Led grow lights

[Gazza2001au]

The Mars Hydro have a big reputation for being cost effective and able to grow and flower plants with there lights but fuck they are loud, I donno why it is but they seem to go thru those white models like no tomorrow.

 

I haven't been around in a long time and i have seen i think Mars Hydro go thru 3 generations of their white model LED grow lights, they have kept the green 5watt models along with the Mars II models, who knows how long these new expensive white models will last.

 

I still have the first model 120w true watt models and they were simply shit

 

Seen some impressive grows online by the Mars Hydro II models on other UK based forums I'm convinced they do work but HPS your guaranteed big fat dense nuggets but along with HPS comes a fire hazard where as the LED's will just burn out the diodes or the power supply

 

I think LED is the go just because of the lower heat, less fire hazard, that is if u can deal with the loud whiney fans, I remember on the forum the Mars Hydro sponsor the actually sales person was permitting customers to alter there LED lights and maintain warranty infact it was Sara who was allowing customers to replace the shit noisy fans that come with the LED lights for quieter model fans

[N3ro]

Leds are good for veg for people that arent happy with t5s in veg coz theyre too slow but think MH is causing plants to grow too fast for their perpetual setups

http://www.plognark.com/Art/Sketches/Blogsketches/2008/thestupiditburnsblack.jpg

[Gazza2001au]

After reading this thread i done a bit of research online and have come to the conclusion COB LED's are the future, in fact the CXB3070 and CXA/CXB3590 LED's are the go running them at 50 watts or less on a stationary heat sink but i have read the other models that have a fan attached to the heat sink are good for 100watts of power at 100watts u could probably raise the lights for better distribution or penetration although it may cause bleaching

 

There is a guy on Youtube i came across doing a 1x2m or 1.2x2.4m SOG grow, he is using 5 CXB3590 LED's per 1x1m or 1.2x1.2m i think he is in week 5 of flower and he has a impressive grow, he has the passive air cooling i think with non cooling heat sinks so he can only run the COB's at 50watts each from what i listened to, however that is combined power of 250watts per 1x1m or 1.2x1.2m was impressive

 

this blokes overall power was totaled 500watts for 2-2.4 cubic meter area but the LED's are not fucking cheap this bloke was set back $1200

 

it looked like he jerry rigged a outdoor garden shed with EPS foam lining and foil tape, i was very impressed he said it was September when he took the video i watched which is Summer or close to it and it was a heatwave, his ventilation fan only turned on for a short period so these LED's much produce next to nothing heat wise

 

 

[Gazza2001au]

I love technology nice little 100w LED COB light, fan cooled, u cant even hear the fan running i thought it was broken! the heat signature from this LED COB is 38c right at the LED, this is the CXB 3590 CREE COB LED

 

there are two models the heat sink model and the heat sink model with fan

 

good buy to those noisy Chinese LED junk lights that the fans sound like they are taking off on the runway

 

other guys online running just the heat sink models can only power there LED's to 50watts, this little fan cooled beauty can run to 100watts without any problems

[Serrated edge]

Gazza, What's the footprint of one 100 watter?

[eestapak]

With COB's it's not so much about reaching the required watts (i.e. 50 watts per square foot) or lumens, it's about the par watts and PPFD if I remember correctly. You want about 15 Par watts per square foot and about 800ppfd for the same area. Anything above 1000ppfd without co2 though is pointless.

 

I am very noob when it comes to cobs though so take what I say with a grain of salt.

[Gazza2001au]

Gazza, What's the footprint of one 100 watter?

 

I have only just tested it by turning it on i would say at a height of 70cm the foot print from a single light is 40x40cm, u could stretch it to 50x50cm if u use more than one, for instance if your running a wardrobe tent .9x.5x1.8m u could get away easy with 2 lights based on my eye sight intensity test

 

i have to say these LED COBs are fucking brighter than a 150w MH the intensity is crazy but the light beam is very narrow

 

I'm running mine at 38volts and off a 1150mah setting so that's around 40watts, i went the cheap option and bought a cheap multi-tap LED driver its 220-240v output is 40watts, 45watts, 50watts so i am limited, the settings i have are @ 36volts 1150mah 1250mah 1400mah but when i put a multimeter across the 1150mah and negative it read 38volts

 

those above figures are from the actual power supply but really I'm getting @ 38volts 43.7watts, 47.5watts, 53.2watts however i have it tapped for the lowest possible setting 43.7watts

 

i shit u not this little light's beam is very intense i will try get some figures on a lux meter on the samsung soon, my wiring is falling apart so soldering the wire ends is a must mine is coming lose from the LED holder as the wires are only push in style

 

this LED will be going in a 40x40x120cm tent for a single plant run, there is absolutely no heat from the LED or fan but i have only ran it for a few minutes the heat sink did warm slightly

[Gazza2001au]

With COB's it's not so much about reaching the required watts (i.e. 50 watts per square foot) or lumens, it's about the par watts and PPFD if I remember correctly. You want about 15 Par watts per square foot and about 800ppfd for the same area. Anything above 1000ppfd without co2 though is pointless.

 

I am very noob when it comes to cobs though so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

I don't really know anything about LED's mate, what does PPFD stand for? i was thinking if i increased the wattage to my limit for this light i would get even more intensity is this correct? all though the brightness i have at 70cm off the floor is very bright i may even run into bleaching problems

 

alot of the guys i was reading about who are running these LED's were highly recommending buying a ballast or driver witch is dimmable, i don't have this option as my drive cost $21

[Gazza2001au]

I didn't really want to post links to shit i've viewed but check out this Aussie grower he uses the passive heat sink cooled lights and he run's his at memory 1amp @ 36v that's 36watts mine will be ran slightly higher because i don't have the cash to lash out on a $100-$150 LED driver

 

 

 

[N3ro]

this thread is actually taking off and im loving the research you guys have put into COBs, I knew you could buy the chips off ebay but I'm floored seeing people actually constructing their own lights. Thank you to the members making a very well researched input!