Very good link.
People can read and answer their own questions.
It's very easy to learn basics, that work.
Look at step 4, building your first grow light.
Notice the led the author chose...
I believe this is the same information I started with
building my first led. Except it was on a forum at
the time.

Doug

Something that was not mentioned about flowering.
The day light hours determine the plants cycle.
Simply cutting back the day light hours will induce flowering.
14 hours a day of artificial light trick the plant into thinking its summer time.
That is when the most vegetative growth happens.
That is how I take a dormant fig and put it under lights,
it then takes off growing again.
I have a pic in my link showing a dormant fig with new leaf growth after just 9
days under lights.

This thread was only to inspire others to try led lighting.
Personally, how you go about it is not important to me.

I have never had a driver from china fail in the 4 years I have used them.
Not one in 8?

I bought the cheapest kit to show the simplicity of led lighting.
It's not the best parts out there, nobody said they were.
It is a inexpensive way to learn about led lighting.


Doug

At the end I have a indiscreet looking light in my dining room
that runs 14 hours a day.
Plants love it and no heads turn while driving by.
ricky, your success rate sounds like a person connecting the led
backwards then blaming the led.

My LED arrives today according to postal tracking.
I will post pics and a video of soldering the LED terminals.
Gimme a few days and when I have time I will document the assembly and
post it here.

Notice, you all take your own risk when playing with 120v ac.
I assume no responsibility of someone screwing up and getting shocked or burning your house down.

It really is not that big of a deal with this light.
 
I ended my career in the HVAC business I owned and operated, so I do have
high voltage working experience.

Anyone considering to build your own led needs to read the link provided
in its entirety. This will save a million silly questions that are all answered right there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/HandsOnComplexity/

This alone is the same information I started with 5 years ago.

Doug

IMG_20161026_215029 by Doug B, on Flickr

The light is done.
Cost, less than $30.

Will do a write up on how I assembled next

Doug

So what I did was use thermal paste on center square where LED is on opposite sides.
I used 5 mim epoxy on the rounded ends of Led and glued it to the heat sink.
The next day I looked around for what I could use to make a small reflector.
I had a old florescent light fixture and removed the end plates.
These I drilled and mounted to heat sink bolts. It took a metric #4 nut.
Then I found a wall wart that produced 12v and 1 amp. I epoxied the 12v power supply
to the light reflector.
I then also used epoxy to attach power supply to other end of reflector.
Now all I have to do is solder my wires.
The driver is marked L or N at one end with orange wires. I took a plug in cord and cut plug off it.
I soldered L (line) to my white or hot on my 120v plug and soldered N (neutral) to the black or common wire.
The hot 120v line will attach to the big side terminal on the plug.
I now have a plug in driver and can test output of driver.
On my driver they used white wire as + to LED and black wire as - negative.
I fed wires through fixture and soldered to the LED.
The last thing I had to do was wire in my fan. Ignore the yellow wire and attach
red from fan to a fuse holder then to + on 12v power pack. Black to negative wire.

The last thing I had to do was take a extension cord and push it down on my 12v fan driver.
I took the plug I attached to power the driver and plugged it into the extension cord as well.
I used a wire tie to attach my power cord to the chain I hung my ligh with.
This takes any weight off the cord and accidentally pulling connections apart.

Then I plugged in my light and kicked back enjoying my new silent grow light.

how to build led link by Doug B, on Flickr


Doug

10,240 lux at plant height

looks like you have to click on left side of picture to view the light. The epoxied led is first pic to the right.
New to flicker, photobucket has site errors so I had to switch.

I haven't receive my LED kit yet, However, I am worry about installing heatsink, So I will try your "5 mim epoxy" and see that it work or not, Please report back that how epoxy hold up with heat.

I am wondering that how do you know that " 10,240" lux at plant height? do you have Lux meter to measure it?

I guess that 100W LED output near 10,000 Lumen, LED bean angle is 120 degree, If  plant distance to LED is 1 meter
http://led.bannerengineering.com/plan-your-project/lux-lumen-calculator/
by using this calculator, I got 3183 lux
which is stronger than morning SUN of 300Lux
but weaker than light cloudy noon Sun at 20,000+ lux

If plant distance is 0.4 meter, I got near 20,000 Lux

Actually that lux is the max that any app could read with a smart phone.
I measured at plant height. It did drop as I got 4 foot plus away from the LED
Using epoxy is stated in the link of information provided.
I suggest you start at the beginning and read it all.

