DiY LEDs - How to Power Them

[KitnerPush]

Which 400nm diode?`And that would probably fuk up the circuit, no? I'd be more tempted to add FR. I think voltage wise the Osram Square Reds are quite compatible, but their royal blue is 25% higer voltage.

 

[Rocket Soul]

If they are in series as you say then no probs with using different voltage, they just add up. Would be a hard board to aource drivers for though, 57-58V board.

 

[KitnerPush]

Well the Nichia 405's are like 4V+... Not really an issue adding 2V, but wouldn't you have to do it to every circuit? and there are 6. But overall 660nm would take a hit?

 

[KitnerPush]

If they are in series as you say then no probs with using different voltage, they just add up. Would be a hard board to aource drivers for though, 57-58V board.

I've decided though... I wouldn't add anything other than far red to the circuitry, unless there's a good argument that the 405 lifespan us the same, which ut seems there may be some doubt.

 

[KitnerPush]

If they are running these boards at 314W DC/55v/5.6A for the HLG 350... that means you could get more out of 1 x QB648 by using a 200W driver. Yeah its not going to be as electrically efficient at lower wattages, but you're getting a lot more light by squeezing the white diodes from 77.77mA to 92.26mA. Those reds are rated at 700mA test current, which means if whites are run at 92.26mA, reds are running at only 553.6mA.

At these currents you are under half the maximum rated current for white, and only a little over a third the maximum rated current of red.

It's going to produce more heat at these currents... but not a shit-ton, and you're also getting a lot more red photons out of the red diodes.

I'd like to hear any arguments why this isn't better advice, when you can easily pick up a decent 200w driver for the price of a MW HLG?

 

[Pawtz]

I bought this light around a year and a half ago as an open boxed unit.
I've used it probably for a day just for testing purposes when I first got it and it's sat for over a year since.
It worked 100% as it should when I last tested it.

I just recently am deciding to start another grow and decided against a 2x4 light and wanted to sell this one so I could purchase a 2x2 light instead.
Today, I pull the damn thing out to get some pictures for making an ebay auction in order to sell it and an entire row and then some went out.

So I figured I'm screwed now on getting anything of worth out of this since it now has issues.

QUESTION: Is there any way I can take off the panels and chop this thing in half to make a 2x2 light?
I have solder and can pick up spare wire to redo the connections, but I'm not sure how this driver would fare if I did all that.

 

[Rocket Soul]

I bought this light around a year and a half ago as an open boxed unit.
I've used it probably for a day just for testing purposes when I first got it and it's sat for over a year since.
It worked 100% as it should when I last tested it.

I just recently am deciding to start another grow and decided against a 2x4 light and wanted to sell this one so I could purchase a 2x2 light instead.
Today, I pull the damn thing out to get some pictures for making an ebay auction in order to sell it and an entire row and then some went out.

So I figured I'm screwed now on getting anything of worth out of this since it now has issues.

QUESTION: Is there any way I can take off the panels and chop this thing in half to make a 2x2 light?
I have solder and can pick up spare wire to redo the connections, but I'm not sure how this driver would fare if I did all that.



View attachment 5393432

Just use it at half power, should work fine.

 

[Pawtz]

Just use it at half power, should work fine.

I need to fit it in a 2x2 area. I had plans for 4x2, but I turned that extra 2' of my closet into storage.

 

[KitnerPush]

I need to fit it in a 2x2 area. I had plans for 4x2, but I turned that extra 2' of my closet into storage.

Dude, there are several diodes which are out on the left board. As Rocketsoul says, just cut it in half an discard the faulty side. Then run the positive and negative to the positive and negative on the driver an run half the power. You could probably use a wattmeter to know what wattage you're pulling.

In my opinion you're better off just buying a new board which is compatible with your driver.

