Help buying and building my first cob light.

do not over fill your tent. Fight the urge to do so. yeah, it looks like you could put 8 pots in there, they look all nice and symmetrical. Even after the first few weeks they look like its going great. then they will explode in size and start to choke each other out, it will be a big a mess. I wouldn't put more then 2 plants in there. Get your feet wet, then get a bigger tent and more lights.

what are you going to grow in? I think you said soil, but what kind of pots? 5 gallon pots from the hardware store may work nicely.

muleface said:

do not over fill your tent. Fight the urge to do so. yeah, it looks like you could put 8 pots in there, they look all nice and symmetrical. Even after the first few weeks they look like its going great. then they will explode in size and start to choke each other out, it will be a big a mess. I wouldn't put more then 2 plants in there. Get your feet wet, then get a bigger tent and more lights.

what are you going to grow in? I think you said soil, but what kind of pots? 5 gallon pots from the hardware store may work nicely.

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No I won't overdue it. I already did a grow in there with 2 -3 gal pots and those got really big.
So I might do no more than 1 gal pot and do maybe 3 pots.

What other websites sells kits for cobs etc besides timber, tastyled,cob kits. ? Just want to know more places for when I decide to make a bigger light for my 6x6 room

Mike10gs said:

What other websites sells kits for cobs etc besides timber, tastyled,cob kits. ? Just want to know more places for when I decide to make a bigger light for my 6x6 room

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Those are 3 of the best other than HLG. Also RapidLed is a great resource also.

Hey guys so will be getting my stuff shipped tomorrow hopefully.
My question is which would be better for my tent. I am in a 2x2x4ft tent.
I ordered 2 different kits

2 cobs with Meanwell HLG-120h-48a driver in parallel which would be 150w or

4cobs with Meanwell HLG-185-C1400B driver in series at 200w.

I was going to put the 4cobs but am afraid of heat. But I have heard that heat is not so bad with cobs. I have a 4" intake which plan on getting 6"..
And have 6"exhaust. Also have clip fan in there. Could I control heat with this and have the 4 cobs.?
Anyone do 4cobs 200w in 2x2.? Would like any advice. Thanks guys

Mike10gs said:

Hey guys so will be getting my stuff shipped tomorrow hopefully.
My question is which would be better for my tent. I am in a 2x2x4ft tent.
I ordered 2 different kits

2 cobs with Meanwell HLG-120h-48a driver in parallel which would be 150w or

4cobs with Meanwell HLG-185-C1400B driver in series at 200w.

I was going to put the 4cobs but am afraid of heat. But I have heard that heat is not so bad with cobs. I have a 4" intake which plan on getting 6"..
And have 6"exhaust. Also have clip fan in there. Could I control heat with this and have the 4 cobs.?
Anyone do 4cobs 200w in 2x2.? Would like any advice. Thanks guys

Click to expand...

you have 2 kits being shipped or you are wanting to know what kit to get?

the 4 cobs are fine, as the driver can be dimmed. 200 watts may be more then you need in a 2x2. 150 watts would be fine. The cobs running at a low wattage would run them more efficiently, plus you would get a better light spread.

get one of these, it will help you get to the correct wattage.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=asc_df_B00009MDBU5191776/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00009MDBU&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167125429392&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3006154731103851&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9051789&hvtargid=pla-306572288073

you will also need a 100k ohm potentiometer (for dimming your type b driver)

you can pick one up on amazon too, they are pretty cheap.

https://smile.amazon.com/Uxcell-a11120800ux0026-Terminals-Rotary-Potentiometer/dp/B011BHHY0E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1506670778&sr=8-4&keywords=100k+ohm+potentiometer

you will attach your wires to the first and second pin on the potentiometer.

Mike10gs said:

Hey guys so will be getting my stuff shipped tomorrow hopefully.
My question is which would be better for my tent. I am in a 2x2x4ft tent.
I ordered 2 different kits

2 cobs with Meanwell HLG-120h-48a driver in parallel which would be 150w or

4cobs with Meanwell HLG-185-C1400B driver in series at 200w.

I was going to put the 4cobs but am afraid of heat. But I have heard that heat is not so bad with cobs. I have a 4" intake which plan on getting 6"..
And have 6"exhaust. Also have clip fan in there. Could I control heat with this and have the 4 cobs.?
Anyone do 4cobs 200w in 2x2.? Would like any advice. Thanks guys

Click to expand...

Your tent seems to short for 75w cobs, they need +12'' clearance from cannopy. Say another foot for the fixture, pots and tray and you can only really do a 24 inch plant. That kind of low ceiling is screaming for more diffused light. Would suggest highend ledstrips, samsung bridgelux, or maybe even vertical, surrounding your plant with light. Of the 2 proposed, go for 4 cobs. My 2 cents

Edit: you should have put your low ceiling height in your first post, looks like most of the replies you got assumes a lot more clearance.

