Does it work ? And if so how does it work ?

[iGrow]

Hello everybody !
Registered myself by yesterday, I already have questions to this fine community.

After a break of nearly 4 years I want to make a fresh start, this time using LEDs
to light up my life ! I really must say that you ( here in the states) are really ahead
of the current situation in Germany when it comes up to experience and knowledge
in using LEDs for grow.
Anyhow, this is what I have in mind !
I want to light up an area of 5x5 '.
I want to achieve a good coverage of the whole area.
This should be done by 8 pcs. Citizen 36 V
3500 K LEDs. They are cheap around here, something like 22 $ each and so far I didn't heard anything negative about the performance of these LEDs. Please correct me if not so.
I am thinking to power them up with 2 pcs. Meanwell drivers HLG- 185H- C1400
allowing to run ~ 460 Watt max, each driver serves 4 LEDs in series. Please correct me ( anytime and appreciated)
if I'm wrong.
The idea is to achieve a good coverage by using 8 LEDs and by dimming the drivers down to get more efficiency
( photons, as I learned from Growmau in his videos ), as well as saving energy. I think that a total wattage of 460 Watt is way to much for 5 x 5 ???
Is it right that I can dimm these drivers ?
Is it, first of all, the right driver at all ?
Maybe I read to much and the more I do the more questions are coming in mind.
By my opinion- based upon what the manufacturers of ready to use lightmachines recommend - something
around 300 W should be enough.
And finally...should it be a A type driver
or a B type driver. Please make it as easy to use as possible, attaching a potentiometer should not be the problem.

So...i really appreciate any comments!!
Thank you in advance for substituting me with my project.

Keep growing!

Rolf

[Jolly Green Giant]

welcome

first off.. no 460w is not to much for a 5x5... I run a hlg480h-c2100b over a 4x4 scrog net/ tray in my 5x5 tent. that's 30w per sqft over the main area... but yes with overgrowth and floppage it fills the 5x5 . I though I needed more light than that, but was surprised when that 480w driver was equaling my 1000w single ended hps in the same space!!!!

now on to the cobs and drivers... I'm pretty sure you matched that cobs and drivers right.. but I still confuse them sometimes... you are talking the citizen CLU 048 12-12 correct? if so yes your golden.. but 185w+185w= 370w.. to hit that 480+ range you would need 4 more chips and another 185-1400ma. 12 of those 3500k cobs on triple 185's would totally rock a 5x5!!!!

and last yes you can dim with those drivers... I would recommend the B type.. you can dim below 50%.. ( the a types can only go 50-100%) along with being able to put the potentiometer where it's easy for you to access. best part is you can run all 3 hlg-185h-c1400b's on a single potentiometer!! you would need a 33k ohm( 100k=1driver 50k=2driver 33k for 3 drivers) liner taper potentiometer.. ( a resistor might be necessary.. with our 100k ohm ones they don't always read 100k.. we add a 10k to make sure it's 100% capable..)

your pretty much right on with everything.. except run 12 over 8 with 3 drivers over 2. that would be perfect for a 5x5... also I love my 3500k quantum boards... that CCT gives a nice blue spike along with the good red spike in the spectrum it will limit stretch and bring out more flavour in my option. it's what I've noticed over the last year of using as a veg flower light for my tent.

cheers.. and keep asking questions

[iGrow]

Thank you for your quick response.

Your proposal is better than what i had in mind. I watched Growmau's video about the 4 x 10 ft grow using 40 cxb 3590 together with 5 HLG 185H-C700A drivers.
So I calculated ...but made a mistake as I realize by now. This setup bring 25W p.
sqft. So for my 5 x 5 ( 25 sqft x 25 W equals 625 W ) my plan to use what I had in mind was bullsh.. anyway.

Reading your reply makes me really happy...very ! Because the equipment that you use matches my plans perfectly.
I wanted to fill up only 4 x 4 with plants.
I already bought a 5 x 5 tent. I thought that is better to leave some space around for equipment and have more space for necessary activities - I planning to Scrog as well !
Could not have been better....great!

Do I understand it correctly that you run 4 Cobs ( the driver produces max 229 V )?

If not so I would like to tell me what exactly you use so I can buy and install the same parts.

Please excuse if my English is not so very good, may be its because I left school already 40 years ago.

Thank you in advance and keep growing..

Rplf

[fdashty]

The voltage output is going to depend on the amount of milliamps (ma) you pick for the driver. I've been told that you want to run Meanwell drivers at their highest outputs for best performance. So try and match the driver max output to your build. I believe that the optimal current is around 1400 for COB's. If you are going with Citizen CLU, the best spectrum is the CLU-048 1212 80CRI. They're $10 in the US. 36volt. You can power 5 of those on the HLG240-1400B. It will run the driver at max output and give you about 250 watts. I'm by no means an expert but that information is from my experience so far. The CLU COB's are usually the best value.

[Jolly Green Giant]

don't worry about broken English it's my native tongue and I screw it up plus I took I tiny bit of French and German 20+ years ago in high school I aced those classes but failed English some how ( I was just a @$$ to that teacher and didn't do any work)

http://ledgardener.com/cob-led-driver-selection-tool/

Ledgardener's tools on his blog page are very useful. 4 citizen CLU 048 12-12's by the calculator is 140.8v at 1400ma..

I'm a little lost on your 229v max.. ( the hlg-185h-c1400 has a 190v limit and with 4 12-12's your at that 140.8) which driver are you referring too?

I'm glad you like my idea.. I've been running that tent like that for a year... I've been happy every time... this will be my first bad run( winter and humidity suck for me) but ill still do ok.