Cheap LED Strips : A Viable Alternative

Growroom Design
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#82

Just to comment the Gen3 slims have been out for awhile, i have just yet to see the regular gen3 though, but spec wise they are essentially the same apart from length and heat dissipation capacity just being in a smaller but slightly longer package, price wise though yeah more expensive than gen 2’s but why i was recommending them over the gen 3 was just the best bang for the buck.

As for the gen 2’s being out of stock i kinda figured that would happen but someone definitely scooped up a lot but they may and should get replenished, as for current prices i figured either they are just the cost of an older gen or were a reflection of trying to off load stock while the gen 3’s were being rolled out, but we won’t know till later.

And yeah RIU has a thread on them that has been around awhile, and you can find other builds with them over on the ledgrow light forums

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TrevorLahey's Low Budget Growing Part 4: "The Hunger Games"
#83

Slightly off topic but I’ve been thinking and sourcing out parts for a frame that wont break the budget.

Aluminum angle seems to be the go-to, but the price for 2 22"x22" frames would be $60+

@Shadey mentioned metal drywall corner beading and I think it might work, will have to stop in at the hardware store and assess things. Its $4CAD for an 8 foot length.

Anyone have any other ideas for things can we use as lightweight but sturdy frame material?

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#84

would possibly be rigid enough, good idea @Shadey , ill have to check that out next time im at home depot just to see.

Other cheap options are say small lumber options for frame builds, ive found 3/4" square cedar 4 foot lengths for under a $1

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#85

Drywall corner metal is pretty flimsy. It also has little mass - its thin and flexible, so dont count on it to work as a heat sink. That means you wont be able to push the led’s very far at all.

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#86

Check your local listing for metal recycling yards. There is one near me that sells used aluminum of all types by the pound - not the foot. You may need to dig through some piles looking for just the right parts, but the price is well worth it. Much of it looks brand new and is full length pieces.

I think its about $3/pound last time I was there.
These guys will even cut parts roughly to length for $0.50/cut

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#87

well i wasn’t thinking of any heatsink capabilities more just frame, and yeah i know its flimsy but say riveted or bonded together at the corners and or doubled up while being cheap again may be an option for some.

Again though i just used an old aluminum sign for a panel.

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#88

@anon32470837 It just needs to be a square frame. These Bridgelux strips do not require a heatsink and the XLG drivers aren’t meant to be overdriven by much anyway. As @Mr.Sparkle said it can be done with lumber if one wanted.

And definitely been wanting to hit up the metal depots, thought about it a couple weeks back and might do so before going to the hardware store.

#89

Have any old screened windows??? Extruded aluminum is pretty sturdy and cheap when recycled… while my Frankenlight is small, the framework is from old trailer window screens… 0 $$$$

Peace
DaFozz

p.s. and the hollow aluminum frame does dissipate heat pretty well…

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#90

I do have one and even thought about using it but it was pretty banged up and gross looking hehe

But it would be nice to have low cost options that don’t include going through scrap, for those that don’t have access to such resources.

Something widely available and inexpensive.

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#91

Mine were covered in paint, etc… spent a couple hours hand-sanding, but when you are bored and stoned, hey…

I think I may have a bit of MacGuyver in me…

Or just too stoned…lol

I am gonna miss seeing your SIL reports and results when you defect…lol

Peace
DaFozz

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#92

Defect? More like expand! I’ll still have the closet with my 24"x24" SIL array and who knows there might be another grow space in the future. I’ve never been one to undergrow…

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#93

Just messing with you of course…lol

(I hope) You know I have respect for what I have learned from you…

Peace
DaFozz

p.s. expansion and learning is the name o’ the game…

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#94

Bridgelux EB Gen 2 strips look to have been restocked!! False alarm peeps! But be warned this stuff does seem to reach EoL pretty quickly from my research.

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#95

1000w but it’s Chinese PSU and I normally replace the fan in these… just because that seems to be the part that fails!

If you can get them for that kinda cash then that’s the way to go. A good quality PSU is always preferable.
Ther are closer to $400 over here!

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#96

I have one 3 years old now and a fan is slowly dying in it. It’s the bearings, if I move it so it’s at an angle the fan starts making noises.

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#97

3 years is not bad going for a fan any way you look at it… I just replace them with a half decent PC fan and they are cheap and loads quieter… I have also looked at amplifier PSU boards such as these:

These are of surprisingly good quality… FAR better than the standard cheap 1000w Chinese PSU’s you normally get off eBay etc but slightly pricier.

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#98

Wondering if I did my math right… a 2x2 space would do fine with 8 of the 22 inch strips and a 150w meanwell correct?

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#99

That works out to 37.5 watts/sq ft based on the Meanwell max rating - which you could push to close to 200 watts reasonably safely. That sounds like a reasonable max to me.

If you do run 8 strips at that power, that works out to 150 watts / 8 = 18.75 watts per strip. Thats actually a lot of heat to get rid of in my opinion, so I would highly recommend decent heat sinks. If you oush it to 200 watts, thats even worse of course.

I have a 15 watts soldering iron that runs pretty darn hot - just as a reference.

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#100

So the 60 watts per square foot is phooey?

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#101

yeah would be a good start and should be decently sufficient, and depending on the driver xlg or hlg would only need a 100watter thats turned up a little but saying that if using say the XLG-150-L-AB you could just add 3 more strips for 11 and that would what you could run nominally off that, or say round down to an even 10, as really cost at that point is only what $10-15

Do it :wink:

Over kill unless you need to throw the light at least 2-4 feet before it hits your plants when already in full bloom and even still, more realistic with today’s output i would say 30-40w/sqft but thats all based on efficiency of the light and how far away you are

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Some advice on l.e.d. lights please