DIY Vero 29 x 4 Build

Budget Buds · Feb 24, 2017

Hello ICMAG !! I'm going to post up a diy that I did to get rid of an hps cause of space and heat, Here is the build and all info

It's going to be a 4 cob light using vero 29 gen 7's. 3000k 80cri FV of 52v. They will be driven @ 1050mah with a meanwell HLG-240H-1050B. Heat sinks are going to be 4 Arcitc Alpine 64+ CPU coolers. I decided to buy a cheap new 24x24 grow tent as the one I have been using for years is on it's last leg. A friend just bought one and I was throughly impressed with the quality, It almost rivals my secret jarden ds60. I will include some links to the places I bought the components.

Arcitc Alpine Heat sinks http://www.ebay.com/itm/112155170948?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Vero 29's https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/bridgelux/BXRC-30G10K0-B-73/976-1407-ND/6152417

Meanwell Driver http://www.rapidled.com/mean-well-hlg-240h-c1050b/

Thermal Paste: http://www.ebay.com/itm/232143106614?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Grow Tent : http://www.ebay.com/itm/152285663921?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

UPDATED DRIVER: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...5PRBMPTWcac5aDEswMPfpYBYEHAtMo1/hUWrk4tbktg==

UPDATED VERO'S:
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/bridgelux/BXRC-30E10K0-D-73/976-1399-ND/6152409

UPDATE:They had my 52v cobs in stock until I clicked on buy, Then they were out of stock all of a sudden, So I instead of waiting for an unknown amount of time changed it up, I went to a 1400 mah driver and bought the 37.7volt 80cri 3000k 7th gen vero 29's. I still am going to be able to hit the 50 watt per cob goal but not with the more efficient 50 volter's . I went to radio shack today and bought a new 25 watt soldering iron for electronics cause my usual one is was to hot for electronics. I also bought a 100k ohm potentiometer, Knobs for it and some rosin core solder. Tractor supply provided me with the angle aluminum for the frame 1/16th inch x 3/4inch. Since I'm doing this in a 2 x 2 grow tent I opted for an 18"x 18" frame.

Frame is together, The heat sinks were delivered today , I found a "driver" at walmart in the clearance isle , It was originally supposed to be a power wheels charger, But it fit my use perfectly, 12 volts and 1 amp, exactly what my four heat sink fans use. I was NOT paying 35 dollars for a phone charger so I went searching. Driver and cobs should be here tomorrow or thursday. I will keep you updated

BB

Budget Buds · Feb 24, 2017

OK: I painted the frame a flat black , Wired the Arctic Alpines together in parallel , Soldered the potentiometer . I was thinking about how I could make it look good and figured on putting it into a box, I got into the ammo crate and pulled out an empty box of 17 Hmr, I drilled a few holes and painted it flat black too.

Budget Buds · Feb 24, 2017

Continued:

Budget Buds · Feb 24, 2017

TIM, Driver and COB's:

COB's mounted and wired. The tapping of the holea was a pain in the ass 4-40 taps are tiny and very easy to break. I broke two in the process . If anyone wants to do this with vero 29's I'd use a 6-32 tap and screws. They fit perfectly. Driver wired and the dimmer installed.

Budget Buds · Feb 24, 2017

Yeah It attached all the pics in the last post, I wish I knew it would have did this before as this would have been all in one post

I hung the light in the tent and fired it up, Dangerously bright, Pics or youtube videos do NOT do any led grow lights justice, you just need to see it in person to see what I mean. Hope this helps someone trying to DIY one, BB

Desert Hydro · Feb 24, 2017

cool little build! im in the process of wiring up 70 COBs and im dying its taking so long lol

mufafa · Feb 24, 2017

How are your temps and what are you using for extraction? I built a 4x Vero @1400ma fixture as well but haven't been able to run it yet.

Budget Buds · Feb 25, 2017

Desert Hydro said:
cool little build! im in the process of wiring up 70 COBs and im dying its taking so long lol

Wow 70 cobs is a few isnt it ? After youre done though you will have a light that will decimate all other lights

mufafa said:
How are your temps and what are you using for extraction? I built a 4x Vero @1400ma fixture as well but haven't been able to run it yet.

At 100% power in a 2x2x4 tent with no cooling it will run in the mid/high 80s. I use a 12v cpu fan for all my extraction, Nothing fancy, and it runs about 60cfm per minute. The temps are at 73-77 depending on the temps outside. ONE thing I didnt prepare for was how many ppfd this was going to throw to the plants. If I dont have a minimum of 16-18 inches between the tops of the plants and the lights, at 100% power it will bleach the shit out of them, there by reducing the usable amount of height I have in the tent, It really is too big of a light for it for the usual growing, Me being a SOGer I flip when there about 10 inches tall anyways so the risk is lessened

BB

Safe Gardener · Feb 27, 2017

Nice light man. Thank you for the detailed build up and link filled post. Very helpful to guys trying to decide what to go with or where to get it.

jikko77 · Feb 27, 2017

Budget Buds · Feb 28, 2017

Safe Gardener said:
Nice light man. Thank you for the detailed build up and link filled post. Very helpful to guys trying to decide what to go with or where to get it.

