FB24B Strip build, everything ok?

O

organic.grower

New Member
Hey guys, looking at starting my first indoor grow soon. I’ve only done organic outdoor grows before so this will be different for me. Thinking 6 strips for my 6’ x 4’ x 6’ flower room (using it for both till I build a separate veg box), 3 strips now, 3 later, so 600W of LEDs. Then another 3 or 4 strips for the veg box (gonna be 4’x4’x6’) once I build it. Just want someone to confirm that I’m understanding how to pair the drivers and LEDs up correctly. And is 6 x double row 4’ strips enough for a 6x4’ room? I could get 3 now and another 6 later if necessary, but all these strips are adding up haha


LED Strip: 4' Double row Samsung FB24B strips - SI-B8UZ91B20WW – $65ea
46V, 103W, 2240mA, 3500K



Driver options:

Option 1: HLG-240H-48A - 240w, 5a - $87.95
Run 3 strips at 1.67a on this, buy another driver later with 3 more strips


Option 2: HLG-320H-48A – 320w 6.7a - $127
Run 4 strips @ 1.675a


Option 3: HLG-480H-48A - 480w, 10a - $189
Run it at 60% with 3 strips to start so they’re each getting 2a, then undim and add 3 more later in grow for late veg/flower, which will run them at 1.67a (or I could add 2 more for 5 @ 2a)


Seems like multiple HLG-240H-48As would be the cheapest option? I don’t have to worry about dimming or anything if I do that either.


Another thing I wanted to ask is about colour temperatures. I’m planning on starting with 3500Ks, then adding a few 3000Ks later, does that sound good? Or do I have it the wrong way around
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
I'm using a driver by Delta it is a little cheaper and available at Digikey, but it is a 320Wx48A also. Using 3 Strips might add a fourth one if summer gets warmer, but they run pretty coolish when temps are in the 70s

my reasoning for the 3 strips was 6.7A/3=2.25A per strip at full tilt and about 1100mA at 50%.
I don't want to turn the driver lower than 50% as the efficiency starts to drop quite a bit below this point.
 
GrowLightResearch

GrowLightResearch

Well-Known Member
organic.grower said:
LED Strip: 4' Double row Samsung FB24B strips
Click to expand...
I do not recommend the double row strips. For a few dollars more you can get two single row strips. The benefit is you spread out the light for improved uniformity and more importantly you spread out the heat generated by the LEDs. Heat reduces the efficiency.

The prices on the drivers are a little high. Try Mouser.
In this table I have calculated the cost per watt. The highlighted have the least cost per watt.
HLG Prices.jpg

The HLG-240H-48A looks like your best bet.

Your prices on the strips are a little high too.

You should take a look at the Bridgelux BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3
This strip costs less and generates light more efficiently.

Samsung SI-B8UZ91B20WW typical lumens per watt = 171 lm/W $48.07 (double row)
Samsung SI-B8U521B20WW typical lumens per watt = 171 lm/W $26.51 (single row)

BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 typical lumens per watt = 175 lm/W $14.06

I would go with seven of the BXEB-L1120Z-35E4000-C-B3 or BXEB-L1120Z-30E4000-C-B3 @ ≈ $100 for all seven
More photons for less money.

Another plus is these Bridgelux Gen 2 strips run cool. No heatsink is required. Even at full power (1400 mA)
Running the FB24B strips at 1.67A is going to be too hot.

I have found 7 strips to be great for uniformity. Mount them on the chassis evenly spaced.
Strips work best if you extend them about 6" over the edges of the grow area.
 
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GrowLightResearch

GrowLightResearch

Well-Known Member
Chip Green said:
Care to share how this conclusion was drawn?
Click to expand...
I bought six of them, fired them up, and measured current and temperature.
They were in free air. Not attached to anything other than the screws at each end on the chassis.
They were wired 2S 3P so the currents in the 3 parallel sets were a bit unbalanced.
1523 mA, 1445 mA, and 1231 mA the highest temp I measured with a thermal couple was just over 50° C.
I could hold my finger on the back of the strips indefinitely. The one at 1.2A was very cool. It took a second after touching it to feel any heat. Measured about 40°. I did not record the temperatures. I would just periodically measure currents and temperature for the first couple of days.
 
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O

organic.grower

New Member
Those prices for the drivers were from Mouser, I think the reason my prices seem high to you is because I'm in Australia? I'll definitely take a look at the Bridgelux strips though, thanks for that.
It's weird though.. on this forum you've said I'd be running them too hot at 1.67A, but on another forum someone said I should be running them at least at the 2.25A stock. Apparently they max at like 3.6A? I wouldn't try running them anywhere near 3.6A though haha

For cooling I'm planning on just building a U channel aluminium frame and using thermal tape to mount them, sound good?
 
nfhiggs

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
organic.grower said:
Those prices for the drivers were from Mouser, I think the reason my prices seem high to you is because I'm in Australia? I'll definitely take a look at the Bridgelux strips though, thanks for that.
It's weird though.. on this forum you've said I'd be running them too hot at 1.67A, but on another forum someone said I should be running them at least at the 2.25A stock. Apparently they max at like 3.6A? I wouldn't try running them anywhere near 3.6A though haha

For cooling I'm planning on just building a U channel aluminium frame and using thermal tape to mount them, sound good?
Click to expand...
That generally works. The double row strips have twice the surface area so they will run fine at their nominal rated current of 2.25 Amps. However I would run them softer (maybe 1600 mA) just for the increased efficiency - but that's just me.
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
organic.grower said:
I'll definitely take a look at the Bridgelux strips though, thanks for that.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately he mentioned an incorrect Samsung product code and therefore an incorrect price too. Better check the actual prices yourself, because for me the Samsung strips came out cheaper when comparing actually existing products.

