In the Valley LED Strip Build

OK, folks, figured Id start a thread on my build I have going on.

20 Ebay strips, 5730 diodes, 1440 total diodes,

This will be a build and follow up grow.

Working on the fabrication part now, kinda complicated. I have a friend that is welding for me, so Im on his watch. Then I have to create the encasement itself.

This is going to be something like Youv never seen before, lol, thats for sure.

Pretty good numbers, in my mock tent.

OK, talk away, no BS in this thread. I plan on having this complete by Maybe Saturday. I have 4 sprouts ready to roll, about 11 days old or so, and they will go under this light. Using a Mars300 modded, but half went out on me, so time is a factor i guess.

So far, I have maybe $130 into this build. Going to be 24inx24inx4in.

Stay tuned!!

Looks real interesting. Are you going to leave gaps between strips? Looks clean so far

Hey VegasWinner, Yeah, there will be 12.5mm gap between each strip. Im also deciding on if i want to drill out holes in the gaps, because Im going to have 2 fans sucking air UP and out. So, instead of active cooling, it will be just simply pulling the hot air up thru and out the top. They dont really even produce much heat at all, so the fans are probably overkill, but, better safe then sorry i guess.

As you can see, the strips are in aluminum extrusions, and those will be weld tacked to the 6061 T6 13ga sheet aluminum. Put in a shop Metel brake, and it didnt work out to well, cracked it.

It will also have 2 switches, that I can control the spectrums. I have 10pc 5K, and 10pc 3K, so I can turn them off independently. The power will be run in parallel. I will be using a regulated Power supply, and can adjust the voltage. I have a meter to monitor Volts, watts, and amps, to fine tune current. Also will be using GrowMau Night Puck, and still depressed I didnt get my Growmau sticker with it, WTH MANNNN. lol,

But early testing, Im going to run these at 12 volts or so, which gives me 40,000 lux at 26 inches, my DIY Par meter says 800, and about 225 watts. Bartered the aluminum, so my cost is going to be under $200.

But that includes paint, hanging hardware, Dual timer, and wasted $10 on garbage Wagos that are useless for me.

Thanks for Lookin Vegas,

Any LED strip build, of any sort, with any brand, at any cost, tickles my fancy......

lil update, cramin this project in with a bunch of other things, but its getting there.

alot of work to do still.

SO, here is todays progress, and a peek on the lil ones at 12 days old. Growing under half a mars300 with lenses and my own spectrum. Half went out on me, so its at like 70-75watts or so. Its working tho.

InTheValley said:

lil update, cramin this project in with a bunch of other things, but its getting there.

alot of work to do still.

SO, here is todays progress, and a peek on the lil ones at 12 days old. Growing under half a mars300 with lenses and my own spectrum. Half went out on me, so its at like 70-75watts or so. Its working tho.

Click to expand...

Inquiring minds want to know, are you looking to gain anything by putting your strips on the "inside" of the U-channel rather than the flat backside of the U-channel?

BuddyColas said:

Inquiring minds want to know, are you looking to gain anything by putting your strips on the "inside" of the U-channel rather than the flat backside of the U-channel?

Click to expand...

Hey Buddy. Are you referring to the aluminum extrusion strips the strips are sitting in? Those are for Heat dissipation, and they kinda aim the light downward then outward is guess you can say. They are only 7mm high, so it wont make a huge difference. I had bought the extrusion with the premise i was going to adher them to perforated aluminum sheet, for heat removal. so I wanted something to help with heat, and to hold the strips to the sheet. Then I changed my mind on the perforated sheet, and went with what i have now. Im going to drill holes between the extrusion, which will allow heat to still go thru the sheet and out the top of the fixture, via fans.

Now, the U channel on the perimeter is used to run the wires thru, and being the main framework, while also allowing me to lay the light flat without harming the strips themselves. Also, the strip will be easily removed to change out. I also had diffusers on these extrusions, and they basically reduced the intensity by 50%, So i tossed them.

Hope I answered your question Bud.

Just a heads up for you buddy, the 3M tape on them strips is crap. After a couple of days I opened my cab to find most strips stuck to my plant. I have mine on a sheet of aluminium which I drilled and cable wrapped in the end. Also you will need the fans, I didn't factor mine in at first but did make a difference.

KrazyG said:

Just a heads up for you buddy, the 3M tape on them strips is crap. After a couple of days I opened my cab to find most strips stuck to my plant. I have mine on a sheet of aluminum which I drilled and cable wrapped in the end. Also you will need the fans, I didn't factor mine in at first but did make a difference.

