Spuzzum
Well-Known Member
I got them from China..Holy f Spuzzum....thank you...thank you. Everytime I mention that heat sinks are there for a reason I get slaughtered by the Blackstar boys....lol
Who make your 660nm's? Don't tell me its CREE
http://stores.ebay.com/Louis-Electronic-Parts/Electronic-Components-/_i.html?_nkw=660nm&submit=Search&_fsub=2018248014&_sid=905094954
Cheap, but I couldn't justify $10 a pop for LedEngin's
http://canada.newark.com/ledengin/lz1-10r205/led-high-brightness-red-5w/dp/16P3132
http://ca.mouser.com/Search/m_ProductDetail.aspx?qs=TaOZSEYtRiWYl34IA%2b%2b49Q==
Especially when LedEngin states that they are 5w.. though they don't tell you that's at absolute maximum ratings. They usually label these things by the "typical" values, not the maximum. So, when you buy an led that states "5w".. well, you'd think you'd still be able to raise it a bit. But if they're labeling at the "maximum".. anything more and your bulb's going to die.
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/specsheets/LZ1-00R205_Datasheet.pdf
LedEngin also has the 735nm InfraReds, but the same ratings.. and you need to order 223 of them at a time.. at $7.30 each!:
http://canada.newark.com/ledengin/lz1-10r305/led-high-brightness-red-5w/dp/32R7951
But this guy has some coming in February.. $7 each for 1w units:
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=74&products_id=694
As for optics... anytime you put a piece of plastic or glass in front of your light.. be it an air-cooled hood, a cool-tube, or a lens in this case.. you lose lumens and intensity. Best to just buy led's with 60 or 80 degree angle to begin with. .. Unless you just use mirrored reflectors.. $7 each. The guy at ledgrow.eu "had" the lenses, and chose to go without.. these are the reflectors he's still using though.. $7 each
http://www.ledgrow.eu/diy.html
If you look at the pattern of a Cree XR-E.. the ones I'm going to buy, they're pretty much in the 60 to 80 degree range already. Yes, they're rated at 100 degrees.. but look at how far a distance that is before it "flares" to 100 degrees. And then think at how close these dealers are telling us we need to keep the panels to our plants.. what.. 8" to 10", right? It would seem the Cree's are in that range at that distance.
These are the guys I'm going to buy from for my led's:
http://ledsupply.com/
Lastly.. all I can say about dealers..
Not to say that Blackstar, or any other company, is a scammer.. but the marijuana business in general, has always been full of scammers. And for a company that you deal with over the internet, newspaper, magazine, or any other form of "business" that's not "face to face in an actual store/building".. you're taking your chances. So what if they have a 3 year "guarantee".. will they actually still be around in 3 years? Or are they the same "run and gun" type of scammers that told us 1/4 watt 5mm led panels were the future....
Even if the dealer says Cree, and even if you open the panel and the stars say "Cree".. doesn't mean it's really a Cree.. counterfeits galore in China.. the home of the manufacturers of these panels. They may be North American company, but a lot of them still get them made "in China".
That's why I'm building my own.. at least I know what the fuck's inside.
Cheers man....
Spuzzum