Cheap LED Strips : A Viable Alternative

Growroom Design
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#462

So doing some calculating in order to at least match power output wise of the ts3000 mind you your light output should be better with the diy route potentially but you will probably be looking at the $300cnd range for a similar light.

So driver wise you would probably want to go with say a HLG-240h-36a, XLG-240-M-AB or XLG-240-L-AB driver, myself favoring probably the XLG’s but the HLGs are a beefier driver, and depending on strips wise looks like 12 of those strips above will be what any of those drivers should run at nominal levels.

So in order to some what match that ts3000 you will have to double that up, as in two drivers, and 24 strips, and if considering your whole tent “4x8” would be 4 drivers and 48 strips. and should put you around 900w or so being pulled from the wall with me estimating power supply losses here.

Also looks like Future Electronics will be the cheapest for both those strips and the drivers but they only have the XLG’s in stock, as for the difference between the L or M driver, the L would be running at a lower current but higher voltage vs the M just making how you would wire up your array a bit different " L=6series2parallel, M=3series4parallel ". a note though those seoul strips dont have as high as an over driven range as say compared to the bridgelux EB2’s but all that means to me is i would favor going with the XLG-240-M-AB driver or the HLG-240h-36a if it was available instead of the XLG-240-L because say if one string happens to fail, the other strings will be able to take the extra current that is now being diverted, if it was the L driver you would risk potentially overdriving a string to the point of failure if the other string happens to go out, so just an extra added safety if a string happens to fail your other strips would be fine.

Also couldn’t find any 100k linear pots on Future Electronics that weren’t in a 10-100+ packs so grabbing some of amazon for $10 will probably be the route to go.

7 Likes
#463

If you are in the GTA, Sayal has some for $2.50 and there’s always A-1 Electronics ($1.90)…
A-1 has been around almost as long as I have…

Cheers
G

3 Likes
#464

Wow, you sir are a saint!!! I really appreciate this and all the work you have put into this thread and other people’s DIY systems!

I will order some strips, drivers and linear pots ASAP!

When this is all said and done I will have to bring you over some treats from the island, name your poison!! Also if the interest is there I could look into getting some tools to do a real world comparison between the TS and The Spark DIY array…

I wouldn’t be building one if I didn’t think so myself! Thanks again Spark!!!

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#465

Unfortunately not my friend, I am on the Westcoast!!!

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#466

Hey Guys,

So I’m just setting up some lights for my clones.

14 280mm/11" strips with a XLG-100-L-AB driver. I’ve got them on 2 separate aluminum pans, and want to make sure this is correct before I proceed and turn them on.

wiring
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Also there is wires for dimming, but I just plan on using the dimmer on the driver itself (on the back). Can I just cap those 2 wires?

3 Likes
#467

Yes you can just cap the dimmer wires on the driver.

Your circuit is hard to work out with the negative and positive wires being the same colour, as well as me being stoned :dizzy_face:

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#468

How’s this? lol

wiring

So I’ve got 2 of these, which will be side by side.

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I should probably join you in being stoned! Though I try to avoid it while working on my plants ( last night I may have forgot to turn back the lights on)

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#469

Ohh dear lol. A bit of extra beauty sleep won’t hurt for one night, or for your plants :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I ran my positive like yours but just down the left side only, with the live wire from the driver connected to the first positive connection, and the negative wire from the driver, just connects to the last negative connection point on the left side of the top strip.

You got all the strips orientated the right way, I got one wrong and they wouldn’t work, it was very frustrating.

1 Like
#470

@cdnBuddy looks correct for the 100-L-AB and your 280mm strips.

The start and end positive and negative you only really need to connect those once on each string instead of both sides for each strip like you did, but doubling up between strips is a good plan.

2 Likes
#471

Sweet! Tomorrow I will finish them up.

I noticed one the wrong way after I started to wire lol. Pain in the ass getting them off with the tape.

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#472

@TerpSneeze realized that you could run 15 strips off one of those xlg-240-m-ab drivers, if built out as a 3 parallel 5 series array and leaving the driver at stock levels which will under drive the strips a little and your voltage should just sneak under max values which should work and get you some more light vs doing the 4parallel x 3series array i suggested earlier,

actually scratch that guess you could do a 3 parallel x 4 series array as well and in that configuration you would be able to turn the driver up a little to get that full 240w from it, causing the strips to be about 10% over driven which is inconsequential but will allow a little more light for the same components…

Just wanted to put that out there as i apparently just blanked on those build options thinking of only driving the strips at nominal ratings when i was initially thinking about it.

