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- #2,141
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Gotcha. My phone always kills me with spellcheck so I have to turn it off lol.
Fanleaf's Huge 42 COB Array Build Plus Other Builds
- Thread starter fanleaf
- Start date
Ok the info is all there but let's simplify it....
First ABSOLUTE RULE OF ANY ELECTRONIC. AN ELECTRONIC WILL ONLY USE AS MUCH AMPERAGE/CURRENT AS IT NEEDS!!!
RULE OF ELECTRONICS NUMBER 2......VOLTAGE IS WHAT PUSHES CURRENT. (OHMS LAW)
Now, let's use this Cree chart for example.....
ILooking at the blue line ok????
If you want to run this chip at 2000mA your driver MUST ABSOLUTELY MUST be able to feed it 36 volts. If your driver is capable of 3000ma but has a max voltage of 35 volts what do you think this chip on the blue line will run at??? The answer is ABOUT 1450MA!!! The only way to make it push more current is having a higher available voltage,,,,remember, voltage pushes current!
If you want to run this chip at 2600mA your driver MUST be able to do 2600mA with 37 volts available. If your driver only has 35 volts available the driver will only push 1450mA through the chip period.
thanks for making it easy to understand Fan!!
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- #2,143
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
No problem!.thanks for making it easy to understand Fan!!
Hey Fan,
I've been busy lately and just trying to catch up here. Can you confirm I'm on the right track before finalizing my order. 18 cob setup on 4x4 running 6 cobs per driver.
From Rapidled
CREE CXB3590 (3000K 80 CRI) CD
CREE CXB3590 (5000K 70 CRI) DD
2 Mean Well HLG-320H-C1400B running (6) 3000k's each
and looking into
1 Mean Well HLG-480H-C2100B running (6) 5000k's
or
2 Mean Well HLG-240H-C2100B running (3) 5000k's each
Thanks again for posting the drivers/cobs per driver earlier (#2115 if anyone is interested)
hey Boom... I feel yah. Lots of great info!! It really takes off sometimes. Makes ya wonder if you'll ever catch up!!
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- #2,146
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Sounds great. The only thing is your bins on the cobs. The 3000k will be CB bin but if you find CD bin in 3000k get em quick. CD bin are usually in the 3500k. The 5000k will be the DB bin. If you actually find the 5000k in DD bin grab em. There is a such thing I have just never seen em for sale lol.
You are right on in your driver selections. Every option there will work perfectly. I like your idea of running the 6 X 5000k's on the 480H-2100 driver! That will not only save you money with a single driver but your light level on the 5000k's will all be even and easy to adjust because of it. It will also allow you to crank them up and veg with only the 5000k's with 2.1 amps available. Also the 320H-1400 works very well with 6 chips. Perfect for your 3000k's.
I would love to see your build step by step here or in another thread either way!
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- #2,147
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
By the way. One of the things new cob array builders have to figure out is what type and size wire to run from the driver to the chips. Under most circumstances I recommend 20AWG solid insulated wire. By solid, for those who don't know, I mean the inside of the wire is 1 solid wire and not a bunch of stranded wires. I find this has next to no wire loss in normal builds and since its solid it will keep form when you bend it around your array frame and such. I really like it for these.
Buckshot317
Plant of the Month: Mar 2018
Don't use primary wire,the insulation just isn't up to par
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- #2,149
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Yeah, you can read the insulation for its max voltage rating.
Buckshot317
Plant of the Month: Mar 2018
I gave my plants a soaking this morning before work of the safer organic. Also have humidity up in 60's finally. Been fighting that all winter. Also been feeding a little rhino skin. Plus with all fans it's like a hurricane inside lol
Thanks again Fan!! I would love to post my build here.
I'm totally new to all this, and would appreciate your guidance on every aspect involved... that is, if you're ok with me asking a sh it load of q's!!
Im not gonna lie, it feels overwhelming & intimidating to start this build. When I first started reading I had no clue wtf you guys where talking about. After several rereads I started to put the pieces together and Fan inspired me to want to build one 4 myself.
I've learned so much from everyone here, especially you Fan!! Thanks for continuing to share your experience n knowledge!!
Hopefully I can start building soon
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- #2,152
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Awesome. Hope you get them taken care of. Spider mites are magnets for Cannabis growers hehe.
Fanleaf's Huge 42 Cree CXB3590 COB Array Build Plus Other Builds
Perfect timing!! I was looking at the soft multi strand silicone 18 awg 600v rated wiring this weekend. I guess that's a no go!!
I have a q's about the framing. I was looking into 1"x1" aluminum angle 6061 for framing. Is that overkill? Or should 1x1x 1/8 be sufficient?
Another idea I had was building a strong outer 4x4 frame and also building smaller cob arrays ( 4 / 3 lites on each individual array ) and then placing that inside the outer frame. It would make handling it easier. Smaller parts to deal with & easily swappable. Any thoughts on this?
Do you hang lites with chains or light hangers like these from amazon?
amazon . com/Grow-Light-Hangers-Adjustable-Hydroponics/dp/B00GJKHY6S
Perfect timing!! I was looking at the soft multi strand silicone 18 awg 600v rated wiring this weekend. I guess that's a no go!!
I have a q's about the framing. I was looking into 1"x1" aluminum angle 6061 for framing. Is that overkill? Or should 1x1x 1/8 be sufficient?
