Opinions on how to light a 10x10 flower room Quantum, COB or Both?

CobKits

Well-Known Member
Where are you getting $0.50/watt or less from? You cannot touch cobs for that. 200w of COB lighting for $100? If it was that cheap, no one would EVER consider DE/CMH. From what I am seeing, unless you are a direct supplier, you are looking at about $1.20/w best case DIY (and thats not your fancy pin cushion heatsinks that everyone loves).
lol i surely didnt pioneer the pin heatsink, though people do like them for obvious reasons

ok we may not be quite to the 0.50/Watt yet

the 3618 light engines i was making for a little while were under $100

HLG-320 drivers also under $100

thats like 350W for $190... pretty close

lets look at another scenario -
3 luminus CXM 22 - $51
3 arctic active coolers - $36
solder em- no holders required
HLG185h-48A driver -$40
_____________________
$127/225W = $0.56/W

HLG480 will be able to drive a single 3618 well over 400W and that should cross the $0.50/W line

so ask me in a week or two :)
 
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sallygram

Well-Known Member
Can I run 2 of them CXM 22s on a MeanWell HLG-185H-48A ? I am thinking about doing a side by side with the Quantum Boards to see what I like the best. I was guessing 2 CXMs would pull about 150 total watts so it would be comparable.
 

SSGrower

Well-Known Member
Side by side comparisons can be more difficult and expensive in the long run imo. Use a mix and base it off a watts per square foot goal 60 is working for me.
 

Raging Stalk

Active Member
typically most high GPW yields are at lower intensities
Using 48 Vero 29c for 30ft2 of growing space. Running each cob around 16w for a total of 800w.

Efficiency is pretty high obviously and I am only using cheapo chinese 700ma drivers for each cob and simple aluminum plate as a heat sink. I can say that over 95% of my build cost is in cobs :)

I keep a minimum 1500ppfd across the canopy down to about 1 foot from the cobs. Some spots are reading as high as 3500. Air temp is a steady 23c (24c when I am in the room) and I am using around 200w for various different fans with around 5k cfm for circulation. Leaves are always moving and the higher pppfd exposed ones show 27c temps with flir. No bleaching seen so far, I don't see additional growth more than what 1k ppfd does though. Apparently they have lettuce handling 5k+ ppfd so long as it has good temps and circulation.

Cob cost was around 1600. Cases and additional drivers I got for $75. Another $75 for aluminum plate cut to size. Chucked in some solder and thermal paste as shop materials.

Seeing as hydro shops are selling spectrum king 600 for upwards of 2k, I saved a lot, got much better light and had fun building it.
 

sixstring2112

Well-Known Member
Using 48 Vero 29c for 30ft2 of growing space. Running each cob around 16w for a total of 800w.

Efficiency is pretty high obviously and I am only using cheapo chinese 700ma drivers for each cob and simple aluminum plate as a heat sink. I can say that over 95% of my build cost is in cobs :)

I keep a minimum 1500ppfd across the canopy down to about 1 foot from the cobs. Some spots are reading as high as 3500. Air temp is a steady 23c (24c when I am in the room) and I am using around 200w for various different fans with around 5k cfm for circulation. Leaves are always moving and the higher pppfd exposed ones show 27c temps with flir. No bleaching seen so far, I don't see additional growth more than what 1k ppfd does though. Apparently they have lettuce handling 5k+ ppfd so long as it has good temps and circulation.

Cob cost was around 1600. Cases and additional drivers I got for $75. Another $75 for aluminum plate cut to size. Chucked in some solder and thermal paste as shop materials.

Seeing as hydro shops are selling spectrum king 600 for upwards of 2k, I saved a lot, got much better light and had fun building it.
So do you have any gpw # or pics of the plants for research purposes of course? :)
 

visajoe1

Well-Known Member
Using 48 Vero 29c for 30ft2 of growing space. Running each cob around 16w for a total of 800w.