Sorry about that, but yeah 12 strips and the M series driver seems to be the way to go for those and built out in a 3Px4S array and you will be able to turn up the amperage a little to get that full 240w per light

5 Likes
#473

Thanks again @Mr.Sparkle as always above and beyond! I hate to throw a cog in your thought process but I did see that digikey still did have eb2 in stock but in the 1120mm size tray and seeming as I am building a larger array would it not be possible to run your preferred eb2s but with less longer units or would this further complicate things?

https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/detail/BXEB-L1120Z-50E4000-C-B3/976-1733-ND/7907662?itemSeq=328657087

Again I am really appreciative of all the help!! Seriously thinking about a lil care package for you & co, I will reach out to figure out how that could work. Cheers!!

Edit: Tired/medicated ramblings about another later LED project that wasn’t needed :sweat_smile:

#474

Hi everyone! I’m a beginner in growing and i’m curious of what’s the best and cheapest way for me to put LED panels or strips in my 80x80x160(cm) tent, for one autoflower strain? I have around 100$ for the lights.

1 Like
#475

welcome… you gonna get a few answers and im gonna learn from them… thinking like you on diy leds…

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#476

you want these instead as those are the 5000k one, well unless you want those.

https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/detail/bridgelux/BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3/7907661

And you would be looking at 8 strips per xlg-240-l-ab driver, or the M series as well if you want to run parallel chains.

The driver will need to be turned up a tiny bit to max it out but no different that what was needed anyways with the other strips.

4 Likes
#477

Much Thanks! I will order shortly :pray:

1 Like
#479

Depends on how much DIY’ing your wanting to do, and if you can solder and such. But with the bridgelux eb2 strips that would work well for you being out of stock.

12 of the following strips and one of the following drivers should work well for your tent.

https://www.futureelectronics.com/p/lighting-solutions--light-engine-led-assemblies--light-engines/smjd-3618072c-xxn100d20f038all-seoul-semiconductor-1128372

https://www.futureelectronics.com/p/semiconductors--lighting-solutions--led-driver-modules-rev/xlg-240-m-ab-mean-well-4116591

You will still need to get a 100k linear potentiometer and appropriate wire and frame material.

Cost wise your gonna be over $100 especially if your in the states because of a 25% trump tariff on alot of these electronic goods.

If looking for more prebuilt options figure your porbably gonna have to end up spending 2.5-3 times your $100 figure to adequately light your tent, but depending on what you get you can build it up in stages and just run an under utilized tent plant wise and still get some bud but a couple of the the HLG 100 v2’s or 65’s, or say marshydro ts1000 would be places to start there, but would need to be expanded on if wanting to utilize your tent a bit more.

10 Likes
#480

Wow. All I can say is WOW. Many many thanks to you guys for helping all us newbie DIY’ers out! I myself am just starting out and wow there sure is a lot of info out there. But by far, this is the best yet! @Mr.Sparkle, @Shadey and all you other guys many thanks. I am doing my best to make a couple of different setups to try out in 2x2 rooms. I am going to have 4 rooms housing 1-2 plants in each room. I want to try different lights in each room as well soils, LST, etc. Just to see what happens with the same strain but different conditions. Hope to do a strip setup, a qb setup, HID, and either cfl or ??? I’m not concerned about hydro costs. Well I might be someday :). Reason why I am picking 2x2 rooms, is that way you are able to expand by making more light panels. Soooooo. If anyone wants to offer any suggestions or advice or ideas, I would be happy to try things out. I will post my works here as well to share for everyone. Maybe let’s start with a strip build? Use the same fixture for veg and flower? Dimmable, XLG driver, ???
Talk soon :slight_smile:
Dezi
BTW, I’m from SW Ontario

8 Likes
#481

Thank you so much for the details! I’m from europe so Trump is not a problem luckily. I was looking at the marshydro because it’s assembled and around my budget (+40$) but i want the best for the baby that’s going to be in there so would you recommend to buy, or to assemble one?

1 Like
#482

all depends on what you want to do and further goals, gave an option above if you wanted to build one which would be good for your 80cm tent, otherwise say if you wanted to go down the marshydro route rethinking on it two of the SP-150 would be the way to go but they are out of stock in europe, but with those you could start with one and buy a second when you have the funds or desire to add more light, cause two of those would work well in that tent.

The TS1000 would be under powered but still grow buds also would be awkward to add a second light later just because of its dimensions, now the tsw2000 would be more than enough and should work well but also 2.5 timers your original budget.

So yeah either build if you want to go down that route, or try the sp-150’s if you can get a hold of them.

2 Likes
Indoor LED grow