Horticulture Lighting Group (HLG) has certainly made a name for themselves with their hugely successful Quantum Board lights. When HLG first released their original boards in 2016, COBs were king – it was all about CXBs, Veros, and CLU048s. Quantum Boards totally changed the game though. HLG pioneered the use of modern, high-quality mid-power diodes in the DIY LED space and, in our opinion, are largely responsible for the shift away from COBs to this new tech. Now, a year and a half later, they’ve built upon the success of their first design and have put forward a light that is objectively better in every way: the QB288 V2.
QB288 V2 (left) and QB288 V1 (right)
What’s Remained the Same?
Though the board has been pretty majorly overhauled, there are a few things that have carried over from the V1 to the V2:
- The form factor remains the same. Dimensions have not changed.
- The chip layout (it’s still 18 series x 16 parallel).
- The connectors haven’t changed.
- The max current rating of 2,800mA has not changed.
- Board and copper trace thickness are the same.
What’s Changed?
A number of significant changes have been made to Version 2. Here’s the breakdown:
The Diodes Have Been Upgraded
The original QB288 V1 is built with Samsung LM561C diodes, which are still among the best on the market in terms of efficiency. Samsung sorts their diodes into certain “bins”, which categorize the chips based on how much flux they produce (in lumens) when given a certain current, as well as what voltage they have across them at that same current. The QB288 V1 uses only “S6” bin LM561C diodes, which is the highest possible bin for flux for the LM561C family. There are 3 voltage bins for the LM561C family, which include AY (the best bin), AZ (the middle bin), and A1 (the bottom bin). On the QB288 V1, the voltage bin of the diodes used started as A1 and changed to AZ in early 2017.
Since the creation of the Quantum Board, Samsung has launched a new diode, the LM301B, which has dethroned the LM561C as the most efficient mid-power diode available. According to the data sheets, the LM301B is capable of producing a whopping 223 lumens per watt, compared to the already impressive 210 lumens per watt from the LM561C. This beast of a chip is what the new QB288 V2 boards are built with. Aside from the Q-series strips that Samsung sells, there are only a couple LED PCB companies using these LM301Bs currently.
The 3000K QB288 V2 boards are using “SK” bin LM301Bs (the best flux bin available for 3000K), and the 4000K QB288 V2 units use chips from the “SL” flux bin, which is the highest available for the 4000K color temperature.
The Solder Mask Has Been Upgraded
The solder mask, which is a protective coating that’s applied to the circuit board, has been upgraded to a high-reflectance mask, which increases system efficiency by reflecting more radiant energy. The 2 generations of boards have a very different look to them and the V1 looks quite blue in comparison.
The Manufacturer Has Been Upgraded
This month, HLG announced a partnership with Samsung Electronics. Samsung is now actually building these Quantum Boards in one of their manufacturing plants, which is a huge step up for HLG. Not only have the chips been upgraded to LM301B, but the fact that Samsung is building these boards guarantees that these diodes are from the best flux bin and the best voltage bin available within the LM301B series. It also ensures that the diodes will be assembled on the boards exactly to Samsung’s specs and requirements.
V2 vs. V1 Data
Of course, words are great but numbers are better. Below is how the V1 and V2 data stacks up.
Manufacturer Data
The following charts are taken from Horticulture Lighting Group’s webpage:
Flux Characteristics with QB 288 V1 3000K, S6 Bin at 55C
| VDC | Current (mA) | Watts at Board | Lm/W at Board (55C) | μmoles/joule at Board (55C) |
| 47.23 | 500 | 23.67 | 195.5 | 2.90 |
| 48.96 | 1050 | 51.40 | 183.6 | 2.73 |
| 49.68 | 1400 | 69.52 | 177.6 | 2.64 |
| 51.12 | 2100 | 107.35 | 167.3 | 2.48 |
| 51.66 | 2400 | 123.98 | 163.6 | 2.43 |
| 52.20 | 2800 | 146.16 | 158.8 | 2.36 |
Flux Characteristics with QB 288 V2 3000K, S6 Bin at 55C
| VDC | Current (mA) | Watts at Board | Lm/W at Board (55C) | μmoles/joule at Board (55C) |
| 45.72 | 500 | 22.86 | 206 | 3.00 |
| 46.98 | 1050 | 49.33 | 196.10 | 2.85 |
| 47.70 | 1400 | 66.78 | 190.50 | 2.77 |
| 48.96 | 2100 | 102.82 | 180.77 | 2.63 |
| 49.50 | 2400 | 118.80 | 177.50 | 2.58 |
| 49.86 | 2800 | 139.60 | 173.80 | 2.53 |
As you can see, there is a huge difference in voltage between the V1 and V2 boards. At 2100mA, the most common drive current of the boards, there is a difference of over 2 volts. This may not sound like much, but it’s actually a pretty significant improvement. Since power = voltage * current, this results in power savings of 4.2 watts per board at 2100mA, which works out to about 4% less consumption than the V1, while having higher flux at the same time.
