DIY with Quantum Boards

robincnn

Well-Known Member
Tested a QB288 with HLG600H-54B

Power starts at 150Watts @25C 54.2 Volts
Board heatsink up to 65C without heatsinks and goes up to 180W, then aborted the test. Even at the end the driver was still pusning 54.2V. How does the power go up if voltage does not change at all !!

As temps go up the Vf of diodes go down. When Vf does down the diode is able to pull more current. Then board heats up even more and Vf does not further. This can cause thermal runnaway in parallel boards installation. and you get a toasted board.

How to avoid this Runaway in parallel board connections.
1) Get a Type A driver if you use Boards in parallel. Type A driver 54V or under have a Vf adjustment in driver. You can fine tune to limit the voltage. like 53V or 53.5V instead of 54V, has to be tested.
2) Use a good/oversized heatsink. Heatsink will keep the board cool an ensure the Vf of diodes does not go down too much and they cannot pull excessive current.
Retested the board with Slate 2 heatsink and it worked well.
3) Go with series wiring.
 
Last edited:

907guy

Well-Known Member
Tested a QB288 with HLG600H-54B

Power starts at 150Watts @25C 54.2 Volts
Board heatsink up to 65C without heatsinks and goes up to 180W, then aborted the test. Even at the end the driver was still pusning 54.2V. How does the power go up if voltage does not change at all !!

As temps go up the Vf of diodes go down. When Vf does down the diode is able to pull more current. Then board heats up even more and Vf does not further. This can cause thermal runnaway in parallel boards installation. and you get a toasted board.

How to avoid this Runaway in parallel board connections.
1) Get a Type A driver if you use Boards in parallel. Type A driver 54V or under have a Vf adjustment in driver. You can fine tune to limit the voltage. like 53V or 53.5V instead of 54V, has to be tested.
2) Use a good/oversized heatsink. Heatsink will keep the board cool an ensure the Vf of diodes does not go down too much and they cannot pull excessive current.
Retested the board with Slate 2 heatsink and it worked well.
3) Go with series wiring.
The 288 boards are rated up to 3 amps, you were pulling 3.3 with no heat sink!

You could also individually fuse them at like 3 amps or 2.5 or what ever you wanted to limit your self as a safety if you wired in parallel. This is most likely what I will do, a 1.5 or 2 amp fuse per board will limit me to what my power supply can do, this should protect both the power supply and the boards.

Fusus or thermal breakers would work great.
 
Last edited:

MMJ Dreaming 99

Well-Known Member
I just finished my first build, and very pleased with the QB so far. They are brighter than any LED cob builds Ive done.
Guys, be careful with your vision around these, I tested the power before soldering my connections.
Holy shit, it got me good. burned the board pattern at the slant it was in, into my brain for awhile. When I closed my eyes, it stayed for about 15min. I did not have my sun glasses on.
I am wearing the darkest black shades oakley sells(polarized black iridium lenses), the gas cans version, recommend them. Buy a pair online, and save 60-80 bucks vs retail shit. Better than my wifes costas, which is what I had been using prior.

Robin was great to work with, he's a trustworthy guy for sure.
Good info. Steph & Robin are good dudes. The one light I have is metal halide. I really worry about skin cancer with MH. Also I think LECs are ones you have to be really careful around. Protect your eyes boys and girls. Baseball caps with good sun glasses or any hat with a good brim.
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Good info. Steph & Robin are good dudes. The one light I have is metal halide. I really worry about skin cancer with MH. Also I think LECs are ones you have to be really careful around. Protect your eyes boys and girls. Baseball caps with good sun glasses or any hat with a good brim.
You do know that all those lamps pass OSHA requirements for low UV emissions, right? They deliberately build those lamps with outer jackets that cut UV, hence all the warnings against running them if the glass envelope fails.

If you want to be concerned about UV light exposure, beware of those Actinic UV T5 lamps. They'll fucking fry you.

In fact, you'll notice that I liberally sprinkle warnings about them throughout my postings, and suggest that people keep them on a separate circuit so they can be shut off while people are in the growing space.

There's going to be an explosion of old growers with skin cancer and blindness due to macular degeneration, both from exposure to UV lighting soon. Follow my advice and you won't be among them.
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Fire extingquishers and multiple smoke detectors.

Anyone posting messages about "certified" bull shit should check out any of the Golden Death Mask wild man's killer QB builds or other great QB builds on this web site.
Even better; make damn sure all your wiring is up to code. Don't use a lot of power strips, keep electronics off the floor, etc, etc.

An ounce of prevention.
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
@robincnn @Stephenj37826

A few questions for you if you don't mind.

Do you have much in the way of ppf or ppfd results on these QBs currently?

I see on your website you have a fair few 2700k boards available but I don't see a spectral graph for them, do you have one available?

I have a space left in my flower tent which I was going to COB up, But keeping options open for now.
Space is 3x4 feet, what would you recommend as far as how many boards and what configuration to cover that area without having piss poor PPFD?

If I went down this road what's the expected waiting time on the QBs with slates and drivers and such? (with the 3000k)

What's the shipping costs to the UK for said recommended set up?

Cheers Guys!
C.W
 

GardenGuy

Well-Known Member
Robin made it clear to which type of wiring I should go for my 288s. Maybe you guys should collect all those info and tests and up them on the boards pages.. It'd be very helpful for us.
 

pop22

Well-Known Member
The HLG website has all the information your likely to want. look under the category QB Project. It gives specs, wiring guides, etc

@robincnn @Stephenj37826

A few questions for you if you don't mind.

Do you have much in the way of ppf or ppfd results on these QBs currently?

I see on your website you have a fair few 2700k boards available but I don't see a spectral graph for them, do you have one available?

I have a space left in my flower tent which I was going to COB up, But keeping options open for now.
Space is 3x4 feet, what would you recommend as far as how many boards and what configuration to cover that area without having piss poor PPFD?

If I went down this road what's the expected waiting time on the QBs with slates and drivers and such? (with the 3000k)

What's the shipping costs to the UK for said recommended set up?

Cheers Guys!
C.W
 

pop22

Well-Known Member
I built 2 separate frames 28" long. That way, I can adjust the spread and can vary the height of each panel separately. I find one large frame to be unwieldy. I've made brackets to bolt the two frames together as I may try a vertical scrog with my lights

Planning to build a light using 4 qb304 with 2 driver to cover a 4x4 to5x5.

any suggestions on the frame measurements? Got some angle aluminum from the local hardware store.
 
Top