First LED Build

Let's Try

Let's Try

Hello all, first post here. I received my cobs and driver today that I'll be using to try and grow peppers over the cold Canadian winter - Huzzah!. I'll post an update once the rest of my parts come in and I start building in a couple weeks.
 
Gear consists of 4x Cree CXB3590 CD bin 3500K COBS powered by a Mean Well driver at 1.4A. These will be going in a little 2x2 tent I plan to build myself that will house a few buckets of different peppers.
 
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:welcome:  to the THP forums! This will be interesting to see things from start to finish... see how things progress! Best of luck!  :P
 
I felt like doing the same thing, but then my brother gave me a 250w HPS and I couldn't resist!  I'm curious to see how bright those COBs are. Welcome to the forum!
 
I've only recently heard of COB lighting, mostly via other recent threads here in Grow Tech. Fascinating!

I think it would be even more amazing if, after assembly, you started a followup Grow Log thread to show us what you can grow in a 2'x2' tent that is thus equipped. i get the impression that this could be very educational for many of us.

Welcome to THP. I have found this Forum to be both informative and quite friendly. I think you'll like it here.

Hint: Check our Vendor Vault before you buy any pepper seeds anywhere else. It guided me to the very best purchases i could have made, and spared me some serious griefs and ripoffs. The majority of the merchants listed there are generous to the point of, um, sainthood or something....
 
Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome. I am VERY new to gardening and just grew my first peppers on my balcony this past summer (jalapeños and habaneros). I really enjoyed the whole process and decided to find a way to continue through the winter. I've been reading through this forum and soaking up as much info as I can here and elsewhere on the net (seems like the best websites for indoor growing are all focused on growing marijuana, which kinda sucks).

I plan to document and share my project along the way and will undoubtedly need some help but it seems like this would be the place to get it!

I plan to grow Carolina reapers (my seeds from Puckerbutt should be here any day) and Moruga Scorpions to start. I'll be sure to check out the forum vendors for seeds from here on.
 
sweet set up!
 
absolutely awesome choice in components
 
i would like to make some recommendations (ive built a few of these so if u run into trouble just ask me)
 
so i assume you have the 36v version not the 72v?
 
in a 2x2 that much led will be brighter than the sun at the equator on a mid summers day
 
 
I notice you have the B version- I suggest you rig up a pot asap to dim it down
 
here are your specs for this sep up
 

 
 
 
so the top two lines show what it will do in a 2x2
but keeping in mind that peppers only need about 300-400ppfd the 3rd line shows that you could use it in a 4x4 =D
in anycase you wont be hurting for light anytime soon
 
sweet set up!
 
absolutely awesome choice in components
 
i would like to make some recommendations (ive built a few of these so if u run into trouble just ask me)
 
so i assume you have the 36v version not the 72v?
 
in a 2x2 that much led will be brighter than the sun at the equator on a mid summers day
 
 
I notice you have the B version- I suggest you rig up a pot asap to dim it down
 
here are your specs for this sep up
 

 
 
 
so the top two lines show what it will do in a 2x2
but keeping in mind that peppers only need about 300-400ppfd the 3rd line shows that you could use it in a 4x4 =D
in anycase you wont be hurting for light anytime soon


Awesome, thanks for the info! Yes, these are 36V and will be run in series, which should just about max the driver out. I have a 100K pot that should be here any day now, so I'll be able to bring it down as you said.

I didn't realize it would be such overkill at one COB per square foot but am glad to hear I have the power on tap if needed . I'll be messaging you for sure.
 
One question I have - where do you get the PPFD figures and efficiency figures from above? I could not discern it from the COB data sheet.
 
Let's Try said:
One question I have - where do you get the PPFD figures and efficiency figures from above? I could not discern it from the COB data sheet.
Click to expand...
 
no its not on the data sheet because u have to find LER out of SPD to calculate par watts to find efficiency
 
Input power [W] x efficiency [dimensionless quantity] = radiant power [W]
luminous flux [lm] / LER (luminous efficiency of radiation) [lm/W] = radiant power [W]
radiant power [w] x QER (quantum efficiency of radiation) [µmol/J] = photon flux [µmol/s]
photon flux [µmol/s] / area [m^2] = photon flux density [µmol/s/m^2]
 
which is just fancy maths  dont worry about it just look at 
 
http://pct.cree.com/dt/index.html
 
use the drop down to find ur model and bin and current etc and it will give u values in lumens
 
It's great to see more and more people stepping over to COB lighting.
 
Pretty simple to put it together your self and effiency that can't be matched when you buy it from a credible company like Bridgelux or Cree and not some shitty Chinese company.
DIY cobs really is only making a few holes in an aluminium heat sink and putting some wires together, the "hardest" part is soldering which isn't even always needed.
 
