Cree XPE Photo Red 660nm mA?

PissingNutes

Active Member
Hi
Im looking to add some far red 660nm leds to my QB. I have a few questions: 1) how hard would you drive them? 2) how many would you use to add to a QB288 for a 2ftx2ft space?
Cheers!
They are not Top Bin so pushing is like pissing in the wind.
 

greg nr

Well-Known Member
Rapidled sells a puck with 4 660nm bulbs. One would be plenty for a 2x2. You don't use these as a photoactive light. It's more a signal. They also sell solderless carriers with 660's and drivers to match yhem if you want a longer string.

Btw, 630-650 is deep red. 730-750 is far red.

I have a string of 6x630's that come on 30 minutes before my mains and go off 30 mins before. I also have a string of 6x750's that come on 15 minutes before lights out and go off 30 after. It's a 3x3.

It's just mood lighting. "630's in the morning, 750's at night, and your plants will be all right" - growmau5.

Go with the puck. It's cheap, pre-built and easy to use.
 

Humple

Well-Known Member
Rapidled sells a puck with 4 660nm bulbs. One would be plenty for a 2x2. You don't use these as a photoactive light. It's more a signal. They also sell solderless carriers with 660's and drivers to match yhem if you want a longer string.

Btw, 630-650 is deep red. 730-750 is far red.

I have a string of 6x630's that come on 30 minutes before my mains and go off 30 mins before. I also have a string of 6x750's that come on 15 minutes before lights out and go off 30 after. It's a 3x3.

It's just mood lighting. "630's in the morning, 750's at night, and your plants will be all right" - growmau5.

Go with the puck. It's cheap, pre-built and easy to use.
I thought Rapid only made the puck in far red?

OP, if you're looking to use the 660nm throughout the light cycle, I would think a couple of strips would give you better spread. HLG has 2 foot strips in 660nm; perhaps two of those, one on either side of the 288? Overkill for a 2x2, I would think, but with the right driver you can just dim them.
 

greg nr

Well-Known Member
I thought Rapid only made the puck in far red?

OP, if you're looking to use the 660nm throughout the light cycle, I would think a couple of strips would give you better spread. HLG has 2 foot strips in 660nm; perhaps two of those, one on either side of the 288? Overkill for a 2x2, I would think, but with the right driver you can just dim them.
D'uhhh... You are correct. The puck is a far red 730nm. Thinking of something else I guess.

You can build a 660 from them by using between 3 and 16 of these: https://www.rapidled.com/solderless-cree-xp-g3-photo-red-660nm-led/

And this driver: https://www.rapidled.com/mean-well-lpc-35-700-constant-current-driver/ Note: this driver will slightly under drive the chips, but they will last longer that way. 6 chips with this driver draws ~14 watts.

You will need a heat sink, some thermal paste, some wego connectors, a terminator and lead wire. But for 6 chips and the driver it will run you about $35.
 
Last edited:

greg nr

Well-Known Member
My guess is that if you have everything else dialed in and you are looking for the last little edge, then yeah, it can help.

But if you have trouble with bugs, or burn/deficiencies, lighting, humidity, etc, it's a waste of time and money.

The most it will do is speed up the harvest. That can be huge for someone on a production schedule. But a few days to a rec grower isn't a big deal one way or another.

I did it because it's winter, I'm a bit bored and a nerd at heart. I don't expect my $75 to amount to much more than self amusement.
 

shiva71

Well-Known Member
My guess is that if you have everything else dialed in and you are looking for the last little edge, then yeah, it can help.

But if you have trouble with bugs, or burn/deficiencies, lighting, humidity, etc, it's a waste of time and money.

The most it will do is speed up the harvest. That can be huge for someone on a production schedule. But a few days to a rec grower isn't a big deal one way or another.

I did it because it's winter, I'm a bit bored and a nerd at heart. I don't expect my $75 to amount to much more than self amusement.
Ok thanks Greg. Yknow this started by me looking at the good deals on the Bridgelux Gen2 EB strips and i thought about adding some onto my QB. From what you guys have said seems like i might be better off doing that...?
 

greg nr

Well-Known Member
Ok thanks Greg. Yknow this started by me looking at the good deals on the Bridgelux Gen2 EB strips and i thought about adding some onto my QB. From what you guys have said seems like i might be better off doing that...?
If you need the extra light, sure. I didn't need more white light or i might have done the same thing.
 

jarvild

Well-Known Member
Ok thanks Greg. Yknow this started by me looking at the good deals on the Bridgelux Gen2 EB strips and i thought about adding some onto my QB. From what you guys have said seems like i might be better off doing that...?
Heck dude, I'm only running 260 watts in a 3x4

How hard are you driving your QB board?
 

shiva71

Well-Known Member
Heck dude, I'm only running 260 watts in a 3x4

How hard are you driving your QB board?
Just the standard HLG120H 48A, 135w. Each 2 foot EB strip 20w so 4 would bring me up to 215w. Maybe overkill, but the strips are cheap and i like building lights. Got 1.5g/w last grow so im curious to see if i can beat that :)
 

jarvild

Well-Known Member
Just the standard HLG120H 48A, 135w. Each 2 foot EB strip 20w so 4 would bring me up to 215w. Maybe overkill, but the strips are cheap and i like building lights. Got 1.5g/w last grow so im curious to see if i can beat that :)
Each fixture pulls 260 watts from the wall. 9-10 LMC 561c sammy strips powered by a HLG 260H 24B.
Yieled 2.2 pounds with 520 watts total.
20190317_203919.jpg
 

mauricem00

Well-Known Member
been thinking about adding a few 380,420,470 snd 660 nm diose to a bridgelux strip build 4000k could be an interesting test grow
 
Top