Rider's first foray into LED strip lighting - Samsung H Series GEN3

BuddyColas

Well-Known Member
Better. Each of these two systems is designed to cover a 2x4 area. I know it seems like a lot of light but I grow with CO2, and they can always be dialed way down. I'll run my old 16 CXB3590 system (1200W max) in one side and 8 FB24B strips (1000W? max) on the other. I'm liking that I'll be able to run the Samsungs low and soft. The Crees create too much of a hotspot under the COB to run them very close to the canopy.

View attachment 4030604
In my mind the strips like you've built easily beat the cobs and pin fins . They are cheaper, lighter, easier to cool, give more uniform light, and can be ran closer to the canopy. Good build!

*And on a cost-per-diode basis, the F strips from Arrow on a bulk buy are even cheaper that the EBs.
 

Rider509

Well-Known Member
Yes. They've been on for about two hours now at 300W for the system of four and are holding steady at 26.2C. I used a thermal heat sink tape to adhere them to the aluminum.
 

BuddyColas

Well-Known Member
Yes. They've been on for about two hours now at 300W for the system of four and are holding steady at 26.2C. I used a thermal heat sink tape to adhere them to the aluminum.
So in the $50ish range for 100 watts of led AND cooler? That would be hard to beat. Do you know the temp when it is cranked up to 100 watts?

Just thinking, on a budget, 3 of those bars at full rated power of 100 watts would light up a 2x4 very nicely.
 

Rider509

Well-Known Member
I just thought of a corollary. Lets say you're designing a sprinkler system for your yard. We'll say you have 75psi as your head pressure. The flow of the system is limited by the static head pressure and intervening pipes. With 1" pipe we get 53 gal/min. That's the total we have to work with. We could use one sprinkler that flows 53 gal/min or fifty three sprinklers that flow 1 gal/min. In either case we're using the max system capability. It's just a matter of how evenly we're spreading the resource.

So yes, three strips could cover a 2x4 area. So could four or five or six. It's all a balancing act determined by how uniform you want your coverage.
 

BuddyColas

Well-Known Member
I just thought of a corollary. Lets say you're designing a sprinkler system for your yard. We'll say you have 75psi as your head pressure. The flow of the system is limited by the static head pressure and intervening pipes. With 1" pipe we get 53 gal/min. That's the total we have to work with. We could use one sprinkler that flows 53 gal/min or fifty three sprinklers that flow 1 gal/min. In either case we're using the max system capability. It's just a matter of how evenly we're spreading the resource.

So yes, three strips could cover a 2x4 area. So could four or five or six. It's all a balancing act determined by how uniform you want your coverage.
You are right. The more strips running cooler the better. I am just thinking max "pocketbook" efficiency with 3 bars in a 2x4.

And using your sprinkler analogy, each bar of 2 each F564Bs strips has 288 mid-power leds running at .36 watts at over 52% efficiency (3000K). That's a lot of very efficient photon sprinklers!:mrgreen:

I can source the u-channel locally, and I have a 320W 1.05A Meanwell. Where did you source the F564Bs?
 

Rider509

Well-Known Member
I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees the result of voltage drop from one F564B to the next in line. I'll first try increasing the jump wire size. If that doesn't solve it I'll try feeding from both ends.
 

Rider509

Well-Known Member
That's a nice evening blanket a photons. And if you want more photons, lower the bars!
Or crank it up!

537E1E1E-C59E-4C5C-AA77-9066EEA1C03D.jpeg

Here you can really see the effect of the inadequate wiring between the two F564B strips that make up one pseudo-FB24B strip. The rear strips were being choked. I fixed that little problem and the light is even now. I didn't note the fall off at the edge because it was so negligible.
AF397022-DAF3-410A-B351-1405F5DB4270.jpeg
 
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nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees the result of voltage drop from one F564B to the next in line. I'll first try increasing the jump wire size. If that doesn't solve it I'll try feeding from both ends.
That was what I did - I ran two sets of 14g wires, one pair to each end of the fixture into distribution blocks, and 18g wires from the blocks to each strip. All running in parallel.

I'll try to get a pic of it.
 

Rider509

Well-Known Member
I like that idea, higgs. Feeding both ends of the strip ensures better power distribution and the distribution blocks makes it easy. I'm stealing this! :)
 

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
I like that idea, higgs. Feeding both ends of the strip ensures better power distribution and the distribution blocks makes it easy. I'm stealing this! :)
Well, these are 22" strips laid 2 strips end to end on each 48" channel. So I'm not feeding both ends of a strip, but the power for any strip does not go through another strip, it comes directly from the distribution block for each strip.
 
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