Having a lower voltage on each board also opens up new possibilities for driver matching with the new V2s. For example, you could not run 3x QB288 V1 boards on a Mean Well HLG-320H-C2100 driver, which is a shame, because at 152V, its constant current region max is juuuuuuuuust shy of the total of 3 of these boards (153.4V). However, with the new V2 boards, you could run 3 of them on this driver and it’d be a great match.
Efficiency also gets a nice bump, with the V2 sitting at 2.63 μmoles/joule at 2100mA vs. the V1 at 2.48 μmols/joule. The V2 emits about 13 more lumens per watt at this current.
Our Testing
HLG was kind enough to send along some samples for review, so we’ve compiled some of our own data as well. Here are our results:
Electrical
To measure power and voltage, we attached a 3000K QB288 V1 and 3000K QB288 V2 each to their own Slate 2 heat sink and hung them in the normal position. Each board was wired to the same HLG-120H-54A driver and tested over the period of an hour. The driver’s pots were turned to max for both boards. Measurements were taken with a Kill-a-watt, a Fluke 111, and a Fluke 287. Both V1 and V2 boards were brand new and had never been used.
To summarize, our measurements showed a voltage difference of 2.53V when cold and 2.86V after the boards had run for an hour, which is impressive. Since current draw remained the same between both boards due to the fact that the driver was cranked, this voltage difference resulted in the V2 drawing 8 less watts from the wall under both conditions.
QB288 V1 (Cold)
Upon powering the board from a cold state, the results were as follows:
Kill-a-watt draw from the wall: 162 Watts
DC Voltage: 55.14V
DC Current: 2.70A
Board Power: 148.9W
QB288 V1 (After Running 1 Hour)
Here are the results from the V1 board after running for an hour:
Kill-a-watt draw from the wall: 160 Watts
DC Voltage: 54.40V
DC Current: 2.73A
Board Power: 148.5W
QB288 V2 (Cold)
Kill-a-watt draw from the wall: 154 Watts
DC Voltage: 52.61
DC Current: 2.71A
Board Power: 142.6W
QB288 V2 (After Running 1 Hour)
Kill-a-watt draw from the wall: 152 Watts
DC Voltage: 51.54
DC Current: 2.74A
Board Power: 141.2W
PPFD
To measure PPFD, just like the voltage test, we attached a 3000K QB288 V1 and 3000K QB288 V2 each to their own Slate 2 heat sink and hung them in the normal position. Each board was wired to the same HLG-120H-54A driver. The driver’s pots were turned to max for both boards. Measurements were taken with an Apogee SQ500 and a Fluke 287, and were taken with reflective walls in place. Both boards were brand new and had only been run for an hour to conduct the voltage test shown above.
The V2 measured higher throughout the entire 2’x2′ space. The difference between boards ended up being higher than expected and the V2 averaged around a 5% increase compared to the V1.
In Summary
Overall, there are no drawbacks to upgrading to the V2. The new collaboration with Samsung will undoubtedly only serve to drive the quality and consistency of the entire HLG lineup upwards and hopefully will reduce the supply issues HLG has seen in the past. It’s great to see a board that really sets itself apart from the rest of the clones and it’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for other boards to adopt the LM301B as well.