That's why I did it: But Without Growmau5 videos I would have still thought it to be tons harder then it actually is. Glad you liked it

Gibboni20 · Mar 7, 2017

nice one

GastroGrower · Mar 11, 2017

Great choice on setup. I just finished a run with the same lights and heatsinks. Two of the meanwell drivers and 6 COBs all together. It'll produce some great buds and you've got plenty of light for that space. Good luck on your grow!

majorana · Mar 11, 2017

After a long time lurking I came by again to ask about two options, the first pretty much identical to what you came up with: (A) (1) HLG-240H-C1050B driving (4) Bridgelux Vero 29 52V type B (BXRC-30E10K0-B-7X/BXRC-40E10K0-B-7X)

The other option I'm considering using a harder driver, from the HLG-320H series. That should drive at 1750mA (option B) four pieces of the 37.8V D-type or (option C) up to six pieces at 1400mA.

Either option will come with pre-drilled passive heatsinks, and all from the same Chinese Alibaba supplier. Shipping comes to 20% of total price, but I couldn't find anything cheaper in Europe.

Eventually I plan on getting 4 copies of one of these setup, totaling 16 COBs and 3/4 drivers, so I'm looking at either (A) 873W ($852 before shipping) / (B) 1058W ($936 before shipping) / (C) 846W ($850) that would average out at either 35 (A+C) or 42W (C) per sqf in my 5x5 tent.

Either way I might supplement this with some of the current Roleadro lights I bought (which run 36V COBs of unknown temp at about 2.5A). They're disappointing enough for me to look into a quality DIY build, but probably still good enough to keep around.

I'm leaning towards (A), but if anybody had the patience to read all of this I'd be happy to get some input.

Budget Buds · Mar 11, 2017

majorana said:
After a long time lurking I came by again to ask about two options, the first pretty much identical to what you came up with: (A) (1) HLG-240H-C1050B driving (4) Bridgelux Vero 29 52V type B (BXRC-30E10K0-B-7X/BXRC-40E10K0-B-7X)

The other option I'm considering using a harder driver, from the HLG-320H series. That should drive at 1750mA (option B) four pieces of the 37.8V D-type or (option C) up to six pieces at 1400mA.

Either option will come with pre-drilled passive heatsinks, and all from the same Chinese Alibaba supplier. Shipping comes to 20% of total price, but I couldn't find anything cheaper in Europe.

Eventually I plan on getting 4 copies of one of these setup, totaling 16 COBs and 3/4 drivers, so I'm looking at either (A) 873W ($852 before shipping) / (B) 1058W ($936 before shipping) / (C) 846W ($850) that would average out at either 35 (A+C) or 42W (C) per sqf in my 5x5 tent.

Either way I might supplement this with some of the current Roleadro lights I bought (which run 36V COBs of unknown temp at about 2.5A). They're disappointing enough for me to look into a quality DIY build, but probably still good enough to keep around.

I'm leaning towards (A), but if anybody had the patience to read all of this I'd be happy to get some input.

Good afternoon !! If it was me I would do option A , You will get lots more efficiency running the cobs at 1050 mah , they will hit 50 watts per cob and will perform very well for your application , Not to mention cooler running tent, heat sinks and cobs. I was going to do 52v and 1050mah but they were out and after using the calculator for a minute realized I could still hit 50 watts per cob. The problem I run into with this light is having too much light in my space, It's a nice problem to have but with out a dimmer I would be bumming .
Hope this helps

BB

Juan Budd · Mar 12, 2017

majorana said:
After a long time lurking I came by again to ask about two options, the first pretty much identical to what you came up with: (A) (1) HLG-240H-C1050B driving (4) Bridgelux Vero 29 52V type B (BXRC-30E10K0-B-7X/BXRC-40E10K0-B-7X)

The other option I'm considering using a harder driver, from the HLG-320H series. That should drive at 1750mA (option B) four pieces of the 37.8V D-type or (option C) up to six pieces at 1400mA.

Either option will come with pre-drilled passive heatsinks, and all from the same Chinese Alibaba supplier. Shipping comes to 20% of total price, but I couldn't find anything cheaper in Europe.

