Oi boys! Looking for opinions on this light , i already have a 100w cob but im bringing this in to help flowering. Grow space is 2.5ft x 2.5ft

TerrapinBlazin

Well-Known Member
Yeah that first number is always maximum watts, and the second number is the upper end of the constant current range — 185 watts max, and a range of I believe 32 - 48 volts — 185 watts, 48 volts. I’m still not great at explaining what the constant current range actually means, but it’s a range of voltages that the driver will work at. Don’t quote me on the actual CCR of the driver because I don’t have the datasheet handy. What this means, is that with this driver you can run any amount of lights as long as the sum of those lights max wattages stays below 185 (you can do more but lose the ability to run them at full power), and the strips operate at any voltage within the constant current range. I’ve never built with one of the milliamp number drivers for wiring in series but I think you just match the combined current of all the strips to the right number at the end of the driver, just like with parallel you use the voltage to determine the driver. Looks like you can get drivers for wiring in series with dimmers too, so it’s really all preference, but if you get that 48a driver you have to wire in parallel.
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member

ANC

Well-Known Member
You mean just as a rule of thumb? Anything above around 50Vdc is when it gets sketchy? Or what?
I'm a little short on time so I copied and pasted from google quickly

Search term intrinsically safe voltage 48v

48V is the practical and LEGAL definition of the maximum voltage to be considered "low voltage" and intrinsically "safe". Certainly 48V delivered UNDER your relatively insulating skin surface could kill you if delivered in the "right" place.Nov 6, 2016
 

ANC

Well-Known Member
And if so could I use the same driver ? Does the 185 in the driver name mean max 185 watts?
they hit about 200W in the real world, draw at the wall is at least another 5%

This is about 32W/sq ft with the strips I recommended.
34500lm
 
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TerrapinBlazin

Well-Known Member
Yeah those f series gen 3 strips are awesome. If the OP is interested in knowing more about the wattage and output of his light I recommend getting a meter to plug into the outlet the light runs off of as well as a light meter. I finally started using that stuff over a month after I built my light, once I realized that my plants were suffering from light burn. I just flipped my plants over to flowering and right now the light is using 280 watts (out of a max of 460) at the outlet and hitting the canopy with about 40k lux. Knowing the wattage is useful for knowing what your electric bill will look like, but there’s a lot of variation in the lumen/watt efficiency of different chips. Remember that wattage is a unit of consumption and not output. Like a 100 watt guitar amp doesn’t put out 100 watts of sound, but rather uses 100 watts of power to put out however many decibels. Same with lights. The lm561b+ chips in the f series gen 3 strips put out around 160lm/w. The lm301b chips in my boards put out over 200. Therefore in my light alone I can’t get an accurate measurement of light output just by measuring the watts, but by having a power meter and a light meter, I can really dial shit in to get the optimal light with the lowest amount of power consumption
 

Bluedreamzzz

Active Member
Okay so! Looking at getting two of these

Money isnt infinite and space is a bit of an issue, would two of those be enough for a 6sft area?
 

TerrapinBlazin

Well-Known Member
Okay so! Looking at getting two of these

Money isnt infinite and space is a bit of an issue, would two of those be enough for a 6sft area?
what kind of light do you already have in there? The FB24b strips max out at about 100 watts. They’re not quite 4 feet long. They have the lm561b+ chips in them with about 170lm/watt. Two of them would be pretty good for veg, but I would want 4 of them for flowering. I’ve thought about doing a build with 4 of those strips but I don’t know what I would use it for. I remember reading that you already have some cobs in there so two of those would probably be really good depending on how many cobs you have in there. For two of those, you can get an HLG-240h-48a driver if you want to wire them in parallel.
 

Bluedreamzzz

Active Member
what kind of light do you already have in there? The FB24b strips max out at about 100 watts. They’re not quite 4 feet long. They have the lm561b+ chips in them with about 170lm/watt. Two of them would be pretty good for veg, but I would want 4 of them for flowering. I’ve thought about doing a build with 4 of those strips but I don’t know what I would use it for. I remember reading that you already have some cobs in there so two of those would probably be really good depending on how many cobs you have in there. For two of those, you can get an HLG-240h-48a driver if you want to wire them in parallel.
I have 100w cob in the tent with another 100w DIY type cob , they've done alright this far. I'm only growing two plants but I plan on expanding in the future , my space is relatively small and I'm keen to build my own light , seems fun. Im planning on flowering and vegging with the lights but yield isnt really a big thing to me as it's just for me and the missus. So would flowering with 2 strips be a waste of time ?
 

TerrapinBlazin

Well-Known Member
I have 100w cob in the tent with another 100w DIY type cob , they've done alright this far. I'm only growing two plants but I plan on expanding in the future , my space is relatively small and I'm keen to build my own light , seems fun. Im planning on flowering and vegging with the lights but yield isnt really a big thing to me as it's just for me and the missus. So would flowering with 2 strips be a waste of time ?
Two of those B24B strips you’re looking at will be an awesome supplement to what you already have, but if you’re looking to build a totally new light I would use at least 4 of them evenly spaced over the canopy and on ratchet hangers so you can raise and lower it. I personally love my Samsung strips and have no complaints about them, but the new bridgelux strips do seem to be more efficient.
 
