LED retailer.... help! new led user

[nephrosis]

http://www.fiberopticproducts.com/Led.htm

Check this site out and tell me if its even worth it?

I want to start my first led diy but i must find all my diodes first! help out out ICMAG! please! iv looked for 2 hours and im not feeling well :/ i want to LED my babies UP!

 

[analogue]

I don't think those are for growing.

 

[tenthirty]

Read this and come back with questions.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=245530

 

[nephrosis]

After reading it like 5 times i finaly figured it out....

Im going to check out http://www.aliexpress.com/item/50pc...light-source-3w-high-power-LED/719594078.html

3w led 660nm and ill get the blue ones here too if these are worth it. next to that ill just use the same leds that the home made diy led.

i dont have alot of equipment so i might just end up jerry riggin a whole bunch of led lights together in sequence

 

[medmaker420]

sounds good and glad you found something that will work for you. Once you get growing don't forget to let us led heads know about it.

 

[nephrosis]

i just gotta figure out how to build all this stuff.... ill keep yall updated

 

[hempfield]

When you intend to build a DIY LED light you must have in mind :

- the LEDs ;
- the drivers to power them ;
- the heat sink to dissipate the heat.

What power do you want your panel to be ?

 

[nephrosis]

When you intend to build a DIY LED light you must have in mind :

- the LEDs ;
- the drivers to power them ;
- the heat sink to dissipate the heat.

What power do you want your panel to be ?

TY! omg im such a noob to LED lighting i could use ALL the help i can get. I want to use 110-120v power as i do not have a 220-240v connection. I want to beable to build a small/cheap one so i can slowly add more or just combine them together and just build up.

So the drivers are deff a main thing, and im not very knowledgable in the electric field. im going to need all the help i can find.

Thank you so much

 

[xmobotx]

accidentally doubled up on her

 

[xmobotx]

i just gotta figure out how to build all this stuff.... ill keep yall updated

note that LEDs are typically run in series so; for your circuit figure the total of your individual diodes i.e. 4x 3v diodes = 12v
amperage will be the same i.e. all 4 diodes would run @ .7a

hence; select the driver which operates @ your LEDs rated amperage and w/ sufficent voltage to run the product of all the diodes added up in that series

series = pos in neg out to the next diode ~NOT ladder style; the circuit begins at the positive lead of the driver {soldered to the pos "anode" on the LED} and is completed connecting the negative {cathode} from the final diode in that circuit to the neg of the driver

when soldering to the star PCBs; i found the finer wire the better {22AWG is what i used ~18 is too thick} i also found that plumbers paste solder is no good ~it will ruin the PCBs and the LEDs

the pre-assembled units w/ the pads tinned and the diode already solder'd to the PCB are definitely the way to go w/ surface mount LEDs

through hole LEDs are pretty easy and viable though not preferable to the obvious stars in the SMT corral

THIS LED is the sweetheart of our 'cause' ~lol it's spectrum/PAR output is very close to the photosynthesis curve all by itself ~notice that the referenced driver will run up to 10 of them ~it takes the legwork out of the equation

note also the LEDs run @ whatever you hit them w/ if it's too much they'll either wear out quickly or blow {depending on how much too much} this is why they need 'drivers'

i used some funky application specific heatsinks which are kind of a PITA to work w/ once the wiring is soldered up but also pretty versatile for putting an individual led wherever you might want it ~there are lots of resources for aluminum profile heatsinks and they can be easily DIY'd from hardware store aluminum stock

 

[hempfield]

TY! omg im such a noob to LED lighting i could use ALL the help i can get. I want to use 110-120v power as i do not have a 220-240v connection. I want to beable to build a small/cheap one so i can slowly add more or just combine them together and just build up.

So the drivers are deff a main thing, and im not very knowledgable in the electric field. im going to need all the help i can find.

Thank you so much

If you want to experiment first, I recommend you to use cheap LEDs which can be found on Ebay. They do not have the same efficiency as CREE LEDs, but they are so cheap now that you really don't care if you burn one ore two playing with them.