Another idea I had was building a strong outer 4x4 frame and also building smaller cob arrays ( 4 / 3 lites on each individual array ) and then placing that inside the outer frame. It would make handling it easier. Smaller parts to deal with & easily swappable. Any thoughts on this?
Do you hang lites with chains or light hangers like these from amazon?
amazon . com/Grow-Light-Hangers-Adjustable-Hydroponics/dp/B00GJKHY6S
JustinHemp420
Well-Known Member
Guys, so I approached a local guy that puts together these cob light and I requested a price on a setup to cover my one square meter grow box and his response was as follows:
Easiest option if you just want one light for both veg and flower, is the 4000K Vero29. It's not as efficient, spectrum-wise as a red heavy light, but it is the closest LED spectrum you get to the Sun, so plants like it at any stage.
The most common setup for that area is perhaps 3 Veros on pin heatsinks with an HLG-240 driver. (240W total) I sell that set assembled for R5500. I can arrange 2 COB or 4 COB assemblies too.
There's a bunch of cheaper options, but the Veros will win on efficiency after a year or two of use.
Cheaper option would be, 8 x 5700K COBs run in series on an ELG-150 driver, for about 130W. That's a nice budget option light, which could be supplemented with 60W or more of red for flowering.
Or, the standard 3W lights come in 35W, 60W, 120W. I've grown nice bucket size plants with 120W, but if you're using a tent, and have the space, the Veros are probably the way to go.
☺ So my Question is would that really be adequate for a square meter? What I have seen thus far it way be a little undercooked
Easiest option if you just want one light for both veg and flower, is the 4000K Vero29. It's not as efficient, spectrum-wise as a red heavy light, but it is the closest LED spectrum you get to the Sun, so plants like it at any stage.
The most common setup for that area is perhaps 3 Veros on pin heatsinks with an HLG-240 driver. (240W total) I sell that set assembled for R5500. I can arrange 2 COB or 4 COB assemblies too.
There's a bunch of cheaper options, but the Veros will win on efficiency after a year or two of use.
Cheaper option would be, 8 x 5700K COBs run in series on an ELG-150 driver, for about 130W. That's a nice budget option light, which could be supplemented with 60W or more of red for flowering.
Or, the standard 3W lights come in 35W, 60W, 120W. I've grown nice bucket size plants with 120W, but if you're using a tent, and have the space, the Veros are probably the way to go.
☺ So my Question is would that really be adequate for a square meter? What I have seen thus far it way be a little undercooked
Buckshot317
Plant of the Month: Mar 2018
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- #2,157
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
WOW,
What we have here is a prime example of "make the sale" attitude and with the salesman having little knowledge about what he's talking about.
Firstly,
The 4000k Vero 29 is a fine chip and yes, it will do a great job from Veg through the flower cycle. But it "not as efficient, spectrum-wise as a red heavy light" I certainly have several issues with.
LED efficiency comes from the large amount of photons it can produce with a smaller amount of wall power. The key to making an efficient LED array is #1 mass amounts of photons and #2 spectrum in that order. Cannabis is proven to adapt to a light source and do what it needs to do. There is one thing it cannot adapt to do though and that is grow with no light. Photons are the key.
Next,
I have very large issues with these statements. 3 Vero's in 9 square feet will absolutely NEVER be efficient enough to make up for the price difference vs a hps, simply NEVER. You would need to push them so hard that the efficiency would be really bad. You would need to drive 3 Vero 29's to 3.6 amps or 140+ watts each just to hit a ppfd of mid 700's! That would be almost 30% efficient and worse than hps! Good luck doing that without blowing the chips up in the first few hours. And the driver he mentioned cannot drive them ANYWHERE near that level. His recommendation may be great for growing lettuce but nowhere near cannabis.
I would steer way clear of that guy or that place in general. You can easily with guidance from myself and others on this thread build a MUCH better setup and save money.
Next,
At this point I know for a fact that the guy is spewing words that he has no idea about and I'll just leave it there.
Your gut instinct was 100% correct. This place had horrible advice for you all the way around and more than likely would have ruined your experience with the awesomeness LED's can provide you.
Firstly. This thread is about building not cheap "this will do the job" lights but lights that are some of the best that can be had.
The Vero 29 can do you an amazing job. It can pay for itself in the long run but ONLY if you do it right.
We can help you with that. If you do this right and follow instructions on a build, have a budget that will allow you to invest between $470-$570 USD we can guide you in building an awesome light with 8-9 Vero29's that will absolutely save you money in the long run, grow amazing quality stuff and never second guess the quality of the light you own. It will last you a very very long time. The key is running more chips which allows you to run the chips much softer and at the same time this makes them far more efficient and provides more usable light all at the same time.
I know building a light can be a scary thought for those who have no clue but rest assured you are in the right place and we will guide you through step by step.
- Thread starter
- #2,158
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Even with my huge panels I use the standard ratcheting rope hangers like these.
Others may have different ideas but for me these work great even with my 92 inch panels.
Buckshot317
Plant of the Month: Mar 2018
How do I calculate the efficiency of my fixture? I was more worried about getting good coverage. After I spent chunk of change, I'm hoping I'm at least 50%. Been on net last hour, can't seem to find formula. I have 24 veros and 6 240h-c1400b drivers.
- Thread starter
- #2,160
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Whats the exact size of the grow area? I can also email you a tool to help.