LEDgardener

sdfoster22 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:51 am

The hlg b series drivers use 100k ohm pots for a single driver. If you get the hlg-240h-24b you could drive the boards at about 2.5a a piece. That would give you plenty of power at 40w per square ft max. I would at least use 1/8" aluminum sheet or angle as a heatsink as it will help with longevity of the light. You also might need to vent the space somehow. They do run cool, but still produce some heat.

The hlg-240h-c2100b would also work. It would give you about 33 watts per square ft at max. If you get the a version of this you could dial it in and get closer to the 40w per sq ft.

Humple wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:55 pm

If it were my space, I'd probably opt for an HLG-185H-24A and just three of the boards, which should give a solid 200w. At 33w/sq ft, he'd be right on point with the average that most QB growers use. Also, fitting four QB120s in a 4' wide space will be a tight fit, which could hamper airflow. Lastly, using three boards instead of four would free up one that could be used for a seedling/clone/veg space, which is something that he'll want eventually anyway.

sdfoster22 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:23 pm

Humple wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:55 pm

If it were my space, I'd probably opt for an HLG-185H-24A and just three of the boards, which should give a solid 200w. At 33w/sq ft, he'd be right on point with the average that most QB growers use. Also, fitting four QB120s in a 4' wide space will be a tight fit, which could hamper airflow. Lastly, using three boards instead of four would free up one that could be used for a seedling/clone/veg space, which is something that he'll want eventually anyway.

Could he run 3 boards at 2800ma with no heatsink? That would be maxing those boards out?

Humple wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:34 pm

sdfoster22 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:23 pm

Humple wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:55 pm

If it were my space, I'd probably opt for an HLG-185H-24A and just three of the boards, which should give a solid 200w. At 33w/sq ft, he'd be right on point with the average that most QB growers use. Also, fitting four QB120s in a 4' wide space will be a tight fit, which could hamper airflow. Lastly, using three boards instead of four would free up one that could be used for a seedling/clone/veg space, which is something that he'll want eventually anyway.

Could he run 3 boards at 2800ma with no heatsink? That would be maxing those boards out?

I run mine at almost 2700 with no heatsinks and they stay cool enough that I can leave my hand on the back of the board indefinitely, so I would expect so? But it wouldn't hurt to add some aluminum plate to the build, just to make sure.

Edit: I believe that HLG has been very conservative with their power recommendations.

peacfrog69 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 29, 2018 3:17 am

Humple wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:34 pm

sdfoster22 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:23 pm

Could he run 3 boards at 2800ma with no heatsink? That would be maxing those boards out?

I run mine at almost 2700 with no heatsinks and they stay cool enough that I can leave my hand on the back of the board indefinitely, so I would expect so? But it wouldn't hurt to add some aluminum plate to the build, just to make sure.

Edit: I believe that HLG has been very conservative with their power recommendations.

Thanks to you both for your advice! I think running 3 boards makes more sense - and I agree, putting 4 boards in the space I have would be pretty cramped. So in order to do this, I think I need the following:

4x QB120 Quantum Boards (3000K) (http://a.co/5V9DoiW)
HLG-185-24A Power Supply (http://a.co/4dfKBbg)
Apollo Horticulture GLRP18 Pair of 1/8" Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hanger (http://a.co/71iuU0N)
I also found this package of lever nuts to connect my wiring: http://a.co/bXzDYAe
Total for the order, $252.47 USD, or $324.70, approximately.

I'll also look around locally for an 1/8" x 12" x 36" piece of aluminum. There are a couple places in town I can try, but not sure what the cost will be.

Does this mean I'm connecting the boards in parallel? Are there any drawbacks to connecting this way as opposed to connecting in series (with a different power supply, I expect).

I like the idea of saving the 4th board for either a spare, or for starting clones, etc.

Do you think this arrangement will be sufficient to get 3 plants to flower successfully? I was looking at the 3000K light. Is this the most appropriate one for flowering, or will I need to add something else?

Am I missing anything? Just about to pull the trigger at Amazon.com - I have a contact that lives in the states that can drive my order to me in Ontario. Just want to make sure I'm set before I pull the trigger.

Thanks again for your help!!!