If recommend a 4:1:1 ratio of Red:Blue:White, if is posible go with 2 Red - 625nm, 2 Deep Red - 660nm , 1 Blue - 470nm, 1 Royal Blue - 450nm , 1 Cool White - 6500K, 1 - Warm White - 3000K - this will give you a more wide and balancec spectrum.

If you are intrested in using 10W chips from Ebay let me know and I will post some examples of LEDs and adequate drivers for them.

Playing with LEDs on small grows is surely fun !

 

[WeedIsGod]

Have you heard of Apollo LED panels? Pretty cheap over at cidly.
http://www.cidly.com/

100W Warm White LED flood lights could flower a plant in a pinch pretty darn well.

You still want to build you own LED panel, huh? I like hempfield's idea of using ≥10W chips. There's a lot less soldering so it should be easier for a first time project, imo, and they can be had for pretty friggin' cheap.

 

[nephrosis]

note that LEDs are typically run in series so; for your circuit figure the total of your individual diodes i.e. 4x 3v diodes = 12v
amperage will be the same i.e. all 4 diodes would run @ .7a

hence; select the driver which operates @ your LEDs rated amperage and w/ sufficent voltage to run the product of all the diodes added up in that series

series = pos in neg out to the next diode ~NOT ladder style; the circuit begins at the positive lead of the driver {soldered to the pos "anode" on the LED} and is completed connecting the negative {cathode} from the final diode in that circuit to the neg of the driver

when soldering to the star PCBs; i found the finer wire the better {22AWG is what i used ~18 is too thick} i also found that plumbers paste solder is no good ~it will ruin the PCBs and the LEDs

the pre-assembled units w/ the pads tinned and the diode already solder'd to the PCB are definitely the way to go w/ surface mount LEDs

through hole LEDs are pretty easy and viable though not preferable to the obvious stars in the SMT corral

THIS LED is the sweetheart of our 'cause' ~lol it's spectrum/PAR output is very close to the photosynthesis curve all by itself ~notice that the referenced driver will run up to 10 of them ~it takes the legwork out of the equation

note also the LEDs run @ whatever you hit them w/ if it's too much they'll either wear out quickly or blow {depending on how much too much} this is why they need 'drivers'

i used some funky application specific heatsinks which are kind of a PITA to work w/ once the wiring is soldered up but also pretty versatile for putting an individual led wherever you might want it ~there are lots of resources for aluminum profile heatsinks and they can be easily DIY'd from hardware store aluminum stock

Sold.... it seems much easier and i still want a decent product after the fact, that can grow decent if not better buds then i am currently trying. How many of those CREE XM-Ls should i get for vegging 2-3 plants? i can flower with my hid for now and slowly expand more into a fully functional perpetual garden.

Thanks for all the help! this seems more my style in DIY projects.

ALSO! with the neutral white leds, can i add cool white and warm white leds to add to the spectrum? warm white more for flowering, cool white more for vegging?

 

[nephrosis]

Can i use these injunction with the neutral whites/other whites?
led here

 

[xmobotx]

probably the main advantage of LEDs is the diversity of spectral options you could use whatever LEDs in conjunction w/ those you want

albeit probably not off the same drivers ~probably think of each series as it's own 'project' w/ appropriate drivers and #s of diodes

its kinda like legos {modular or whatever} you can put them together how you like

heres some light reading

the consensus so far seems to be that for flower you will want much more red making the warm white a good compliment to the neutral or even supplementing the neutral w 660 red maybe 625s too

the LED you linked is fine but the XM series seems to have the more favorable curve ~look @ the data sheets for the curve & read thru 10:30's thread there really is a ton of info from multiple people on why they are trying different combos and even some results so far

 

[nephrosis]

!!!! check this out too! http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/cree-news/press-releases/2012/december/mkr-intro

200 LUMON per watt LED light!! 200 lumens-per-watt (at 1 W, 25°C) LEDs

 

[medmaker420]

there really are a million ways you can go about it. Whatever you decide though, don't forget to get some pics and let us know how things grow for you brother.