@DezmondG welcome to the forums and throw up a grow journal if your already running plants 
, sounds like you may be thinking about starting a grow, though check around over int he grow journal section and see what people are doing in tents you may get some ideas on what looks good to you.
5 Likes
I have started my first grow. 4’x4’ tent with 600w hid. Just switched to 12/12 light yesterday. I have been getting photos and for sure I will get a journal posted. I like to tinker and try new and different things. That’s why I want to build 4 separate 2’x2’ rooms. I want to build some different light styles for each room and grow the same strain and see what the results are from different lights. I want to build my first light as a strip. Probably use the strips you pointed out up above. But I was also thinking about adding some side lights and maybe ir and uv? Again this is for the fun of the diy crowd. I’m just not sure what strips to get with what drivers. I want to use dimmers and also if I need to, a couple of drivers. That way I could control what colour temps would be on etc? I have the frame materials all figured out as well as passive heat sinks.
Is this something you guys would be interested in helping me out along the way? Again many thanks 
Dezi
1 Like
Hey @Mr.Sparkle. you mentioned above 12 strips for roughly a 3x3 space. Do you think I could get away with the same parts for a 2x2 and dim them down? Or should I get less strips and find a different driver?
1 Like
for a 2’x2’
9 strips of your color temperature of choice whether 3500k or 4000k or whatever coupled to a xlg-150-m-ab driver and built out in a 3p3s array should be more than enough for a 2x2
and just need a 100k lineal potentiometer like i used for my bridgelux based lights, and then you have dimming ability.
Pretty cheap at least for me in Canada at around $110cnd, in the states it would be about $85usd before a 25% trump tarrif on electronic parts so you would probably be looking in the $105-115 range after wire and frame materials.
But at that point maybe looking at a prebuilt like a Spiderfarmer SF-1000, or a marshydro sp150 or ts1000 would be the way to go for not much more $$
7 Likes
Ya I’m in SW Ontario. Thanks for the answer. Would Arrow still be my best place to purchase from? Again many thanks and I will for sure post pics of my build :).
1 Like
Future Electronics for those above strips, and digikey was/is my favorite typically for the bridgelux but they are out of stock.
Arrow does seem to have some 560mm bridgelux EB2 strips in stock but they are the 5000k and 5700k ones
But here are the future electronics links again, they dont have a cart share option like digikey unfortunately
3500k 560mm Seoul semiconductor strips
https://www.futureelectronics.com/p/lighting-solutions--light-engine-led-assemblies--light-engines/smjd-3618072c-xxn100d20f038all-seoul-semiconductor-1128372
XLG-150-M-AB driver
https://www.futureelectronics.com/p/semiconductors--lighting-solutions--led-driver-modules-rev/xlg-150-m-ab-mean-well-1113130
Would be 9 strips in a 3p3s array and 1 driver if building a light for a 2x2 space.
oh and amazon listing for a 100k linear Potentiometer, only need one though, and i usually buy them from where my parts are coming from “digikey”, but future electronics doesn’t have any not in bulk amount.
4 Likes
Hi to all, I am looking for a cheap way to add some far red (730nm) LEDs to my flower tent to help kick start the flower cycle. I did a test recently and the results were noticeable. I am looking to build a long narrow frame with far red LED strips so i can hang it between the two other lights in the flower tent when required. However, I am finding it hard to locate some strips that fit what i am looking for.
What i am looking for: Reasonably priced and reasonable quality far red LED strips. Without any other spectrum LED on them.
Can anyone point me to a name or brand to search for as I have found nothing so far.
2 Likes
I am also thinking of adding these to my lights, I haven’t looked on Digikey yet, as I have greater needs for other stuff atm.
Also looking for far red and IR as well as UV to add to mine. It will be a while before I do. Probably when I upgrade to an 8x4. I’ll have to add another 8 strips and a driver for the main lighting but it will leave room for the others. Right now in my 4x4 I’ve got strips 1/2 inch apart or less all the way across the tent
1 Like
know that what i think a grow light should be like the size of it
1 Like
hey @Malcolm, i remember you were looking for a info about light and led strips, hope this thread will help out!
4 Likes
Thank you for sharing
2 Likes
Great article for diy led lighting, lots of good information.
One thing I picked up on, reading through the thread, is the problem drilling accurate hole to secure the led strips. Once you have marked where you want to drill, take a punch or nail and with a hammer tap a indentation into the metal or wood. You don’t have to swing like Thor, just a tap. Your drill bit will have a place to start and not wander, accurate holes every time. My $0.02!
8 Likes
@Tejas is correct, hole position is critical (+/-0.015").
Your best bet (esp. for longer strips) is make an accurate template. Test the template before you trust it…
Cheers
G
3 Likes
yeah center punching is a must and handy, but even still i played a little too tight with my own tolerances with my build initially and just opted for a tiny bit bigger holes then needed which gave a little fudge room for not exact holes
3 Likes
also, if you miss a hole (by a mm or more), you can take smaller bit and then wobble it and kinda chisel it to the side you want to move, so you have same spread on at least 2 sides (hole should look like egg), so that drill bit you need can grab onto that new area and be centered, then you do couple of quick drills (bzz-bzz-bzz) with final drill bit (or a size between starting and last one), just to shape out starting circle…
1 Like
Rapid LED has them, I would suggest a puck or two per tent as they will do 2x2 per puck. I am adding Emerson and Exotic boards to my new DIY array inspired by this thread. This is the US site, they also have a Canadian site
3 Likes
Progress on my own array build. Currently it is 24 1120mm Bridgelux EB2s over 1.5x1.5x.125" aluminum channel, there is room for 2 x 4’ Emerson and Exotic boards from Rapid LED as well as room for more strips. Currently have 3 240 XLG M ABs set aside for the power and 3 100k Linear Pots for dimming.
Overall she is exactly 7’6"X4’ with the 2 panels against each other, had to put the water bottle in for scale 
None of which would have been possible without this post or @Mr.Sparkle 
22 Likes
damn nice!! I bet thats quite the pain in the ass to hang up haha i struggle with my tiny lights
2 Likes
WOW!! that is huge
thank you so much for a look at your work
Dequilo
2 Likes