Mike10gs said:

Hey everyone I am new to this site but not to growing. I have been using a viparspectra 450w. I bought another 450w but was reading around and saw what cob lights are doing. So thought I'd try and make one myself.

I want to make one with 2 cobs. Don't know much about cobs so help on where to buy all the parts needed would be appreciated. I'm growing in a 2x2 tent, so is 2 cobs Ok? I bought my vipars for 140 US. Can I make one with 2 for around that price range.? If not willing to spend a little more just want to get some info on where to begin. Thanks everyone.

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Planning: 50wpsf for flower and 25-50wpsf for veg. Any design that can deliver between 100w min to 200w max would work fine.
You did not mention spectrum. I would use a mixed spectrum. 5000k for veg at 100w and 3000k for flower at 100w. I would use both at the same rate from veg thru flower, as the 5000k has a bump in UV/IR that the 3000k has much less of. A 1750k thru 2000k have a lack of UV/IR.

A member here has a thread on mixed spectrum using 1750k/3500k/5000k I believe @ThaDawg

I also use mixed spectrum and have for a few years now mostly 5000k/3000k. I am using Samsung LM561C diodes exclusively now and 3000k is going in short supply so I am moving towards 2700K mixed with 5000K for a nice Natural Daylight Spectrum for growing.

VegasWinner said:

I would use both at the same rate from veg thru flower, as the 5000k has a bump in UV/IR that the 3000k has much less of. A 1750k thru 2000k have a lack of UV/IR.

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Infrared, notice the 'red' in it's name? IR starts at the far edge of the red spectrum around 700nm. A 1750K cob has more IR and deep reds in it than any other cob I've seen. UV is at the total opposite end of the spectrum near the bottom of the blue spectrum. The UV that is most desired in grow lights is not even available in a 5000k spectrum.

Your 5000K has no appreciable amount of UV or IR in it and your 3000K has no UV and very little IR in it.

Notice the bump in IR range of the 5000k LM561C at 450nm. compared to the 3000K LM561C . Nice bump in 450nm from the 5000K
UV at 710 - 750 is similar with most diodes with NO bump for any Samsung product as the light spectrum is becoming invisible. The 3000k has a slight increase in 710nm over 5000K.

On another note, the design of the GrowGreen 200w board is mine but the diodes are made by Samsung. If you do NOT have a GrowGreen 200w board your opinion is based on non-factual information or what they call nowadays FAKE NEWS.

VegasWinner said:

Notice the bump in IR range of the 5000k LM561C at 450nm. compared to the 3000K LM561C . Nice bump in 450nm from the 5000K
UV at 710 - 750 is similar with most diodes with NO bump for any Samsung product as the light spectrum is becoming invisible. The 3000k has a slight increase in 710nm over 5000K.

On another note, the design of the GrowGreen 200w board is mine but the diodes are made by Samsung. If you do NOT have a GrowGreen 200w board your opinion is based on non-factual information or what they call nowadays FAKE NEWS.

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UV is below 400nm and IR is above 700nm. You have basically none in either of those graphs or those diodes for that matter. You say "Notice the bump in IR range of the 5000k at 450nm" but in reality IR is nowhere near 450nm. You say UV at 710-750nm but UV is below 400nm. Are you just really confused or are you just making this stuff up for fun?

None of the boards you use, the Growgreen or whatever other boards you've used have any UV or IR in them at all other than the tiny bit of IR you see in the graphs, which is next to nothing. So telling someone there's a "nice bump" in IR or UV is totally misleading.

Danielson999 said:

UV is below 400nm and IR is above 700nm. You have basically none in either of those graphs or those diodes for that matter. You say "Notice the bump in IR range of the 5000k at 450nm" but in reality IR is nowhere near 450nm. You say UV at 710-750nm but UV is below 400nm. Are you just really confused or are you just making this stuff up for fun?

None of the boards you use, the Growgreen or whatever other boards you've used have any UV or IR in them at all other than the tiny bit of IR you see in the graphs, which is next to nothing. So telling someone there's a "nice bump" in IR or UV is totally misleading.

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Same profile as the infamous phantom GG707 himself. been ignored this person needs to get a life other than following me around, but they may learn something more than google and no public profile like the adore-mentioned. this is NOT a real person but a phantom, a figment of someone's imagination with no threads of their own, no lights of their own, no accomplishments of their own, except worrying about other people in a nasty manner, called a TROLL which is misleading. chuckle

VegasWinner said:

Same profile as the infamous phantom GG707 himself. been ignored this person needs to get a life other than following me around, but they may learn something more than google and no public profile like the adore-mentioned. this is NOT a real person but a phantom, a figment of someone's imagination with no threads of their own, no lights of their own, no accomplishments of their own, except worrying about other people in a nasty manner, called a TROLL which is misleading. chuckle

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I have built lights of my own and shown them on RIU many times. I also grow outdoors and have shown that on RIU. I have used the same account for many years and never owned or used another. I also don't follow you around, I have only ever commented a few times in both our histories on RIU. You can believe I'm someone else following you around for whatever reason you imagine in your head, that much I am fine with.

