Getting ready for DIY LED and Grow Room...looking for advice.

Is the Noob undertaking too much for his first project?

  • No- he can do it on time and within budget

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Maybe - he needs to adjust either the dollars or the scope.

    Votes: 3 100.0%

  • Yep--he's doomed...

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    3
  • Poll closed .
littlejacob

littlejacob

Well-Known Member
coolbreez1 said:
I was able to hit about $0.7 per watt with my last build, by using Meanw SP-320-36 power supplies, they are only 90% efficient but they crush it when it comes to cost when compared with anything else I have found, from a reputable supplier, with an order over more then 10 they cost only $51 each, plus shipping. They also have three power outputs, so it is a simple matter to run three Vero 29s off each power supply. This being said, I have yet to do anything but test run the build, I am still waiting for my tents to arrive later today to set them up for there first longer running test cycle. The cat is out of the bag now everyone knows my competitive advantage! :( Oh well, might as well contribute something with all I have learned here.
Click to expand...
Bonjour
51$ for those drivers...A guy here bought hlg 185-... for 49.50$ if you buy 10 + shipping...so since hlg are better!
have a great day ★
 
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
donzoid said:
Arrrighty, just wanted to give you an update and let you know I didn't "disappear" (not altogether anyway).

First thanks to all who gave feedback on my questions/scenario. My plan going forward is:
1. Build a partition in the flower room and cut the room size to 5x8 with the option to remove the partition wall, allowing me to expand (quickly) or move the girls if needed etc.
2. I'm going to build or buy a cheap Chinese COB fixture; plus
3. DIY a Bridgelux Vero 29, with 6 on it to start, and build a "small" DIY vegging fixture with 2 COBS with a higher Kelvin. I already have several 4' CFL's ... if that doesn't cut it for desired concentration on the clone/veg side I'll bite the bullet and build another 2-cob fixture but I think its going to be fine.

That eliminates looking at blurple panels for veg, cuts costs and best of all, will allow me to put the Chinese product toe-to-toe with the Vero.

It will take me a week or two to get the parts in. My final question is, how many "extra" far-red/deep blue LEDs would I need to create the extra UV/IR bands? I thought I would build those separately since they should be pretty small, power them such that I can switch one, or both and have the complete spectrum. Unless it really isn't necessary, but I see a lot of the folks on here are doing something similar...thanks again!
Click to expand...
I hadn't chipped in yet, so... flowering that whole space with Vero 29 at 2.1 amps, you would want 36 of them, would provide PPFD of 800. The cost for the emitters alone will be about $1000. As far as drivers, HLG-240H-C2100 should handle 3 emitters each. They should be released sometime this month but whether they will be available this month may be a different story. Inventronics also carries 2.1 amp drivers and they have a 320 watt unit that should handle 4 of them, and a 240 that might handle 3. Don't quote me on that, check the voltage to be sure. Bridgelux recommends 15% unused power on the driver, but peeps here seem to have good success pushing them to their maximum output.

Looking at 2 grand + ballpark figure. I think it's good to build one lamp and examine the results, then build more incorporating new ideas or whatever. This also makes it easier on the wallet.
 
coolbreez1

coolbreez1

Well-Known Member
littlejacob said:
Bonjour
51$ for those drivers...A guy here bought hlg 185-... for 49.50$ if you buy 10 + shipping...so since hlg are better!
have a great day ★
Click to expand...
The RSP way suck, but I don't think it is a simple one to one comparison as you are making it out to be, and I was never claiming to be any kind of expert, I was mostly saying I was able to get about that cost point with the RSP. People have been using the HLG-185-C1400 I think, which would be running the Vero 29 far softer then the RSP. The HLG-240H-C2100 would work as Rahz points out, it would be a good choice, but it is still going to be more expensive then the RSP. The HLG series is extremely nice, and they even have 600 watt models that are at 96% efficiency that are coming out. But I think that would require more complicated wiring, the RSP was nice in that it actually had 3 terminals right on the power supply so it was a simple matter to wire one LED to each one, and there is not worry about one LED burning out and the rest then running to hot.

http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwell/power-supply-hlg-h.shtml
 
D

donzoid

Member
So, there are a lot of choices for the MW supplies...I am preparing my "build of manufacture" list and want to be able to run one supply for every two cobs, and run three different cob values (3K, 3.5k and 4K) so I can play around with the K-index to see if it makes a difference (unless this is a bad idea, seemed to me it would make the spectrum wider or stronger where it counts.). The run each pair to a switch and not do dimmers with this one. I have dug up a ton of aluminum out of my shop and some serious large heatsinks so I should be ready to build soon. What MW supplies will power pairs of them, and allow for some "headroom" ... does the HLG-185-C1400 fit this bill ? Or are there other models/brands I should look at that might save me some dough without getting too cheap/close to the edge of capability. Thanks all!
 
D

donzoid

Member
I should have added, that I am going to build a dual 5K for veg (or higher K-value if I can...I think that was the highest I saw from the Vero). But the same supply would need to work there also.

