Building a Home Made LED

rives · Sep 26, 2012

Those plants seem to have a wide range of things going on - I can't tell which ones are under what lights, but the #612 picture in particular looks like you have everything from an iron deficiency to overfeeding (tip burn). When I was feeding too lightly with V+B, it seemed to present more as deficiencies rather than an underfed plant, but I don't understand where your tip burn would have come from. If your two different lights are of significantly different power, the plants are going to require different feed rates. Low iron will contribute to variegation.

Are you using the RO version of V+B, and have you had a water analysis done?

tenthirty · Sep 26, 2012

Rives,

Those are the plants that got hit with 1.6 until I noticed tip burn.
Then I flushed at .6 ec and back to 1.2, right now they are at .9 tapering down for the last 2 weeks.

tenthirty · Sep 26, 2012

Was also the first run with V&B. (day 58)
Younger plants are running at 1.2 right now and no tip burn yet. They are at day 23, so I could possibly up it to 1.4 for a week and see what happens?
???

vukman · Sep 26, 2012

hey tenthirty.....you are the most ambitious, productive and industrious 'lazy-ass stoner' I've seen in these forums...LOL...........every time I see you say lazy ass I know I'm in for a good read and you're building something new!! ahahahah YOU GO MAN!!!!

Love the bud porn...looks nice and 'crystally'.....<<<yes, i know it's not a word,, that's my lazy stoner ass not wanting to think this early for the right term...>>>> I like the fact that the DIY lights are doing better than the 'pro' lights...means that someone is on the right track.

Keep up the great work.

siddhartha · Sep 26, 2012

Very nice. Keep it coming
Sidd

rives · Sep 26, 2012

tenthirty said:
Was also the first run with V&B. (day 58)
Younger plants are running at 1.2 right now and no tip burn yet. They are at day 23, so I could possibly up it to 1.4 for a week and see what happens?
???

I mistook these for the plants you were asking about in the other thread, and the leaves on that plant in the background of #612 caught my attention. They don't look like the normal yellowing from depleting out the plant to me, but the after-effects of a deficiency. If your current run is looking good, it may have just been as a result of the feed fluctuation.

chowdan · Sep 27, 2012

So as a newb to the LED side of things and to electrical engineering (I'm pretty sure im not the only one thinking this), but could you give a breakdown on links for each and every part you bought to completely build this unit?

I like the idea of being able to replace LED's if need be. This makes a hassel free tester kit. I am building a micro grow and think LED's would be way better than CFL's.

I'm not very electrical savvy but i have enough experience to feel confident in building the unit, but i do not feel confident in picking out parts and such.

I have high hopes for LED's as it seems people don't believe that they wont grow plants.

chowdan · Sep 27, 2012

I do have a question i forgot to ask you all!

Since LED's produce less heat than any other light(unsure about plasma lights), but less than HPS and CFL's, what is the point in raising the LED's up? Why not keep a wider angle lens on it and lower the LED down to the point of covering the plant and only the plant?

That is probably a really stupid question but i had to ask it.

vukman · Sep 27, 2012

chowdan said:
So as a newb to the LED side of things and to electrical engineering (I'm pretty sure im not the only one thinking this), but could you give a breakdown on links for each and every part you bought to completely build this unit?

I like the idea of being able to replace LED's if need be. This makes a hassel free tester kit. I am building a micro grow and think LED's would be way better than CFL's.

I'm not very electrical savvy but i have enough experience to feel confident in building the unit, but i do not feel confident in picking out parts and such.

I have high hopes for LED's as it seems people don't believe that they wont grow plants.

Hi chowdan:

I think the site is rapidled is I'm not mistaken. They have modular solderless units for sale there.. I'm sure other places have it as well but if you look through 'rives' thread, I think he can provide you with more info on the 'replaceable' pieces especially if you want to interchange them so you can tune/dial in the spectrum..

tenthirty · Sep 27, 2012

chowdan said:
I do have a question i forgot to ask you all!

Since LED's produce less heat than any other light(unsure about plasma lights), but less than HPS and CFL's, what is the point in raising the LED's up? Why not keep a wider angle lens on it and lower the LED down to the point of covering the plant and only the plant?

That is probably a really stupid question but i had to ask it.

Before we can help you we need to know the dimensions of your grow.

Also go to www.rapidled.com and sniff around. Pay particular attention to the datasheets on the cree leds.

Then come back with some questions on your research.

