Led Noob Diy Build Help

rdooski3 · Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:07 am

Hey everyone!
Ive been growing for many years using hps but recently moved last year and heat became a issue. Ive always grown in my bedroom and live in a very hot climate hence why heat is more of a problem than normal. Also my new room is bigger and has a smaller ac is why its worse. I tried running my 400w hps at 50% and it was too hot even at that. I wasnt going to quit growing so I had to switch. I operate on a tight budget so I got my led feet wet with a bunch of cheap 12v rigid 5630 strips from ebay. They worked and put out very little heat but my last harvest was sub-par. So Im looking to upgrade. I already have a hlg-240h-24a and want to work with that. Ive been leaning towards something using lm561,s because of their efficiency and heat output. But Im totally open to any suggestions. My grow space is 2.5ft x 3.5ft and I only want to spend $100 on leds. Also dont want to do any soldering. I like 2 qb 288 boards but their 48v. From what Ive been reading that probably isnt enough for my space but im limited to about $100. And I cant seem to find many 24v strips/boards. Does anyone know of a list of common boards and strips that everyones using? I could also fill in a bit of space with the 12v strips Im currently using. Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

rdooski3 · Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:48 am

Some pics from my previous run so you can see what im working with. The fixtures were just temporary but they worked fine and heat wasnt a issue so i just left them alone. All the plastic and wood just makes them look scary lol.

rdooski3 · Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:31 pm

Ok so I ended up getting 10 lm561c, supposedly s6, 22in strips for $100 shipped in the US. With the same design pattern as the H-Series H562D. How exactly to I go about powering them up? I remember reading somewhere you start with the current all the way up and the voltage all the way down on the PS, and then crank up the voltage. Is that right? I found the strip build tool and it recommended the proper voltage and current for 75% output but it also said 100% couldn't be achieved with my PS. When I looked at the strip build designs write up it said 12 strips could be used with my PS at 75% though. Also if I wanted to unplug a couple outer strips a the beginning of a grow that would be ok? And if a mod happens to see this could you please move my thread to the mid-power section since I have decided on leds.

unkle_psycho · Thu Oct 18, 2018 6:09 am

What are the specs on your strips? Amps, Voltage?

rdooski3 · Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:37 am

24V 1200mA max current.

Fri Oct 19, 2018 5:06 am

An HLG-150H-24 would drive them at 0.63A each, probably(?) within the safe zone of air-cooling. Alternatively the HLG-185H-C700 for a little bump in power.

rdooski3 · Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:55 am

Sorry my posts were kinda long but I already have a hlg-240h-24a.
I saw something mentioned about watts per foot and cooling. Do you know what the safe cooling numbers are?

Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:07 pm

oh, sorry I missed that.
10 of those strips on that driver means each driver gets 1A. Will work fine electrically.

Generally, the consensus seems to be that running strips at half power is fine for air-cooled. More than half you'll need heat sinks. 1 amp on a strip that's max 1.2A, don't take my word for it but most likely they will get hot.

rdooski3 · Sat Oct 20, 2018 7:15 am

Awesome thanks bob!

And anyone who reads this looking for some answers to a couple other questions I was asking should check out Ledgardener's youtube page. It had some very detailed videos on hlg drivers and a bunch of other great info. And the qb torture test videos were nuts. Gave me the idea to possibly use some reflectors also.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrXV02 ... gPWWmQAq1g

unkle_psycho · Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:07 am

oh, btw if you were thinking about strips in the 20v region, I think the Bridgelux eb gen2 560mm is 20v, and costs 5.5e per strip in europe... I guess around 7$ a piece.