Humple wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 29, 2018 3:38 am

peacfrog69 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 29, 2018 3:17 am

Humple wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:34 pm

I run mine at almost 2700 with no heatsinks and they stay cool enough that I can leave my hand on the back of the board indefinitely, so I would expect so? But it wouldn't hurt to add some aluminum plate to the build, just to make sure.

Edit: I believe that HLG has been very conservative with their power recommendations.

Thanks to you both for your advice! I think running 3 boards makes more sense - and I agree, putting 4 boards in the space I have would be pretty cramped. So in order to do this, I think I need the following:

4x QB120 Quantum Boards (3000K) (http://a.co/5V9DoiW)
HLG-185-24A Power Supply (http://a.co/4dfKBbg)
Apollo Horticulture GLRP18 Pair of 1/8" Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hanger (http://a.co/71iuU0N)
I also found this package of lever nuts to connect my wiring: http://a.co/bXzDYAe
Total for the order, $252.47 USD, or $324.70, approximately.

I'll also look around locally for an 1/8" x 12" x 36" piece of aluminum. There are a couple places in town I can try, but not sure what the cost will be.

Does this mean I'm connecting the boards in parallel? Are there any drawbacks to connecting this way as opposed to connecting in series (with a different power supply, I expect).

I like the idea of saving the 4th board for either a spare, or for starting clones, etc.

Do you think this arrangement will be sufficient to get 3 plants to flower successfully? I was looking at the 3000K light. Is this the most appropriate one for flowering, or will I need to add something else?

Am I missing anything? Just about to pull the trigger at Amazon.com - I have a contact that lives in the states that can drive my order to me in Ontario. Just want to make sure I'm set before I pull the trigger.

Thanks again for your help!!!

Yes, you'll be connecting the boards in parallel, and I wouldn't worry about that; it's a very common practice, and is considered to be safe.

I think that 3 boards will absolutely take 3 plants to flower successfully. And 3000k is perfect for seed-to-harvest, veg and flower.

peacfrog69 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 29, 2018 4:09 am

Humple wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 29, 2018 3:38 am

peacfrog69 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 29, 2018 3:17 am

Thanks to you both for your advice! I think running 3 boards makes more sense - and I agree, putting 4 boards in the space I have would be pretty cramped. So in order to do this, I think I need the following:

4x QB120 Quantum Boards (3000K) (http://a.co/5V9DoiW)
HLG-185-24A Power Supply (http://a.co/4dfKBbg)
Apollo Horticulture GLRP18 Pair of 1/8" Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hanger (http://a.co/71iuU0N)
I also found this package of lever nuts to connect my wiring: http://a.co/bXzDYAe
Total for the order, $252.47 USD, or $324.70, approximately.

I'll also look around locally for an 1/8" x 12" x 36" piece of aluminum. There are a couple places in town I can try, but not sure what the cost will be.

Does this mean I'm connecting the boards in parallel? Are there any drawbacks to connecting this way as opposed to connecting in series (with a different power supply, I expect).

I like the idea of saving the 4th board for either a spare, or for starting clones, etc.

Do you think this arrangement will be sufficient to get 3 plants to flower successfully? I was looking at the 3000K light. Is this the most appropriate one for flowering, or will I need to add something else?

Am I missing anything? Just about to pull the trigger at Amazon.com - I have a contact that lives in the states that can drive my order to me in Ontario. Just want to make sure I'm set before I pull the trigger.

Thanks again for your help!!!

Yes, you'll be connecting the boards in parallel, and I wouldn't worry about that; it's a very common practice, and is considered to be safe.

I think that 3 boards will absolutely take 3 plants to flower successfully. And 3000k is perfect for seed-to-harvest, veg and flower.

Thanks Humple! I just saw an HLG kit on Growerslights.com:
Horticulture Lighting Group 260 Watt Quantum Board LED Kit - Yes + $25.00 / 3000k, General Use & Flowering / QB288
https://growerslights.com/products/hort ... 2244732810
for $329USD (approx $425 CDN)
Is this kit worth roughly $75 USD ($100 CAD) more than the one we've been discussing above, considering that it comes assembled and tested, and includes a heatsink? Also wondering if its too much light for the size of my space?

Your thoughts?

Thanks again!