Eventually I plan on getting 4 copies of one of these setup, totaling 16 COBs and 3/4 drivers, so I'm looking at either (A) 873W ($852 before shipping) / (B) 1058W ($936 before shipping) / (C) 846W ($850) that would average out at either 35 (A+C) or 42W (C) per sqf in my 5x5 tent.

Either way I might supplement this with some of the current Roleadro lights I bought (which run 36V COBs of unknown temp at about 2.5A). They're disappointing enough for me to look into a quality DIY build, but probably still good enough to keep around.

I'm leaning towards (A), but if anybody had the patience to read all of this I'd be happy to get some input.

I think you're spot on with the wattage per sq.ft. you are aiming for - so many different ways to get there though!

I would certainly drive them soft, the softer the better really - direct increase in efficiency, plus cooler running (which also gives additional efficiency).

I think I would probably go for 4 HLG-240H-C1050, each running 6 Vero type D - getting optimum driver efficiency as well as good performance from the COBs.

I'd spread them out across the area and possibly not bother with the Roleandros.

JB.

majorana · Mar 12, 2017

Is there such a problem as having too much light?

My understanding is that ~50W per COB (35W/sqf) is what I should be aiming for, and that more would be overkill - so even if price is pretty much the same to keep it at that.

But what's too much light?

As for the assembly: thermal paste or thermal pad? Reflectors yes or no?

Juan Budd · Mar 12, 2017

majorana said:
Is there such a problem as having too much light?

My understanding is that ~50W per COB (35W/sqf) is what I should be aiming for, and that more would be overkill - so even if price is pretty much the same to keep it at that.

But what's too much light?

As for the assembly: thermal paste or thermal pad? Reflectors yes or no?

Yes you can have too much light - either at a given instant (PPFD) or total throughout a day (DLI) - however, the equipment to measure this (quantum meter) is by no means a cheap thing and the factors that affect it are many.

There is a lack of directly applicable scientific study relating to LED use for cannabis cultivation, and also a limited amount of anecdotal information from users, making it hard to give any general rules to it's application.

Watts per COB will affect the light to canopy distance that is usable and so the maximum will to an extent be dictated by your available headroom. Watts per sq.ft is a better guesstimating tool for light availability at the canopy overall. I think that 35-50 watts per sq.ft has been working well for a good number of growers. However, actual light reaching the canopy will be affected by: the efficiency of your chosen LEDs, distance from canopy (and flatness of canopy), use of reflectors or lenses. The use of dimmable drivers will allow you to make adjustments "in-flight" to tune your set-up.

I like to use reflectors (of around 60-90 degrees) as there seems little point in producing a whole lot of light as efficiently as possible and then letting it waste away bouncing all over the place.

Definitely thermal paste - pads are much less efficient and consequently so will the LEDs be.

It occurs to me to mention (although you may already be well aware) that when using high power strings of series connected LEDs the high DC voltages involved are potentially life altering (or life ending) and should be treated with the utmost care. These high voltages must also be considered when it comes choice of equipment - eg. Pico-ezmate connectors are only rated at 130v.

I hope that I've written with reasonable clarity and that this info is helpful to you.

JB.

majorana · Mar 12, 2017

I'll follow your lead on both the reflectors and paste (and hope not to make a mess).

Re: distance from plant - how close/far would you go? I'm growing autoflowers which are generally short, so there's no shortage of headroom.

Re: wiring - given that I'm going to wire 208V in series, I understand that the Pico-ezmate connectors won't be any good for me. How should I go about the wiring then? What possible dangers might I face after it'll all wired and ready to plug to the socket? (I.e., what else can go wrong?)

Budget Buds · Mar 12, 2017

majorana said:
I'll follow your lead on both the reflectors and paste (and hope not to make a mess).

Re: distance from plant - how close/far would you go? I'm growing autoflowers which are generally short, so there's no shortage of headroom.

Re: wiring - given that I'm going to wire 208V in series, I understand that the Pico-ezmate connectors won't be any good for me. How should I go about the wiring then? What possible dangers might I face after it'll all wired and ready to plug to the socket? (I.e., what else can go wrong?)

What Juan said is pretty much on point

The distance from my plant tops to my cobs is between 14-18 inches , Other wise I will bleach the tops, If your going to have the same amount of light then I would say it's safe to assume that it will be about that distance required for you too. .
The picos are only good for 130 volts, I would assume honestly you would be fine running them for wiring 4 52 volt cobs , But I would not ( I didnt cause of this too) risk it. The possible risks could be fire and shock. I just used the soldering pads and used 18 gauge wire and it works fine. It's not hard at all to solder and tinn the pads/wires and it will make you feel good knowing you have heavier duty wiring then you need.
They have updated picos that are good for 500ish volts, I know at the time I was building my light (dec) I could not find them as they are too new but you might have more luck now, Happy to help

BB

DIY Vero 29 x 4 Build

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