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- #21
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
Looks just like mine, but of course Marshydro looks prettier.
Calling All lighting experts for advice
- Thread starter CADBOY
- Start date
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- #22
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
you the guy that did the cookie sheet ..
i thought that killed lol ...
edit: it's not a put down. it's not a bad idea. aluminium is the perfect heat sink. i woulda done channels.
I didn't take it as a negative
I seen that same build and loved the Cooke sheet idea, I was planning to do that myself too hahaha
@nivek the costs of led up front is huge compared to old tech. but you save insane amounts on the back end over time in comparison.
the quality and yield used to be meh under led. it has now improved to the point it easily surpasses the old tech. but you have to make a judicious investment.
i used to go huge and dial back under the analog stuff. i still do under the digital. some things don't change - but you have to pay to play still. with led it's up front but worth it.
simple rules :
white light is the right light. the day of burble is over.
whatever tent/space size you have - you want enough led for the next size up. i go two.
dimmers. live by them. a bigger light in a smaller space is cheaper to run in led.
stick to these rules and you won't look back. - extra bonus - led rigs last a long time with little efficiency loss. i have rigs out there running 5 + yrs the exact same as the day i built them. just keep the dust off.
the quality and yield used to be meh under led. it has now improved to the point it easily surpasses the old tech. but you have to make a judicious investment.
i used to go huge and dial back under the analog stuff. i still do under the digital. some things don't change - but you have to pay to play still. with led it's up front but worth it.
simple rules :
white light is the right light. the day of burble is over.
whatever tent/space size you have - you want enough led for the next size up. i go two.
dimmers. live by them. a bigger light in a smaller space is cheaper to run in led.
stick to these rules and you won't look back. - extra bonus - led rigs last a long time with little efficiency loss. i have rigs out there running 5 + yrs the exact same as the day i built them. just keep the dust off.
@CADBOY how big is the driver / how high do you run it / how much does it pull / what is the kelvin mix / and what are the physical dimensions ?
i'm thinking if it is adequate - just get a single matching mars unit and call it done for now. or build a second if warrants.
i'm running all self-build cob units -
veg rig
i run it in another space just under 3x3
it's 200 watts plus the tiny burple bump. it gets run about full up by the end of flower. i have it running in a smaller space right now. usually roll 6 plants, but super managed, and smaller than most 5 gal soil grown. i'm in hempy.
flower rig
it's 600 watts and gets run at 75%. higher causes issues. both are true draw rigs, meaning that is what the drivers will pull for power full up.
i'm thinking if it is adequate - just get a single matching mars unit and call it done for now. or build a second if warrants.
i'm running all self-build cob units -
veg rig
i run it in another space just under 3x3
it's 200 watts plus the tiny burple bump. it gets run about full up by the end of flower. i have it running in a smaller space right now. usually roll 6 plants, but super managed, and smaller than most 5 gal soil grown. i'm in hempy.
flower rig
it's 600 watts and gets run at 75%. higher causes issues. both are true draw rigs, meaning that is what the drivers will pull for power full up.
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- #25
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
@CADBOY how big is the driver / how high do you run it / how much does it pull / what is the kelvin mix / and what are the physical dimensions ?
i'm thinking if it is adequate - just get a single matching mars unit and call it done for now. or build a second if warrants.
i'm running all self-build cob units -
veg rig
i run it in another space just under 3x3
it's 200 watts plus the tiny burple bump. it gets run about full up by the end of flower. i have it running in a smaller space right now. usually roll 6 plants, but super managed, and smaller than most 5 gal soil grown. i'm in hempy.
flower rig
it's 600 watts and gets run at 75%. higher causes issues. both are true draw rigs, meaning that is what the drivers will pull for power full up.
Hey nice lights fella...
My diy details.
4x Samsung 24v, 3500k, 50w per strip, lm561C S6, 90 CRI 96 diode, 30mm x 500mm led strips.
1x Mean Well HLG-240H-24A Switching LED Power Supply, Single Output, 24V, 0-10A, 240W, "Parallel setup and ran 180w mostly"
5 Way Terminal Block/ Wire Connectors
16 guage stranded 300v 90f rated wire 25ft
1x Red
1x Black
Knacro dc 6.5-100v 20A voltage Amperage power energy meter
The light is aprox 22" square.
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- #26
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
I guess I could just buy another driver and get it up and running. I likely will do this anyways...
But for now I'd like to sleep better knowing plug n play option wont cause a fire. Apparently I did something wrong with my DIY build otherwise I'm sure it wouldn't have gotten cooked lol
But for now I'd like to sleep better knowing plug n play option wont cause a fire. Apparently I did something wrong with my DIY build otherwise I'm sure it wouldn't have gotten cooked lol
it's the dimensions you are fighting. the matched mars would be the simple way to go. so long as both are dimmable and you can fit them in the tent.