Efficiency is pretty high obviously and I am only using cheapo chinese 700ma drivers for each cob and simple aluminum plate as a heat sink. I can say that over 95% of my build cost is in cobs :)

I keep a minimum 1500ppfd across the canopy down to about 1 foot from the cobs. Some spots are reading as high as 3500. Air temp is a steady 23c (24c when I am in the room) and I am using around 200w for various different fans with around 5k cfm for circulation. Leaves are always moving and the higher pppfd exposed ones show 27c temps with flir. No bleaching seen so far, I don't see additional growth more than what 1k ppfd does though. Apparently they have lettuce handling 5k+ ppfd so long as it has good temps and circulation.

Cob cost was around 1600. Cases and additional drivers I got for $75. Another $75 for aluminum plate cut to size. Chucked in some solder and thermal paste as shop materials.

Seeing as hydro shops are selling spectrum king 600 for upwards of 2k, I saved a lot, got much better light and had fun building it.
Do you use co2? I dig the low current and short distance to canopy
 

VegasWinner

Well-Known Member
I would go with COB's and shot for 50w/sf. I think Quantum Boards have a use in enclosed space as an advantage. Passive heat sinks and remote drivers is the way I would proceed. You nca use a mix of cree, Vero, CLU or whatever flavor you like. I would just shoot for 750-850 ppfd unless you are going with CO2 than 1500ppfd which is 100w/sf
 

Raging Stalk

Active Member
So do you have any gpw # or pics of the plants for research purposes of course? :)

Will once I get a phone with a camera.

It is actually for research purposes. Retired old guy who grows his own food and lives away from most civilization. Being off grid makes being efficient a necessity. I do the same with batteries, solar panels and thermo-electric generation.

This cycle is for getting the initial build together and finding good mother plants for clippings to run tests of different 3000k cri mixtures. My plan is to run a full 80 cri, a full 90 cri, 1 8:4 80/90 cri and 1 8:4 90/80 cri mix to see if there is any significant difference.

After that I will be doing a similar test with the 1750k and 2500k decor veros. It takes about 6 weeks for me to get parts from when I order so I have to plan well in advance.
 

Raging Stalk

Active Member
Do you use co2? I dig the low current and short distance to canopy

Does apple cider vinegar dissolving eggshells count? The reaction puts off CO2 similar to vinegar and baking soda but at a much slower rate. A dozen or so eggshells ground up into a powder with 500ml of vinegar in a bowl will react for about 3 days. I then mix that with epsom salts for a cheap calcium and magnesium additive.

Plus it keeps bugs away and I find the air smells extra fresh.
 

SSGrower

Well-Known Member
So you say your pumping 960w over a 4x4? Damn! No bleaching?
Not quite what you might think. Some of my wattage is T5, NO Quantum Boards (yet), I'm including fans, uv, and controls, I'm not including a heater that I have to run at night. It's a 3x3 drawing a peak (I run what you might call a diminished intensity and duration schedule with the assistance of an arduino) of just under 640. So given that the UV and fans (t-stat control through arduino) don't run all the time I gave the over simplified number of 60 watts per square foot. Including all this other crap is necessary to make fair comparisons of lighting tech, I'm finding with LEDs its not really cooling that's the real issue it's actually controlling heat. If I told you an air conditioner doesn't cool it actually heats would you believe me????


p.s. have a 1 gallon co2 fermenter so that's helping push the intensity limit a bit.
 
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visajoe1

Well-Known Member
Does apple cider vinegar dissolving eggshells count? The reaction puts off CO2 similar to vinegar and baking soda but at a much slower rate. A dozen or so eggshells ground up into a powder with 500ml of vinegar in a bowl will react for about 3 days. I then mix that with epsom salts for a cheap calcium and magnesium additive.

Plus it keeps bugs away and I find the air smells extra fresh.
interesting. im only asking because that is a very high ppfd. max level actually, with max co2 levels. You could probably tone the lights down to about 900-1000ppf and see the same results. This would still give you over 40 DLI, which seems to be the max a plant can handle without elevated co2 levels. 725ppfd is about 30 DLI

I dont know how much co2 that reaction puts off, but I doubt its enough to maintain 1000+ppm to realize a benefit with 1500ppfd.
 
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