Buildng a cheap 100 watt LED

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SCfigFanatic

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Posted 1476288680	Reply with quote #1

First, parts must be ordered. I just ordered this http://www.ebay.com/itm/100W-100Watt-High-Power-White-LED-Light-Heatsink-Cooler-100W-LED-Driver-/221992627350?var=&hash=item33afcaac96:m:mnRhShhcQmf9D_2yJFdRdEA In the drop down I selected WW with heat sink plus driver and lens. I use WW warm white because it uses the color spectrum that plants use most for photosynthesis and leaf growth. After parts arrive, I will assemble the unit and plug it in. Not sure if I will hang from ceiling or mount to a old light. to be continued..... Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

Daramus

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Posts: 39

Posted 1476312497	Reply with quote #2

Look forward to seeing more on this. Thanks! __________________ Buckeye, Arizona Zone 9B

ricky

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Posts: 214

Posted 1476315495	Reply with quote #3

I checked the same kits buying from China website, This price is really good better than Alliexpress, Anyway, I am wondering that I find the same kit with grow lights LED, not sure cold white, Warm White, Grow Light LED, Which one is better. __________________ - BC, Canada, PNW Zone 8 with windy ( Zone7 - branches damage at winter) - Wish list - Granthams Royal, RdB, any heavy breba varieties or early one crop varieties.

NoelG_123

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Posts: 178

Posted 1476320513	Reply with quote #4

My biggest problem isn't light, it's keeping them warm and growing when it gets cold. I bought a used 100 gallon fish tank and then found an electric blanket at good-will. I'm going to wrap the tank with the blanket, lay some styrofoam sheet over the outside of that and see how it goes this winter. It'll look ugly but just about everything I build does. Good luck and let us know how those lights work out. __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

drew51

Registered:1431808677
Posts: 283

Posted 1476327709	Reply with quote #5

Noel my T5VHO lights throw out so much heat I have to have a fan on the plants. It increases temps by about 20 degrees at 71 in house. Ricky, cold white is a good range for figs. The others might be better? I don't know the range? All my grow lights with grow lamps are at the same range as the cold white, 6000-6500k. That's a decent range for vegetative growth. Not for flowering though, you want 3000k for flowering, or in that range. I use florescent grow lights, and they are either 6500k or 3000k. I guess the main range of light. A grow light that offers both, would not be better, you don't want flowering on new plants. Plus the vegetative light would be decreased, the amount of lumens. Best to switch bulbs depending on your goals. __________________ Drew Zone 5b/6a Sterling Heights MI

NoelG_123

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Posts: 178

Posted 1476366449	Reply with quote #6

Drew. Thanks. __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

ricky

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Posts: 214

Posted 1476367346	Reply with quote #7

Hi Drew, They have cold white, warm white, and " 100W 380-840nm Full Spectrum High Power LED ", Anyone tried those full spectrum LED? __________________ - BC, Canada, PNW Zone 8 with windy ( Zone7 - branches damage at winter) - Wish list - Granthams Royal, RdB, any heavy breba varieties or early one crop varieties.

drew51

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Posts: 283

Posted 1476368064	Reply with quote #8

Quote: Originally Posted by NoelG_123 Drew. Thanks. Mine are 4 feet btw, and i said T5VHO not T5HO. The HO lights don't throw that much heat out. Overall I actually like them better, but in your situation VHO might be in order, although hard to find, and not sure the technology will take off? I recently noticed my light is not available anymore from the manufacturer. __________________ Drew Zone 5b/6a Sterling Heights MI

drew51

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Posts: 283

Posted 1476368353 · Edited	Reply with quote #9

Quote: Originally Posted by ricky Hi Drew, They have cold white, warm white, and " 100W 380-840nm Full Spectrum High Power LED ", Anyone tried those full spectrum LED? Interesting. The full spectrum would be good if you plan to at times plan to produce fruit under them. But I still think it would be better to have 2 sets of lamps and switch them when needed. My figs look a darker green under 6500K lights than they do with outside light. Well at first as they adapt, no doubt in the long run, the sun is much better. __________________ Drew Zone 5b/6a Sterling Heights MI

NoelG_123

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Posts: 178

Posted 1476368514 · Edited	Reply with quote #10

Last year I used regular LED light bulbs and had cuttings next to a window with a heat mat, but this year everything will be in an unheated greenhouse. I'm definitely going with 6000-6500K leds this year- If ordering from china I think the U.S. bulb base is E26 but double check on that. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dimmable-E26-E12-E27-GU10-G9-LED-Corn-Bulb-14W-18W-25W-30W-Light-SMD-4014-Lamp-/311697427410?var=&hash=item48929d4bd2:m:mkzzOSDt8mPACdEgLpv6idg http://www.gearbest.com/led-light-bulbs/pp_125991.html __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476373383 · Edited	Reply with quote #11

