This is my contribute to the DIY LED community. I hope this topic might help someone in the future as many others helped me in the past.
After months of research through forums, videos, etc. I decided to make my own LED build. I went with linear strips because the light uniformity, energy efficiency and build overall cost were much better than COB’s.
I used 900W in my first run which ended up causing light stress. In the end I got 1763g (popcorn included) making almost 2g/w.
I vegged my plants for 8 weeks and flowered for 11 weeks.
I will keep this topic updated with more pictures of my next run.
Thanks for creating this thread. I have been following along at the other site and I’m really glad you decided to give in and make an account and post up you build. Your trust level will raise before ya know it and you’ll be able to edit your posts, add more pictures and links as well.
Very nice build. Someone actually told me the other day this was a build I needed to see and I see why. Are all 3 drivers run constantly or can you run seperate sections from individual drivers as and when you need them?
@Takeshy It looks awesome. I just started my first grow using LEDs (5x SolStrip - same diodes). I plan on adding some more before flower so I love seeing these threads. Right now I am working in a 2x4ft area. Sounds like you did a knock up job on your first run. 2g/W is nothing to snub your nose at! Are you doing anything other than using the aluminum frame as a heatsink? How did you attach the strips - thermal adhesive, screws (+ thermal paste), other? Love it! Look forward to seeing your future grows.
The aluminium frame is also the heatsink. I used thermal paste in a few strips but I didn’t notice any change in temps.
If I touch the heatsink it’s warm, I would say aprox. 25ºC. At this low current you don’t need to invest too much on cooling
Make sure you use nylon bolts and washers @KingGhidora stop you getting a short. Personally I use thermal paste. But I’m pretty sure @Jellypowered swerved it and his light hasn’t so much as blinked. Im pushing 300w from my rig at the moment and temps from the light/sinks are not an issue
Yep we’re 2 of the same I got a kg of the stuff. Lol. I’m certain I’ve seen a few people go pasteless. And @Takeshy on a few here. (Not too cheap insurance with that many strips bro) I feel you.
That light is a thing of beauty @Takeshy
Haha i not only skipped paste @anon58740919 but i dont even have any aluminum backing on my eb strips they dont get above 55c in still air though at 1050mah when tested with a temp gun. Since max operating temps are 85c and theyll have air flow blowing on em, they should be fine. I just love strips and boards for that reason. Overbuilding is always the best policy but when i plan a budget project, i try to keep it frugal as hell lmfao
@Takeshy this is my rig mate. Solstrips. 4x5000k. 4x cree red/blue strips. 2 x 2700k.
Cobs. Citiled cluo38’s 5 x 3500k 5 x 3000k
Strips driver hlg320h 24a
Cobs driver hlg320h c700a.
Passive bar sinks for strips. Arctic pro 64 gt rev 2 heatsinks for cobs ran on a 12v 50w driver.
Not even using my cobs yet though but they can run passive on those sinks for a good while. (Tested)
I run my room from my phone too with WiFi. Overbuilt but I love it.
@PrimalPractitioner I was over your thread the other day for an education on living soil for clones. Fantastic bit of information there mate thank you. I have zero luck with clones but I’m gonna try my hand at your method sometime in the future. 2 months ago I wasn’t even considering starting growing again then @Jellypowered influenced my decision greatly . Which I’m still very grateful for
@anon58740919 Light looks great, I see you opted for a different layout than the “ladder” design that you see a lot of. Any reasoning there? I really have no idea, but I wonder if that is in fact the best layout or not. It would be interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts.
There’s reasoning behind mine built the way it is. This was my train of thought.
The linear fashion of the strips was because I intended to use the light throughout but in stages as I only have a 2x4 space for a full run. So no second veg chamber etc. The strips were a veg light in effect. As I have to start them small. I opted for 4 5000k. (Added the red/blue and 2700ks later) but they still do a grand job keeping stretch down.
I didn’t see the point in covering a full spread with immense light from the off as they wouldn’t be able to use it.
Onto the cobs. These are to be used as a kind of “midday sun” throughout bloom. I mentioned earlier my light runs via WiFi. I can set scenes. Schedules etc from my phone.
This is an old pic of my control box. Should give you a slightly better idea as to how it works. Fans. Cobs and strips all have their own channel on a relay. (I still have a free channel on my relay too should I wish to put a humidifier in but I really don’t need to)
I use a sonoff th16a thermo/hygro relay. This measures both temperature and humidity but will only switch one appliance.
This is where scenes come into it. You could have the th16a reading the humidity and the sonoff 4ch pro r2 switching it as and when necessary.
When my cobs come on. I’ll set them so if temps climb too high they automatically switch off just leaving the strips and not ruining a cycle.
If there’s a powercut. Everything instantly picks up where it left off. Any drastic changes my phone pings me.
If you wanted to be super smart and buy yourself a holiday with peace of mind. Then that 4th channel could be used to cycle time a pump from a reservoir. IP camera to your phone and you still have a great deal of control over your room.
Awesome. I think I’m about to pick up some of that Sonoff gear myself. I love the whole automation angle, and it is all becoming really affordable to put together a highly automated grow for the average grower with just a bit of technical savvy. Keep up the good work!
wow the flower looks gorgeous all trimmed up… what strain is that? 900w is quite a bit of power for a 5x5 (36w/sqf). i have 4x4 and max at 735w w/ my quantum board setup and feel like it was too much light (45w/sqf), almost detrimental. right now i’m about 3weeks in to flower and i just bumped it up from 380w to 580w (36w/sqf). gonna see how it goes and maybe bump it up a bit more in a couple weeks. i skipped thermal paste also, these diodes have an operating tempeature of 40* C.
