Why I prefer COBs to Quantum Boards

[TimberGrowLights]

Stage, great to see you friend. That is quite a forest you are growing. Will need a "small axe"

Glad to see the lights are doing well - hope to bump into you more often now.

Take care,
Dan

 

[Derbybud]

High and welcome back Dan.
Good to see ya round these parts.
800w of Timber Crees and 500w of Quantums in a 4x8

Ah cobs and quantums working in harmony. Nice

 

[PurpleGunRack]

Quantum Boards are essentially the same as COB'S. Except for the fact that they are spread out over a larger area to cover a large heat sink. The result. Quantum boards are too much like an LED box unit. With Quantum boards their is more cross lighting in the center causing the dreaded "hot in the center" problem. So the foot print is hot in the center and drops off as you move out to the edges. What they should do, is place less diode density in the center and increasing density as they move out toward the edges balancing out the foot print.

With COB's you can adjust them and balance them out to whatever shape you grow in.

I think you misunderstood something about COB vs Mid power diodes, with the COB's you can't avoid the hot spot, with mid power diodes you can, you're totally right about the HLG550 and the more diode dense boards being too concentrated when running at high power, but with DIY that can easily be dealt with.

No matter how you twist it, you get more photons per $ with mid power diodes than you get with COBs.
With the linear light strips made by Samsung you can DIY to your exact needs, and with the Q-series get the new and best diode on the market(Samsung LM301B), or with the F-series get the most diodes per $, and those use the second most efficient diodes on the market(LM561C)

The thing is that COB's have to be run at lower power(under 50%) to be efficient, where the boards/strips are better being run between 50% and 75% and stil more efficient than COB's running soft and a lot better spread.

 

[Mayne]

dangit PGR, WHY WHY WHY!!!

 

[PurpleGunRack]

dangit PGR, WHY WHY WHY!!!

Because the voice said it would leave me alone if I did, IT LIIIIIEEED

 

[Berulakide]

I think you misunderstood something about COB vs Mid power diodes, with the COB's you can't avoid the hot spot, with mid power diodes you can, you're totally right about the HLG550 and the more diode dense boards being too concentrated when running at high power, but with DIY that can easily be dealt with.

No matter how you twist it, you get more photons per $ with mid power diodes than you get with COBs.
With the linear light strips made by Samsung you can DIY to your exact needs, and with the Q-series get the new and best diode on the market(Samsung LM301B), or with the F-series get the most diodes per $, and those use the second most efficient diodes on the market(LM561C)

The thing is that COB's have to be run at lower power(under 50%) to be efficient, where the boards/strips are better being run between 50% and 75% and stil more efficient than COB's running soft and a lot better spread.

Not completely true about always getting a hot spot with the cobs.... I have a way to do it but cannot explain the details right now as I have contacted a light maker to see if they are interrested in the idea. Hopefully there is interest in it because it could make some of the best even light coverage at high intensity.

 

[Stltoed]

Not completely true about always getting a hot spot with the cobs.... I have a way to do it but cannot explain the details right now as I have contacted a light maker to see if they are interrested in the idea. Hopefully there is interest in it because it could make some of the best even light coverage at high intensity.

Oooo how cryptic.

 

[PurpleGunRack]

Not completely true about always getting a hot spot with the cobs.... I have a way to do it but cannot explain the details right now as I have contacted a light maker to see if they are interrested in the idea. Hopefully there is interest in it because it could make some of the best even light coverage at high intensity.

Good luck with your business venture



Those of you not into secretive solutions not yet available, check this out:

DIY LED Strip Build Designs for Samsung H-Series, F-Series, Q-Series, and Bridgelux EB Gen.2 - LED Gardener

 

[Berulakide]

I agree q boards are good, but eliminating Hotspots and making even light spread isn't that hard to do really. In a way it turns a primary light source into primary and supplemental source of light which should be efficient use of light and electricity.

 

[Stltoed]

Ah cobs and quantums working in harmony. Nice

Dude, i dont know how I missed your lights after all this time. I have been thinking about building a cob rig for the past couple months I was thinking about mixing cobbs,and QBs. I have some many questions. It's like modern art.

 

[Derbybud]

Dude, i dont know how I missed your lights after all this time. I have been thinking about building a cob rig for the past couple months I was thinking about mixing cobbs,and QBs. I have some many questions. It's like modern art.

Thanks Stltoed but mine is strictly qb's. 9 qb 120's that fills a 4x4 tent pretty damn well. I have it idling at 360 watts right now vegging my plants and I'm putting 1100 umols on the tops. It works for me and would do it again but I just don't have the time so just ordered today 2 HLG qb 260 kits. Let me know if you have any questions as I'm around and will help out wherever I can.

 

[Stltoed]

Nice, thanks. I'll talk to you later for sure. I gotta get a burrito in me

 

[TorturedSoul]

9 qb120 boards running 600 watts full bore. That's in 4x8 tent

That's only 18¾ watts per ft.²; are those things really that efficient?

800w of Timber Crees and 500w of Quantums in a 4x8

Looks kind of dark once you get below the upper half (third?) of the canopy. Or is that just my perception, your camera, or some combination of the two?

Not completely true about always getting a hot spot with the cobs.... I have a way to do it

Hmm... A diffractive diffuser seems like it'd be somewhat problematic for our application (work better for monochromatic light, IIRC). A photopolymer-based diffuser, perhaps?

 

[Derbybud]

It's double that. It's in 1 half of that 4x8 tent. I have 3 HLG 260 watt kits in the other. Come by my journal and take a look sometime. And yes they are incredibly efficient but I went this route to do away with heat issues more than anything.