You all need to do some reading on color spectrum and what is usable for plant growth. Cold white will put out a blue hue. Great for seedlings. Warm white has a more yellow tint that matches the summer sun best and used for vegetative growth and potential flowering. If everybody knows more about it than I do, please show your proof before giving out bad information. The nice part about these leds is after you learn you have the wrong color, you can change the led. Doug edited to correct wording. I said it backwards __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

drew51

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Posts: 283

Posted 1476374140 · Edited	Reply with quote #12

Well i thought it was common knowledge, it's very basic info, look anywhere and you will see. Here is a basic primer http://homeguides.sfgate.com/plant-light-spectrum-growing-flowering-plants-72801.html When buying T5 grow lamps you have 2 choices. Both bulbs have the full spectrum, but most of the light is in certain ranges. Depending if you want vegetative or flowering growth. Here are some VHO T5 lamps, all that you can get for plants. One or the other. Cool white matches exactly the blue light need for vegetative growth. As stated in the link I provided. https://www.hydroponics.net/c/774 __________________ Drew Zone 5b/6a Sterling Heights MI

NoelG_123

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Posts: 178

Posted 1476374771 · Edited	Reply with quote #13

Remember there are people who are fairly new at this stuff so I appreciate the addtl info. Thanks :) __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476375037 · Edited	Reply with quote #14

How many pictures of grow rooms have you seen with cool white or bluish tint? None, because the blue spectrum is not enough by its self for healthy plant growth. Blue light alone is not even used in commercial grow lights. They use a ratio of 4-5 red LED'S to every single blue bulb. The blue spectrum will not work well past seedling growth. Doug http://www.integral-led.com/education/warm-white-or-cool-white __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476381974	Reply with quote #15

Drew, I'm building a versatile 100w grow light. 9000 lumen. $30 using the light spectrum in the middle of the high and low ends only make sense to me. Your single bulbs alone would allow me enough money to assemble a 300 watt 27,000 lumen light. Not much comparison. But thanks for your input. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

NoelG_123

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Posts: 178

Posted 1476382928 · Edited	Reply with quote #16

Thanks to both Doug and Drew. Anything shared with good intent is a blessing to all. Doug- Anything you can share on your project that a beginner could use? Tips, watts, lumens, specific bulbs you've researched, etc. etc. Anything budget minded would be a big big plus too. You guys sound like you know a thing or two and prices have dropped so much on LED's that it seems doable except for lack of expertise on my part. Thanks. __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

NoelG_123

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Posts: 178

Posted 1476385073	Reply with quote #17

Hi Doug. I just ordered the same kit. Thanks for sharing that. I'll wait to hear what you have to comment on about assembly etc. before I put my cro magnon hands on it. Hoping you have great luck and maybe some of that luck will slide my way too LOL. __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476386207 · Edited	Reply with quote #18

Once I get the kit in my hands, I will show step by step how to assemble your own LED light. LED's are the least expensive to operate as they use far less power than other grow lights like Metal Halide, High Pressure sodium. They also produce very little heat. The grow light industry are switching to LED's as lights of choice. Follow along and build your own. I have no guarantee of the quality of these kits, but I have been running cheap Chinese LED's for years without a problem. to be continued..... Doug edit while ordering parts, I recommend getting some Gnatrol in preperation for trees being brought inside. __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

brandon87

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Posts: 77

Posted 1476414788 · Edited	Reply with quote #19

I ended up getting one of these. Used a standard base(e26).Trying to keep the energy costs down. 6500k temp, over 6000 lumens and only 105w. Also cfl bulbs run much cooler than hps or mv/mh. Plus no ballast needed. https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/62837/FC105-FEIIIB10565.html?utm_source=SmartFeedGoogleBase&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_term=FC105-FEIIIB10565&utm_content=6500K+-+400+Watt+Equal+Compact+Fluorescents&utm_campaign=SmartFeedGoogleBaseShopping&gclid=CMbv6dyo2c8CFZWFaQodUJMGug __________________ Zone 9 NW Houston-- Open to trades, message me.