The V2 kits are available on Amazon so check them out there (this is our affiliate link).
what about the price comparison?
So the hlg website recommends the hlg-320h-c1750a to go with 3 of these new version 3 boards which I have purchased. You mention the hlg-320h-c2100, what would the difference be. thanks
meant to say version 2 boards
Hey Stan – it’s a very minor difference in power. The QBs are capable of being driven up to 2.8A (2800mA) – so, very generally – a 50V engine at 1750mA yields about 90W vs 105W at 2100mA.
The V(f) of 3 x QBs should work with either of those drivers.
tks for the reply
I love reading your reviews on these beasts. I noticed you mentioned turning both pots up to full for the test, but is it ok to run a v1 288 with the HLG-120H-54A at full ball 24/7? Mine goes up to 177w at the wall but i’ve always run it at 135w as that’s whats advertised. Cheers!
For some reason, QB boards from HLG are neither UL, CSA or ETL certified. Legally this product should be. I question why they are not, and looking into manufacturing lights for re-sale all indications so far lean towards QB boards not being legally compliant. HLG said “we don’t sell them certified, but you can pay to have them certified yourself”. So for home owners with insurance concerns, I’d stick with lighting with its safety certificates in place.
I’m talking out of my ass here because I’m not a lawyer but I don’t think it’s illegal to sell the lights without the UL certification – it’s likely just more of a liability for the manufacture if something were to go wrong. There are a number of DIY-style lighting companies like ChilLED or PFD that sell uncertified components.
>with insurance concerns
Those working in the insurance industry seem to agree that you’re (generally) insured against your own stupidity and ignorance.
Heres an interesting thread I found on the subject: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/ul-certification-and-insurance
Non-UL listed items burning down your house wouldn’t sink the claim. It might be a problem for the manufacturers liability insurance, but not yours. You (unintentionally) burning down your house with a device you DIY’d wouldn’t sink the claim.
However, if even professionally installed, fully certified equipment burnt down your house while you were pursuing income from it’s use- you’d have a problem.
Disclaimer: I’m an asshole on the Internet, not your insurance agent.
UL (or better called NRTL (National Recognized Test Laboratory)) certification is not mandatory.
Compliance with the national electric code is mandatory. If the device meets the requirements but does not have certification that is OK.
The safety performance of the QB boards depends largely on the accessories (heat sink, driver, wiring & suspension gear) as well as drive parameter.
For components like the QB boards certification does not much sense as the certification would need to be repeated/confirmed in the system configuration.
PAR Readings:
At 45cm from the light:
Citizen CLU058 (3500K) = 1000 micro mols/sec
Cree CXB3590 (3500K) = 800
Q Board V2 = 730
For Citizen CLU048:(3500K)
20cm – 1300 micro mols/sec
30cm – 980
40cm – 850
So, the COBs are winning when in comes to PAR output.
Hi – some rough calculations:
For the Q Board at 1400mA:
66.78 x 190.5 = 12,721 Lumens equivalent
For a Citizen CLU048 at 1400mA
5562 x 1.4 = 7,786 Lumens equivalent.
If you run the Citizen at 2100mA
5562 x 2.1 = 11,680
If you run the Citizen at 2760mA
5562 x 2.76 = 15,351
If you run the Citizen CLU058 at 1400mA you get 10,825 – if you run it at 2800mA you get 21,650 – for the Q board its 23,093.
The Q board is 130 USD…the CLU048 is 8 USD…. the CLU058 is 31USD.
So, when compared to the CLU058 you are paying more than four times more for slightly more intensity.
Also – for a 3ft by 3ft space you would need at least 2 Q boards….probably 4…whereas you could light this space with 4 CLU048s running at 2100mA.
New technology does not come cheap. To bad its not home grown… I would like to see advances in low voltage solar applications. Consider applying led technology coupled with solar maximum point tracking for efficiency!!
Hi growers
please give some information about a kit that I can buy that draws 220v and is used for veg and flower in an 80×80 space?
the best.
I bought a quantum board with 288 diodes I bought a MW driver 24 volts output the board is wired correctly no lights . what size of DRIVER do I need .