Criticize my 2250W LED COB Build - CLU048 1212C4 3500k 80 CRI

Joe34

Joe34

Active Member
I have been researching for the past few days LED COBS, CREE, Vero, and Citizens.
Read/learnt alot from users like fanleaf, BuddyColas, JorgeGonzalez, Rahz, Bobby_G, Supra, etc

I came to the conclusion after many hours that the Citizen CLU048-1212C4 3500k 80 CRI eemed my best choice.
At $11 each I favoured the lower cob cost and lost around 300W in efficiency.
If I went with the watt savings my build would have cost another $1000+.

Here is my specifics



I have a grow area of 5ft x 10ft - 50 sq ft.
I will put 1 x CLU048 1212C4 3500k 80 CRI at each sq ft, so 50 in total.
Each cob runs at 45W, producing 160/Lpw
This would give 7200 Lumens per sq ft.


50 COBS total
2250W total
360,000 Lumens total

I have not yet decided on drivers, I will be using passive cooling, undecided on thermal paste vs pads

Please offer any advice before I go ahead with the build.
 
Last edited:
Chronikool

Chronikool

Well-Known Member
Sweet...have fun.. ! Budget is obviously not a concern, so why not.. :)

Get holderz for less of a fuck about.

120mm heatsinks will suffice.

Remote or 'on fixture' driverz?

One frame or modular?

If itz in a tent...dont run reflectors or optics...saturation of photons is got you sorted.

Look forward to seeing it.
 
Organic Miner

Organic Miner

Well-Known Member
I had a similar area (4x9) and went the same layout and COB, 36 1212s. I had a custom drive built to deliver 1300mA max. After I did the math for current vs. threshold voltage I wasn't sure the meanwell 1400 drivers would do it (others have done it and have been fine ). Make sure you get dimmable so you can dial in the correct amount of light for your plants.
 
Rusher

Rusher

Well-Known Member
2250W / 50 SQFT = 45 W/SQFT

Yeah, you're fine. Better than fine. That is exactly one metric shit tonne of light.
 
Joe34

Joe34

Active Member
@Chronikool

Im likely to put drivers on fixture, what do you think of this?

I am guessing in my build I will likely need a minimum of 5-8, so it maybe worth thinking about

I heard remote helps with heat, but do these drivers really output that much heat?

It will be modular, not in a tent.

What do you think about the Angela/Angelina reflectors?

@thetr33man

Hey, I remember seeing alot of your posts, learnt alot from you!

Anyway, I was not planning to run c02. The room is actually around 6ft x 12ft so I thought I should have quite alot of free c02.
Il keep the veg/w flwr/w calc in mind!

@Organic Miner

Awsome, have you flowered yet with it?

How many custom drivers did you end up with to power those 36?

What did you pay for each 1212? are they gen 6 or gen 5?

@Rusher


Great! thats good to hear!


How many drivers do you think I should power these 50 COBS with?

Another thing I was wondering, Do you think the 3500k 80 CRI is good for seedlings? Or is there a signficant reason to choose another spectrum LED?

The benfit of keeping with 3500k is that I can use the same LED for the other stages instead of switching around.
 
Rusher

Rusher

Well-Known Member
Yup, I love the 3500k (as do most folks around here it seems). I've seen posts that say to run a bunch of 5000k and a bunch of 2700k for a nice spectrum, but I've seen results posted here with the 3500k and they seem to really perform. I run a perpetual grow and use them from seedling to veg through flower, it seems to really be performing.

I went with this kit from rapidled.com: http://www.rapidled.com/vero29-triple-cob-array-kit/ and it has Vero29 COBs. (I have a much smaller grow space than you, only 9sqft) I'm not sure what you would use to push those 1212s.

There are a lot of very qualified people who could jump in and answer I'm sure. The folks around here seem to love the COBs, and from what I've seen since switching from HID has been promising. For power savings I was able to turn my exhaust fan down to its lowest setting, and the COBs run cheaper, with better quality light, it can be argued. I have yet to complete a cycle with them.
 
Last edited:
Joe34

Joe34

Active Member
@Rusher

Yes the LED benefits appear great, even a fan running lower gives the benefit of noise reduction. its definitely the way to go.

I just ran some calculations using those Vero 29 you use, interestingly enough for another $500 ontop of my current price, I can buy 41 of those Vero 29 and reach the same 350000 Lumens(7000 Lumens per Sq Ft) as 50 CLU048-1212, with 400W Less...

The 400W reduction @ $500 more is is something worth thinking about.

However 41 COBS for 50 sq ft space would require some strange spacing out... 50 has the benefit of more light uniformity...

Have you heard of anybody getting 2GPW from LEDS?
 
brewbeer

brewbeer

Well-Known Member
Joe34 said:
I have been researching for the past few days LED COBS, CREE, Vero, and Citizens.
Read/learnt alot from users like fanleaf, BuddyColas, JorgeGonzalez, Rahz, Bobby_G, Supra, etc
...
At $11 each I favoured the lower cob cost and lost around 300W in efficiency.
If I went with the watt savings my build would have cost another $1000+.
...
Please offer any advice before I go ahead with the build.
Click to expand...
Around here a kilowatt hour is about 20 cents. At those prices, 300 watts per year is about $250 @ 12/12, and $400 @ 18/6.