Click to expand...

I know what your saying, that senerio ran thru my head with the 3m tape. Might just end up using 1/2-1/4 inch pieces of the diffuser. Just cut them and they pretty much hold them in. Having some diodes diffused might not be a bad thing. IDK yet.

Build is going slow, lol. ALot of waiting for things to dry. Im using JB weld and epoxy for alot of the bonding. No real weight is going to be on it, because my hanging apparatus is going to be bolts to the main aluminum sheet. I know for a fact, It will never calapse because of the hang design, which ultimately is the upmost important ingredient in making this all work correctly.

Thanks for lookin in KrazyG and the heads up man,

Your led build is guna look dope bro!
My 3m tape is still holding good. Veg's decent plants my man.

Bro, nice, simplicity at its best right there for sure. You using a certain kind of 3M, or is 3M, 3M?, lol..

Nice builds. My 3m holds well if you don't try to relocate them.
Love the builds those lights are dope fresh

InTheValley said:

Bro, nice, simplicity at its best right there for sure. You using a certain kind of 3M, or is 3M, 3M?, lol..

Click to expand...

Just the tape on the strips. It bonded pretty well to the alum. It gets hot cranked up but nothing the 92mm artic fans @43cfm each camt handle. I never have it cranked up tho

Rolla J said:

Your led build is guna look dope bro!
My 3m tape is still holding good. Veg's decent plants my man.View attachment 4021478 View attachment 4021480 View attachment 4021482

Click to expand...

Bad ass

InTheValley said:

Hey Buddy. Are you referring to the aluminum extrusion strips the strips are sitting in? Those are for Heat dissipation, and they kinda aim the light downward then outward is guess you can say. They are only 7mm high, so it wont make a huge difference. I had bought the extrusion with the premise i was going to adher them to perforated aluminum sheet, for heat removal. so I wanted something to help with heat, and to hold the strips to the sheet. Then I changed my mind on the perforated sheet, and went with what i have now. Im going to drill holes between the extrusion, which will allow heat to still go thru the sheet and out the top of the fixture, via fans.

Now, the U channel on the perimeter is used to run the wires thru, and being the main framework, while also allowing me to lay the light flat without harming the strips themselves. Also, the strip will be easily removed to change out. I also had diffusers on these extrusions, and they basically reduced the intensity by 50%, So i tossed them.

Hope I answered your question Bud.

Click to expand...

Subbed for your thread buddy

Yo 714, cool man, going to be interesting, I think this build is going to turn out alright. it will all be about the grow tho for sure..

Few pics of the progress, she going to be a biggin. 23x23x3.5 inch
Probably another week or so before completion. I could actually have it running tonight, but no rush, still have to prep for body work,

Likely i wont post another pic till its done tho. Have to keep the suspense, lol..

ok people, have a great night, day, time, thanks for looking and input much appreciated.

lil ones are 13 days old, (sept21)

Looking good!
sub'd

HEY Big Green Thumb, glad ya came thru man, after all, Your my mentor for this project HUH.

lol, Man, thanks again for your time with this Rig. Turning out pretty good. I actually have everything to finish this tonight, but Im going to milk it for a few days, taking my time, Letting my OCD do its thing, lol..

Was tossing around color ideas, was going to go with a metallic green bud color, but might end up just doing it white, and If i dont like it, wont be no big deal to change it. Might still end up green, lol..

Have a good day fellas,

Whats good fellas,
Well, gettin there, waiting on fan grills, will be here Wednesday, then decided to change the top design, and needed another grill, low and behold, OCT 30th it will be here, Uggg. So, visually, it wont be complete till then, but that wont stop it from working the way its planned. just cant take finish pics till thats complete. the kicker is, i ordered them within 10 minutes of each other, one set be here Wednesday, the other In Nov probably, from same seller saying they had 1 set left.

Other then that, things rollin along. cant wait till its done, thats for sure, HUH

InTheValley said:

Whats good fellas,
Well, gettin there, waiting on fan grills, will be here Wednesday, then decided to change the top design, and needed another grill, low and behold, OCT 30th it will be here, Uggg. So, visually, it wont be complete till then, but that wont stop it from working the way its planned. just cant take finish pics till thats complete. the kicker is, i ordered them within 10 minutes of each other, one set be here Wednesday, the other In Nov probably, from same seller saying they had 1 set left.

Other then that, things rollin along. cant wait till its done, thats for sure, HUH

Click to expand...

Man i couldnt wait for packages like that. Soo far away! Cant wait to see the rest