They claim to use Samsung LM301"H". That's the only thing that throws me off. Do we really, I mean SERIOUSLY, think this company is using them? I didn't even think they were that available at the moment.

If they're even real.

Nice touch theyvadd they'll "refurbish" your led panel at its near end lifespan and save you tons in replacements. Assuming they'll be around 10 yrs from now and this lights even relevant anymore. Lol.
Ja LM301H's are real. They have been available from Samsung since April 2019. On the issue of refurbishment we have been in business for 31 yrs so I am hoping this will continue.

 
Yeah I’ve never heard of a 301h. Don’t believe it exists. I would just build a couple strip lights for the same price. I added 100 watts to my setup with two f564b strips. They don’t have 301b chips like my boards do, but the 561b+ chips in it are not shabby. If you really want 301b chips check out Atreum. I love their strips and boards and they were great when I was just starting out. Now I know how to navigate digikey and can build stuff from parts, but I wouldn’t have been able to get there without help from Atreum and of course the fine folks here.

Edit: 301h does exist but only in 6500k. I think that one needs more time on the market and a 3000k version before I consider it.




If the driver is named HLGXXXh-XXa/b it has to be wired in parallel. If you want to wire in series use the drivers named HLGXXXh-Cxxx. That’s my understanding. You can wire any board or strip array in either series or parallel but if you want to be able to dim it you have to use one of the a/b series drivers and wire it in parallel.

When I built my lights I didn’t know much and used a/b series drivers and wired them in parallel because of manufacturer recommendations and nothing more, but I’ve been told certain drivers that have dimmers need to be wired in parallel. I could be wrong about the dimming but I’m 99% sure that drivers that end in 56a (just an example. Could be 30a, 48a, or any other voltage) need to be wired in parallel and drivers that end in c1500 (or any other milliamp number) need to be wired in series.
.
LM301H Leds are almost available in any Colour Temperature and multiple CRI's . See https://www.samsung.com/led/lighting/mid-power-leds/3030-leds/lm301h/
 
I spent 2 mins to find first fibbs on the spec sheet. Efficiency is not 3.03 by a long shot when you run samsung diodes at .4w. Also spectrum seems fibbed witth extra red which isnt mentioned re diodes. Id avoid unless you dont really care and want a domestic water proof product. Maybe hit up @ANC he might know more or have a better solution i believ he builds lights
Quoting the headline efficiency of the LED's is not an uncommon practice (As of June these numbers have actually gone up from 3.03 to 3.1). You of coarse are correct in saying it does not have the same efficiency when running at a higher current. However if you look at the datasheet the fitting is correctly stating the fitting output.
PAR Photon Efficacy (μmol PAR/J): 2.5 μmol/J
Photosynthetic Photon Flux (μmol PAR/s): 230 μmol/s
Additionally the spectrum is correct as per datasheet.
See the LED datasheet https://cdn.samsung.com/led/file/resource/2020/03/Data_Sheet_LM301H_CRI90_Rev.2.1.pdf
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Quoting the headline efficiency of the LED's is not an uncommon practice (As of June these numbers have actually gone up from 3.03 to 3.1). You of coarse are correct in saying it does not have the same efficiency when running at a higher current. However if you look at the datasheet the fitting is correctly stating the fitting output.
PAR Photon Efficacy (μmol PAR/J): 2.5 μmol/J
Photosynthetic Photon Flux (μmol PAR/s): 230 μmol/s
Additionally the spectrum is correct as per datasheet.
See the LED datasheet https://cdn.samsung.com/led/file/resource/2020/03/Data_Sheet_LM301H_CRI90_Rev.2.1.pdf
The spectrum and the numbers on the web advertising the light still is incorrect as there arent any red diodes as far as i can see.
And on efficiency: going from advertised 3.03 to 2.5 in the datasheet is quite a drop, about 15%.

I congratulate you on your light, but i feel youre being a sour sport regarding being corrected on quite basic stuff which makes it look like youre doing fake advertising.
 
The spectrum and the numbers on the web advertising the light still is incorrect as there arent any red diodes as far as i can see.
And on efficiency: going from advertised 3.03 to 2.5 in the datasheet is quite a drop, about 15%.

I congratulate you on your light, but i feel youre being a sour sport regarding being corrected on quite basic stuff which makes it look like youre doing fake advertising.
Check the datasheet on the spectrum. https://cdn.samsung.com/led/file/resource/2020/03/Data_Sheet_LM301H_CRI90_Rev.2.1.pdf
This is published by Samsung. We use the 3500K version. See page 10
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Check the datasheet on the spectrum. https://cdn.samsung.com/led/file/resource/2020/03/Data_Sheet_LM301H_CRI90_Rev.2.1.pdf
This is published by Samsung. We use the 3500K version. See page 10
I have no issue with the details in the datasheet, as stated, its the details in the web advertising your light that has some wrong details. The missleading spectrum is this:Screenshot_2020-06-30-16-35-18-334_com.android.chrome.jpg

Which is not what is in the datasheet.


Again i congratulate you on the initiative of making your own light, just hoping you will advertise it correctly.
 
I have no issue with the details in the datasheet, as stated, its the details in the web advertising your light that has some wrong details. The missleading spectrum is this:View attachment 4609944

Which is not what is in the datasheet.


Again i congratulate you on the initiative of making your own light, just hoping you will advertise it correctly.
Thanks. We have fixed this.
 
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