Rahz, was your calculation based on the 5x8 or the original 10x8? Not at all questioning the calculation...just want to know if I need to cut down or repartition the room size even more!
 
alesh

alesh

Well-Known Member
$1200 is too low budget for such an area IMO.

Once the cost of drivers is counted in, CXBs give Veros a tough competition. As of now (HLG-240H-C2100 and ELG-150-C-2100 unavailable), one of the best choices (in terms of price per photon) is (4)Vero29 + EUC-320S210DT, closely followed by
(6)Vero18 + HLG-185H-C1050
(12)Vero13 + HLG-185H-C500[too many COBs for a larger setup]
(4)Vero29 + HLG-185H-C1400
(4)CXB3070 AB + HLG-185H-C1400 <- best choice IMO as the price per photon is similar and its efficiency higher
There's one more thing to consider - holders. Veros have integrated holders which can save you about $3/COB. But since you want to epoxy (which I don't recommend) the COBs it doesn't matter.
 
D

donzoid

Member
Good info, thanks all! Alesh - that's an excellent plethora of solid choices. I had considered going with something similar to "(12)Vero13 + HLG-185H-C500" as the price point on them is dropping and I know they could do well in higher numbers. It just seems simpler for my first build to use higher watts / fewer cobs 'cause its less wires. Just for the record, I wasn't sold on gluing them to the heatsinks - that was suggested earlier in the thread by another member (cheaper admittedly) so I have already decided to drill/tap/install holders since I have all the necessary tools. Then (if) when one fails I won't have to chisel it off there, re-surface etc.

GK- Well great point. I'm thinking "bigger" for the following reasons: Her response to concentrates for pain has been quite positive. That takes a lotta product to make. Plus if its anything like it used to be when I was growing, once word gets around I'll end up with more patients. Even the recreationals are legal here now to an extent...so you can see where I went. I have the space and want to make expansion painless as possible. But I'm OK starting with a system like alesh describes. I kinda figured it was a stretch on budget - I think any two of the systems on his list above would probably make nice flowers in a 5x8 room though, with proper reflection /placement. I hope so, I won't have much more to throw at it once power supplies etc. are all totaled.

You guys are a bunch o' brainiacs! I certainly came to the right place...thanks again.
 
alesh

alesh

Well-Known Member
donzoid said:
Good info, thanks all! Alesh - that's an excellent plethora of solid choices. I had considered going with something similar to "(12)Vero13 + HLG-185H-C500" as the price point on them is dropping and I know they could do well in higher numbers. It just seems simpler for my first build to use higher watts / fewer cobs 'cause its less wires. Just for the record, I wasn't sold on gluing them to the heatsinks - that was suggested earlier in the thread by another member (cheaper admittedly) so I have already decided to drill/tap/install holders since I have all the necessary tools. Then (if) when one fails I won't have to chisel it off there, re-surface etc.

GK- Well great point. I'm thinking "bigger" for the following reasons: Her response to concentrates for pain has been quite positive. That takes a lotta product to make. Plus if its anything like it used to be when I was growing, once word gets around I'll end up with more patients. Even the recreationals are legal here now to an extent...so you can see where I went. I have the space and want to make expansion painless as possible. But I'm OK starting with a system like alesh describes. I kinda figured it was a stretch on budget - I think any two of the systems on his list above would probably make nice flowers in a 5x8 room though, with proper reflection /placement. I hope so, I won't have much more to throw at it once power supplies etc. are all totaled.

You guys are a bunch o' brainiacs! I certainly came to the right place...thanks again.
Click to expand...
You're gonna need something between 2200-4400 µmol/s in a 5x8 room (translating into PPFD of about 600-1200 µmol/s/m^2) I'd say. The setups with HLG-185H produce between 370 and 470 µmol/s depending on the efficiency. So I'd say 5 drivers at least and the respective number of COBs. Might be pretty close to $1200 if you include heatsinks and other materials.
 
Last edited:
Rahz

Rahz

Well-Known Member
donzoid said:
I should have added, that I am going to build a dual 5K for veg (or higher K-value if I can...I think that was the highest I saw from the Vero). But the same supply would need to work there also.

Rahz, was your calculation based on the 5x8 or the original 10x8? Not at all questioning the calculation...just want to know if I need to cut down or repartition the room size even more!
Click to expand...
Flowering 5x8, assuming you want to light the entire space, 20 Vero 29s would provide about 820 PPFD.

20 paired with 5 of the 320 watt Inventronics, 5 lamps with 4 cobs each might be a good plan.
 
D

donzoid

Member
I've ordered some Vero29's in three flavors...doesn't look like there are any Inventronics 320's available at the moment, so I'm fishing around online for something that will power pairs of them; and build them into pairs for better positioning/penetration capability.

Alesh, above you have the
"(4)Vero29 + HLG-185H-C1400" on your list - to clarify, one of the hlg will power up to 4 of the vero? If I wanted to split the power to run pairs (on separated heatsinks) that would need something like a HLG-185H-C(700-ish) correct?
 
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