DIY QB for vegging a 3x3

I’m in search of sufficient lighting for vegging a 3x3x6 grow area. And afterwards I’m interested in putting together another for flower if I decide to go away from the 315 CMH

@Monty420 Are you still looking into a diy qb? theres many good options to choose from ! let me know if you need help myself & others here can put you on the right track! Peace

180 watts of legit Leds will veg a 3x3 perfectly fine. You could prob get away with less to be honest.

Cobs strips or boards, any will do. Run them on the harder side and keep them high for optimal coverage.

For flower i would aim to use a 320w driver, 320w would smash a 3x3.

NevadaBudz said:

@Monty420 Are you still looking into a diy qb? theres many good options to choose from ! let me know if you need help myself & others here can put you on the right track! Peace

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Thanks man! And yes I’m still in need of help

Monty420 said:

Thanks man! And yes I’m still in need of help

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Ok my friend got my days off! Im by no means no expert just built my first lights a few months back using bridgelux gen2 strips, they work great for the price cuz im not trying to keep up with the Jones'es! my beer wallet cant afford to keep up with a champagne pallet lol !! id go strips or qb's just have to decide if you want strictly veg or flower. whats your budget & ability to build a diy and obtain the necessary components? Me im an old school mechanic i build my own cars & trucks i dont buy them off the lot, depends on what you want! Peace my friend

I want a QB strictly for veg I’ll be using a 315 CMH for flower. I don’t want to spend over $300 I’m a welder by trade so I’m pretty hands on

Monty420 said:

I want a QB strictly for veg I’ll be using a 315 CMH for flower. I don’t want to spend over $300 I’m a welder by trade so I’m pretty hands on

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I just picked up two of the HLG QB288 V2's in 4k for veg for like $110. Already had a 120h-54a driver but they're cheap, could also do a 185h-54a or one of the constant current drivers. whatever is cheap. Don't need a heatsink at all as long as you keep each board under 75 watts. I'd think you could get a nice veg setup for like ~$200 or less going a similar route.

Did you purchase from their website

Monty420 said:

Did you purchase from their website

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I did

HolyAngel said:

I just picked up two of the HLG QB288 V2's in 4k for veg for like $110. Already had a 120h-54a driver but they're cheap, could also do a 185h-54a or one of the constant current drivers. whatever is cheap. Don't need a heatsink at all as long as you keep each board under 75 watts. I'd think you could get a nice veg setup for like ~$200 or less going a similar route.

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75watts no heatsink???? You might wanna reconsider that.
@Stephenj37826

Airwalker16 said:

75watts no heatsink???? You might wanna reconsider that.
@Stephenj37826

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nope don't need to. Cool to the touch and on HLG's site for the QB288 says:
"May require an Aluminum plate or heatsink if running 75+ watts. Heatsink requirements depends on application and power. "

HolyAngel said:

nope don't need to. Cool to the touch and on HLG's site for the QB288 says:
"May require an Aluminum plate or heatsink if running 75+ watts. Heatsink requirements depends on application and power. "

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Erm.. They say 50+ watts, not 75.

From this page: https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/pages/qb288-board-guide

Hes works with steel and alloys on the daily, he can cut a piece of 1/4 - 3/8" aluminum checkered plate or even smooth plate to size and use that as a heat sink

PJ Diaz said:

Erm.. They say 50+ watts, not 75.

From this page: https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/pages/qb288-board-guide


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yeah that's weird because if you look at the qb288 v2 board pages themselves:

they all say up to 70 or 75 watts without a heatsink is fine. The V1 page says up to 60 watts without a heatsink is fine.

either way my v2 4k's are cool af without heatsinks at 60-70watts.

Thanks everyone it’s much appreciated

Airwalker16 said:

75watts no heatsink???? You might wanna reconsider that.
@Stephenj37826

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Correct you want to keep them around 50 watts with no heatsink. If you purchased the boards from us the heatsinks are discounted. Way better to buy the heatsink and run them at over 100 watts. It's a much better value.

EDIT
Actually I spoke with @robincnn and he says it is indeed up to 75 watts no heatsink.

Stephenj37826 said:

EDIT
Actually I spoke with @robincnn and he says it is indeed up to 75 watts no heatsink.

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That's very interesting. But we should always keep in mind, just because you CAN doesn't always mean you SHOULD. That old adage rings true in LEDs just the same. At 75watts WITH A HEATSINK, Your diodes are going to run SO MUCH cooler and ultimately give you more light output and life span longevity.
Now, anything 40watts or below, I'd feel comfortable with no heatsink.

Airwalker16 said:

That's very interesting. But we should always keep in mind, just because you CAN doesn't always mean you SHOULD. That old adage rings true in LEDs just the same. At 75watts WITH A HEATSINK, Your diodes are going to run SO MUCH cooler and ultimately give you more light output and life span longevity.
Now, anything 40watts or below, I'd feel comfortable with no heatsink.

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I agree 100%