:thank you:

vukman · Sep 27, 2012

chowdan said:
I do have a question i forgot to ask you all!

Since LED's produce less heat than any other light(unsure about plasma lights), but less than HPS and CFL's, what is the point in raising the LED's up? Why not keep a wider angle lens on it and lower the LED down to the point of covering the plant and only the plant?

That is probably a really stupid question but i had to ask it.

No such thing as stupid questions my friend...

even though there is very little heat given off, depending on the strength of the LED's and wave lengths involved as well......bleaching can still take place. If no bleaching is noticed, then by all means lower the unit right on top of the plant...

tenthirty · Sep 27, 2012

So we're still on the long skinny heat sink and it's a good thing that I'm not in a hurry.
Check out the datasheet.
http://www.cree.com/led-components-... Modules/XLamp/Data and Binning/XLampXPE2.pdf

I'm thinking cw/ww alternating.

Comments???

tenthirty · Sep 27, 2012

Maybe these for to replace the cw with nw
http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/Cree/LED%20Components%20and%20Modules/XLamp/Data%20and%20Binning/XLampXML.pdf

This will get the fixture a little closer to it's thermal limit. Should be about 69w total.
The XP-E2s are 20% more efficient which means less heat per led. (That watt has to go somewhere)
That would be apposed to 55w if I went with all XP-E2s.

The first panel calcs out at < 61w.

Just had an epiphany
Posted this on another site. Maybe a tuning methodology?

K.I.S.S
Maybe shotgun method???
http://www.cree.com/led-components-a.../XLampXPE2.pdf

There are 7 different flavors of white here.
Why not just sweep the band in a number of different ways?
How many runs would it take to explore the possibilities? (from educated guesses/dumb luck)
Tune the light like you would adjust the tone on the stereo.

repuk · Sep 27, 2012

tenthirty how are the ladies under the XM-L going? You said you raised the LEDs (are you concerned they could suffer bleaching?), my guess is they're about 15 inches over the canopy?

After some head scratching I came out with this:

I'll make two bars like that, (19" long) equally spaced, parallel to the shorter chamber side, to cover a 23,6" x 27,5" canopy area.

WW's are XP-G 5W (12 each bar) NW XM-L (4ea) & XM-L CW (1ea). That will be 2 1050 drivers to drive 12 XP-G each, and one 1750 to drive all the XM-L, total cost sans heatsinks will be about $300 including shipping.

If my math is right, each LED bar will be running @ about 70W. XP-G WW have greater power on the red bands than WW XM-Ls. Hope using 5W WW will help evening red bands spread... I'm concerned about useable lamp height w/o bleaching as my chamber height is just 4'; 1 foot being optimal to cover each bar "area"

repuk · Sep 28, 2012

Hi!

tenthirty, this is my last "incarnation":

Width 60mm, length 500mm.

Red = XP-G 5W WW
Blue = XM-L 10W CW
Black= XM-L 10W NW

Those 12 XP-G @1050 wired to their own LPC-60-1050 (1 per LED bar) ~40W
All XM-L (10 total, 5 in each LED bar) wired to 1 LPC-60-1750 shared between the two LED bars. ~30W ea

guvoo · Sep 28, 2012

Those 12 XP-G @1050 wired to their own LPC-60-1050 (1 per LED bar) ~40W
All XM-L (10 total, 5 in each LED bar) wired to 1 LPC-60-1750 shared between the two LED bars. ~30W ea

looks good
but you need a bigger Heatsink (min. Width 100mm)

have the same Power on a Heatsink 200X160x15mm with fans. without fan i had too double the aera.

repuk · Sep 28, 2012

guvoo said:
looks good
but you need a bigger Heatsink (min. Width 100mm)

have the same Power on a Heatsink 200X160x15mm with fans. without fan i had too double the aera.

This one is 25mm thick. Though guess 100mm width will be safer...

guvoo did you glued or screwed the leds?

guvoo · Sep 28, 2012

glued never screwed has i

see my post Nr. 40 here in this Thread

repuk · Sep 28, 2012

guvoo said:
glued never screwed has i

see my post Nr. 40 here in this Thread

Ouch! forgive this stoney head!

vukman · Sep 28, 2012

repuk said:
Ouch! forgive this stoney head!

yeah,,that happens here...LOL.....here is a question though Guvoo...if you don't mind...

Which is better? The glue/epoxy or the tape? I'm starting to order parts for my own DIY and just wondering which way to go.

Thank you...

Building a Home Made LED

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