Build Your Own LED Grow Light

Bought parts to do a strip build. The last of the parts should be in today and I'll assemble Monday. Still have to pick up some L aluminum locally to build the frame. I have a 32"x32" tent so I chose one of Ledgardner's 3x3 builds (using Bridgelux strips). I'll try to snap some photos during the process to share.
 
PurpleGunRack said:
If you want plug and play from Timber you have to get the 16 COB fixture setting you back $1600...

I spent less than 2 hours assembling 4 QB kits, DIY from scratch takes longer but it's worth it :)
If you ever wired a HID lamp you're over qualified for assembling DIY LED kits ;)



Definitely QB's, mid-power diodes have many advantages, I'd only recommend COBs if you were to DIY from scratch
(in USA), and then get the Luminus COBs for that, as far as I can tell it's the only worthwhile COB route to take,
in any other way mid power diodes are cheaper/better if not also up front, then in the long run, if you go for the best Cree, Bridgelux, Citi COBs available mid power diodes will be cheaper up front for sure.

Whatever you do just keep in mind that if you want to replace 1000w HID in a 4x4 tent you need a minuimum of 16 high end COBs (@ 35-50w per COB) or 1152 LM561C S06 Bin or better mid power diodes (@ 550-600w total).

I'll be doing both serial and parallel strip builds in the coming month, I'll show you how easy both ways are, once the heatsinks/frame are ready it's just as easy as a QB kit :)
Click to expand...

SOG001 said:
I can only speak from personal experience. My 12 COB setup yielded 3 lbs in a 4'x6' area they were Vero 29's
Click to expand...

well now i am lost again

:rofl::rofl::rofl:o_O

one person says one thing, another says something else

i just dont like playing with wiring and electricity that could burn my house down if i dont connect something properly.

i was thinking 6veros would make due in my 4x4 for now add as i go...

It is cheaper to get the DIY kits from timber. I have unlimited access to steel so i would build the frame out of lightweight angle.

6 DIY timber veros are roughly 730usd

4 timber 240w QB boards would cost me the exact same

the reason i lean towards the veros is because i could get 4 3500k and 2 1750k as this light will be dedicated to flowering only.

i should just buck up and do something... No matter what i do it will be better than flowering under a T5 again lol
 
Pjs420 said:
one person says one thing, another says something else
Click to expand...

Not really, 2x 600w HPS could give you the same yield, the Veros @ 100w each are not much more efficient than HID, but you get a better spread of the light and no reflector loss.

What a person yields and thinks of the final product doesn't matter it's not something you can measure a light by, but you can measure price, electrical efficiency and output loss, and if you're lucky somebody measued the actual PPFD at many distances several places on the surface in question.

It all depends on how hard you run the COBs, basically you have to run them soft if you want high efficiency which means you have to get many COBs = high upfront cost, low long term cost.
You can run fewer COBs harder, but the more power you put into each COB the more you have to pay in electricity bills to get the same amount of photons as softer run COBs, and you loose output faster.
Anything harder than 50w per COB and you compromize the efficiency too much, with most COBs 25-37,5w is where the gold is at.

You can power mid power diodes harder with less efficiency loss which evens out the amount of units you have to buy.

If you want the most photons per $ spent upfront and per $ spent on electricity then buy mid power diodes, simple as that, if you don't trust me then just look at the LED market or even better compare datasheets :)



Pjs420 said:
i just dont like playing with wiring and electricity that could burn my house down if i dont connect something properly.
Click to expand...

It's very basic + to + , - to - , red to red, black to black, you won't burn your house down with DIY LED, the worst that can happen is if you don't connect it right you might overpower some of the units in which case you just need to replace the COB/PCB you killed.



Pjs420 said:
6 DIY timber veros are roughly 730usd

4 timber 240w QB boards would cost me the exact same
Click to expand...

This should be a very easy choice, but I don't understand why you're so hooked on buying from timber, you can get 4x 135 QB V2 kits from HLG for that kind of money,


Pjs420 said:
the reason i lean towards the veros is because i could get 4 3500k and 2 1750k as this light will be dedicated to flowering only.
Click to expand...

Then why not choose 3000K rather than 3500K?
Basically that setup is the same spectrum as HPS and not much more efficient, so why not get a 600w HPS and save a lot of money?
 
Man, biggest buds ive ever seen. very impressed. The shorter ones are 10 more days of just water, dryout, chop. The tall one im starting flush in 3 days. Flushed small ones 2nd time today, PPM 30, going to flush for 2 weeks. The shorty is my BagOFire i created, and is 28 days from seed, and 6 days into flower. So far, looking like the male dominance of the cross, which i wanted.