I'm not going to answer questions that are all answered in that link.

The LED uses 1.13 amps @ 122v AC
86.5 watts

Doug

I think the reason that you get higher lux valve is that, you are using a white color reflector, it focus more light energy to plant.

By the way, 1.12Amp @ 122V AC is Watts = Amp X voltage = 1.12 X122 = 136 Watts

I plugged it into a watts up meter. Readings came from it.
Normally I use thermal epoxy, I was out.
Light has been on 15+ hours so far,
Heat sink hardly gets warm. never had a problem yet,  you may.


"I think the reason that you get higher lux valve is that, you are using a white color reflector, it focus more light energy to plant."

How ridiculous, The white reflectors will not concentrate lux.

Not here to bicker with ricky, I very simply showed how I assembled my LED.
How you assemble yours is up to your imagination.


Doug

Doug:

Thanks for your very helpful information.

Here is the best explanation for my watts up meter.

I'm going to share what I learned on this build.
I should have took more time looking at led"s
on ebay and I would recommend that you should look for a water proof driver.
The lens kit provided in this one I bought was for spot light, not a spread out pattern.
So, I will get parts for a hand held spot light later on.
I would advise the use of thermal epoxy, although 5 min epoxy works
fine if let dry overnight.
I recommend attaching your led to the heat sink BEFORE soldering
wires to it. Bend tabs up after soldering.
This prevents overheating the led while soldering.

Last thing I do is put a a dab of hot glue on all 4 wires on driver.
This helps lock in against vibration and it insulates the connection on the circuit board.

The thing is, if you intend on assembling a led light
it is very important to read that link.
Once you have read it, you know about as much about it as I do.

I hope others with a few hand tools build your own led ans show us yours.

Doug

That was a quote from jmrtsus I think. It must have been edited out?
I have not got shocked like that.
I said at the beginning I did not want a idiot to play with 120v.
If your not comfortable with making a light. Buy it.
There is risk in everything, driving even walking down the road now days.
If you can follow directions, there is no reason anybody would get shocked assembling
this LED.
Doug

Check this out, 100w led, fixture, heat sink $39.90, free shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100W-Watt-Waterproof-Outdoor-LED-SMD-WARM-WHITE-Flood-lights-Lamp-Spotlights-/332012461152?hash=item4d4d7c1c60:g:Q8kAAOSwG-1W1Ai2

That will work.

Nice find.


Doug

I'm only attempting to show others that grow indoors,
the advantage of using led lighting.
How you go about getting the led lighting is up
to you. People will still have to play with 120v ac
to attach a cord to your linked light.
But it would work, could be mounted to a stand easily.

Pricing on led lighting is dropping.
It is now at least doable, whether you build or buy.

Doug

Newegg has one on sale with free shipping $59

 


"Actual power consumption:140w±3%"

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA7AD4ZS4096&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL122216&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL122216-_-EMC-122216-Index-_-LEDLightBulbs-_-9SIA7AD4ZS4096-S1A7A&ignorebbr=1

Anybody running growing lights, please consider the extra safety by installing a smoke detector
in your closet or where ever your lights are running.

My $27 100 watt LED still running 12 hours a day since the day I assembled and installed.


Doug

Agreed KK, I meant to say this at the beginning.....
Safety first friends.

Doug

For those not trying the project due to people saying chineese LED's are junk....
Worry not, my $27 100 watt led has been running every single day since
I built this one.
And it runs from 12-14 hours a day, every day.
Best thing of it is, my all electric 4 bedroom home costs less than $70 a month
during winter to live comfortably and light up a closet and keep it warm.
Not bad eh?
I just started sweet basil, tomatoes and a few others with my 3 cup method.
The basil will smell things up pretty.
I read basil will not grow under cool white led's.
Somebody please try it. I see your cool white led's.


Doug

Doug... I personally value your information and guidance... I haven't tried it for no other reason other than a lack of confidence in my ability to convert instructions into the final product.... Otherwise, I would be all over it...

Thanks.
Heck, years ago I wrote thread telling how my grandpa used to score his
plants with his fingernail then replant that cutting.
Others jumped on the idea, but I already had pictures to show how scoring a fig cutting
rooted. Look how far that has spread.

Doug

I just enjoy trying to help others grow figs.
Not my favorite home grown fruit, but good.