LEDs for lettuce and microgreens
- Thread starter ROF42
- Start date
I'm thinking of getting the drivers @Mechmike even though it's not hitting 300ma. I'm needing a cheap test run at the moment and can get better ones later
Ordered 8 of them
Now looking at the 2" heatsink. Thinking of getting 8 x 12" long pieces. Or I could order all in one piece and see what number supra comes up with each led needing
Ordered 8 x Vero 10 4000k cobs also. Only have the heat sink left to deal with
Ordered 8 of them
Now looking at the 2" heatsink. Thinking of getting 8 x 12" long pieces. Or I could order all in one piece and see what number supra comes up with each led needing
Ordered 8 x Vero 10 4000k cobs also. Only have the heat sink left to deal with
Last edited:
Abiqua
Well-Known Member
Are you talking about Heatsink USA? Here are the #'s. I usually use 90cm2/w for passive and 30cm2/w for active cooling to calculate my numbers, as per SupraSpl's divine guidance
But that is also with higher efficiencys, as well as running smaller cobs @ >40% efficiency [educated guess]. I would used 110cm2/w if passively cooling much larger cobs like the 3070 and V29 ranging towards nominal current and above 
So I usually estimate about 8 watts per each Vero run on those small 300ma drivers. This is above max, so it could be a tad lower if you want, but I like "just in case". [I believe @ 285mA they are about 7.31 watts]
The surface area of the 2.08" is 84..43 cm2.
8w * 110cm2/w = 880cm2 total area needed for 8w's passive
8w * 30cm2/w = 240cm2 for 8 watts active cooling
Total surface area [cm2] / surface area per inch of heatsink [84.43] = Total length of heatsink
Passive
880/84.43 = 10.4 inches passive [For every 8 watts]
Active
240cm2/84.43 = 2.84 inches active cooling [for every 8 watts]
Abiqua
Well-Known Member
I might have to do this. I have been pondering picking up something and have been calculating in 14 and 16". Gonna see if going 4 pieces instead of 2 will help, thanks!
I wonder how well and if it'd be worthwhile to use leds in the greenhouse as supplemental light. We've been having a number of grey days and the condensation blocks out a lot of light. My tomatoes got super stretchy. Too cold to produce but was wanting a good jump on early spring.
The idea would be to get a super compact vine as possible and have it mature just as the temps got warm enough.
The idea would be to get a super compact vine as possible and have it mature just as the temps got warm enough.
I figured shipping before Christmas would be crazy. Though from what a shoe manufacturer sent out was saying that their mid December shipment was on hold because the L.A. port was backed up. But they were shipping in mass quantity of boots for their Kickstarter backers.
Chinese new year is February 19 this year. I should put that on my travels bucket list to visit some day.
Thanks, will do. I'll probably go put together my fluorescent light fixture and have to build a new setup to test the led lights.
Advice on screwing 1x2 together. Always predrill the holes and a 1" screw is not long enough. I broke my drill bit and split all the wood after that point. Then had it fall apart because the screws were too short
Chinese new year is February 19 this year. I should put that on my travels bucket list to visit some day.
Thanks, will do. I'll probably go put together my fluorescent light fixture and have to build a new setup to test the led lights.
Advice on screwing 1x2 together. Always predrill the holes and a 1" screw is not long enough. I broke my drill bit and split all the wood after that point. Then had it fall apart because the screws were too short
Ah well that's an explanation for the L A port. I vaguely remembering them striking a couple years back slowing everything down. I'm eager to start this experiment.
I'm thinking of building several fiberglass 2'x4' trays. Debating in 4" or 6" tall. Then debating on flood and drain for the entire life cycle, nft, or shallow water culture like the current pvc is.
I'll likely use blueboard like I have for my rafts to keep the cups from tipping over or floating around.
Then stack these trays over each other with several feet in between.
To start with I'll test the 6 light fluorescent and the 8 leds. Possibly / probably a third tray with 4 light fluorescent. Though I'm not sure how to optimize and account for light heights. Should they all be ran the same height, I'm not sure if that is a fair comparison or not
I'm thinking of building several fiberglass 2'x4' trays. Debating in 4" or 6" tall. Then debating on flood and drain for the entire life cycle, nft, or shallow water culture like the current pvc is.
I'll likely use blueboard like I have for my rafts to keep the cups from tipping over or floating around.
Then stack these trays over each other with several feet in between.
To start with I'll test the 6 light fluorescent and the 8 leds. Possibly / probably a third tray with 4 light fluorescent. Though I'm not sure how to optimize and account for light heights. Should they all be ran the same height, I'm not sure if that is a fair comparison or not
bicit
Well-Known Member
I just built a little proof of concept for someone who wanted to grow some microgreens. Basically composed of a vero 10 on a round heatsink, driver, and lens from fast tech. It was originally supposed to be a lamp project, hence why I got the lens. However it makes a huge difference in spread. At 12" it makes a perfect 24" diameter circle and at 6inches it makes a nice 12 inch diameter circle. Still waiting on a lux meter to test the intensity though, it's a huge lens(66mm) and I'm losing some photons to reflection because my heatsink isn't solid. Just need to find my drill bits so I can tap it and give it to him for testing.
Tomatoes and herbs seem to thrive underneath bridgelux 4000k light. though I'm anxious to see if a 5000k chips would work just as well or if they would work well in combination. The extra bit of efficiency would be nice.
Tomatoes and herbs seem to thrive underneath bridgelux 4000k light. though I'm anxious to see if a 5000k chips would work just as well or if they would work well in combination. The extra bit of efficiency would be nice.
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