3500K is a good full spectrum compromise. i run a mix of 3000k and 3500k as full spectrum build. i find most diode builds are a bit bluer than the old school cobs as well.
you get a runaway?
weak diode in a strip will give out piling the forward voltage add to the point the others won't keep it. this is where the heat sinking comes in to play.
so long as enough gets pulled out, it won't happen and run more efficient, making better light. heat is the enemy. and forced cooling is the killer of efficiency. this is the achilles heal vector of all lighting.
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- #29
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
I was thinking about the runaway voltage too. Not really sure what exactly caused it. It's about 3 ish years since I built them, so I got some good use outta them so far..
Your saying that forced cooling is actually not helping?
no.
i'm saying designs requiring it are essentially inefficient. pretty much any boxed design.
have a look any real serious led lighting out there now. you won't see any forced cooling. that's the branded stuff, not just the diy guys, who got there earlier.
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- #31
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
Marshydro FC3000 is looking attractive right now.... Wish my light didn't die...That's why I went DIY the plug n play prices, woah.
as long the driver didn't blow up you can re-hab the old one or build a better one. i'd still increase the overall amount of lighting though.
SoGnotSOG321
Well-Known Member
Glad to see the experience rolled in. That's a nice light rig you made, barely a difference between that and the MH commercial one. Definitely liked those diy COBs! The response to the grow shop lol
Now if you wanted to experiment, get at least 600w hid lights, 150 is not a serious watt bulb aside from those wavelengths of light, you'd need 6, 3 mh and 3 hps and that's a lot of drivers/amplifiers and heat in a tent let alone a closet..just dont. Nice to meet you GG
Now if you wanted to experiment, get at least 600w hid lights, 150 is not a serious watt bulb aside from those wavelengths of light, you'd need 6, 3 mh and 3 hps and that's a lot of drivers/amplifiers and heat in a tent let alone a closet..just dont.
Nice to meet you GG- Thread starter
- #34
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking I can get FC3000 & get a new driver and build a mount rail and add the other 4 diy strips on a 2nd power supply then I'd have close to 600w available for flowing hahah. Is this insain?
From that set... A TSW 3000
. FC 3000.Is your 3x3 tent actually 3'x3'? (See below.)
LMFAO, no. A new 150-watt HPS bulb in a good reflector, one that produces a light pattern that matches the space, is going to be adequate for three square feet. That's if you are flowering photoperiodic strains. If in the growth phase or flowering autoflowering strains - in other words, if you are running the thing 18 hours per day instead of 12 - then it'll cover four-and-a-half square feet.
A 3' x 3' space is nine square feet. And that's if it's actually three feet on a side. If it's only being called that, but is actually a square meter (approximately 39" square), it'll have an area of approximately 10.5625 ft.2. The Mars Hydro "3x3" tent is like that, 100mm x 100mm. A 600-watt HPS would be best (IMHO), but some people make do with a 400-watt one.
BtW, the old "50 watts of HID lighting per square foot of grow space" rule... was a minimum recommendation. And most breeders' yield estimates were based on a minimum of 600 watts per square meter (I've no idea whether that's still true or not). You'd definitely have wanted more than that if you were growing equatorial landrace sativas, or even "high sativa content" hybrids.
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- #36
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
@TorturedSoul
My tent is 35"x35"x 6' so close enough to 3x3...
You wouldn't choose Mars Hydro TSW 2000 LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants Full Spectrum 300W 3ftx3ft 4ftx4ft coverage for sale, buy Mars Hydro
Over FC3000 ?
Both 300w and dimmable, only real difference I see is style of design... what would you do?
Your correct also hahah.. TSW "Canada Version" I guess.
My tent is 35"x35"x 6' so close enough to 3x3...
You wouldn't choose Mars Hydro TSW 2000 LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants Full Spectrum 300W 3ftx3ft 4ftx4ft coverage for sale, buy Mars Hydro
Over FC3000 ?
Both 300w and dimmable, only real difference I see is style of design... what would you do?
Your correct also hahah.. TSW "Canada Version" I guess.
Between those two, I'd want the FC3000. I looked at the coverage maps for the two at 18", and I think the FC3000 is stronger at the edges, and with slightly less of a "hot spot" in the center of the space. I could be mistaken, of course. But if I'm not... an evenly-illuminated grow space is a good thing, lol. Assuming both would get driven at 300 watts, the cost of usage would be equal. The FC3000 costs $100 more (in the US) to purchase, sure - but how much does an ounce of top shelf bud cost? So that's only a consideration if you cannot come up with the $100 now and either can't find it in the future or don't have the willpower to wait for that to happen. It looked like the FC3000 had a bigger bump in the red portion of the spectrum, too (again, I could be mistaken).
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- #38
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
Very well said my friend. These coverage reasons is why my diy light is built that way lol
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- #39
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
CaptWineTeeth
420 Member
Do you mind me asking what it cost? Just want to compare it with the MARS light. Also, did you get all the parts from the same place, and if so where? Thx.