Depending on the cost of power in your area, the lower cost build might be more costly in the longer run.
 
Chronikool

Chronikool

Well-Known Member
Joe34 said:
@Chronikool

Im likely to put drivers on fixture, what do you think of this?

I am guessing in my build I will likely need a minimum of 5-8, so it maybe worth thinking about

I heard remote helps with heat, but do these drivers really output that much heat?

It will be modular, not in a tent.

What do you think about the Angela/Angelina reflectors?
Click to expand...
Yup...driverz on the fixture is fine. They dont get that hot, less wires in and out.

But yeah...make sure you get dimmable drivers...itz easy to have too much light and cut back for sure.

Modular, so rowz of 5? 10 different modules?

Yeah get the reflectors if you are not in a tent.

Also, since you are getting so many citizens (50) ....i would get a mix of 80cri 3500k 1212s and 90cri 4000k 1212s....i reckon that is a winner right there. :)
 
CoB_nUt

CoB_nUt

Well-Known Member
@Chronikool, no reflectors in a tent? How far would you advise 3590's to be above canopy in a 4x4? Running 12 atm. 2 bars @200w and 1 bar @320w. I've ran 'em both ways, with and without. Thought I was just buggin' but it did SEEM like I got better nugs all around running without. Only a small sample size pure speculation tho, no real data points collected.
 
Chronikool

Chronikool

Well-Known Member
CoB_nUt said:
@Chronikool, no reflectors in a tent? How far would you advise 3590's to be above canopy in a 4x4? Running 12 atm. 2 bars @200w and 1 bar @320w. I've ran 'em both ways, with and without. Thought I was just buggin' but it did SEEM like I got better nugs all around running without. Only a small sample size pure speculation tho, no real data points collected.
Click to expand...
Thatz quite interesting. Yeah...the way i look at it.. (and have for a while) if your 'canopy of light' is on point...your tent is the reflector, and the saturation of photons is all around..you dont need to direct them anywhere.

Wow..you are running 720w in a 4 x 4..! Damn...hahaha. 2 feet between canopy and light is probably how close id get...

Can you dim at all..?
 
CoB_nUt

CoB_nUt

Well-Known Member
Chronikool said:
Thatz quite interesting. Yeah...the way i look at it.. (and have for a while) if your 'canopy of light' is on point...your tent is the reflector, and the saturation of photons is all around..you dont need to direct them anywhere.

Wow..you are running 720w in a 4 x 4..! Damn...hahaha. 2 feet between canopy and light is probably how close id get...

Can you dim at all..?
Click to expand...
Yeah, All bars are dimmable. b version meanwells. I'm running about 16 -18" above canopy w/reflectors at the moment. Reflectors on (in my twisted logic) because,this round the plants are larger than usual. So I wanted that oomph down below. Thanks for the response.
 
Joe34

Joe34

Active Member
@Chronikool

Yes 10 rows of 5

I am thinking to stick with 1 spectrum because I would like to do some testing in the future, mixing spectrums only makes the test results less accurate.

@thetr33man

Regarding the HLG-600H-36 - I saw that the spec sheet says the B version has dimming.
Does this mean dimming built in, or we must add a potentiometer?

If its the later, does this mean we can not add potentiometers to any old meanwell driver, only select dimmable ones?

Also looking at the cost of these drivers, having one less driver for a more efficient 400W less (but more expensive) vero build makes the vero build cheaper...

Definitely something still worth thinking about

------------------


Guys so I have another build option in mind.


50 Citizen CLU048-1212C4 3500k 80 CRI
vs
40 Vero 29 BXRC-35E10K0-C-7X 3500k 80 CRI


Vero build
40 COBS - $980
50W each = 2000W
190 L/pw
9500 Lumens each COB
380000 Lumens total

Citizen Build
50 COBS = $550
45W each = 2250W
160 L/pw
7200 Lumens each COB
360000 Lumens total

As Citizens may need cob holders and vero have mounting holes, that would add another $100 to the price
Total number of drivers needed likely to stay the same.

Overall Pros/Cons

+Vero Saving 250Watts
-Verocost of $330 more.
-Vero Less Light Uniformity(1 cob per 1.25 sq ft)
-Vero higher heat hot spots per cob

+Citi $330 cheaper
+Citi better light uniformity(1 cob per sq ft
+Citi lower heat hot spot per cob
-Citi Waste of 250Watts due to efficiency.

Overall lumens per 50 sq ft

Vero 380,000 lumens / 50 sq ft = 7600 Lumens per sq ft
Citi 360,000 lumens / 50 sq ft = 7200 Lumens per sq ft.

What do you guys think of the spacing increase on the 1.25 sq ft Vero build.

Which build do u think is best?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top