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Building a Home Made LED

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
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well the try test is to run it, but it's pushing 17 cubic feet a minute, can't be that much with the adapter, but it's pushing air out the ends, and some is going up before it hits the end.

If you fabricate a plate that covers the fins, you can channel the airflow so that it all goes out the ends. This is what I did with the LED modules in my Hybrid fixture, but with two fans (1 pushing, 1 pulling) and it works very well.
 

habeeb

follow your heart
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Thinking of putting this together
I'm no electrician so I'd love some critique if this is even doable in this configuration
It's a lot of power in a smaller heatsink but the dimmers should give me the ability to turn down cool white during flower or warm white in veg..that is unless the plants respond well to full intensity

Anyone see any problems with this configuration?
Will this one power supply be able to handle all the leds plus fans?
Would inventronics or mean well drivers be better than a power supply?

Just trying to minimize wiring by having one power supply to run fans and leds


[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=46218&pictureid=1108441&thumb=1]View Image[/url]

I don't fully like the length your going, when your trying to cover 36 inches, right? or did I mess up the numbers?

I know people don't like to hear it, but I would do a longer bar, raising the light to hit corners only looses you mass energy you just had to pay for.. limitations of LEDS right now..

I would also go xm-l2, as xm-l is going to look old soon.. I would also reflow the stars yourself, and get some quality stars ( sinkpad ) they will make more light, I've tested it with my expensive meter, and hours sitting there testing many led.. also xm-l2 makes more light for the same energy used. if doing a small bar I wouldn't worry, but higher input can only mean higher output with the xm-l2

also know, the fans will stick a little over, unless you stagger them.

what's the voltage output on the 3000amp driver?

fan's I don't know how to hook up off the power supply, hope someone can chime in or maybe you know how they hook up already

No worries, didn't mean to offend you.

no offense taken. I like to be thorough when someone wants to know something from me, or my logic behind something.. sometimes it's not always right, but I do what fits to me..

no worries here
 

positivity

Member
Veteran
Thanks for the input rives
I actually am looking at the xml l2...the cool white has a copper star but I guess the sink pad could be even better
I'm not afraid to try reflowing the stars on my own..if I ruin a few oh well..process of learning
I was also just thinking of doubling the heat sink area roughly just to keep things as cool as possible
Lots of details to work out but I'll be ordering some parts soon. Trying to find a good enclosure right now that I could cut up and retrofit these parts into
The 3000amp driver has a maximum 25v from what they show

Sorry....thanks habeeb
 
Last edited by a moderator:

tebos

Member
Thanks for the input rives
I actually am looking at the xml l2...the cool white has a copper star but I guess the sink pad could be even better
There isn't much of a difference, the led-tech pcb is better because they are machined instead of the pressed sinkpads (loss of surface to the heatsink):

SinkPad.jpg
 

positivity

Member
Veteran
Tebos> that's kind of what I was thinking. Too bad they don't make it in the warm white too, I'll still have to reflow those darnit! I saw a small reflow oven for around $600, might have to consider it. I have aquariums also so I could put it to use.

Well I've cracked open my china panels again to see how the wiring and hookups go. This shouldn't be too hard. All the reading was starting to confuse me but after looking at the internals it's rather simple. Even the daisy chain is a rather simple connection.

I'll be going with mean well drivers instead of the seperate power supply and steves led drivers. Small power supply for fans.

Only problems I see are trying to find the right electrical hook ups in the huge amount of parts available. That and a suitable case to hold everything. I don't like how the makers kit and rapidled kit leave everything exposed.

I've got a quote coming from a machine shop for a custom case. Anyone know of a source for ready made appropriate cases?
 

Weezard

Hawaiian Inebriatti
Veteran
"The 3000amp driver has a maximum 25v from what they show "

Um, no wanna pee in da cheerios but that's not 3000 amps.
It would be a very popular item and would provide 75,000 Watts!
I'm guessing that a decimal point ran away from home. :)


"I've got a quote coming from a machine shop for a custom case. Anyone know of a source for ready made appropriate cases? "

'fraid not.
I cheaped out and used ducting.


Pretty is, as pretty does.
The plants have not complained.

Aloha,
Weezard
 

positivity

Member
Veteran
Weez> eh no pee in my Cheerios you faka...lol
Yah the electrical lingo isn't there yet no doubt. But it'll come bro...you only fail if you don't try.
Thanks for the correction, first of many! I don't give a hoot bout frying diodes, just no frying me.....lol
I read your stuff on 660nm...been thinking of sticking some in there, here and there. Ledengin got 5 watters..Philips got 3 watters...any first round draft picks

Aloha awakea
 

jcmjrt

Member
As Habeeb mentions, if you are trying to cover an area 30 inches long, I would go with a longer heatsink.
Also, why so much blue? I would go with a higher ratio of WW:CW...probably closer to 3+:1 I know that you have dimmers but I just don't see needing that much blue....even in veg.
If those are steves drivers, they've worked well so far for me as has his power supply but don't forget that the driver needs to be heatsinked as well. I had plenty of heatsink for the diy fixture that I built and just mounted it to the heatsink with all the leds onboard...or you can heatsink separately....your choice as long as the heat gets carried away.

....and I'm pretty sure that's 3000 milli amps...:)
 

Weezard

Hawaiian Inebriatti
Veteran
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ledengin got 5 watters..Philips got 3 watters...any first round draft picks"

Ah dunno.[/FONT]:dunno:

Been out of the build 'em loop for years.
I used Ledengin's emitters because they were the only 15W. parts available.
KNNA said they are less efficient that other brands.
He seems to know his leds so that's probably correct.
I gave up a photon or three per watt in favor of gettin 'er done!

