LED Noob Looking For Input

[researching]

Theres a little arrow next to each of those things that brings a drop down menu up. If there isn't then possibly update your JAVA

If your going with pin heat sinks then you can ignore the heat sink profile

Cool thanks. It shows watt consumption at the wal as higher than I was expecting. I thought just the driver comsumption was all that mattered. ie the hlg-240h-c700b pulling 2.5A and 249watts. So 2 drivers should be 500 watts at the wall correct?

 

[coreywebster]

Cool thanks. It shows watt consumption at the wal as higher than I was expecting. I thought just the driver comsumption was all that mattered. ie the hlg-240h-c700b pulling 2.5A and 249watts. So 2 drivers should be 500 watts at the wall correct?

I think the hlg-240h-c700b is a 249w driver which is 93.5% efficient so to get 249w would cost an extra 6.5% at the wall. You should be able to run 10 cxb3590 on that driver I assume. It would come to 229w on the cobs and 244.92w at the wall.
So yeah its just the efficiency of the driver since they are not 100% efficient. They are pretty damn high though.
http://www.meanwell.com/mw_search/HLG-240H-C/HLG-240H-C-spec.pdf

 

[researching]

My balloon was deflated this morning lol. I thought I had it all figured out, then I punched my info into the DIY cob calculator and my idea of 20 cxb3590 and 2 hlg-240h-c700b at 18 ft/2 only gives me 14 PAR watts per ft/2. I promised my wife I would only spend abt $1K. I really want efficiency since it is the primary goal but damn!

 

[researching]

I am reading this right? Am I basically fucked with my desired intent for the ft/2 I use?

 

[coreywebster]

My balloon was deflated this morning lol. I thought I had it all figured out, then I punched my info into the DIY cob calculator and my idea of 20 cxb3590 and 2 hlg-240h-c700b at 18 ft/2 only gives me 14 PAR watts per ft/2. I promised my wife I would only spend abt $1K. I really want efficiency since it is the primary goal but damn!

If we assume gravita figures arecorrect then a 600w hps in a 1.2m2 has a ppfd of 690. If you run 16 cobs @ 700ma in the same space then you will get 660ppfd. But it will be only 391w at the wall.
If you ran them at 1.05 mA then you will have 608w at the wall but a ppfd of 985 and will still be around 61% efficiency

 

[coreywebster]

I am reading this right? Am I basically fucked with my desired intent for the ft/2 I use?

View attachment 3760482

Its a balancing act. If you want to either hit the same photon count you can do it for less power or use the same power and out perform your current system. You can either increase your mA or your cob count, both have different effects regarding costs. One way you will need more drivers, the other way more cobs and heat sinks.

Why not replace one light at a time. Then you can split the cost and see the difference between the two systems as you grow. Reinvest the cash after a grow.

BTW I'm in the same boat as you except I have a 1.2m x 2.4m with 3x 600w hps that I wanting to replace. The difference is your name is "researching", my name should of been "Rushed into buying some shit and wasted lots of cash before realising the error of my ways"!!

 

[ruwtz]

I would second going with a 1400 driver - that extra dimmable power is always going to be useful.

Props to you for building your own and I did consider this but for the sake of time I personally am very happy with the kits from Timer Grow Lights. I got 8 cobs properly mounted to anodized pin heatsinks with Leidil lenses / reflectors, a pair of 1400 drivers with dimmer, and bespoke frames made to order with machined screw holes and hanging kit. I was able to special order 240v cables and 5000k cobs as i'm only using for veg. It all arrived ready to go out of the box and I was up and running in an hour.

I'm very much a DIY guy but time is precious at the moment and I couldn't justify the learning curve investment. And in the end, their kits don't cost much more than if I was to round up everything and do it myself, and includes free shipping.

I think the dude is on here as @RainDan. And no I don't work for him, lol, just a happy customer.

 

[researching]

Its a balancing act. If you want to either hit the same photon count you can do it for less power or use the same power and out perform your current system. You can either increase your mA or your cob count, both have different effects regarding costs. One way you will need more drivers, the other way more cobs and heat sinks.

Why not replace one light at a time. Then you can split the cost and see the difference between the two systems as you grow. Reinvest the cash after a grow.

That's not a bad thought. I am an all in sort of guy so that is always my first thought. Plus as it is now because the house I am in is wired stupid I have one room with an 8x4x6.5 tent that I use for veg I have a 6bulb 4' T8 and a 250w cfl. In my flower room 2 600w ballasts, A/C, Fan, Exhaust fan. Both those rooms are on that 1 15A breaker. So I was running my exhaust fan and one ballast via extension cord to another outlet that is on another breaker. Which is not ideal nor very safe. That is the only way I could run everything and not have to dim my ballasts.

