Feedback on my new COB array hanger

[ttystikk]

Some more eye candy. I'm debating separating the rails into 2 fixtures or 4 individual fixtures.

That's a really nice array and it fits that space very well. But, what happens when you make some adjustments and the size or shape of your growing space changes?

That question is why I built multiple 4 COB modules. This way, they're flexible enough for lots of options in mounting and since they're all the same I can arrange them into arrays very easily.

 

[JSB99]

You seem like such a nice guy. I think you need to draw less, and build more. You will probably end up building a new one as soon as youre done with the first one. I hope you share it all Building the light is just as fun as growing the plants. It's definitely part of the fun. Id go for 2 or 4 individual fixtures, depending on how many cobs you have per driver. If its a four-one ratio, then build them individually. If you should ever move, change space, adjust height, whatnot it will give many practical advantages.

Well thank you, I am a pretty nice guy, so I've been told lol

I'm ready to start but I have to wait a couple more months for some money to come in. I just love doing 3D stuff for fun. However, taking the time to plan out the room has really helped me figure everything out. Everything is to scale. However, I was going to set this up in my 10x16 shop, but now I'm going to use one of my spare rooms. So I've had to adjust a few things. I've got my parts list ready to go, so it just comes down to the "other" green

 

[Big smo]

Well thank you, I am a pretty nice guy, so I've been told lol

I'm ready to start but I have to wait a couple more months for some money to come in. I just love doing 3D stuff for fun. However, taking the time to plan out the room has really helped me figure everything out. Everything is to scale. However, I was going to set this up in my 10x16 shop, but now I'm going to use one of my spare rooms. So I've had to adjust a few things. I've got my parts list ready to go, so it just comes down to the "other" green

Have you considered adjusting the list from Cree to citizen? Prices are much better and also more efficient. I gave up on the 3590's and switched to the 1812's. Drivers are a little more difficult to pair being an extra 14v or so but well worth the effort.

 

[JSB99]

I'll have some more renderings of the array split in two and in quarters.

There are a few reasons I'm putting so much into the design and with the graphics. The Army taught me the "6 PS". Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance and I'm a true believer in that.

I'll be putting around $4k into this room. Because it's in a room in my house, and because I'll have enough water in reservoirs to flood half the house, and because I'll be tapped into the water on the neighboring bathroom wet wall, and because of so many other things with having an RDWC UC system inside your home, I want to make sure I account for any disaster ahead of time. I'll have this for many years, so i want it to look cool, so I'll probably paint things. I'm in no rush to build it.

After I roll up the carpet, I'll be putting in a pond liner going up at least 4" around the area, I'll have overflows on the reservoirs, and I'm going to put a 4" drain in the floor. That should hopefully handle anything unexpected.

 

[benbud89]

If you have a tv set that size, I bet you have the money to buy 16 small lamps. And from the money you spend on it now, youd be saving up anyhow. Anyways, im not a salesman. Just get on with it! If you wait, I suggest you start following cobkits posts a bit, as he is about to get a sphere. He sells citis, though, but his tests are probably objectively okay. He seems to be doing this more for fun than for profit. Make your own opinion. It woud just be nice with some real life data across all brands and temps. Finally, dont take my advice, make your own opinion. I know very litte about all of this

 

[JSB99]

Have you considered adjusting the list from Cree to citizen? Prices are much better and also more efficient. I gave up on the 3590's and switched to the 1812's. Drivers are a little more difficult to pair being an extra 14v or so but well worth the effort.

No, I haven't. But I think I'm just going to stick with the 3590s. Being new to this, I need to take what I've learned and put it together. Then, as time goes on, I can tweak and tune. All the info (thanks to Gowmau5) deals with the MeanWell drivers and Cree COBs. I imagine they will work great, and I'll pay a little extra for quality.

I appreciate the advice though.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

I'll have some more renderings of the array split in two and in quarters.

There are a few reasons I'm putting so much into the design and with the graphics. The Army taught me the "6 PS". Propose Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance and I'm a true believer in that.

I'll be putting around $4k into this room. Because it's in a room in my house, and because I'll have enough water in reservoirs to flood half the house, and because I'll be tapped into the water on the neighboring bathroom wet wall, and because of so many other things with having an RDWC UC system inside your home, I want to make sure I account for any disaster ahead of time. I'll have this for many years, so i want it to look cool, so I'll probably paint things. I'm in no rush to build it.

After I roll up the carpet, I'll be putting in a pond liner going up at least 4" around the area, I'll have overflows on the reservoirs, and I'm going to put a 4" drain in the floor. That should hopefully handle anything unexpected.

These concerns got the best of me as well so I skipped the hydro/dwc UC system. It uses a lot more water and would have been more work for me physically too. You have designed a nice setup. Not sure if you're gonna diy the rdwc but if so I recommend square containers with a flat face for drilling holes and Installing seals. Less chance of a leak vs round buckets with seals and fittings meant for flat surfaces.

Good luck.

