Pictures of your DIY lights - Post your pics!!!

I finally got around to finishing up a fixture using the cheap TCI strips from Estonia on ebay. I have to say these strips really preform well beyond what I expected. This 100W led strip fixture replaces a 220W PLL (T-neon) fixture. It produces much more light even though it's less than half the wattage.

All that for only about 9 euro per strip including the driver.

I used 4 strips and screwed them onto aluminum strips:


Drilling holes and screwing them on wasn't the best idea since it tends to short them out, but with a bit of spacer between the screw head and the strip it worked fine. I have a few more of these strips and I will try to use something else to fasten them.

I 3D printed some clamps to be able to click the drivers onto the frame.


I added 4 small switches so I can switch off each strip individually. When waiting for cuttings to root I won;t need full intensity. An extra 3D printed back plate pulls it all together nicely:


The fixture hanging over some recently pruned mothers and their cuttings:


Still to do is to add a better way to hang them. Although I have to say this temporary metal chain worked much better than I thought . So it might be in place for a while

wietefras said:

I finally got around to finishing up a fixture using the cheap TCI strips from Estonia on ebay. I have to say these strips really preform well beyond what I expected. This 100W led strip fixture replaces a 220W PLL (T-neon) fixture. It produces much more light even though it's less than half the wattage.

All that for only about 9 euro per strip including the driver.

I used 4 strips and screwed them onto aluminum strips:
View attachment 3974500

Drilling holes and screwing them on wasn't the best idea since it tends to short them out, but with a bit of spacer between the screw head and the strip it worked fine. I have a few more of these strips and I will try to use something else to fasten them.

I 3D printed some clamps to be able to click the drivers onto the frame.
View attachment 3974501

I added 4 small switches so I can switch off each strip individually. When waiting for cuttings to root I won;t need full intensity. An extra 3D printed back plate pulls it all together nicely:
View attachment 3974502

The fixture hanging over some recently pruned mothers and their cuttings:
View attachment 3974503

Still to do is to add a better way to hang them. Although I have to say this temporary metal chain worked much better than I thought . So it might be in place for a while

Click to expand...

Got a link to that switch plate?

BuddyColas said:

Got a link to that switch plate?

Click to expand...

The switch plate I designed and 3D printed myself. I could post an STL file for printing it yourself if that helps. Or the OpenSCAD script for generating it.

The part with the AC inlet, fuse and green switch, you can find on ebay, Amazon or many Chinese sellers. I bought that and the small switches from Aliexpress.

wietefras said:

The switch plate I designed and 3D printed myself. I could post an STL file for printing it yourself if that helps. Or the OpenSCAD script for generating it.

The part with the AC inlet, fuse and green switch, you can find on ebay, Amazon or many Chinese sellers. I bought that and the small switches from Aliexpress.

Click to expand...

3D designing and printing are a little beyond my skill set at present. Very clean and functional...well done!

attempting a scrog in my nearly complete upgraded grow box. Have to turn the lights right down to be able to take the shot.
180w of 69v 3500k Vero 29C.

Recently built this using four, QB 304 boards. Frame is 1/2" square aluminum tubing, very light weight. I built 2 separate frames for adjustability. Powered by 1, HLG320H-C2800b driver, the light pulls 363 watts from the wall for about 85 watts per board. My tent is out of control as I never expected this kind of growth! I'll flip the light sooner next time!

Dont recall if ive posted to this thread??? Ive got 2 rapid led vero 29 3 chip kits built and running, not entirely diy imo so ill leave those out but... for my veg closet im running 10 cree bulbs from the home depots.can be built for about 50-60$ for everything except wiring/power cord. Cord was scabbed off of an old cpu power supply, wiring i had. Very happy with how it performs.

Meanwell hlg320h c700a. 5 citiled CLU048-1212C4-353H6M3-F1 3500k. And 4 CLU048-1212C4-353M2M2-F1 3000k.

https://www.rollitup.org/t/colas-big-citi-lights.943861/

That's the build thread. Not quite finished this yet still need to wire fans and fan speed controller with an apv12 12 driver.

I'll be running a sativa dominant next run so thinking of adding a few 5000ks to try and keep the stretch down a bit. (will be on a separate driver wired in parallel)

Nice fixtures here. I am going to build a fixture too.

Heres my quantum board veg light .Nice and simple for a change.

key4 said:

Heres my quantum board veg light .Nice and simple for a change.
View attachment 3976591 View attachment 3976592 View attachment 3976593

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Nice. Clean work mate. I like this. What are your build costs. And what's your output?

Colanoscopy said:

Nice. Clean work mate. I like this. What are your build costs. And what's your output?

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Thanks The metal ,cable strain relief and fixings cost around £5
Plus the price of 2x qb288 and 2x slate 3 heat sinks.

Ive not put it on a wattmeter yet .

key4 said:

Thanks The metal ,cable strain relief and fixings cost around £5
Plus the price of 2x qb288 and 2x slate 3 heat sinks.

Ive not put it on a wattmeter yet .

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I half expected your response to be in $ there. It was the boards and driver I wanted the price of though lol.

I've got a volt/am meter wired in so I can constantly monitor my draw. There's even a little button so you can check how much you have used rather than what you are using.

@Colanoscopy im in the uk so pay ridiculous shipping and vat so my cost would be a lot more than a us customer.

The boards / heatsinks to the uk was £200 all in.
The driver was £65

key4 said:

@Colanoscopy im in the uk so pay ridiculous shipping and vat so my cost would be a lot more than a us customer.

The boards / heatsinks to the uk was £200 all in.
The driver was £65

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I'm north west UK. Mouser is good for shipping to us. But other than that it's all been stupid priced shipping.
I managed to source my heatsinks in the UK with no issues. But cobs and drivers. No chance. And can't find anywhere that will ship QBs to UK. I may just not be looking hard enough. 265 isn't bad at all really. About the same as cmh/cdm cost wise

@Colanoscopy

tme.eu is a good place for driver for us brits. Cheapest too.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/ will sort you out no problems but it takes a few weeks shipping .

key4 said:

@Colanoscopy

tme.eu is a good place for driver for us brits. Cheapest too.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/ will sort you out no problems but it takes a few weeks shipping .

Click to expand...

I've had a look there a few times tme.eu but i didn't like the sites format. Petty I know but I struggle to focus on things if they aren't laid out right. HLG are definitely getting a shout though

Here's my light, 9 cxb3590 90 cri 3000k running upto 50w each. And 2 Samsung boards running no more than 150w between the 2. Can wind it up to over 700w but currently running around 350 from the wall. In the tent without reflectors

Have another 2 boards but don't know what to do with them

astonehead said:

View attachment 3976916
Here's my light, 9 cxb3590 90 cri 3000k running upto 50w each. And 2 Samsung boards running no more than 150w between the 2. Can wind it up to over 700w but currently running around 350 from the wall. In the tent without reflectors

Click to expand...

Blows my build out the water. Nice bro

Thanks, new to all this so still getting used to the lights compared to my 600w hps the girls can't take half of the cob light as hps so think my light is already over kill. Should come good when I switch to photoperiod strains though