I merely pointed out that you were completely wrong about UV and IR in your previous statement. I have not stated anything nasty to you ever even though you're acting like someone just slapped you senseless. I won't be drawn into some kind of flaming war like you have just attempted to start by stating lies about me. Your character is easily seen by others in your inflammatory and insensitive comments and it needs nothing added by me.

This was meant to be a discussion about lights, not an attack on my character. I'd appreciate it if you stop with your smear campaign and just leave me and everyone else in here with comments about the lights in question. Thanks.

notice how some people come along to ruin every thread that is not about them, so they make it about them by arguing with others.

Enjoy your cob build and ignore the noise. I normally do.

VegasWinner said:

notice how some people come along to ruin every thread that is not about them, so they make it about them by arguing with others.

Enjoy your cob build and ignore the noise. I normally do.

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Instead of answering with another bunch of nonsense, why not just simply show me and everyone else where on either of those graphs you posted that is shows UV? You stated there was a "nice bump" in UV, so please just show me where your light provides that bump in UV. Why not just talk sense and numbers instead of attacking someone?
If for some reason you have diodes on your board that provides UV then it's simply miscommunication between us. If you don't have specific diodes that produce UV then I was merely pointing out you're stating something that is misleading.

So please, just stick to the specifics of the lights and/or diodes we're talking about. I'd appreciate an honest answer.

muleface said:

you have 2 kits being shipped or you are wanting to know what kit to get?

the 4 cobs are fine, as the driver can be dimmed. 200 watts may be more then you need in a 2x2. 150 watts would be fine. The cobs running at a low wattage would run them more efficiently, plus you would get a better light spread.

get one of these, it will help you get to the correct wattage.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=asc_df_B00009MDBU5191776/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00009MDBU&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167125429392&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3006154731103851&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9051789&hvtargid=pla-306572288073

you will also need a 100k ohm potentiometer (for dimming your type b driver)

you can pick one up on amazon too, they are pretty cheap.

https://smile.amazon.com/Uxcell-a11120800ux0026-Terminals-Rotary-Potentiometer/dp/B011BHHY0E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1506670778&sr=8-4&keywords=100k+ohm+potentiometer

you will attach your wires to the first and second pin on the potentiometer.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply and the links. I will be ordering both. So by plugging my cobs to the watt meter . By dimming I can read how many watts it is at the wall correct. And get it to where I want? I ordered 2 kits. They are being shipped today. I just wanted to know which would be best for my 2x2 tent.

But I might have to buy a taller tent. Mine is only 4ft tall. Might buy a 6ft tall.

Rocket Soul said:

Your tent seems to short for 75w cobs, they need +12'' clearance from cannopy. Say another foot for the fixture, pots and tray and you can only really do a 24 inch plant. That kind of low ceiling is screaming for more diffused light. Would suggest highend ledstrips, samsung bridgelux, or maybe even vertical, surrounding your plant with light. Of the 2 proposed, go for 4 cobs. My 2 cents

Edit: you should have put your low ceiling height in your first post, looks like most of the replies you got assumes a lot more clearance.

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Yea low ceiling was a little problem in my last grow. I'll probably buy another tent.

I noticed 2 of you were going back and forth. Would it make it any better if I said I have no idea what you guys were talking about. I have not read enough Info to know all about that.
The bits that I have read is that 3500k is what a lot of people are using. So that's what I bought. The 4 cobs I got the CLU048 1212 3500k 80CRI gen 6

And the 2 cobs are CXM 22 3500k 80CRI gen3

So the light has to be atleast 12" from reaching ceiling in my tent? If so then I will have to buy a other tent. Mine is only 4ft tall. I'm not trying to make huge plants. That's what I have my 6x6 shed room for. Could I grow small plants in a 4ft tall with cobs. Or will that be a bit too much and buy a taller tent?

Danielson999 said:

Instead of answering with another bunch of nonsense, why not just simply show me and everyone else where on either of those graphs you posted that is shows UV? You stated there was a "nice bump" in UV, so please just show me where your light provides that bump in UV. Why not just talk sense and numbers instead of attacking someone?
If for some reason you have diodes on your board that provides UV then it's simply miscommunication between us. If you don't have specific diodes that produce UV then I was merely pointing out you're stating something that is misleading.

So please, just stick to the specifics of the lights and/or diodes we're talking about. I'd appreciate an honest answer.

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Thank you for keeping it civil. I'm just looking for simple answers without ppl fighting lol