Choosing a COB: Cree CXB3590, Citizen CLU048 & Vero29 G7's

Quitters · Sep 29, 2017

Considering the initial high cost of Led's its a big jump for most of us.

Whether buying a complete system like Timber's or a kit from dealers and building your own. What brand, model, kevlin color and the percentage driven for efficiency to choose ?

Should you mix spectrums or just run all 3000k or 3500k and what about a 1750k, is it worth mixing a few of those in a system or maybe one in the middle ?

When added does UVB inhance Led's enough to make it worth it ?

I chose the 3 most popular cobs here neverthelessless all are welcome to be discussed.
At the moment im looking at the best replacement for a single 1K Hps in a 4'x4' space.

I narrowed it down to 600 or 900 watts cob

600w Options

12 - Citizens or Cree @50w each

vs

6 - Vero29 G7's @100w each

OR

900w Options

18 - Citizen or Cree @50w

vs

9 - Vero29 G7's @100w

When it comes to the Vero29's @100w vs the Citizen/Cree @50 watts. I wonder about heat, led longevity, even cornet to corner coverage and canopy penetration. Im taking a wild guess that the coverage would be better with the Citizen/Cree being spread out more with more points of light but the canopy penetration would be better with the Vero29's running @ 100 watts. Also do the Veros create a higher room temperature or not ?

Would the Vero's out yield the citizen/cree's watt for watt in a side by side ?

I know going the 900 route I could run them dialed down but also have the option of having enough later if i decided to expand to a 5'x5' area. Lots to consider.

Do It Yourselfers, edumacate us.

Boyd Crowder · Sep 29, 2017

realstyles uses 8x3590s and swears they are legit 1k hps killers
hes also on youtube with several vids on his rigs

id love to try a led rig using this kit,
but
pricing, spectrum, power and penetration still isnt there for my $ or my time
im not a tent grower tho, in a 4x4 either

that said, those 8up 3590 rigs look nice by realstyles, and lapides vero rigs are dope
petfloras gone come in here and have some shit to add as well
and then dion, the eurochap will prolly build you a rig on paper, source it and all
so you in the right place for this thread

Quitters · Sep 29, 2017

Thanks

Yeah nothing but respect for them plus many others that contribute to the LED forum. Many I were originally just gonna PM. Instead decided on a thread where it might contribute to others curious. I won't call out all the DIY led wizards, rather hoping theyll share and school us.

Boyd Crowder · Sep 29, 2017

Quitters said:
Thanks

Yeah nothing but respect for them plus many others that contribute to the LED forum. Many I were originally just gonna PM. Instead decided on a thread where it might contribute to others curious. I won't call out all the DIY led wizards, rather hoping theyll share and school us.

BUY A FEW OF EACH, BUILD em out test em and let us watch - thats what you are doing for this thread right ?

Koondense · Sep 29, 2017

A quick response,
obviously with more cobs@less watts each you get a bit more total light and a bit less heat. Less cobs@more watts reduces total eff, so you get a bit more heat.
Question is if you're willing to spend double money for cobs and heatsinks, to gain around 10% diff in light/heat ratio.
Try to calculate a bit and see how the investment turns out, if you think commercially.
I would almost always prefer more intensity over more even spread because, you know the sun is only one in the sky and i'm not into commercial growing.
Would need more writing to explain myself better but have no time tbh.

Interested to see the replies as it's a very fundamental issue with room setups and simulating the natural environment (if).

Cheers

REALSTYLES · Sep 30, 2017

Cree CXB3590 is what I rock

Gr33nSanta · Sep 30, 2017

this is all vero 29 v7 from timber

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jGZQmk3l2U&t=5s

I ve used both, cree and vero, and I cant really tell the difference so unless I win the lottery I ll go for vero from now on.

AvidLerner · Oct 1, 2017

one GrowGreen 200w board replaces four cobs and less heat.
check out my thread on the LM561C GrowGreen board

mcnasty · Oct 9, 2017

I'm using luminus cxm-22. 10 cobs at 1400mah per light. I have them framed into my old magnum xxl hoods so I can air cool the heatsinks and drivers. They are running 2 about 73w each. I'll tell you right now the heat from two lights strung together is less than a single 1k. I know a watt is a watt but LEDS dissipate the heat over a longer period of time or something. The leds hardly touch the rooms heat level. The lights arent warm at all to the touch where my 1k the hoods would be pretty warm even being air cooled with an 8" votex.

Also dudes comment about penetration is BS. The LEDS you listed SMASH hps in penetration all day. There's so many examples of good cob grows now showing this its crazy that myth still exists.

According to my calculations my ppdf in a 4x4 should be just over 1k. I think it was 1060? So, your 600-900w is about right. 600 I think being a little low for just about any cob. Chilled grow light at 600 would beat a 1k hps though.