That is why my "all in" thought process was to get rid of the HPS totally now and start drawing less. I have convinced my wife I can offset the cost quickly via selling all my HPS stuff. I have 4 ballasts and hoods, and some other shit like 400w ballast and a 250w ballast as well as other shit I don't need. Plus the ideally increased yields and lower power consumption. I may just have to bite the bullet and drop some more coin and say fuck it.

 

[coreywebster]

Yeah @ 1400mA your still getting 56% efficiency and smashing your hps out of the park! Same cob numbers, I think you would just need 4 hlg-240h-c1400 and saving over 200w at the wall

 

[Airwalker16]

Actually I couldnt really do 4 of the 240s. If I had to run 4 I would be better off going with the 185H due to less watts. I have too much shit running on a 15A breaker and need to keep consumption as low as possible. Lack of amps sucks.

You only need 4 185-1400's. Not 240's.

 

[Airwalker16]

Or two 320-1400'S.

 

[ruwtz]

That's not a bad thought. I am an all in sort of guy so that is always my first thought. Plus as it is now because the house I am in is wired stupid I have one room with an 8x4x6.5 tent that I use for veg I have a 6bulb 4' T8 and a 250w cfl. In my flower room 2 600w ballasts, A/C, Fan, Exhaust fan. Both those rooms are on that 1 15A breaker. So I was running my exhaust fan and one ballast via extension cord to another outlet that is on another breaker. Which is not ideal nor very safe. That is the only way I could run everything and not have to dim my ballasts.

That is why my "all in" thought process was to get rid of the HPS totally now and start drawing less. I have convinced my wife I can offset the cost quickly via selling all my HPS stuff. I have 4 ballasts and hoods, and some other shit like 400w ballast and a 250w ballast as well as other shit I don't need. Plus the ideally increased yields and lower power consumption. I may just have to bite the bullet and drop some more coin and say fuck it.

As an aside, you could pop a 20a breaker for a little breathing room, provided your conductors are rated for it. Check your wires - 12awg feeding the breaker is fine for 20a, but not 14awg.

 

[coreywebster]

That's not a bad thought. I am an all in sort of guy so that is always my first thought. Plus as it is now because the house I am in is wired stupid I have one room with an 8x4x6.5 tent that I use for veg I have a 6bulb 4' T8 and a 250w cfl. In my flower room 2 600w ballasts, A/C, Fan, Exhaust fan. Both those rooms are on that 1 15A breaker. So I was running my exhaust fan and one ballast via extension cord to another outlet that is on another breaker. Which is not ideal nor very safe. That is the only way I could run everything and not have to dim my ballasts.

That is why my "all in" thought process was to get rid of the HPS totally now and start drawing less. I have convinced my wife I can offset the cost quickly via selling all my HPS stuff. I have 4 ballasts and hoods, and some other shit like 400w ballast and a 250w ballast as well as other shit I don't need. Plus the ideally increased yields and lower power consumption. I may just have to bite the bullet and drop some more coin and say fuck it.

LOL your house sounds a lot like my cupboard, loft, attic, basement and every other space I can store stuff.

 

[researching]

Or two 320-1400'S.

the 320-1400 output volts is 229. My understanding is I can only run 6 36FV cobs. Am I wrong?

 

[researching]

I am just going to go get a kill a watt today. See what everything is pulling, and then plan accordingly. If I can push them a little harder and still be in a good place consumption wise I think that is what I will do.

 

[researching]

LOL your house sounds a lot like my cupboard, loft, attic, basement and every other space I can store stuff.

You should see it now that I just added the larger tent. I had to take shit out of that room and now find a new home for that. I have no basement so a shed project may be forthcoming. It's like living tetris lol

 

[jeepster1993]

the 320-1400 output volts is 229. My understanding is I can only run 6 36FV cobs. Am I wrong?

No, you are correct.
6 36 volt cobs. At about 52 watts each.

 

[ruwtz]

I am reading this right? Am I basically fucked with my desired intent for the ft/2 I use?

View attachment 3760482

Your question here has been answered, but if you want accurate numbers for cost at the wall be sure to put your price per kwh in as a whole number of cents, rather than a decimal as you've done here; so it should be 6 in the box, not .6 if that makes sense.

 

[researching]

Your question here has been answered, but if you want accurate numbers for cost at the wall be sure to put your price per kwh in as a whole number of cents, rather than a decimal as you've done here; so it should be 6 in the box, not .6 if that makes sense.

OK. I thought that shit was cheap!

 

[researching]

So I bought a kill a watt and for everything I use right now I am pulling just under 20A on a 15A breaker! lol My 2- 600W HPS pull 653W each at full power.

My new plan is 4 HLG-185H-C700B and 16 CXB3590 CD in 3500K. Maybe 4 of those in 4000. That will be 800watts +/- draw so 500 less than the HPS. I want to do 20, but want to use less watts and this will be a good starting point. Plus I can build either 1 or 2 fixtures and plan to have the drivers mounted on the fixtures. I am cautiously optimistic!