Fanleaf's Huge 42 COB Array Build Plus Other Builds

[fanleaf]

I am going to order 3 more COB and an additional driver 240, so I can run them at 60W each. I currently have 5 of the 3500K, do you think I should get 1x3000K and 2x5000K (so I can alternate 4x3500 + 2x5000k on veg and 5x3500k +1 3000k during flowering, does it make sense?) or should I simply keep my setup with 8x3500K? Thanks for your advise.

If it were me I would go all the 3500k in your room. That will be quite an awesome light with 8 in there. You will be very very impressed with it. What are your plans for the layout? I'm thinking 2 rows of 4 with the outside lights 6"-7" off the wall. That would put the gap between the 2 rows of 4 at 11-12" between the lights! Awesome! You would have a setup almost identical to mine on a smaller scale. With 8 you can cruise them at a lower power for each chip and have a grade A light that should last forever.
With 8 you can cruise your room at 320-340W or 40-42.5W each chip and have amazing coverage. It also will allow you to turn the lights down further and drop the light down close to the canopy and run at 30-35w each. See you cant really do that with 5 chips because the closer the light gets to the plant you lose coverage area unless you have more chips. 1 per square foot is about the magical spot where you can really drop the lights down close and run low/cool power and still get that awesome even coverage.

Please don't be shy man. Post some pictures and stuff in this thread! I think we would all like very much to see you build it.

 

[Lansky]

If it were me I would go all the 3500k in your room. That will be quite an awesome light with 8 in there. You will be very very impressed with it. What are your plans for the layout? I'm thinking 2 rows of 4 with the outside lights 6"-7" off the wall. That would put the gap between the 2 rows of 4 at 11-12" between the lights! Awesome! You would have a setup almost identical to mine on a smaller scale. With 8 you can cruise them at a lower power for each chip and have a grade A light that should last forever.
With 8 you can cruise your room at 320-340W or 40-42.5W each chip and have amazing coverage. It also will allow you to turn the lights down further and drop the light down close to the canopy and run at 30-35w each. See you cant really do that with 5 chips because the closer the light gets to the plant you lose coverage area unless you have more chips. 1 per square foot is about the magical spot where you can really drop the lights down close and run low/cool power and still get that awesome even coverage.

Please don't be shy man. Post some pictures and stuff in this thread! I think we would all like very much to see you build it.

Awesome! I don't even need to think about it, I'll go with your suggestion. 2 rows of 4 sounds perfect, it will fill the entire room and I will never need to run the COB at full power. Thanks Fanleaf for your great advice! It takes a lot of time to learn about this, there is so much information out there that it can be confusing at times. I will definitely start a journal as soon as I get my setup ready. Do you use CO2 in your room?

 

[fanleaf]

Do you use CO2 in your room?

I don't. Not that I haven't thought about it many times but I haven't yet let's put it that way. I've pulled 3/4 pound on some photo plants without and I would sure like to see someday what a difference it could make.

 

[bliz]

If it were me I would go all the 3500k in your room. That will be quite an awesome light with 8 in there. You will be very very impressed with it. What are your plans for the layout? I'm thinking 2 rows of 4 with the outside lights 6"-7" off the wall. That would put the gap between the 2 rows of 4 at 11-12" between the lights! Awesome! You would have a setup almost identical to mine on a smaller scale. With 8 you can cruise them at a lower power for each chip and have a grade A light that should last forever.
With 8 you can cruise your room at 320-340W or 40-42.5W each chip and have amazing coverage. It also will allow you to turn the lights down further and drop the light down close to the canopy and run at 30-35w each. See you cant really do that with 5 chips because the closer the light gets to the plant you lose coverage area unless you have more chips. 1 per square foot is about the magical spot where you can really drop the lights down close and run low/cool power and still get that awesome even coverage.

Please don't be shy man. Post some pictures and stuff in this thread! I think we would all like very much to see you build it.

Curious why not add 5000k? I was planning 80%/20% (ish) 3500k/5000k

I'm not sure why really though, other than a wider spectrum.

I do like this plan however.

 

[fanleaf]

Curious why not add 5000k? I was planning 80%/20% (ish) 3500k/5000k

I'm not sure why really though, other than a wider spectrum.

I do like this plan however.

Well because in that room with that setup it would be really hard to put a few 5000k's in there and be an even mix of light. The 3500k has a nice hump in the blue portion of the spectrum and will veg fine. If you want to you could for sure but I'm not sure how I would mix them in. I'll try to make a little chart with my keyboard. The (O)'s will be lights. The X will represent a 5000k.

(0) (X) (O) (O)

(O) (O) (X) (O)

See what I mean? Very hard to get a good mix. That is about the best I can think of.

That above would work fine but I wouldn't run reflectors on the two 5000k's.

 

[JuanCarlos]

fanman, I like coming in here and seeing all the COB banter and thought process. You are a cool cat in my book!

 

[bliz]

Well because in that room with that setup it would be really hard to put a few 5000k's in there and be an even mix of light. The 3500k has a nice hump in the blue portion of the spectrum and will veg fine. If you want to you could for sure but I'm not sure how I would mix them in. I'll try to make a little chart with my keyboard. The (O)'s will be lights. The X will represent a 5000k.

(0) (X) (O) (O)

(O) (O) (X) (O)

See what I mean? Very hard to get a good mix. That is about the best I can think of.

That above would work fine but I wouldn't run reflectors on the two 5000k's.

Yeah that makes sense. You'd end up with 5000k hot spots, not blended very well.

I was having a hard time figuring out how to mix them as well.

