DiY LED - Cree CXA3070

nogod_

Well-Known Member
How are you calculating efficiencies for 77v 3590 < .5a?

I can only get the pct to go down to .5a

Yes it would be possible to run a lot lower than 35W/ft² if we crank the efficiency, and the method you described would definitely do that along with better coverage and less light lost to scatter. There are cheap 300mA drivers that are 89% efficient with 150V max Vf. There are 120, 150 and 180mA drivers that can do 88% efficiency very cheaply. Or you could use a Mean Well HLG-185H-C350 and run a long string dimmed down to as low as 35mA.

The downside though, increased complexity of the build, increased up front cost and I suspect less "reach" into the canopy. For example, at 1400mA, the CXA3070 AB cost about $1.86/PAR W, at 700mA it is $3.40, at 350mA $6.46, at 300mA, $7.41. That is as low as my data goes, but I estimate that at 150mA it is about $15/PAR W and 62% efficient, 5W each (200lm/W).

The CXA3590 3000K CB bin could take that idea even further, maybe to 65% at 100mA (6.5W) for $15/PAR W.

Rather than experiment at that level in the flower room I have been experimenting in the veg room, running CXA3590 5000K at 280mA, or about 63% efficient. I plan to try running them passive cooled at 200mA or 67% efficient (217lm/W). It will be dimmable from 35mA to 350mA. No practical reason to do it, just curiosity and extra parts to play with. So far it is working very well but I would like to see what they are really capable of at $15/PAR W. I guess that would be very useful to keep your ladies in veg mode during an extended power outage or in a solar powered grow.
 

stock

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't say better, at least not what is currently available, just different.

The 3590 can emit more light overall than the 3070, but usually not as efficiently. Not a bad choice by any means....

Also, even though high voltage drivers are becoming more available for the 3590, they still are relatively expensive compared to driving the 3070 :peace:
Is any difference between : CXA3070-0000-000N00AB30H ( arrow have them in stock right now ) and
CXA3070-0000-000N00AB30F ( mouser have them too ) ? they looks the same except last letter H and F .
 

Greengenes707

Well-Known Member
F=4 step chromatic binning
H= 2 step chromatic binning
2 step is tighter tolerances for color +/-...2 step will have some 3020K...while the 4 step might let in a few 3090K or 2950K. Just a bigger range of tolerance in spectrum. Think of them as steps away from center(3K in this case)
Assuming the 4 steps are not on the complete opposite side of the tolerance form each other, and even then...no human will see a difference in the color...and the plants probably won't either...actually might broaden the spectrum ever so slightly if we want to get picky.
 

stock

Well-Known Member
F=4 step chromatic binning
H= 2 step chromatic binning
2 step is tighter tolerances for color +/-...2 step will have some 3020K...while the 4 step might let in a few 3090K or 2950K. Just a bigger range of tolerance in spectrum. Think of them as steps away from center(3K in this case)
Assuming the 4 steps are not on the complete opposite side of the tolerance form each other, and even then...no human will see a difference in the color...and the plants probably won't either...actually might broaden the spectrum ever so slightly if we want to get picky.
F=4 step chromatic binning
H= 2 step chromatic binning
2 step is tighter tolerances for color +/-...2 step will have some 3020K...while the 4 step might let in a few 3090K or 2950K. Just a bigger range of tolerance in spectrum. Think of them as steps away from center(3K in this case)
Assuming the 4 steps are not on the complete opposite side of the tolerance form each other, and even then...no human will see a difference in the color...and the plants probably won't either...actually might broaden the spectrum ever so slightly if we want to get picky.
Good explanation ,Thank you ! So i guess it will not make any difference anyway ,i think i will go and order 20 pcs from arrow H version . Or you think i should go with F version ? I think i am really confuse now :)) lol
 

Greengenes707

Well-Known Member
Good explanation ,Thank you ! So i guess it will not make any difference anyway ,i think i will go and order 20 pcs from arrow H version . Or you think i should go with F version ? I think i am really confuse now :)) lol
No difference imo...and the F's are usually ~5$ cheaper...Go F's.

EDIT:
I just looked and I only see H's on arrow right now. So as long as your fine with the price.
 

stock

Well-Known Member
No difference imo...and the F's are usually ~5$ cheaper...Go F's.

