Seeking Help - Building Custom-Designed DIY LED Grow Lights using CREE CXA3070 COBs

What are your ambient temps? How how is your heatsink? Any issues with the CPU cooler?

Just saw your question Bicit. The heatsink runs about 78 degrees right next to the edge of the COB. Ambient temp in the BudBin is about 72 degrees. CPU cooler is flawless.

Stay tuned. ETA on the big panel completion is later tonight.

Looking forward to build update.

it's.......beautiful

Very cool. You guys give me too many ideas.

That's a wood or particle board correct? No issues with wood and heat?

WDIK said:

Very cool. You guys give me too many ideas.

That's a wood or particle board correct? No issues with wood and heat?

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Thanks WDIK.

At Lowes they sell pre-cut 1'x3" white boards for shelving projects. I just used one of those, and didn't even have to saw anything except the holes for the 5000K chips.

A beautiful thing. Can't wait to see that beast in action! Can always make adjustments and improvements with time...that's the way I look at it

y'all making me jealous running those cobs. I'm gonna hold out a little and finish my xml setup, but I'm keeping an eye on these things for sure

AWESOME...............great DIY job............+rep..................now let's see what this beast panel can do!!!!!

Smashing it....

Wow that is a powerful light, the spectrum should be very nice too with those extra 5000K's. But why place the 5000K's so far apart? The center now has the least coverage. Just nitpicking here...

When the arms are deployed, the 5000k are centered. If needed, I may also add some desk-clip lamps on both sides of the panel for spot targeting with Cree bulbs.

Looks like you know your shit, got all the parts

How the fuck did you learn all that wiring?

Im still struggling with which drivers and how to connect them all and dont get me started on how to connect the fans...


How much was the total cost

Badass light bro!! I love how the arms extend.

midgetaus said:

How the fuck did you learn all that wiring?

Im still struggling with which drivers and how to connect them all and dont get me started on how to connect the fans...


How much was the total cost

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I wish there was a "how to build led fixtures for dummies" manual. Something that is all laid out for us in language a third grader can understand...I'd be all over that

Nice light, G! Looking forward I seeing it in action

G, nice work! You learn well. Did you use butt connectors for driver leads as Supra suggested?

I used similar rails for heat sinks but not permanently attached so they slide for variable spacing.
After you experiment with a run or 2, You might consider a few more chips (1-3590, 2 or 3 3050's,
2.7k) in center possibly flanked by a far red and UVB bulb on separate timers.

edit: I would also consider removing drivers from array and mounting remotely to enhance heat dissipation of sinks. Simply add wire connectors to driver/chips wire leads for easy disconnects.
This will also open up the center of panel should you need to add chips to center.

Stay safe.

puffenuff said:

I wish there was a "how to build led fixtures for dummies" manual. Something that is all laid out for us in language a third grader can understand...I'd be all over that

Nice light, G! Looking forward I seeing it in action

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yeah me too man... I have watched enough single chip LED vides to have a go but still cant work out how to wire the fan into it all.

Now After seeing this monster I want to build one.

The biggest fuck up for me is knowing which drivers to use with which lights and how they all get connected

I'm not able to give you rep. Spread it around more.. Good job. Sweet light.

SupraSPL said:

Badass light bro!! I love how the arms extend.

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Couldn't have done it without you Sup! Hey this thing need a fuse or ground? Right now everything is wired to only the 2 main prongs on plug, and something tells me that's unsafe. The light doesn't have a metal frame, but maybe I can create a common ground by running some wire from that 3rd (center) prong to each and every heatsink? Fuse is for surge protection?

puffenuff said:

I wish there was a "how to build led fixtures for dummies" manual. Something that is all laid out for us in language a third grader can understand...I'd be all over that

Click to expand...

midgetaus said:

How the fuck did you learn all that wiring?

Click to expand...

mtnstream said:

G, nice work! You learn well. Did you use butt connectors for driver leads as Supra suggested?

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I'll post a wiring diagram sometime soon, really I just scaled up the diagram Guod posted earlier in this thread.

midgetaus said:

How much was the total cost?

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I think the BOM was around $700, but I'd need to look back a receipts to give you a precise number.

mtnstream said:

I used similar rails for heat sinks but not permanently attached so they slide for variable spacing.
After you experiment with a run or 2, You might consider a few more chips (1-3590, 2 or 3 3050's,
2.7k) in center possibly flanked by a far red and UVB bulb on separate timers.

edit: I would also consider removing drivers from array and mounting remotely to enhance heat dissipation of sinks. Simply add wire connectors to driver/chips wire leads for easy disconnects.
This will also open up the center of panel should you need to add chips to center.

Click to expand...

There's almost no heat coming off the thing as it is, so I probably won't mess with it much. If anything I'll add CREE LED bulbs on desk clip lights for precise aim.


Time is somewhat limited this weekend, so I'll try to post more once I have the opportunity. Here's some COB porn to hold y'all over:





And here's some 4.5 week old buds that have been getting 400w of T5 + XGS190