 

[Lost In Nugs]

I am on a similar mission. I want to use 50x Clu0481212 at 30w each on a 300x100cm. I can choose between 3000K80Cri+90Cri, 3500K90Cri and 4000K80Cri. I want to use 10x meanwell 150/700 drivers and wire them colorwise 5 cobs per driver. I buy 60 Cobs, can pick trays of 5. So i wont be able to buy 22x4000k, only 20 or 25, for example

How would you guys place the cobs?



O O X ' O X O X ' O X O
O X O ' X O X O ' X O O
O O X ' O X O X ' O X O
O X O ' X O X O ' X O O
O O X ' O X O X ' O X O

This is my first layout. The X are the 4000K. The O's are 3000K, 80 and 90 Cri mixed in a 2:1 ratio. the outer 3000K rows could be moved to the ' marked rows during flower. What do you think?

 

[fanleaf]

fanman, I like coming in here and seeing all the COB banter and thought process. You are a cool cat in my book!

Thank you very much man. I'm just glad folks are enjoying the thread. I hope a few build their own light with some knowledge gained.

 

[fanleaf]

I am on a similar mission. I want to use 50x Clu0481212 at 30w each on a 300x100cm. I can choose between 3000K80Cri+90Cri, 3500K90Cri and 4000K80Cri. I want to use 10x meanwell 150/700 drivers and wire them colorwise 5 cobs per driver. I buy 60 Cobs, can pick trays of 5. So i wont be able to buy 22x4000k, only 20 or 25, for example

How would you guys place the cobs?
O O X ' O X O X ' O X O
O X O ' X O X O ' X O O
O O X ' O X O X ' O X O
O X O ' X O X O ' X O O
O O X ' O X O X ' O X O

This is my first layout. The X are the 4000K. The O's are 3000K, 80 and 90 Cri mixed in a 2:1 ratio. the outer 3000K rows could be moved to the ' marked rows during flower. What do you think?

I think being 10 feet long or 300cm and only 100cm wide or 39" you would want 3X more lights in length then in width. 48 chips at 12X4 rows is whats in my head. That would put all chips about 10 inches or 25cm apart depending on how far from walls the first chips are.

 

[Lost In Nugs]

Thanks. Yes it would be better. But how would you place them in that 10 row style? The compelete space is 380x120cm... But i wont use all of it. 10x5 really keeps everything much more simple and for now i guess i will stick with it. Maybe later it will be used for 240 x 120cm, we put in a wall and use the rest of the room for a veg area fe.

 

[fanleaf]

Thanks. Yes it would be better. But how would you place them in that 10 row style? The compelete space is 380x120cm... But i wont use all of it. 10x5 really keeps everything much more simple and for now i guess i will stick with it.

Gotcha. Yeah I used all of my room one time....I will NEVER do that again lol. Doing anything was a disaster lol.

I'm gonna look at your chart for a bit and think....<--uh oh, I'm gonna think.

 

[Lost In Nugs]

Yeah i have done that too on a 3,3 x 3,3. i hated it in there lol. Trying to help corner plant, cracks 3 branches on the Front . .


Btw i am waiting for another Update of those plants you showed us. .

 

[smokegarden]

3X3 vs 2X4 is a whole different ballgame. Have you par tested your 3X3 around the sides? I think you would be surprised. Nice setup thought!

I need a par meter. I think a six light would work perfectly. I want to play with some stuff I plan to add 2 more boxes but I'm not in love with dimensions to light setup as it is. I think i will try 6 cobs in the next one. Thanks for the complement.

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[fanleaf]

I need a par meter. I think a six light would work perfectly. I want to play with some stuff I plan to add 2 more boxes but I'm not in love with dimensions to light setup as it is. I think i will try 6 cobs in the next one. Thanks for the complement.

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All depends on if you plan to blaze the light or run them really soft and low to the canopy. Soft and low= more cobs. No way around it.

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[smokegarden]

I need a par meter. I think a six light would work perfectly. I want to play with some stuff I plan to add 2 more boxes but I'm not in love with dimensions to light setup as it is. I think i will try 6 cobs in the next one. Thanks for the complement.

Sent from my SM-N920V using 420 Magazine Mobile App

Part of the reason I use LED. I am planning on using solar panels next year I want to make about a 1000 watt/hour system. It looks like it may be possible. Even if not I'm sold on LED.

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[Shaggn]

All depends on if you plan to blaze the light or run them really soft and low to the canopy. Soft and low= more cobs. No way around it.

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Will running them soft n low still give penetration??

 

[Lost In Nugs]

When the PPFD on the canopy is the same yes i think its more about the spread and at some point you definately have to remove the reflectors.

Red with reflectors, blue without.

 

[fanleaf]

Part of the reason I use LED. I am planning on using solar panels next year I want to make about a 1000 watt/hour system. It looks like it may be possible. Even if not I'm sold on LED.

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I am solar here. I have a 1 killowatt grid tie and stand alone on a 450aH battery bank system. A 3x3 on a 1kw system yes. Much more, no.
LED is proven. Not much to be sold on unless you dont want unmatched efficiency and rock hard dense buds..
You are obviously looking to save power. The only real way to do that is to spend more on cobs so u can run less juice.

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[fanleaf]

Will running them soft n low still give penetration??

Yes, very much so. If you look at my par results on the big panel you will see that running the chips at 30w provided the room with 763 ppfd@10 inches and still an average of 509ppfd@ 30 inches! And those averages include many test points along the walls where numbers are always lower. Anything 500 and up is good for flower.
Those are the exact numbers fellas are hitting 1.9-2.0 grams per watt.

At 10 inches above the plants I dont think I would need more than that extra 20" of penetration on top of that. Especially the way I train them. Short and fat!

If I run the chips at 45w I have very acceptable par numbers in excess of 4 feet easy.
At full power I would need a higher ceiling lol.

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