 

[Pawtz]

Dude, there are several diodes which are out on the left board. As Rocketsoul says, just cut it in half an discard the faulty side. Then run the positive and negative to the positive and negative on the driver an run half the power. You could probably use a wattmeter to know what wattage you're pulling.

In my opinion you're better off just buying a new board which is compatible with your driver.

Wasn't sure if rocket was referencing using it as is half power as to not trigger any other diodes.
If I can indeed cut it in half and use it within the 1-50% on the dimmer, then that would be great.
I'm not entirely sure how these diodes are configured on the board. Looks like it's just 1 circuit that
goes from the main point @ the top, channels to each diode, and then out the other end.


I'm looking at some new options that can work with my driver though if things do south.

Thanks.

EDIT: Just took those covers off. Had to drill out 2 stripped screws in the process.

 

[Rocket Soul]

Wasn't sure if rocket was referencing using it as is half power as to not trigger any other diodes.
If I can indeed cut it in half and use it within the 1-50% on the dimmer, then that would be great.
I'm not entirely sure how these diodes are configured on the board. Looks like it's just 1 circuit that
goes from the main point @ the top, channels to each diode, and then out the other end.


I'm looking at some new options that can work with my driver though if things do south.

Thanks.

EDIT: Just took those covers off. Had to drill out 2 stripped screws in the process.
View attachment 5393701

No, i was saying just put it in as is, i dont wanna advice anyone to saw things in half even though it looks like you could reasonably do it if technical minded. But just dim it down a bit. Looks like if it fit.

Since all rows light up the same id just write off those diodes and use it.

 

[TonyPC]

No, i was saying just put it in as is, i dont wanna advice anyone to saw things in half even though it looks like you could reasonably do it if technical minded. But just dim it down a bit. Looks like if it fit.

Since all rows light up the same id just write off those diodes and use it.

Hello all.
I wave a HLG 600w kit (V1) and i was thinking on plugin them direct to solar panel.
Anyone try this?
Thanks

 

[effexxess]

Hello all.
I wave a HLG 600w kit (V1) and i was thinking on plugin them direct to solar panel.
Anyone try this?
Thanks

You want to convert solar panel DC current to AC using a micro-inverter.
Youtube series on a unit which claims it can plug into your household US 120volt.
Plugging Solar Panels Directly Into An Outlet | Surprising Results

 

[Pawtz]

Just use it at half power, should work fine.

Working fine so far. Had to use a 80w gun from a plastic welding kit because my 30w solder gun would not weld this board for some reason.

Will post back if my shit burns down.

 

[Rocket Soul]

Working fine so far. Had to use a 80w gun from a plastic welding kit because my 30w solder gun would not weld this board for some reason.

Will post back if my shit burns down.

View attachment 5415197

As in hot air solder? They are not great if you have a big metal pcb. The pcb acts as a heat sink making it hard to reach good temps. Im not really liking what the wires look like here, a bit burned and melted. Make sure you take care in use of it.

For soldering wire difficult soldering pads with a larger metal pcb :
Use soldering iron, the hot needle kind.
First get some tin on the pad. Use a bit of sand paper on the pad if it wont stick properly. Or a little flux.
Then some tin on the wire. Then push the wire to the the pad and add your tin wire and apply the hot point. Let it all melt. I found that i always had problems removing the tin wire at this point, it would pull the molten tin off the pad/wire and stick to the soldering wire. So i let the whole thing harden with the soldering tin wire attached then remove the tin wire when the solder joint already hardened.
Sorry, not sure if you actually know all this from before, always good to add details.

 

[Pawtz]

As in hot air solder? They are not great if you have a big metal pcb. The pcb acts as a heat sink making it hard to reach good temps. Im not really liking what the wires look like here, a bit burned and melted. Make sure you take care in use of it.