SCfigFanatic

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Posted 1476415322 · Edited	Reply with quote #20

6200 lumen vs 9000 lumen with 100 watt LED. LED's use drivers, not ballasts. This will be fun to compare plant growth come spring. :) Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

brandon87

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Posts: 77

Posted 1476416022 · Edited	Reply with quote #21

I'm not sure what a driver is?? I was a bit skeptical trying something new but maybe I'll give it a shot next year. __________________ Zone 9 NW Houston-- Open to trades, message me.

NoelG_123

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Posts: 178

Posted 1476416270 · Edited	Reply with quote #22

Thanks for sharing that link Brandon. I think the more tools in the tool box the better! __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476417057	Reply with quote #23

CFL bulbs are great until the bases get hot. After the plastic discolors to a light brown I would consider it unsafe to use. Keep an eye on it. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476460344 · Edited	Reply with quote #24

Seller of parts just today told me the fan is not included. But they show it in the description with the kit. Anybody else may want to hold off buying from this seller until I see what they send and if I have to file a dispute with them. You cant show a description of what your selling without including what is being displayed. Its hard to deal with people who do not understand english. I will do my best to get this straightened out. At worst I'jj buy a cheap muffin fan and a 12v 2a power pack. (wall wart) to complete this light. It will still be under $40 total by time its plugged in to a timer. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476462234	Reply with quote #25

here is information on the usable light spectrum for plant growth. https://californialightworks.com/light-spectrum-and-plant-growth/ I use warm white 3000k because it is in the most usable wavelength for vegetative growth. If I want to induce flowering I will add more red to my spectrum with a different led light. I have 4 or 5 grow lights I have built in the past years, I'm only passing on my experience from what I have learned by doing. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

JMRTSUS

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Posts: 53

Posted 1476569141	Reply with quote #26

My experience with the Chinese LED lamps is longevity....very bad. Several reasons for this. First is they "overdrive" the LED. LED's have several power ratings. These chip types in the lamps I bought were rated at 1/2 watts continuous use and 1 watt peak. When driven at peak power the average life goes down. I purchased 2 types 20 of each and less that 20 are fully functional 6 months later. The second is the quality of construction of the drivers, cheap capacitors failed. Who knows mabe the Chinese stuff is getting better. My fig cuttings and Alpine Strawberry seedlings show NO difference in growth with the RED/BLUE LED's and the cheap HD 40 Cool White lamps. And only 1 in about 50 of those have failed. Can't wait to see how it goes, I want more light! __________________ Ooltewah, TN (SE TN) Zone 7a LSU figs.....Purple, Gold, Tiger, Champagne, O"Roark and Improved Celeste. Need Hollier and Scott's Black. (GEAUX TIGERS!) Brown Turkey, Celeste, Condradia, Chicago Hardy, Ischia Green, Italian Black, Kadota, Lil Miss Figgie, Lil Ruby, Olympian, Black Bethlehem, Panache, Jelly, Petite Negra, Texas Everbearing, Violette de Bordeaux, White Marseille, Yellow Long Neck, Desert King, Ronde de Bordeaux, Violetta Bayernfeige, Holier. And very rare, top secret "unknowns" AKA as Lost tags! Plus vaguely described figs such as "Louisiana Brown", "Ashlan Unknown" and "LA Yellow".

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476572434	Reply with quote #27

100 watt chips are not built like 1/2 watt LEDs. If I blow a 100 watt LED, it's $6 to replace. I have not had one burn out yet. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

don_sanders

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Posts: 219

Posted 1476593150	Reply with quote #28

Just about everything is made in China. Even Cree has plants in China so.... __________________ Don - Columbus, OH. Zone 5b/6a Wish list: Rafed/Adriano's Genovese Nero, Your favorite fig.

