oilfield bud
Well-Known Member
Can I build I decent cob led light to light a small grow box for under $150
can I build a cob led light for under $150
- Thread starter oilfield bud
- Start date
Growmau5
Well-Known Member
absolutely. Cree cxa2530 are pretty affordable these days from Newark.com
mid bin 4000k $15.08 ea
mid bin 2700k, or 3000k $6.91 ea
Meanwell hlg185h-c700b $60.95 will run 6 cobs. or the 500ma version will run 10 cobs.
(2) 24" heatsinks $48
it will be a little tight, but you should come in around $150-175
Will Thayer
Well-Known Member
I concur with Growmau5, It will not be cutting edge or the most efficient option but to suit a budget of $150 it is certainly doable.
It might be considered self aggrandizing for Growmau5 to link to his own videos so I will do it for him because I am a fan of his.
To stay within your budget just concentrate on the COBS, heatsinks and drivers. Growmau5 I think has a flare for aesthetics blended with functionality. With your budget maybe focus on functionality.
Read a lot of threads and research before you buy. If you get stuck intelligent questions are usually answered here with much grace and consideration. Good Luck!
Cheers,
Will
Neoangelo147
Well-Known Member
So if i order all of this the way I can setup the light is run 3 cxa2530 on each 24" heatsink?
For running 6 2700k cxa2530 i would only need one meanwell hgl185h-c700b?
Rahz
Well-Known Member
oilfield bud
Well-Known Member
3x3 but its only gonna be for 1 plant to make feminized seeds
oilfield bud
Well-Known Member
3x3 but its only gonna be for 1 plant to make some feminized seeds
dionysus4
Well-Known Member
the cxa2530 is good value also look into the vero 18s 10s and 13s
you can save a lot by using chinese drivers for example if you get heatsink usa profiles load em with vero 10s and drive them with chinese drivers from fastetch or aliexress you will do fine
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Freeshipping-IP65-Waterproof-Constant-Current-Driver-AC85-265V-to-DC85-128V-300mA-for-25-36-pcs/520492_1039547540.html
just find cheap driver options parallel or series and get veros/cxa 2530s
Rahz
Well-Known Member
4x vero 18 4000K $50
driver HLG-120H-C1050 $55
Heatsinkusa 4.85 profile 12" x 2 $30
2 fans + fan driver $15
$150 + 20-30 shipping and some wire, angle aluminum, screws, etc. probably around $200
It's basically a 2x version of my hundred dollar veg lamp with fans: https://www.rollitup.org/t/diy-70-watt-hundred-dollar-veg-lamp.870199/ which would run about $120 after shipping. The 70 watt lamp would be plenty for a single plant though. I use it for a mom and kids in an 18x36, works great.
lol you read my mind!
oilfield bud
Well-Known Member
Ok now let me ask you this in all seriousness bc I don't know about leds yet, these lights all seem to be around $200 when its all said and done. Now I can get a 300w mars hydro shipped for under $100 now I know they probably pull half the wattage actually but wouldn't it still be better or more feasible to run a mars led? Orare the diy ones just that much better?
Michael Huntherz
Well-Known Member
Half the wattage, half as efficient, 0.25 of the effectiveness. COBs are so much brighter it is really a no-contest sort of thing, but if you want to keep it small...yeah still build a COB unit. $100 or $200 is going to seem like a very small investment down the road, just get a good one or you'll buy everything twice, like me. (The shame!) I bought one of those Mars lights, then I bought another one, then I bought a fuckload of fluoros to supplement them, right now I just run the fluoros and am working on getting a COB panel built.
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Rahz
Well-Known Member
When we're talking about such a small space using something inefficient like you're talking about isn't a big deal, or even a small 100 watt CFL panel would do the trick.
To give you an idea, the hydro 300 provides about 25-30 par watts. My DIY veg lamp provides about 25 par watts. The difference is my lamp uses 70 watts, the hydro uses 140 watts. You have to build it but the electrical savings would be there for you.
I'm just throwing some ideas out, and for that matter if you can get someone to float you a CXB3590 from their Kingbrite purchase you could build a single COB CXB lamp for under $150. The hydro is about 20% efficient, the Vero 40% efficient, the CXB (at 2.1 amps) 50% efficient.
Can't have none of my CXBs though
Might be a while before I make another purchase but I would be glad to order an extra.
