New lights, new spectra and some High Light strips

Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
We've been a bit quiet lately because we've been working on some new lights and spectra that will be released over the next few weeks in the New Year. For those interested in what we've been doing here are some photos and details.

Some of you may have seen our new spectra in the UV thread, but I will post them again in case you missed them.

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This is our new alround (mainly flowering) 3000K spectrum. The main differences between this and the current spectrum are the addition of a new Nichia 405nm UV diode in 3535 format and better CRI (up to 94) with some slightly better radiometric efficiency care of a new batch of LED Teknik 660nm monochromatic 3535 LEDs. The UV diode is mounted in place of some of the 660nm diodes on the board and replaces the PC Blue diodes (which were less than 50% efficient). The new Nichia 405nm is around 72% efficient and doubles the amount of UV on the board, which is now around 1%.

To make up for the loss of some of the 660nm diodes on the circuit board we added an old favourite: a Nichia 2700K CRI90 3030 diode that has a lot of red and far red in it and was the basis for the original High Light panels. We're the only horticultural lighting company to mass use these diodes, so we get the very best bins that clock in at around 2.75 umol/j – which is very high for a 2700K CRI90 white phosphor diode.

We've retained the Nichia Vitasolis 3000K, Nichia CRI70 5000K and custom LED Teknik 3000K narrow-band phosphor 3030 leds and that all means there is the same amount of red (over 50%) and a bit more far red (11.5%) on these boards with a similar amount of blue and slightly less green.

The High Light 420 spectrum has proven itself in grow rooms around the world, so we didn't want to change it too much, as it grows better than just about anything else we've ever seen. The Gen2 spectrum has the following improvements: twice as much UVA and significantly more violet light in the 400-420nm range; almost 20% more far red; very high CRI (94 vs 88 ); better radiometric efficiency (due to the highly efficient UV and more efficient 660nm diodes); slightly higher maximum power (48V at 5A for 240W)

This board has 420 diodes made up of the following:

90x 3030 Nichia CRI90 2700K
90x 3030 Nichaia Vitalsos 3000K
90x 3030 LED Teknik 3000K narrow band phosphors
90x 3030 Nichia CRI70 5000K
30x 3535 LED Teknik 660nm
20x 3535 LED Teknik 730nm
10x 3535 Nichia 405nm UV

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Demand for a propagation and leafy green spectrum led us to develop another High Light 420 board with a higher Kelvin temperature. The above spectrum is 3400K and has more blue in it at the expense of some of the far red. The 2700K Nichias were dropped in favour of more Nichia Vitasolis and CRI70 5000K diodes, but the board retains the narrow-band LEDs and the same 3535 diodes, including the new Nichia 405nm UV. This board has even higher radiometric efficiency and a very high colour rendering index of 95 – which is perfect for propagators and commercial vegetable growers who need to see their seedlings and plants in a "true light".

Another of the commercial aspects of growing we wanted to address was to build a fully "hang and play" light – something that needs no pre-assembly. So we've come up with a new design for our 340-480W square fixtures (the old fixtures were 470W) that hide the wiring and eliminate all the rough edges, but still retain the same form factor and water-proof abilities.

It's not an earth-shattering design, but its simple and neat and of course it has some of the best LEDs on the planet matched to top of the line Mean Well drivers (and yes, we will still sell DIY kits in case anyone is interested). Please note that these are the old High Light 420 LED panels, not the new ones (photos to come).

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The 340-480W Long boards will also get hidden wiring with the addition of a new plastic cover. They remain fully waterproof and all cosmetic changes can be retrofitted to any High Light 420 kit if anyone wants to update their existing lights.

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Covers will fit these fixtures.
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Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
Before anyone asks, the new LED spectra are on their way to LED Teknik for efficiency testing and IES file creation. We expect them to have similar photon efficiency to the last boards (over 3 umol/j at 80W), but better radiometric efficiency – which is the ratio of light to energy (% efficiency). Because UV photons need more energy to create than deep red photons, we have swapped some photometric efficiency for radiometric efficiency, as the Nichia UVs are very efficient – probably the most efficient UV diodes available from any commercial LED manufacturer.
 
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Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
Definitely interested to see the new strips
The High Light 420 strip is becoming a reality. The PCBs are currently being assembled and will have exactly the same LED pattern as the 420 boards, but at 1/5th scale. Each strip will have 84 LEDs total with a mix of 72x 3030 and 12x 3535 LEDs.

1640014694644.png

Each end of the strip will have a waterproof SMD connector for daisy chaining up to 5 strips in a row. This is the type of connector – the same one we use on the 420 boards. The connectors have grommets and all the contact points will have a special conformal coating (a bit of secret sauce we've discovered that can be sprayed on very thin so as to lose very little light).
IMG_3681.JPG

The strips measure 480mm long by 40mm wide and will fit standard T-slot. Each strip will max out at about 52W (48v x 1.08A). The entire strip will be waterproof. Some of the features you won't find on most other strips include 2mm thick PCBs, 2oz copper and a flexible LED pattern that will allow us to radically change the spectrum if/when needed for different types of crops.

