed.

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I never said it did.

Looks like the Q's are 20% more expensive than the F's, per diode. I didn't compare the double row models. At my scale it's worth the extra money to save a lot of hassle trying to get even coverage in my odd sized space.

How does my math look?

A 1 foot Q strip is a 4s5p array of LM301B's, 2 foot is 8s5p, etc... because 11V / 4 and 22V / 8 = 2.75V
At 500mA, each diode is in a 5p array is getting 100mA of current
According to the datasheet, a LM301B puts out 150% of the flux at 100mA as at 65mA, 150% / (100mA / 65mA) = 0.975 * 2.772 µmol/J = 2.7027 µmol/J @ 100mA and 25C, i.e. 2.5% current droop at 100mA
At 500Ma, the Vf of the LM301B is about 2.79, * 4 = 11.16V per foot of Q series strip
11.16V * 0.5mA = 5.58W * 2.7027 µmol/J = 15.081 µmol/s per foot of Q series strip at 500mA and 25C

I'm planning on running 24 feet of Q strips, eight bars each with a two foot and a one foot strip. My flowering chamber is 0.3952 m^2. 24 * 15.081 µmol/s / 0.3952 m^2 = average 916 µmol/s/m^2 PPFD. That's an based on an unrealistic 25C Tj pulsed measurement, actual output will probably be somewhere north of 870 (5% temp droop at 80C Tj) It'll be over the average in the middle and below it on the edges of course.