And yes, I'd add some 660nm.
It's as close the the 652 nm. absorption peak as I can find.
Turns fluffy buds in to "doorknockers" with excellent efficacy.

That last is KNNa's favorite word. :)
I miss his input.
:scripture:

Aloha,
Weeze
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I saw a small reflow oven for around $600, might have to consider it.

When I mounted my LEDs on the MCPCB's, I used an induction hot plate and the stainless steel "interface disc" that is used with non-ferrous cookware. I mounted 150 of them, 6 at a time, and didn't frag any of them.
 

positivity

Member
Veteran
I'm actually looking at 22" L x 8 1/2W to accommodate the heatsink usa t slot sink. Two of those to cover a 36" x 20" area should be plenty. I would go longer, but in the case I switch to a 2' x 4' area one day, I could run them lengthwise and have a little room to spare.

As far as the colors I was just trying to increase the lighting intensity. I remember seeing somewhere that the cool whites worked great vegging also. Therein lies the beauty of a DIY panel. If I try to design it with extra room for testing spectrums and easy connections I could swap things out and try different configurations. What will do the best in veg? Probably cool white? What will flower best? Probably warm white? Figured it was a good starting point...with added reds later in the game
 

PetFlora

Well-known member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ledengin got 5 watters..Philips got 3 watters...any first round draft picks"

Ah dunno.[/FONT]:dunno:

Been out of the build 'em loop for years.
I used Ledengin's emitters because they were the only 15W. parts available.
KNNA said they are less efficient that other brands.
He seems to know his leds so that's probably correct.
I gave up a photon or three per watt in favor of gettin 'er done!

And yes, I'd add some 660nm.
It's as close the the 652 nm. absorption peak as I can find.
Turns fluffy buds in to "doorknockers" with excellent efficacy.

That last is KNNa's favorite word. :)
I miss his input.
:scripture:

Aloha,
Weeze

Delete. wrong pics will redo reply
 
Last edited:

PetFlora

Well-known member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ledengin got 5 watters..Philips got 3 watters...any first round draft picks"

Ah dunno.[/FONT]:dunno:

Been out of the build 'em loop for years.
I used Ledengin's emitters because they were the only 15W. parts available.
KNNA said they are less efficient that other brands.
He seems to know his leds so that's probably correct.
I gave up a photon or three per watt in favor of gettin 'er done!

And yes, I'd add some 660nm.
It's as close the the 652 nm. absorption peak as I can find.
Turns fluffy buds in to "doorknockers" with excellent efficacy.

That last is KNNa's favorite word. :)
I miss his input.
:scripture:

Aloha,
Weeze

I agree, don't sweat the small stuff. Not convinced about 660 though. I have used 1/8 in my HOT5 tent (custom bulb from UVL Director of Sales) no better with than without, and a UFO 90 R/B (660) in my LED globe bulb set up, which did a nice job on the mother BrandX polycross Woody Haze X White Widow _ BGum male.

View attachment 230110

Below is pic
of her clones under 100% WW leds

This grow I am using 20w WW LED tubes (cause I don't have the equipment to trouble shoot pilot error). So far so good, sans the ufo (660s) but it is ready if needed

View attachment 230111 View attachment 230112

View attachment 230113 View attachment 230114 View attachment 230098
 

positivity

Member
Veteran
"The 3000amp driver has a maximum 25v from what they show "

Um, no wanna pee in da cheerios but that's not 3000 amps.
It would be a very popular item and would provide 75,000 Watts!
I'm guessing that a decimal point ran away from home. :)


"I've got a quote coming from a machine shop for a custom case. Anyone know of a source for ready made appropriate cases? "

'fraid not.
I cheaped out and used ducting.
[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=533&pictureid=64005&thumb=1]View Image[/URL] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=533&pictureid=64006&thumb=1]View Image[/URL]

Pretty is, as pretty does.
The plants have not complained.

Aloha,
Weezard

Does that also work as a blender? j/k...
Cool setup, I'm sure it gets the job done. I'd buy one of those before a lot of commercial ones
 

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
it seems like the scale of the build helps determine that

i did them on the stovetop {glass stove} w/ no problem except it turned out i used the wrong solder

the operation was fairly simple but i havent seen the right solder {havent looked much either} so cost of solder could be a swaying factor too
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
"Pay off"? If you have (want!) to buy any equipment for the job, there isn't much of a ROI unless you are doing large numbers. Most of the suppliers that sell mounted LEDs don't charge much for the service. When I did mine, there were no suppliers selling them mounted that I could find, so it wasn't an option. Also, if there is a particular MCPCB that you want, for instance one that has onboard zeners, then you might not find the component mix that you want.

XM - the solder is pretty cheap, and goes a long way. However, timing of the order is important because the solder needs to stay cold and is shipped in an insulated container with cold packs, so you wouldn't want it sitting somewhere over the weekend.
 

rrog

Active member
Veteran
So no real savings. That's cool. Is it reasonable to expect that the XM-L's will be a lot cheaper yet available next year? Seems that buying older editions of LEDs would save a lotta cash.
 

tebos

Member
I'm doing LED stuff for their efficiency, that's why I always want the newest stuff if you want to save cash just go for 1k HPS (or smaller) imho.

Reflowing is worth it if you're using appropriate PCBs (Sinkpads or Noctigon) without dialectric layers. The flashlight nerds did some testing (http://budgetlightforum.com/node/19331) and as you can see at a given current there is a lot more output to be expected.
The output of red LEDs for example is very much limited by temperatue, whites/blues not that much.
 

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