In any case I wouldn't sleep on the luminus chips. From what i've read they have the same efficiency as the cree and citizen and pump out the same lpw as any of the others, they are like 6 bucks cheaper than vero per cob.

mcnasty · Oct 9, 2017

I cant edit apparently but to be clear I meant each cob is running at about 73 watts.

FunkBomb · Oct 9, 2017

I've got a 400w Vero 29 Gen 7 light (3000 K)from Timber and its great. Check out the Youtube channel of Growmau5. Lots of amazing technical data and information regarding LED and COBs.

At lower wattage the Cree chips are better, but at higher wattage the Bridgelux and Citizen pull ahead. Not sure about lifetime but running a COB at less power will probably give it more time.

Another thing to check out are the Quantum boards from HLG. They use the Samsung LM561 chips that are very efficient.

The days of HID are numbered when you see the results from these new LED options. Much less heat, much more light, amazing spectrum, and much longer lifetimes. And lower electricity use as well.

-Funk

mcnasty · Oct 9, 2017

I agree hps is done for. All we need is price to come down a bit on these new LED lights and its over. There is literally no other reason to use them. They are hotter, use more power so on.

I'm interested in HLGs new quantum board they are dropping with the new lense to give it a nice even spread. Chilled is coming out with "something special" for the DIY guys tomorrow supposedly

Boyd Crowder · Oct 10, 2017

i would have to say hps is gonna be better for anythng bigger than 4x4x6
the 315w cmh apparently are just as good at half the watts
the leds are perfect for smaller rooms as they dont need to penetrate so much canopy
the reality is for what you will spend on leds, you can get an equivelent par for a third of the price or better
just depends on your budget , room and heat management requirements

stinkydinky · Oct 10, 2017

Boyd Crowder said:
the reality is for what you will spend on leds, you can get an equivelent par for a third of the price or better
just depends on your budget , room and heat management requirements

i tend to steer towards this opinion aswell and am conducting homebuilt led tests atm.

lets see how the homebuilt 600w led rig does against the 600w hps rig in the same tent with the same scrog.

that should be really interesting.

FunkBomb · Oct 11, 2017

A Fluence Spydrx Plus or a 600w Cree/Vero/Citizen COB light would beat out a 600w HPS all day long. Get the final product tested and the % CBD + THC would be higher as well.

-Funk

Arf · Oct 11, 2017

Boyd Crowder said:
i would have to say hps is gonna be better for anythng bigger than 4x4x6
the 315w cmh apparently are just as good at half the watts
the leds are perfect for smaller rooms as they dont need to penetrate so much canopy
the reality is for what you will spend on leds, you can get an equivelent par for a third of the price or better
just depends on your budget , room and heat management requirements

HPS is never going to be better, firstly all HID have to downshift UV to a spectrum plants can use, that wastes a ton of energy as heat. Secondly they are a point source, so you will have a heap of shadows, less than half the light shines at the object you are trying to illuminate, the rest just bounces around being absorbed in the light fitting and walls.

Spreading several decent LEDs above the grow will yield a far better result than HPS. The LED companies know fully well about how to light up large areas, they have commercial agricultural products.

The only advantage of HPS is it's cheap to buy but not cheap to run or cool.

History · Oct 12, 2017

I´d go with the Veros, but maybe overthink if you want to run them at 100W each and not 50W (D version). It´s a bigger investment but I think in the long run you´ll be happier with them. Light will be spread out more evenly and you won´t have a hotspot.

Why Veros? I´m currently running 12x CXB3590 at 1050mA, sure they are great but efficiency wise the Veros should be just as good if not better but don´t cost that much.

Whatever you decide good luck with it, cobs are awesome.

Lilbrowndude · Feb 13, 2018

Yo realstyles can you please reach out to me, one of your fellow customers who needs a lil help.

Buckeyebandit · Feb 19, 2018

Looking at the redwood vs series. Question for the guys in the know is which one are you running the 3000k or the 3500k . Looking to purchase 2 of them for a 4x8 room im building. Any info would be grateful

GOT_BUD? · Feb 20, 2018

Buckeyebandit said:
Looking at the redwood vs series. Question for the guys in the know is which one are you running the 3000k or the 3500k . Looking to purchase 2 of them for a 4x8 room im building. Any info would be grateful

3500k is what you seek.

Choosing a COB: Cree CXB3590, Citizen CLU048 & Vero29 G7's

Member

Teem MiCr0B35

Member

Teem MiCr0B35

Well-known member

Member

Gr33nSanta

Member

Member

Member

Power Armor rules

Member

Teem MiCr0B35

Member

Power Armor rules

Member

New member

New member

Active member

Weed is a gateway to gardening