 

[TorturedSoul]

It's double that. It's in 1 half of that 4x8 tent. I have 3 HLG 260 watt kits in the other.

Oh, okay, I didn't realize that. And, with so many light sources in one grow space, you're getting lots of "third-light effect" benefit.

Come by my journal and take a look sometime.

I just visited it long enough to read the first post and oh man, lol, 1,089 posts - I'm already so far behind on the journals (, etc.) that I'm already trying to follow. I did read about the reason that you're growing - and you deserve a commendation for it.

Whoops, you have a newer journal than the one listed in your .SIG. And it "only" has 823 posts. That's still pretty daunting. Maybe I'll catch up with the ones I'm already subscribed to one of these days. If so, hopefully I'll remember to add yours to my list.

Best of luck with the grow (and the daughter ).

 

[Derbybud]

Oh, okay, I didn't realize that. And, with so many light sources in one grow space, you're getting lots of "third-light effect" benefit.



I just visited it long enough to read the first post and oh man, lol, 1,089 posts - I'm already so far behind on the journals (, etc.) that I'm already trying to follow. I did read about the reason that you're growing - and you deserve a commendation for it.

Whoops, you have a newer journal than the one listed in your .SIG. And it "only" has 823 posts. That's still pretty daunting. Maybe I'll catch up with the ones I'm already subscribed to one of these days. If so, hopefully I'll remember to add yours to my list.

Best of luck with the grow (and the daughter ).

No problem with trying to catch up with my journal. I understand completely. just thought if you wanted more info on the lights you could find more there. But of you need anything just ask here I'll pop back to answer the best I can. I'm not trying to brag or anything like that I'm just trying to help people with the few things I know. Keep em green.

 

[TorturedSoul]

No problem with trying to catch up with my journal. I understand completely. just thought if you wanted more info on the lights you could find more there. But of you need anything just ask here I'll pop back to answer the best I can. I'm not trying to brag or anything like that I'm just trying to help people with the few things I know. Keep em green.

Hey, if you have something to brag about, that's not conceit, lol, that's just telling it like it is . But I know what you mean.

BtW, tell your daughter that she forgot to update your .SIG (I did read that much) .

At this point in my life, I'm not really thinking about buying new lighting products (and don't have the ability to do so). I mainly read threads like this because... I've always been insatiably curious about new things, I suppose. And I like to learn about all kinds of stuff, from bleeding edge technology to how life may have began here ~3.8 billion years ago (which is pretty much the earliest it could have began, considering that whole heavy bombardment thing, and how it wasn't all that long before that that the planet was cooling off enough to have more or less a solid crust)... and everything in between - and beyond.

I read a lot, lol.

 

[Stage]

Looks kind of dark once you get below the upper half (third?) of the canopy. Or is that just my perception, your camera, or some combination of the two?

Good morning TS,
Nice to run into you in these threads.

You have got to be one of the real old tymers judging by your join date.

To answer your post above. Yes to everything.

It's your perception....AND my not so adequate camera.

With that being said I'm running at the high end of wattage for this space(1300w).

In the HPS days 2 600w HPS in a 4x8 was a common configuration. This setup exceeds that.

Stop by my journal sometime and have a stroll around.
I'm certain there is something there to make you smile.

 

[Derbybud]

Hey, if you have something to brag about, that's not conceit, lol, that's just telling it like it is . But I know what you mean.

BtW, tell your daughter that she forgot to update your .SIG (I did read that much) .

At this point in my life, I'm not really thinking about buying new lighting products (and don't have the ability to do so). I mainly read threads like this because... I've always been insatiably curious about new things, I suppose. And I like to learn about all kinds of stuff, from bleeding edge technology to how life may have began here ~3.8 billion years ago (which is pretty much the earliest it could have began, considering that whole heavy bombardment thing, and how it wasn't all that long before that that the planet was cooling off enough to have more or less a solid crust)... and everything in between - and beyond.

I read a lot, lol.

Yeh got to get my IT department (my daughter) on changing my Sig. She is in college and I don't like bothering her too much. I rather her head stay in her studies. She's a good kid

 

[TorturedSoul]

You have got to be one of the real old tymers judging by your join date.

I was BORN an old fart, lol.

To answer your post above. Yes to everything.

It's your perception....AND my not so adequate camera.

Glad to read that. Well, not that you have an inadequate camera, lol, but that your undergrowth is being adequately illuminated. I was wondering why you hadn't pruned it away, but if you're getting enough light into it for it to be productive, well, there's my answer.

I figured that might end up being the case. One eye is like 20:150 (If I can just read something at 20' away, someone with 20:20 vision ought to be able to just read it at 150' away, is how it was explained to me) - and I don't remember offhand if that's the good one or the bad one - and I found out not too long ago that I have glaucoma / ocular hypertension to some degree or other. I was supposed to go back to have some kind of tests done but... just a basic exam to be able to get new eyeglasses (broke the old ones a year or more ago :rolleyes3 ) was nearly $100, and I haven't even managed to save up any money towards the actual glasses yet, so I guess the tests are going to have to wait for, IDFK, a miracle I guess. So I'm getting used to used to not being able to see very well. <SHRUGS> It's not so bad. I can still READ. Not real physical books, but I use my public library card account(?) with some app or other on my cell phone to "check out" ebooks - and probably have a few thousand novels, non-fiction books, and general text files on my computer - and I can zoom those way in and if I close my right eye I can read them without too much strain. So it's all good, as long as I can read.

I'm certain there is something there to make you smile.

Now that's something that I do all too rarely.