We are working on some modular fixtures made of T-slot that can be ordered as custom and/or off-the-shelf bar lights for different applications. The bar lights will use the same plugs, cables and connectors as the High Light 420 Gen2 fixtures.
 

Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
And now for a bit of spam (if you'll excuse me). We've got about a dozen of these old High Red PCBs left that are being cleared out for AU$120 each – which works out at less than A$100 each if you apply the 10% RIU discount and don't have to pay sales tax. That's less than US$70 each and for that you get 450 top-bin Nichia 757 and Optisolis LEDs on a 415mm x 205mm panel that can handle 225W (50V x 4.5A). These boards are over 1.5x bigger than Quantum Boards and much more powerful for the same price

These are very high quality LED boards made in Australia with Molex conectors, 2mm thick PCBs, 2oz copper and an excellent flowering spectrum with over 5% far red at 2.5 umol/j efficiency. Once they're gone, they're gone.


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PM if interested. We can also supply heatsinks, wiring and drivers.
 

nailbag

Active Member
Sounds great, if we've only recently purchased a 420 board can I send it back to get updated? Would be happy to pay for that if it was worthwhile. Or would it be too much labour involved?
 

reza92

Well-Known Member
The High Light 420 strip is becoming a reality. The PCBs are currently being assembled and will have exactly the same LED pattern as the 420 boards, but at 1/5th scale. Each strip will have 84 LEDs total with a mix of 72x 3030 and 12x 3535 LEDs.

View attachment 5050504

Each end of the strip will have a waterproof SMD connector for daisy chaining up to 5 strips in a row. This is the type of connector – the same one we use on the 420 boards. The connectors have grommets and all the contact points will have a special conformal coating (a bit of secret sauce we've discovered that can be sprayed on very thin so as to lose very little light).
View attachment 5050514

The strips measure 480mm long by 40mm wide and will fit standard T-slot. Each strip will max out at about 52W (48v x 1.08A). The entire strip will be waterproof. Some of the features you won't find on most other strips include 2mm thick PCBs, 2oz copper and a flexible LED pattern that will allow us to radically change the spectrum if/when needed for different types of crops.

We are working on some modular fixtures made of T-slot that can be ordered as custom and/or off-the-shelf bar lights for different applications. The bar lights will use the same plugs, cables and connectors as the High Light 420 Gen2 fixtures.
what size t-slot? 2040 with slot nuts to mount the strips? These look wicked man. Can’t wait until I’ve got enough space/money to run more of your lights.
 

Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
Sounds great, if we've only recently purchased a 420 board can I send it back to get updated? Would be happy to pay for that if it was worthwhile. Or would it be too much labour involved?
We'll be offering new parts to retrofit all the High Light 420 kits, so you can either buy the parts and fit them yourself, or if you prefer to send your lights in (or drop by the shop if you're in the area), we can retrofit them for you. We wouldn't charge much for labour. Assembly is pretty easy and we'll post a how-to video on the site when everything is out.
 

Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
what size t-slot? 2040 with slot nuts to mount the strips? These look wicked man. Can’t wait until I’ve got enough space/money to run more of your lights.
We'll be basing ours on the 8020 range 10 Series (imperial) and 25 Series (metric), which are pretty much the same.

Here's the 50mm x 13mm metric T-slot we'll be using as heatsink mounting for the 40mm strips: https://8020.net/25-5013.html
1640717947235.png

It's the same as the 2" x 1/2" imperial stuff: https://8020.net/2012.html

We use 2525 (or 1"x1") square tube T-slot to mount the LED strip extrusions in a frame with 4mm button head screws to anchor the strip lengths (with access holse drilled from the other side): https://8020.net/25-2504.html

1640717912657.png

The issue with 2040 is the mounting holes on the strips are 8.5mm in from the edges (23mm centre to centre across the 40mm strip), so unless you use a 40mmx20mm extrusion with one side closed (see below), you need to put a lock nut on the back of the screw to make it work with the slot. The strips can take up to 4mm diameter screws.



There is also this German Item T-slot Profile 5 40x10mm: https://www.smt-montagetechnik.de/produkte/68.htm

1640717421029.png
 

reza92

Well-Known Member
We'll be basing ours on the 8020 range 10 Series (imperial) and 25 Series (metric), which are pretty much the same.

Here's the 50mm x 13mm metric T-slot we'll be using as heatsink mounting for the 40mm strips: https://8020.net/25-5013.html
View attachment 5055557

It's the same as the 2" x 1/2" imperial stuff: https://8020.net/2012.html

We use 2525 (or 1"x1") square tube T-slot to mount the LED strip extrusions in a frame with 4mm button head screws to anchor the strip lengths (with access holse drilled from the other side): https://8020.net/25-2504.html

View attachment 5055556

The issue with 2040 is the mounting holes on the strips are 8.5mm in from the edges (23mm centre to centre across the 40mm strip), so unless you use a 40mmx20mm extrusion with one side closed (see below), you need to put a lock nut on the back of the screw to make it work with the slot. The strips can take up to 4mm diameter screws.