EDIT:
I just looked and I only see H's on arrow right now. So as long as your fine with the price.
I guess then it will be H " s :) Do i need to buy any other cxa 3070 ? Like 5000k ones ,or 27000k ? To build say 600 w veg/flower light ? I saw someone was recommending to add 730 nm far reds ,i was wonder ,if cree have them too ? Sorry for so many questions :D
 

Greengenes707

Well-Known Member
I guess then it will be H " s :) Do i need to buy any other cxa 3070 ? Like 5000k ones ,or 27000k ? To build say 600 w veg/flower light ? I saw someone was recommending to add 730 nm far reds ,i was wonder ,if cree have them too ? Sorry for so many questions :D
Straight 3K all the way. The golden ticket.
730's could be beneficial...but aren't going to make a major difference. They are just for 5-10min after lights off to getthe flowering process started quicker. Not a necessity at all...a choice some make. But cree doesn't make them.
 
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Elibrium

Member
Ordered my cobs! ok so help me here. If i have 8 cxa3070 3000k running at 1.4A that is 416w at 39.? efficiency. That is basicallly 163 PAR watts correct? If so In a 2x4 tent in a closet that puts me at just over 20 Par watts a square foot. Is this over kill? I see that supra said somewhere he uses 10 PARw a sq. ft. Will my space be over saturated in light without the increase in yield?
 

medicinehuman

Well-Known Member
I got a question about fans, to blow or suck through a heatsink? I know a lot of computers blow and some suck. I have mine all blowing on the heat sink and they seem to be running pretty cool to me. I looked around on the internet and blowing was the most as answers went. Does anyone know:confused: better?
 
I got a question about fans, to blow or suck through a heatsink? I know a lot of computers blow and some suck. I have mine all blowing on the heat sink and they seem to be running pretty cool to me. I looked around on the internet and blowing was the most as answers went. Does anyone know:confused: better?
Hello all fellow fellowers, New here to the forum, Was just searching the use of these Cree CXA 3590's for indoor growing, as I have ordered 32 of them, but in a 27000k, from Digikey which was the cheapest I could find them...

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/CXA3590-0000-000R00AD27F/CXA3590-0000-000R00AD27F-ND/4501389
 
Here are the 8 drivers I am using, 4 led COB's per, I am also ditching the ideas of hundreds of dollars to spend on heat sinks, as I am using 2x2 inch 1/16" thick aluminum tubing, and running water through them, all of this is covering a 16'x4' NFT SOG table, hosting 78 sites. I have grown a lot with soil/airpots, and 1000w digital HPS set up....I'M DONE! no more time to spend hours an evening as I wish I still had, so very excited about this grow, first time NFT, Using 4'' pcv tubes with 3 3/4 net pots.
 

Dloomis514

Well-Known Member
Ordered my cobs! ok so help me here. If i have 8 cxa3070 3000k running at 1.4A that is 416w at 39.? efficiency. That is basicallly 163 PAR watts correct? If so In a 2x4 tent in a closet that puts me at just over 20 Par watts a square foot. Is this over kill? I see that supra said somewhere he uses 10 PARw a sq. ft. Will my space be over saturated in light without the increase in yield?
8 3070s in 8 sf will be perfect
 

Dloomis514

Well-Known Member
I got a question about fans, to blow or suck through a heatsink? I know a lot of computers blow and some suck. I have mine all blowing on the heat sink and they seem to be running pretty cool to me. I looked around on the internet and blowing was the most as answers went. Does anyone know:confused: better?
I always blow air on my heat sinks. That way you are sure to get air moving over the hot surface. When it is hot, do you want to stand in front of the fan or behind the fan?

I had some sucky computers too, TRS80 was the worst.
 
Hmmm....Thanks for the reply! I will have to look into that now. If anyone else no any better please chime in. I was short on time earlier but wanted to jump into this thread, I admit at the time did not see there was over 100 previous pages, and am just now to page 10 to catch up and not be that guy asking the same question that is on the previous pages written. Thanks again
 

stock

Well-Known Member
Straight 3K all the way. The golden ticket.
730's could be beneficial...but aren't going to make a major difference. They are just for 5-10min after lights off to getthe flowering process started quicker. Not a necessity at all...a choice some make. But cree doesn't make them.
Greengenes707 you are the men !!!! I saw some of you videos ,very cool stuff . I almost bought apache 600 :) But i need almost 80 lights ,so money vise it will just murder me,reason why i decide to built them :) So i was wonder ,if you compare yield between apache 600 and custom led which you built ,how is this was ? Is at600 really beat custom led ,or they was very similar ?
Thank you in advance , you answer will really change way i will proceed with light for my grow .
 