I love these lights,

A12-12--day80-fri1.png

A12-12--day80-fri1.png

 
First plant done dryin, now in paper bag to cure.
21g post dry, before cure, Not to bad. I expected 15g, 1 gallon fabpot, 12/12 from start, finished in 56 days from seed.

A12-12--day84-Tue3-harv#1.png

A12-12--day84-Tue3-harv#1.png


A12-12--day84-Tue2-harv#1.png

A12-12--day84-Tue2-harv#1.png


Second plant chopped, day 2 hangdry, freakin frosty. frostier then the first, which is impressive. I tested the first plant, couldnt roll the spliff because it was so sticky, and fingers kept ripping wrap, got it done tho, and was great. cant wait to dryvape it for the rest test.

A12-12--day84-Tue7-#2.png

A12-12--day84-Tue7-#2.png


A12-12--day84-Tue4-harv#2.png

A12-12--day84-Tue4-harv#2.png


plant 3, is, hummm, hanging in there, lol. Choppin in a few days. She just always looks grumpy and frumpy, naners poppin out. just have to flush 1 more time for good measure.
A12-12--day84-Tue8-#3.png

A12-12--day84-Tue8-#3.png


A12-12--day84-Tue9-#3-2.png

A12-12--day84-Tue9-#3-2.png


and here is my creation, I call it BagOFire, FireOG/and the tallest genetics male, same genetics as the tall broad in my area now. 37 days from seed, day 14 flower, already getting frosty

A12-12--day84-Tue11-#BOF1.png

A12-12--day84-Tue11-#BOF1.png


A12-12--day84-Tue10-#BOF1.png

A12-12--day84-Tue10-#BOF1.png


A12-12--day84-Tue6-#BOF-1.png

A12-12--day84-Tue6-#BOF-1.png

 
 
Thanks. The tent is 32"x32" so it's 4" from all the walls. It's wicked bright. I can't wait till I can start a new crop under it to see how they turn out. Next grow starts July 2nd.
 
yeah man, seen that about the size, frame is 2x2.

im sure youll be pleased,l ol
 
PurpleGunRack said:
Sweet light @farside05 :cool:

I was hoping to see some more EB2 builds, and your's looks killer, well done :Namaste:

But get some more plants in there dude, she looks lonely :D
Click to expand...

I'm leaving on vacation on the 24th. When I get back I'll start the next grow. The girl currently enjoying the new light had 3 sisters but she decided to take her sweet ass time about blooming. I'll be cramming 2 Blue Dream'matics and 2 Brooklyn Sunrises in there as part of The Vaults comparison grow.
 
128g - 4 plants, 12/12 from start, not bad when i expected 60g at the most. start to finish was 88 days, first was done at 55 days, and is pretty darn good, some giant buds. at the end of the day, i saved $750 abouts.

1-21g
2-22g
3-35g
4-50g

This was using 250 watts. I like the Luminus cobs, but need reflectors i think. Not lenses, just reflectors. I also never ran them higher then 1400ma. using just half of what the cobs can do. I will probably get 2 more, and rebuild my rig. I currently have 2 of my creations running, then im done for awhile.
 
Stunned said:
a hundred and twenty eight grams from 4 plants?
4.5 oz from 4 plants?
what am I missing here?
thats a pathetic yield
Click to expand...

Really not that bad considering he was going 12/12 from the start and didn't have reflectors.
 
Stunned said:
a hundred and twenty eight grams from 4 plants?
4.5 oz from 4 plants?
what am I missing here?
thats a pathetic yield
Click to expand...

Mayne said:
This was using 250 watts.
Click to expand...

That's better than 1/2 gm/watt. Not the best, but certainly nothing to sneeze at either. I'm sure the yield will go up as Mayne's experience with this setup does.
 
Fiddling around with the new H influx at the moment, and my first prototype is done.
The process opened my eyes to other ways of building, so the next prototype will be better and this frame will probably be stripped for parts :)

4x L06 3000K on a HLG 185h - 24A (352 LM301B diodes), shown in a 70x70cm Mars Hydro tent (the smallest, soon to be mother/clone tent), the lamp is 57x50cm.

Strips are run at around 88% of max when cranked up to draw ~230w from the wall, intended max is 200w, but I'm also looking at a controller that can be wired to the dimmer on a type B driver so I can automatically mimic the sun's increasing/decreasing intensity, so the little extra is a nice peak to have in the high noon hours.
If my schedule works it'll use 40% less power than running 75% throughout the light cycle, I'll probably end up selling my QBs and buy more parts so I can do side by side grows :D

I want 4 of these in one of my 4x4 tents (both eventually) and also intend to add Far Red later on :)


 

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