DIY LED setup

[MPL]

On their website it says the 165 has 26 and the 330 has 58.

Ok, I see the new stuff you said. Hmm, that sounds about right. I was really expecting to have to put at least 500w over my table.

I have a great deal of flexibility in how I build my table. I am going to rethink my layout to fit the lights rather than trying to fit the lights to my layout. It seems I am more flexible than my current lighting options are.

I might be able to get the yield I need from a 2x6 table. Do you think two 165s would cover that space and provide the yield and quality I'm looking for? I could grow 12 little xmas trees that way... or LST a nice even canopy, or top and grow a bunch of colas... man I love growing pot.

Check the post above about watt-for-watt interchange. I think I was still on my editing spree of afterthoughts. I don't know where you saw 6 fewer lamps on the 330 - I believe that they both use the same board, but the 330 uses two of them. And yes, I think that they are 5 watt led's.

 

[rives]

I think that it must be a typo on their web site regarding the number of LEDs. If you blow up the middle picture of the ES165, you can count the LEDs and I get 29. Everything that I have read says that the 165 is just 1/2 of the 330. No, I don't think that two of the 165's are going to get you where you want to be. Three of them, each covering a 2x2 area,might do it.

 

[MPL]

Hmm well three is out of the budget. I don't think a 2x4 area is enough. If 165s are only good for 2x2 then I don't think that's going to be cost effective enough. Those things are pricey.

I could try two of the Spectra 290s over 2.5x5... that's almost 600w. If I can get 1gpw I'd still be happy.

This is frustrating. Blargh.

I think that it must be a typo on their web site regarding the number of LEDs. If you blow up the middle picture of the ES165, you can count the LEDs and I get 29. Everything that I have read says that the 165 is just 1/2 of the 330. No, I don't think that two of the 165's are going to get you where you want to be. Three of them, each covering a 2x2 area,might do it.

 

[sm0k4]

Thats why I am going DIY custom panels. Wasn't happy with the form factor selection. Seems that most lights get made from the same design. They also need a lot of fans for cooling, I'd like to see better passive cooling which is more expensive in heat sink material. While DIY is still expensive when sourcing good components, you get a better product for about the same money. After the initial start up, the only recurring cost is LED replacements and blown driver components. 250W worth of LEDs would be $500-600 to replace every 7 or 8 years (depending on LED brand), around 35000 hours. LED is definitely a long-term investment so not many want to "toy" around with it for fear of wasting money. Can't blame them at the amount of bad info going around.

 

[MPL]

I am definitely still willing to build my own panel. It'll have to be about 700w to give me the yield and potency I require. So my research tells me anyway. That would be an extremely expensive panel, well outside of my current lighting budget. Sad to say but a 1kw HID fits my budget and will give me what I need.

Thats why I am going DIY custom panels. Wasn't happy with the form factor selection. Seems that most lights get made from the same design. They also need a lot of fans for cooling, I'd like to see better passive cooling which is more expensive in heat sink material. While DIY is still expensve when sourcing good components, you get a better product for about the same money. After the initial start up, the only recur ring cost is LED replacements and blown driver components. 250W worth of LEDs would be $500-600 to replace every 7 or 8 years (depending on LED brand), around 35000 hours. LED is definitely a long-term investment so not many want to "toy" around with it for fear of wasting money. Can't blame them at the amount of bad info going around.

 

[gasman420]

this thread is cool. im pulling up a seat on this one

 

[MPL]

I've gone through the room and heat extraction is still a major issue, so I'm going to keep looking through LED stuff to see if I can figure anything out.

Where are you guys buying your top bin LEDs, kapton tape, heatsinks etc.? If you had to pick the "ultimate" LEDs to use, which would they be? Which drivers?

I have been trying to find knna's research and all the information he posted, but I have had no luck. Anyone got some links saved they could share?

For now I am thinking about doing a single 350w light and then building a second one when money allows, with the intent to cover 4'x4' and get yields at least as good as a 1kw HID.

I'm really hoping I can make the LED option work out, even if I end up just buying a commercially made unit.