Finally more then one goes with COBs!!! Awesome!!!
I'll order 6 COBS Vero 29 @ 3500K and 15 Red @ 730nm to build my own.
I'll follow you for sure!

Paolo
 
Finally more then one goes with COBs!!! Awesome!!!I'll order 6 COBS Vero 29 @ 3500K and 15 Red @ 730nm to build my own.I'll follow you for sure!Paolo


Nice! Sounds like a hell of a setup. Those Veros are really well priced too. Make a post or message me when you get them and we'll share notes.
 
Let's Try said:
 
 
Gear consists of 4x Cree CXB3590 CD bin 3500K COBS powered by a Mean Well driver at 1.4A.
Click to expand...
 
Where did you purchase these items and can you provide links?
 
Thanks
 
someguy said:
 
Where did you purchase these items and can you provide links?
 
Thanks
Click to expand...
These parts are very expensive here in Canada (each of those COBs are a little over $100 and the driver would be $110 as well) so I did some research on another forum and found a supplier from China on Alibaba called KingBrite.

I saw that many users had purchased from them, and the contact (Jerry Meng) was really good to work with. A number of tests have been done, confirming the product is genuine and actually top bin, so I decided to try it out. I ordered all my gear from him and it arrived in 5 days via DHL.

In USD, prices were:

$45 per COB
$2.50 per COB holder
$52 for the Mean Well driver
$50 for DHL shipping

Zero customs fees.

These prices are likely considerably cheaper than getting the parts anywhere in the States as well.

http://kingbriteled.m.en.alibaba.com/
 
Let's Try said:
These parts are very expensive here in Canada (each of those COBs are a little over $100 and the driver would be $110 as well) so I did some research on another forum and found a supplier from China on Alibaba called KingBrite. I saw that many users had purchased from them, and the contact (Jerry Meng) was really good to work with. A number of tests have been done, confirming the product is genuine and actually top bin, so I decided to try it out. I ordered all my gear from him and it arrived in 5 days via DHL. In USD, prices were: $45 per COB $2.50 per COB holder $52 for the Mean Well driver $50 for DHL shipping Zero customs fees. These prices are likely considerably cheaper than getting the parts anywhere in the States as well. http://kingbriteled.m.en.alibaba.com/
Click to expand...
 
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide the above info.
 
N8thaniel said:
no its not on the data sheet because u have to find LER out of SPD to calculate par watts to find efficiency
 
Input power [W] x efficiency [dimensionless quantity] = radiant power [W]
luminous flux [lm] / LER (luminous efficiency of radiation) [lm/W] = radiant power [W]
radiant power [w] x QER (quantum efficiency of radiation) [µmol/J] = photon flux [µmol/s]
photon flux [µmol/s] / area [m^2] = photon flux density [µmol/s/m^2]
 
which is just fancy maths  dont worry about it just look at 
 
http://pct.cree.com/dt/index.html
 
use the drop down to find ur model and bin and current etc and it will give u values in lumens
Click to expand...
I've few questions
1) is there something the same for Bridgelux's Vero 29?
2) where did you get the Excel like document?
3) where did you get the PPFD value for peppers?

Thank you
Paolo
 
grispa72 said:
I found that:
LER = 320
QER = 4.65
for CXB3590. Can we assume the same for Vero 29?

Paolo
Click to expand...
1)
so the LER of 320 is incorrect
each Kalvin temp has its own LER  and QER as does each model
 
for the cxb3590 3500K:
 
LER:324
QER:4.65
 
 
anyways you were askinga bout the vero 29- i have the data for the type 2 vero 29(slightly higher than the 1st version)
The QER: wiil be about the same regardless of chip depending on the K value so just use cree's
 
3000k:4.66
3500K:4.65
4000K:4.6
5000K:4.47
 
and for Vero 29 LER
 
3000K:320
3500K:322
4000K:324
5000K:334.4
 
 
so the redder K drive photosynthesis harder than the cooler temp but the cooler temp produce more total photons....
 
 
2)
using these numbers you can build an excel file to give you eff % then from those deduce par watts and multiply by QER to get ppf then which is what I did
 
 
3)
 
the ppfd data is from DLI recommendations ive added those links in the science link thread
 
To calculate DLI, use the formula: PPFD*hours of light*.0036
 
 
 
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ho/ho-238-b-w.pdf
 
and
 
http://www.illumitex.com/plant-growth-limiting-factors/
 
"Some specialty peppers and tomatoes require a substantial amount of light. They require a DLI range of 14-20+. On the high end, with a 16-hour photoperiod, these crops would need about 350 PPFD."
 
 
 
 
 
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