There is also this German Item T-slot Profile 5 40x10mm: https://www.smt-montagetechnik.de/produkte/68.htm

View attachment 5055554
yeah fair enough. Was hoping for a standard extrusion like 2040 as I use it for 3d printers but the stuff you linked looks heaps better depending on the price.
 
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Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
yeah fair enough. Was hoping for a standard extrusion like 2040 as I use it for 3d printers but the stuff you linked looks heaps better depending on the price.
I understand, which is why we designed the new strips to mount on the existing 25mm/1" 8020 system, which is standardised and available world-wide. The issue with generic T-slot is everyone has their own system with slight variations, so we looked at the most common type.

The other issue with 2040 – at least the 2040 that has slots in all sides – is that it doesn't provide a complete heatsinking-surface, as there are large gaps in the extrusion (and air is not a good conductor of heat). The High Light 420 strips are designed to be run hard – up to 52W each – so they need adequate heatsinking.

Once everything is ready, we'll be putting up some DIY guides on what to use and how to connect it to build your own frames with locally sourced T-slot.
 

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
The High Light 420 strip is becoming a reality. The PCBs are currently being assembled and will have exactly the same LED pattern as the 420 boards, but at 1/5th scale. Each strip will have 84 LEDs total with a mix of 72x 3030 and 12x 3535 LEDs.

View attachment 5050504

Each end of the strip will have a waterproof SMD connector for daisy chaining up to 5 strips in a row. This is the type of connector – the same one we use on the 420 boards. The connectors have grommets and all the contact points will have a special conformal coating (a bit of secret sauce we've discovered that can be sprayed on very thin so as to lose very little light).
View attachment 5050514

The strips measure 480mm long by 40mm wide and will fit standard T-slot. Each strip will max out at about 52W (48v x 1.08A). The entire strip will be waterproof. Some of the features you won't find on most other strips include 2mm thick PCBs, 2oz copper and a flexible LED pattern that will allow us to radically change the spectrum if/when needed for different types of crops.

We are working on some modular fixtures made of T-slot that can be ordered as custom and/or off-the-shelf bar lights for different applications. The bar lights will use the same plugs, cables and connectors as the High Light 420 Gen2 fixtures.
What will the estimated damage be on those strips? :peace:
 

Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
amazing spectrum for the new board :D :D PERFECT

would love 3 double board like this:, but what his the size of those double board sir pliz?
View attachment 5063078
Hi mate, each High Light 420 Gen2 panel is 430mm x 205mm. The fixtures above have two panels bolted to a heatsink that measures 960mm x 206mm (overall dimensions).

I know everyone thinks that bar lights offer the best coverage, but two of the above long boards in a 4x4 (1.2m x 1.2m) have just as even coverage with the added advantage of being able to raise the fixtures independently of each other to accommodate different height plants (as you can see in the above image). Here is a PAR map of the photo above, which is a 4x4 tent, with two 320W drivers (one for each fixture) for a total of 680W at the LEDs (about 720W from the wall)

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Here is the same layout with 480W drivers in a 5x5 (1.5m x 1.5m). Both fixtures are 2' (60cm) above the canopy.
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Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
What will the estimated damage be on those strips? :peace:
They will be around A$40-$50 each. They are not as cheap as Samsung strips but you won't need to add supplementary UV or Far red to them. And they can be used for veg and flower. A lot of our growers have been surprised at how well our spectrum veges, but it's not really a surprise when you consider that a good spectrum will drive photosynthesis just as efficiently in veg as it does in flower. The added UV prevents stretch, which offsets the added Far Red.
 

Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
Well have to bite the bullet on these new lights as damaged a board ( broken diodes x 3 , walked into the room bang hit the head fell over knocked wall fan off hit the light *^#*) ...
Sorry to hear mate. Do you want to email me? I might be be able to find a demo or repaired board I could send you as a free replacement if you are happy to pay for postage. If you send your broken board back, we can fix it here, so an exchange is possible.
 

Grow Lights Australia

Well-Known Member
Hey guys these strips look awesome - what kind of configs/kits can we expect to see them available in? Is it too early for an eta?
I'd love to get the strips out in the next 2-3 months. We're working on a plug-and-play design that will allow us to mount the strips to standard T-slot and the build frames with hidden wiring and a waterproof cable plug to the driver. So basically a modular bar light system that we either build in-house, or anyone can DYI themselves using off-the-shelf parts. At this stage it's a matter of cash-flow, as we're trying to increase production and come out with new lighting designs, but we don't have a lot of resources as we're a very small company. We've got lots of ideas and we're doing things as fast as we can, but the bank balance is finding it hard to keep up!
 
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