DIY with Quantum Boards

MMJ Dreaming 99

Well-Known Member
Robincnn posted the data on the hlg site for the QB.

I just did a cost comparison with the citi 1212 vs. QB288. For similar wattage the citi is $40 cheaper but what I came up with the QB288 puts out more par even running with more current. I believe it's over 26% more.
Nice job. Still pondering correct config or 4 QBs to take on SE 1000 Watt HPS or DE.

The 4 QBs need 2 meanwells. I was thinking of adding 3 1212's in the middle running a Chinese driver/ballast???
 

pop22

Well-Known Member
Run 6 boards, three on each of two, HLG320H C2800b. You'd be about 600watts and could dim them both from one pot even. I'd put that up against any HPS

Nice job. Still pondering correct config or 4 QBs to take on SE 1000 Watt HPS or DE.

The 4 QBs need 2 meanwells. I was thinking of adding 3 1212's in the middle running a Chinese driver/ballast???
 

pop22

Well-Known Member
I'm waiting on my photo period seeds to sprout. THEN it gets tested! 4x4x6.5' tent 4 QB light running at 363 watts at the wall. I'll be running two strains, two of each in 3.9 gallon auto pots. Should be interesting!
 

CobKits

Well-Known Member
Robincnn posted the data on the hlg site for the QB.

I just did a cost comparison with the citi 1212 vs. QB288. For similar wattage the citi is $40 cheaper but what I came up with the QB288 puts out more par even running with more current. I believe it's over 26% more.
i did a QB test in the sphere (which was weird trying to compare a qb to a cob due to the different format factor -with the size of the sphere the cob tests are usually single chip outside of the sphere shining into it- i ended up mounting a clu048 ideal holder on the back of the QB, using the QB as the heatsink, and flipping it over to test- in other words the board was still inside the sphere absorbing photons).

i did some low current tests and with the old S5 boards it took an estimated 3 cxm22 or 5 gen5 1212s to match it, as a caveat the first graph is real data the second is calculated by multiplying the cob curve wattage by 3 and 5 respectively to represent multiple chips :

upload_2017-3-20_21-58-30.png

on chip cost performance cobs win but theres cost of heatsinks to consider as well which can tip the scale in QB favor. this was as far as i got when i heard the S6 in QBs were coming out i gave up on testing. a fair test would be to use the same slate heatsink and mount 5 or 6 1212 gen 6 on it and map out a tent test vs S6 QB (and any other board comers). cobs were def at a thermal disadvantage in this test using the thin QB board itself as a heatsink... both cobs and QBs would perform better on a slate but how much better for each remains to be seen
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
i did a QB test in the sphere (which was weird trying to compare a qb to a cob due to the different format factor -with the size of the sphere the cob tests are usually single chip outside of the sphere shining into it- i ended up mounting a clu048 ideal holder on the back of the QB, using the QB as the heatsink, and flipping it over to test- in other words the board was still inside the sphere absorbing photons).

i did some low current tests and with the old S5 boards it took an estimated 3 cxm22 or 5 gen5 1212s to match it, as a caveat the first graph is real data the second is calculated by multiplying the cob curve wattage by 3 and 5 respectively to represent multiple chips :

View attachment 3910240

on chip cost performance cobs win but theres cost of heatsinks to consider as well which can tip the scale in QB favor. this was as far as i got when i heard the S6 in QBs were coming out i gave up on testing. a fair test would be to use the same slate heatsink and mount 5 or 6 1212 gen 6 on it and map out a tent test vs S6 QB (and any other board comers). cobs were def at a thermal disadvantage in this test using the thin QB board itself as a heatsink... both cobs and QBs would perform better on a slate but how much better for each remains to be seen
Any data is better than none. Too bad sphere testing can't quantify the light distribution improvement.
 

1KTrees

Member
LER is the maximum lumens/W for a given color.
QER is the maximum photons/s/W for a given color.
My question is this.
If the QB has a QER of 4.86 umoles/j and I am running at 55% eff. and a 1000w 400v HPS has 2000 umoles/j then wouldn't it take 750w of QB to make it equivalent?

To answer my own question, I would say yes. The thing is the QB can get a lot closer so we don't need as much output to match its production.

But what is needed? Probably going to be a lot of testing going on now that many people have them. Hopefully there are several grow styles represented.
 

pop22

Well-Known Member
I run them in parallel. In fact, HLG promotes running them in parallel. You have to buy a matched set so that they all draw the same voltage. Thermal runaway is not an issue with these. The likely hood of an entire board failing is quite unlikely. Ask the company, they'll tell you. And if that were actually a worry, then fuse each board, a simple enough task. I'm running 4 boards on one driver.
The HLG web page even shows you how to wire them in parallel, series, and series/parallel.


Not enough forward voltage running 3 in series.

I would run 4 QB on 2 hlg320-c2800a
Or
6 QB on 3 hlg240-c2100a
 

pop22

Well-Known Member
"1000w 400v HPS has 2000 umoles/j" yes, directly under the bulb maybe. But due to the circular radiation pattern, up to 30% of that is gone to reflector losses whereas with led the light is all aimed downward at up to at most, a 120 degree spread. Less light wasted.

And take a look at the trends going on in the DIY area. People seem to be having some hella good grows from LOW wattage LED lighting. Seems to me maybe we are all missing something here. I think its time to put away all the math and theory and start looking closer at what we are growing with these lights. I'm following a guy on another forum who I suspect will exceed 2gpw in a 4'x4' space with just 4 cobs running at 55 watts each. Final results should be in soon. I'm of the opinion the part of COB success is superior light quality.


My question is this.
If the QB has a QER of 4.86 umoles/j and I am running at 55% eff. and a 1000w 400v HPS has 2000 umoles/j then wouldn't it take 750w of QB to make it equivalent?

To answer my own question, I would say yes. The thing is the QB can get a lot closer so we don't need as much output to match its production.

But what is needed? Probably going to be a lot of testing going on now that many people have them. Hopefully there are several grow styles represented.
 
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