To give you an idea, the hydro 300 provides about 25-30 par watts. My DIY veg lamp provides about 25 par watts. The difference is my lamp uses 70 watts, the hydro uses 140 watts. You have to build it but the electrical savings would be there for you.
I'm just throwing some ideas out, and for that matter if you can get someone to float you a CXB3590 from their Kingbrite purchase you could build a single COB CXB lamp for under $150. The hydro is about 20% efficient, the Vero 40% efficient, the CXB (at 2.1 amps) 50% efficient.
Can't have none of my CXBs though
Might be a while before I make another purchase but I would be glad to order an extra.
oilfield bud
Well-Known Member
Awsome, im just looking into getting into a diy project and didnt know, ill definitely look into rahz's parts list
oilfield bud
Well-Known Member
When we're talking about such a small space using something inefficient like you're talking about isn't a big deal, or even a small 100 watt CFL panel would do the trick.
To give you an idea, the hydro 300 provides about 25-30 par watts. My DIY veg lamp provides about 25 par watts. The difference is my lamp uses 70 watts, the hydro uses 140 watts. You have to build it but the electrical savings would be there for you.
I'm just throwing some ideas out, and for that matter if you can get someone to float you a CXB3590 from their Kingbrite purchase you could build a single COB CXB lamp for under $150. The hydro is about 20% efficient, the Vero 40% efficient, the CXB (at 2.1 amps) 50% efficient.
Can't have none of my CXBs though
Might be a while before I make another purchase but I would be glad to order an extra.
Thank you verry much but im not exactly in the most legal state so ill have to pass on the single, but if a larger order must be made and I figure this out that would be a good option bc my opp is ever growing at tje moment,
Michael Huntherz
Well-Known Member
Yeah, dude you have a lot of options right now. You could go get yourself a 400W HPS rig for <$150 and save up for the COB while rocking that 3x3 respectably. You might be able to run a 600W in there, depending on your cooling situation. Or you could spend a couple hundred now on a simple high quality COB and design it smartly enough that you can upgrade it later, when you have a bit more scratch.When we're talking about such a small space using something inefficient like you're talking about isn't a big deal, or even a small 100 watt CFL panel would do the trick.
To give you an idea, the hydro 300 provides about 25-30 par watts. My DIY veg lamp provides about 25 par watts. The difference is my lamp uses 70 watts, the hydro uses 140 watts. You have to build it but the electrical savings would be there for you.
I'm just throwing some ideas out, and for that matter if you can get someone to float you a CXB3590 from their Kingbrite purchase you could build a single COB CXB lamp for under $150. The hydro is about 20% efficient, the Vero 40% efficient, the CXB (at 2.1 amps) 50% efficient.
Can't have none of my CXBs though
Might be a while before I make another purchase but I would be glad to order an extra.
oilfield bud
Well-Known Member
Ya I have extra 600 but it would be to hot, ill definitely start doing some research for sure though
mauricem00
Well-Known Member
I have owned a mars hydro 300 watt for 1 year now and it spend more time down for repairs then growing plants. mine lost 3 leds in the first month.these cheap Chinese grow lights are junk my plants spend more time under my old 2G11 cfl grow light than under my mars hydro because of these failures. do yourself a favor and don't waste money on these cheap Chinese grow lights.there is no such thing as a good cheap led grow light. DIY will get you a much better light for an affordable price
dionysus4
Well-Known Member
well its actually alot less watts and less efiicient than a 600W HPS
so if you absoultely wanna be cheap best you just run cobs harder/ get more lower bins
i suggest
11) 2530s ( http://www.newark.com/cree/cxa2530-0000-000n00s40e7/led-hb-white-3372lm-screw/dp/44W6079) $69
and run them at 500mA each they will be around 39% eff
1) http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2189273_-1 $60.95
you can actuallt squeeze 11 of them on that driver
because they are only pulling 17.6w each you can probably just use thermal adhesive/tape and skimp on holders (5-8 bucks? plus some 18AWG wire lets call it 10)
so you just need heatsinks 2.8 profile for this wattage 1 ft per cob for passive or with a fan 3 cobs can fit on 1 ft 1 "
id go for 2 bars of 4 cobs on the outside and 1 bar of 3 cobs in the middle but we will get some extra for spread anyway
3) 24 icnhes of http://www.heatsinkusa.com/2-079/ $23
totals
$163(plus whatever shipping) in a 3x3 thats still not really enough light but a lot more than 4 vero 18