Bueno Time

Well-Known Member
Check this beauty grown under 3070 ABs and small amount Luxeon and Cree red & blue 20mm stars. It was a test grow for Connoisseur Genetics new strain Chem D x GSC forum cut (reversed) they are feminized seeds a direct cross of two highly regarded clone only varietys and are being released in a month or so I believe.

Smells very good and looks really good but havent got to smoke most of them yet had 6 different ladies in the test pack. Here is my favorite and the one I kept a mother plant of Chem Cookie #3 its the most cookie dominant of the 6 and looks like GSC forum on steroids. She was grown in 3 gallon smart pot of a Clackamas Coots style amended recycled organic soil and was given only 2 ACTs, 2 SSTs, and 2 light molasses waterings the whole grow cycle from seed the rest was just pure RO water. Took her at 75 full days of 12/12 probably would have been good at 70 days but I didnt want to cut her short either.













 

kkman

Member
Yes it would be possible to run a lot lower than 35W/ft² if we crank the efficiency, and the method you described would definitely do that along with better coverage and less light lost to scatter. There are cheap 300mA drivers that are 89% efficient with 150V max Vf. There are 120, 150 and 180mA drivers that can do 88% efficiency very cheaply. Or you could use a Mean Well HLG-185H-C350 and run a long string dimmed down to as low as 35mA.

The downside though, increased complexity of the build, increased up front cost and I suspect less "reach" into the canopy. For example, at 1400mA, the CXA3070 AB cost about $1.86/PAR W, at 700mA it is $3.40, at 350mA $6.46, at 300mA, $7.41. That is as low as my data goes, but I estimate that at 150mA it is about $15/PAR W and 62% efficient, 5W each (200lm/W).

The CXA3590 3000K CB bin could take that idea even further, maybe to 65% at 100mA (6.5W) for $15/PAR W.

Rather than experiment at that level in the flower room I have been experimenting in the veg room, running CXA3590 5000K at 280mA, or about 63% efficient. I plan to try running them passive cooled at 200mA or 67% efficient (217lm/W). It will be dimmable from 35mA to 350mA. No practical reason to do it, just curiosity and extra parts to play with. So far it is working very well but I would like to see what they are really capable of at $15/PAR W. I guess that would be very useful to keep your ladies in veg mode during an extended power outage or in a solar powered grow.
Thanks for the reply, but to be honest it made me more confused. So can you please clarify.

First I cannot find any HLG-185H-C350. The closest is the HLP-120H-C350, that is the one I was looking at when I thought about this. 215-430V @ 175-350ma 94% efficency. I could not see where/how you could run any of the drivers you mentioned anywhere near 35ma.

I was thinking of creating a new thread, as I want to get the maths correct for the best design. For me the idea of 15W per sqft is interesting and I wanted to find what the cost would be.

For me though I want to ensure if I am going to spend the money making it, it is great at its job as a flowering light ( I dont want to under light ).

The current idea is either 3x3, 3x4 or 4x4 grid of cxa3070's or cxa3590's (36V) with each cob lighting 10cm^3
For the first 2 grids I would only need one driver as I think I can run 12-13 from the specs.
Also using 4x230mm pc fans to create the light fixture to attach the driver and cob heatsinks to. Each fan runing .18amps at 7V.
Can you advise on
1) if I CAN run the 3070 or 3590(36V) at 35ma how/where/what driver ( or whatever the min before the light stops working )
2) Running so low does it matter if we use z2 or ab bins as I can efford 2 time as many z2's as ab's
3) I am trying to use each cob as a beam lighting the canopy within its 60 degree cone, so for me the best distance to use between each light is limited to 10cm, would that be the best distance or do you have any advise.
4) You mentioned canopy penatration, For basic tests at 350ma ( within 60 degree cone ) you get around 25cm or more dependent on obstructions, so using more light sources means I should get light down furture the canopy. For me using lst, 30-40cm would be about as deap as it needs to penatrate. Would you agree.

And lastly
5) What sort of cabling would you recommends, I am little worried playing with such voltages.

Sorry about the list but I need to find out and budget for a light, and with my design I think I will be able to half that cost as well as doubling its use.
 
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