For soldering wire difficult soldering pads with a larger metal pcb :
Use soldering iron, the hot needle kind.
First get some tin on the pad. Use a bit of sand paper on the pad if it wont stick properly. Or a little flux.
Then some tin on the wire. Then push the wire to the the pad and add your tin wire and apply the hot point. Let it all melt. I found that i always had problems removing the tin wire at this point, it would pull the molten tin off the pad/wire and stick to the soldering wire. So i let the whole thing harden with the soldering tin wire attached then remove the tin wire when the solder joint already hardened.
Sorry, not sure if you actually know all this from before, always good to add details.

No hot air soldering. It's an 80w plastic welding gun that I used (from harbor freight). The 30w was the needle kind that didn't work except to unseat old solder points. The 30w just didn't want to heat the wire and solder under it that I caked up. The 80w made easy work of it.

I did look into the hot air/oven style of soldering, but think that's above my iq level.

I put some electrical tape on the positive wire that I needed to solder to prevent any melting of the sleeve. So it looks a little gummy in the picture, but there's nothing exposed to the metal heat sink or board at that area.

 

[Pawtz]

Got around to cutting the aluminum panel (sanded the edges and made new holes for dimmer/driver/led) and soldering/mounting it all.
Purchased thermal tape (2 weeks ago) and wish I would have used it, but I thought thermal glue (seems to have higher thermal %) would be better since the sanding I did created little voids in the aluminum in those areas. It was very thin so it really didn't turn out how I thought it would. I should have purchased 2 tubes. Going to have to log the wattage output @ X dimmer % so I know what % outputs what in terms of wattage. Just going to keep it max at a little under half so nothing is over driven.

This time I put liquid electrical tape over the solder points and a little up the wire sleeve. Hopefully that isn't a no no. Seems I forgot to put some on the solder areas at the bottom left of the board. I thought I got everything, but looking over the pic I realized I haven't.

 

[10WeekFlushBro]

Any point to DIYing these days? Only feasible build I can come up with it (still) EB gen 2s. Everything else the price is so high it barely justifies DIYing. Just 200 lm/w strips (Q series 2 for example) are more expensive than a full light from retailers. Unfortunately theyve all moved away from meanwell to inventronics or LG. But in terms of PAR it looks like almost all run of the mill lights today outperform an EB gen 2 build

 

[Rocket Soul]

Any point to DIYing these days? Only feasible build I can come up with it (still) EB gen 2s. Everything else the price is so high it barely justifies DIYing. Just 200 lm/w strips (Q series 2 for example) are more expensive than a full light from retailers. Unfortunately theyve all moved away from meanwell to inventronics or LG. But in terms of PAR it looks like almost all run of the mill lights today outperform an EB gen 2 build

Diying for low price has been moot for a long time now since the china lights started taking over in the low price class.
I still feel its very valid to DIY for spectrum, function and for very specific growspaces or needs.
I can still not find a growlight that has the spectrum and performance that i want so i guess i continue

 

[10WeekFlushBro]

Diying for low price has been moot for a long time now since the china lights started taking over in the low price class.
I still feel its very valid to DIY for spectrum, function and for very specific growspaces or needs.
I can still not find a growlight that has the spectrum and performance that i want so i guess i continue

Nice to see youre still at it. Yeah I hear ya. My issue with some/most/all lights is that they still cut corners. Inferior drivers, relatively low led count running at high power. Will probably break sooner. Also if they have a 4ft light the bars are only a little over 3ft. We all know the plants under diodes perform better & PPFD drops off fast outside the fixture.. Kinda maddening they got so much right except the actual fixture size.

Whats funny is, in 2018 it seemed like things were progressing so quickly. Never thought it would be this stagnant until 2024. Diminishing returns, I guess. EB gen 2s running for 6 years like a champ. Tough choice IMO. Longevity and spread from DIY vs. higher efficacy, ease and better spectrum* from retail. Granted my EBs are old, but I see lights getting similar or even better PPFD dimmed to 260 watts compared to 320 on my own build.

cheers

*better spectrum than bare 3000K strips, i.e.