 

[JSB99]

If you have a tv set that size, I bet you have the money to buy 16 small lamps. And from the money you spend on it now, youd be saving up anyhow. Anyways, im not a salesman. Just get on with it! If you wait, I suggest you start following cobkits posts a bit, as he is about to get a sphere. He sells citis, though, but his tests are probably objectively okay. He seems to be doing this more for fun than for profit. Make your own opinion. It woud just be nice with some real life data across all brands and temps. Finally, dont take my advice, make your own opinion. I know very litte about all of this

I'm not worried about money. I'm just waiting for it before I can begin. Should be in the next couple months. My theater screen is 10' wide, but my small TV in my living room is only 70". So small lol

 

[JSB99]

These concerns got the best of me as well so I skipped the hydro/dwc UC system. It uses a lot more water and would have been more work for me physically too. You have designed a nice setup. Not sure if you're gonna diy the rdwc but if so I recommend square containers with a flat face for drilling holes and Installing seals. Less chance of a leak vs round buckets with seals and fittings meant for flat surfaces.

Good luck.

I've built other hydro systems, and always did really well with DWC. Yep, getting the square buckets, just like in the renderings. Those are to scale, along with everything else. Funny thing is, I started off growing with hydro and had years of awesome yields, but every time I've tried soil, I would run into issues. I have no idea why.

But I decided to go hydro specifically so I wouldn't have to continuously lift bags of soil. I have a bad back and knees, so it's difficult to do that.

 

[JSB99]

These concerns got the best of me as well so I skipped the hydro/dwc UC system. It uses a lot more water and would have been more work for me physically too. You have designed a nice setup. Not sure if you're gonna diy the rdwc but if so I recommend square containers with a flat face for drilling holes and Installing seals. Less chance of a leak vs round buckets with seals and fittings meant for flat surfaces.

Good luck.

And yes, I'll be building everything myself. I've got a lot of experience with containers, bulkheads/Uniseals, pumps, tri-meters, all that stuff. It's like a big science project! I can't wait to start on it!

 

[JSB99]

I might start a journal and start laying out the info, parts, costs, designs, etc...that I've put together I'm hoping it won't be more than a couple more months before I break ground. Already cleared out the room.

I really appreciate everyone's feedback!

 

[Evil-Mobo]

And yes, I'll be building everything myself. I've got a lot of experience with containers, bulkheads/Uniseals, pumps, tri-meters, all that stuff. It's like a big science project! I can't wait to start on it!

Wasn't sure on your experience so just wanted to offer some help. Good to hear some of the pre made system are ridiculously expensive and can be built for a fraction of the price.

 

[ttystikk]

Wasn't sure on your experience so just wanted to offer some help. Good to hear some of the pre made system are ridiculously expensive and can be built for a fraction of the price.

Meh, it depends on the light and the manufacturer. Usually half is about what you save DIY. Strangely, that's roughly what distribution and retail markups run.

 

[ttystikk]

Here's how I solved that same problem, using 4 COBs per driver for each module;



More advantages to this approach include being able to mount them higher and further apart for less light pressure, or close n low for more, all while keeping overall light distribution even across the resultant array, even vertically;

 

[JSB99]

Wasn't sure on your experience so just wanted to offer some help. Good to hear some of the pre made system are ridiculously expensive and can be built for a fraction of the price.

Thanks man, I appreciate it! Everything I learned years ago, I learned right here on RIU. And everything else I have yet to learn, I know where I'll be looking

Lots of good people with lots of knowledge around here

 

[JSB99]

Here's how I solved that same problem, using 4 COBs per driver for each module;

View attachment 3821042

More advantages to this approach include being able to mount them higher and further apart for less light pressure, or close n low for more, all while keeping overall light distribution even across the resultant array, even vertically;
View attachment 3821044

Right on, Man! That looks like it was super easy to put together...and cheap!

 

[ttystikk]

Right on, Man! That looks like it was super easy to put together...and cheap!

Each module cost a chunk but I saved a lot by building them all the same way. Now they're all interchangeable for maintenance and upgrades.

 

[Rottedroots]

The designs in your thread opener are sure going to help out when I start drilling and riveting the three frames I need to support my 18 COBS and possibly the drivers. I like the idea of the COBS being suspended by the U-brackets. I wish I could figure out what to use for the brackets to give me that U shape. Putting together my frames and arrays is the only thing I have left to do before growing but I've been hedging. I think I'll steam some of you ideas.

 

[JSB99]

The designs in your thread opener are sure going to help out when I start drilling and riveting the three frames I need to support my 18 COBS and possibly the drivers. I like the idea of the COBS being suspended by the U-brackets. I wish I could figure out what to use for the brackets to give me that U shape. Putting together my frames and arrays is the only thing I have left to do before growing but I've been hedging. I think I'll steam some of you ideas.

Go right ahead and use whatever want. Glad I could help

Here are some renderings showing two arrays and four arrays, as opposed to a single one. I think it's just going to weigh too much, being a single support for all the COBs. It also takes up a lot of real estate, which might make it more difficult to work around in there. You can also raise and lower them more precisely, depending on the growth of the plants below.

The downside is that now you have to raise and lower two, or even four, array racks instead of just one.

I think I'm leaning towards 4 independent arrays

Quartered:

 

[JSB99]

I greatly increased the resolution on some of the the objects substantially. If you click on the images, you can see a lot more of the detail. I haven't added all the objects I'll really be using (like light yo-yo's or electrical). It's not necessary. But if these renderings are helping then I don't mind rendering and posting them.

Might even take a simple request or two (LOL)

What do you all think about the green paint on the rails? I may or may not paint them for real. I do want to paint the pipes. There's a lot you have to do to paint PVC, but I think it'd look really cool. Like the Alien systems: