Quantum Boards - Heat question

Puff_Dragon

Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
Wanted to quiz the led gurus on an issue I'm having :)

First time buying QB's (one reason I upgraded; was in the hope of getting lower tent temps). Decided to buy two 240 Watt QB's (Im301b chips on qb288 boards at 3000K, mean well drivers, HLG series - with dimmer control). I'm testing the QB's in my empty tent and I'm having a little issue with heat (compared to the 600 Watt hps I was running in a cooltube).

The cooltube kept the tent temp (in my 1 meter square by 2 meter high tent) at 24c to 28c ('28c' only on hot summer days).
In the test with 2 QB's (both running at 'max' 240 watts), my tent temp spiked at 35c (on a hot day) ..the QB's being quite a bit hotter then the hps/cooltube.

Question:
Is there a recommended wattage I should run them at? Rather than run them 'full tilt'? (if I want a better temp to light ratio)
I could add fans ..but was worried that I'd get close to the wattage of the hps/cooltube combo ..just to cool the QB's down. fyi - they run hot enough (maxed out) that you can't keep your hand on the heat sink for any time. As is, I could only run these in winter (max wattage), in summer no way.

Guess I need a new cooling solution for my new lights :)
 

Attachments

Mullalulla

Mullalulla

Well-Known Member
Puff_Dragon said:
Wanted to quiz the led gurus on an issue I'm having :)

First time buying QB's (one reason I upgraded; was in the hope of getting lower tent temps). Decided to buy two 240 Watt QB's (Im301b chips on qb288 boards at 3000K, mean well drivers, HLG series - with dimmer control). I'm testing the QB's in my empty tent and I'm having a little issue with heat (compared to the 600 Watt hps I was running in a cooltube).

The cooltube kept the tent temp (in my 1 meter square by 2 meter high tent) at 24c to 28c ('28c' only on hot summer days).
In the test with 2 QB's (both running at 'max' 240 watts), my tent temp spiked at 35c (on a hot day) ..the QB's being quite a bit hotter then the hps/cooltube.

Question:
Is there a recommended wattage I should run them at? Rather than run them 'full tilt'? (if I want a better temp to light ratio)
I could add fans ..but was worried that I'd get close to the wattage of the hps/cooltube combo ..just to cool the QB's down. fyi - they run hot enough (maxed out) that you can't keep your hand on the heat sink for any time. As is, I could only run these in winter (max wattage), in summer no way.

Guess I need a new cooling solution for my new lights :)
Click to expand...
maybe your heatsink isnt connect rite ? I have a hlg-600h and running it at 400 at the moment my heatsink is running just fine, can rest my hand on it no problem. Also remember with led lights they give off no IR heat ... so your leaf temps can and should be around low to mid 80's with led.
 
Puff_Dragon

Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
it seems to be all screwed together (with the boards) correctly ..'seems'. I just probably don't have the experience to tell :)

fyi - The tent temp was 35c when taken one foot from the bottom of the tent (well below the lights). I just figured that the ambient temp would somewhat indicate the leaf temp (that was just assumption though).
for laughs; I'll turn them on again, let it heat up and post the temp on top of the unit.
 
Last edited:
Puff_Dragon

Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
Well I did say I needed a new cooling solution, right :)
I still have the same fan system running that was moving air through the cooltube (just now, it's extracting from the whole tent). I also had a small 3.5in fan blowing over the QB's (what I had to hand). Guess I need cool tubes for my QB's? ;-)

UPDATE:
I reheated my QB's (for about 1 hour) but this time put a 6in (inline) fan blowing on one side of the board (just to see the effect a 6" would have).

I'm starting to think (from replies) these numbers might not mean much, but here goes:
*measured with a temperature gun*
On top of the driver the temp is 43C
On top of the heatsink (without the fan blowing on it) - 56C
On top of the heatsink (WITH the fan blowing on the cob lights from below) - 44C
Tent temp: 34C
 
Puff_Dragon

Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
ah ha! nice thanks. I wondered/hoped that I was running too much light. Silly me for not actually doing the calculations.
From what I read; seems people like 30-35 watts per sq/ft.
It's nice to have the 2 lights though (for more even coverage) but I should have turned them down to match the tent size/watts per sq/ft. I'll dim them to 60% (instead of 100%) and recheck the temps. The two lights (together) would be running approx. 288Watts (over the whole tent space). Should make it easier to cool too.
 
Last edited:
Norml56

Norml56

Well-Known Member
When I run my QB 288's at full tilt they are crazy hot! It was easier to cool 1000watts of HPS in a air cooled hood then 4 288's at full power. Once I dimmed them down to about 100watts a board and put 2 small 4inch fans blowing across the sinks It has been much nicer. Nice thing about LED is you can just dim to reduce heat an lower the lights.
 
coreywebster

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
cool tubing a 600w hps leaves you with about 400w of heat. So yeah 480w of QB is going to warm the space up more.

You are extracting air yes?
 
Puff_Dragon

Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
thanks for the suggestions.
I ran the boards at 60% and that dropped the heat sink temp. by 10C all around. The tent temp. dropped to 30C.

I guess I could manage the current temp. with two 6" fans (one on each QB). Together with the fan system I have it should get the temp. down to the right range. Maybe even dim them a little more.

However, it seems like the better move would be to rewire it, so the driver is outside the tent. I just didn't want to get hands on with the units (I should have got the maker to wire them that way). I just didn't plan for the heat in this boards build configuration.

thanks again.
 
Axion42

Axion42

Well-Known Member
Keep in mind LED users usually run their tents a bit hotter since the leaf surface temps arent as hot as using HPS. My hlg288x6 tent runs at 85 degrees ambient temps and leaf surface is 78-79. Perfect for me and the girls. I believe it's the lack of infrared in the quantum boards.
 
Puff_Dragon

Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
Yep, I meant to check the leaf temps but didn't have a plant under the lights yesterday. Today I'll turn the lights on and put a plant under it for an hour or so ..then measure the leaf temp. Thanks for the input.
 
Norml56

Norml56

Well-Known Member
Axion42 said:
Keep in mind LED users usually run their tents a bit hotter since the leaf surface temps arent as hot as using HPS. My hlg288x6 tent runs at 85 degrees ambient temps and leaf surface is 78-79. Perfect for me and the girls. I believe it's the lack of infrared in the quantum boards.
Click to expand...
This piece about LED always makes me chuckle. FYI I am in no way bashing LED light I use 288 QB boards as well.

Buy LED to keep your tent cooler... but then run your tent hotter because of the lack of IR
Buy White LED because of superior spectrum... but then buy additional far red LEDs and a UV bulb
Buy this LED because it is the best light to grow with.... 2 months later that LED is shit buy this one it is the best light ever!
 
Axion42

Axion42

Well-Known Member
Norml56 said:
This piece about LED always makes me chuckle. FYI I am in no way bashing LED light I use 288 QB boards as well.

Buy LED to keep your tent cooler... but then run your tent hotter because of the lack of IR
Buy White LED because of superior spectrum... but then buy additional far red LEDs and a UV bulb
Buy this LED because it is the best light to grow with.... 2 months later that LED is shit buy this one it is the best light ever!
Click to expand...
Yea it is kinda counterintuitive but hey it's working for me and my electric bills are cheap! I first started growing a year ago and started with LED, I dont have the means to exhaust and cool HPS so LEDs are where it's at for me.
 
D

Dvxdude

Member
I have 320W xl Rspec QB in a 2x4 tent and I keep a 6" fan blowing directly on the driver. It keeps everything cool to the touch, without the fan the driver is hot I cant keep my hand on it and it does transfer to the heat sink and make it warm as well.
 
C

chuckie86

Well-Known Member
Damn I wanna get qbs cuz my heats up there well only with out the A.c. but,if they run that hot idk but I have a 7x6ft room,so,prob will not get a s hot hope,u fig this,out bro
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top