Also check out this article with many example ledstrip designs: http://ledgardener.com/diy-led-strip-build-designs-samsung-bridgelux/
(or the thread here about it: http://rollitup.org/t/25-strip-build-designs-for-samsung-h-series-f-series-q-series-and-bridgelux-eb-gen-2.957842/)

In those designs the Samsung F-Series gen 3 builds also come out cheaper than Bridgelux gen 2.
 
Moflow

Moflow

Well-Known Member
wietefras said:
Unfortunately he mentioned an incorrect Samsung product code and therefore an incorrect price too. Better check the actual prices yourself, because for me the Samsung strips came out cheaper when comparing actually existing products.

Also check out this article with many example ledstrip designs: http://ledgardener.com/diy-led-strip-build-designs-samsung-bridgelux/
(or the thread here about it: http://rollitup.org/t/25-strip-build-designs-for-samsung-h-series-f-series-q-series-and-bridgelux-eb-gen-2.957842/)

In those designs the Samsung F-Series gen 3 builds also come out cheaper than Bridgelux gen 2.
Click to expand...
@wietefras , would the bridgelux builds be the best option ?
They have a lot more points of light compared to the Samsung builds.
2x2 with samsung 288 diodes v bridgelux 672 diodes.
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
Moflow said:
@wietefras , would the bridgelux builds be the best option ?
They have a lot more points of light compared to the Samsung builds.
2x2 with samsung 288 diodes v bridgelux 672 diodes.
Click to expand...
The diode count doesn't matter that much since it's just strips of light from where the plants sit. The diodes are so close together that that blends fully within an inch or so. It's more the number of strips which matters and indeed with the lower powered Bridgelux strips you do get more strips.

If you put 4 strips in a 2x2 space you can drop the light to 6" or less. With 6 strips you could drop to 4" or less. But then I wonder at which point it starts becoming too much of a nuisance when you get too close to the plants. Although in a 2x2 it's probably still doable.

It's more personal preference which to choose.
 
GrowLightResearch

GrowLightResearch

Well-Known Member
Moflow said:
would the bridgelux builds be the best option ?
Click to expand...
They are very competitive. Price/Performance BX edges Samsung by an insignificant amount.

I tried both. I went with the BX Gen2 becasue they run cooler. Probably because the BX Gen2 are wider and more LEDs helps dissipate and spread the heat. I ran one board 100 mA over the 1400mA max and I could still hold my finger on it indefinitely. With the $/lm insignificant and the BX Gen2 has less lumens per strip that means the Gen2 will spread the photons better.
I hate the Bridgelux new poke-in connector. I rip them off and solder.

You won't go wrong with either. Best bang for the buck today.
 
P

paraordnance

Well-Known Member
GrowLightResearch said:
Running the FB24B strips at 1.67A is going to be too hot.
Click to expand...
That is a wrong statement. At 1.67A per one FB24B will get aluminium 2" channel not much warmer than 40C. That is a slightly higher than body temperature. Touch yourself and tell me if it feels hot?

I can run my FB24B at up to 2.5A each and they never get above 60 C, and that is not hot, not to mention "too hot". Two FB24B for 5A driver (HLG-240-48 ) is a perfect match!

nfhiggs is right, running FB24Bs at 1.5-1.7A each is probably a sweet spot as they barely produce any heat at that current. My suggestion is to design your system to run these double row strips at test current and dim down a little. It is cheaper to build this way.
 
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GrowLightResearch

GrowLightResearch

Well-Known Member
paraordnance said:
That is a wrong statement. At 1.67A per one FB24B will get aluminium 2" channel not much warmer than 40C
Click to expand...
Good point. Let me rephrase.

Another plus is these Bridgelux Gen 2 strips run cool. No heatsink is required. Even at full power (1400 mA)
If you want to run the FB24B strips at 1.67A you will likely need a heatsink.
 
Randomblame

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
GrowLightResearch said:
Good point. Let me rephrase.

Another plus is these Bridgelux Gen 2 strips run cool. No heatsink is required. Even at full power (1400 mA)
If you want to run the FB24B strips at 1.67A you will likely need a heatsink.
Click to expand...
Nope! It's the 4ft. double row he's talking about, 288 diodes, 2,240A nom. current(3,6A max.) and about 65°C.

1,67A without heatsink would be too much for a 4ft. single row or 2ft. double row strip.

And btw, you need two EB strips to get the same light a single row F-strip would produce. 2x 2ft. EB equals. 1x 2ft. F-Series!

I do not see a very big price advantage for the EB's. The real benefits are effiency(+4lm/w in 3500°k) and that you can use twice as many strips, which results in a more homogeneous illumination.
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
Also, the Samsung strips have a price break at 10 units. So you get a discount quite quickly making them cheaper than Bidgelux strips. For bigger rooms the double rows are an easier solution too.

Efficacy is not that easy to compare since Samsung tests at 65C and Bridgelux gives you a theoretical estimate at 25C.
 
Moflow

Moflow

Well-Known Member
If i wanted to run a 2ft Samsung F Series Gen 3 double row strip (144 diodes)
without a heatsink how many mA would be recommended?
 
GrowLightResearch

GrowLightResearch

Well-Known Member
Randomblame said:
Nope! It's the 4ft. double row he's talking about, 288 diodes, 2,240A nom.
Click to expand...
You are going to need a bigger heatsink with the double row.
Two single row are only about $3 more than the double.
I would go with two single row for less heat and better uniformity.
And I would go with BX Gen2 for the same reason plus a fraction of a cent less per lumen.
 
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