 

[loop1337]

do you think you cant get an DIY led lamp with real 700W output power for about 1500$?

 

[alkalien]

@sm0k4: glad I could help you speed up your process! Sharing what one figures out is why we waste our time on this board, isn'it? Ahh, well, there is the bud porn too of course

Building a DIY panel, you get way more light for your money. I'd bet on at least double value for money. But, however, it really is one big PITA to source the material...

When I got all I need I can build two or three panels a day easyly, even when I'm stoned as hell. But before that the two of us spent like 3 months of searching the web before we had the orders placed. Quite a bit of the stuff is ship directly from asia which means waiting a couple of weeks for the delivery is quite common.

Couple of tipps on what to pay:

Osram Golden Dragon LEDs both red ones shouldn't be more than 2€, blue ones can be ways more expensive but you won't need a lot of them.
We use meanwell drivers, 100W Units shouldn't be above 50€ each.
Good Aluminium heat sinks are expensive too, 1000x200x60mm should be about 150€ perhaps 200. Sawing them without a proffesional saw will take quite some time but can be done by hand, half an hour per cut is what you can expect.

cheers

 

[sm0k4]

I've gone through the room and heat extraction is still a major issue, so I'm going to keep looking through LED stuff to see if I can figure anything out.

Where are you guys buying your top bin LEDs, kapton tape, heatsinks etc.? If you had to pick the "ultimate" LEDs to use, which would they be? Which drivers?

I have been trying to find knna's research and all the information he posted, but I have had no luck. Anyone got some links saved they could share?

For now I am thinking about doing a single 350w light and then building a second one when money allows, with the intent to cover 4'x4' and get yields at least as good as a 1kw HID.

I'm really hoping I can make the LED option work out, even if I end up just buying a commercially made unit.

After I read as much as I could, I started reading LED data sheets from the various manufacturers. I haven't been able to find a 1W red or blue LED like Cree XPE. After testing some out I really like their output over the Osram.

Osram is nice but it has a 170 degree beam angle. I am only going to use Osram 660nm red overhead, the rest will be on smaller heat sinks close to the plants in the canopy due to their wide dispersion. But overhead I am going Cree and/or LEDEngin on 20mm star MCPCBs for the penetration. Maybe good optics on the Osrams are all they need. Haven't tried looking for Osram lenses yet though.

Sourcing the parts is a PITA, but some can only be sourced through one distributor. Mouser has the best deal when it comes to Osrams. Cree are reasonable at Cutter and they mount them to the boards for you at $.75 or $1.75 per board I think. Fifty 625nm red LEDs on metal clad boards is around $100. Cutter also carries the better bins with highest output. This makes them my only Cree distributor. Also have a multitude of different optical lenses if you want to mount those also for more penetration.

Heat sinks: HeatsinkUSA.com has a bunch of profiles.
LEDs: Mouser, Digikey, Cutter
Kapton: Mouser, Digikey

 

[MPL]

No I don't. At an average of $6 or so per 3w LED it will be way more than $1500
Just for 350w. Not sure what I am going to end up doing.

do you think you cant get an DIY led lamp with real 700W output power for about 1500$?

 

[MPL]

Smoke, thank you for all the links, info and advice. Now to figure just how much this is going to cost and off it is at all feasible.

 

[Wav3F0rm]

a lot of the guys are jumping ship(started with the fall of the "perfect LED grow light".

LEDengin has the best source for horticulture emitters. That said, the cost to build vs buying a commercial unit is cheap, but the issue here is efficiency. simply, you'll be able to build a much better unit, specific to your needs.

 

[FreezerBoy]

From the rules aka the TOU

8. Spamming: The posting of links to other commercial websites, forums, chat rooms or communities, or commercial products are not permitted.

While MODs are allowed some leeway here (such as allowing links to fans, leds, heatsinks) Links to outside cannabis forums are not allowed. Past instances have led to spam, flame wars attempts at hostile takeovers... it's a looooong ugly story. We just don't allow it anymore. Sorry.

Carry on. Great stuff.