JMRTSUS

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Posts: 53

Posted 1476651041 · Edited	Reply with quote #29

SCfigFanatic........There is no such thing as a 100W LED, 100W lamps use many LEDs. The device on this post is a 10x10 matrix of 100 individual white LEDs according to the listing. On top of that each "white" LED has three LEDs inside. One each red, green and blue. So the device in this post actually contains 300 LEDs. LED are low voltage devices, typically 1.2 volts....so a white will require 3.6 volts to light the three inside the "white" LEDs. If life like my previously experience they used 1/2 Watt LEDs driven at 1 watt they will also have a short life. Hence the high failure rate. This listing does not say which Chips are being used so it is a gamble until someone tries them out. As I stated these MAY actually be legit.......but my experience in electronic (40 years teaching Electronics, writing training courses and videos before retiring along with building custom amps and speakers.) has been that cheap Chinese electronics uses the least expensive parts and out of tolerance parts. Not to say that ALL chinese Electronics are bad...Apple, Samsung and such are a different level than theses lamps. But keep in mind the Samsungs that have been discontinued due to flames in the past week. Why? The batteries were made in China........ junk! Over rated and overcharged they shorted and caught fire......they were specially made so Samsung had to discontinue the the phone as no batteries were available to replace the junk they bought! The Chinese rate their batteries as 300-400% over capacities. If you buy one of the external phone batteries you will find when you open the case the battery is nowhere near the advertised capacity. A 5000 mah rating will have a 1200 mah battery in the large case. All kind of videos on the net showing this. And Samsung will lose they are guessing 600 million on bad Chinese product quality. I could go on for a long time about the Chinese electronics market.....we attempted to have some products made for us from multiple merchants........what we got was junk samples.....nowhere close to what we specified from the six companies we tried. LEDs are rated at an average power level. A 1/2 W LED will run for is normal life at 1/2 W. If you pulse it on and off for a 50% duty cycle(half the time on and half off) you can run it at a 1 Watt level. It can also be pulsed at a very high level briefly. Think of the flash on your phone. The chips on the lamps I purchased are type 5730.....1/2 W chips. The lamps use 18 and the Chinese rate the lamp as 18 watts. Again the answer to the short life. So without knowing what chip the device on this post uses it is a gamble that you will actually get what you pay for. The simple fact they do not tell you is suspicious. The Chinese also rate their batteries as 300-400% over capacities. If you buy one of the external phone batteries you will find when you open the the battery is nowhere near the advertised capacity. All kind of videos on the net showing this. Per their website Cree LEDs are made in the USA, packaging the LEDs is done at the China Huizhou plant wholly owned by Cree. But if you price a Cree 1W LED you will pay several bucks each so how can the Chinese sell lamps with 18 of these chips, a built in driver and packaged to fit a standard base socket at $2.24 shipped per lamp? Easy if they use out of spec junk Chinese LEDs. The 5730 chips in the two types of cheap lamps I purchased were Chinese made 5730 chips. I do not doubt the LEDs were good but it you run an incandescent lamp rated at 120vac 100 Watts at 240vac 200 Watts how long do you think it will work? I hope these LED lamps work as advertised. But I will wait to see what happens before sending more money to China for more junk. I will not use ANY Chinese components in our handmade tube type audio amps, I will not risk our reputation on junk parts. Extensive testing has shown Chinese parts in general seldom meet specs. We only purchase NOS US made products for our tube amps which include the tubes, transformers and capacitors. Precision resistors we are forced to use Taiwanese products. If it is obscenely cheap and Chinese in general STAY AWAY! Chinese business ethics are non existent......it is a seemingly normal business practice to first attempt to shaft a customer but if you battle long enough they will comply with your standards. And their excuses are the same every time.....their suppliers screwed them with bad parts........I just have better things to do than fight tooth and nail to get what I paid for. __________________ Ooltewah, TN (SE TN) Zone 7a LSU figs.....Purple, Gold, Tiger, Champagne, O"Roark and Improved Celeste. Need Hollier and Scott's Black. (GEAUX TIGERS!) Brown Turkey, Celeste, Condradia, Chicago Hardy, Ischia Green, Italian Black, Kadota, Lil Miss Figgie, Lil Ruby, Olympian, Black Bethlehem, Panache, Jelly, Petite Negra, Texas Everbearing, Violette de Bordeaux, White Marseille, Yellow Long Neck, Desert King, Ronde de Bordeaux, Violetta Bayernfeige, Holier. And very rare, top secret "unknowns" AKA as Lost tags! Plus vaguely described figs such as "Louisiana Brown", "Ashlan Unknown" and "LA Yellow".

JMRTSUS

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Posts: 53

Posted 1476652410	Reply with quote #30

Brandon.....A "driver" is functionally the same as a "ballast". It provides the correct voltage and current for the device. A fluorescent lamp "ballast" provides a high AC voltage and low current to drive the lamp and LEDs require a low DC Voltage and high current to drive them. The home type LED lamps have the driver built in the lamp. The "dimmable" LED types use a more expensive driver which is why they cost more. I prefer LEDs to fluorescent lamps due to the lethal voltages that they require in a damp environment like grow lights. Just my personal preference but then I have been fried once or twice in my career! And did not like it! Please be carefull with DIY projects using lethal voltages. Even 120vac household current will kill you, I lost a very dear friend to 120 vac house current. __________________ Ooltewah, TN (SE TN) Zone 7a LSU figs.....Purple, Gold, Tiger, Champagne, O"Roark and Improved Celeste. Need Hollier and Scott's Black. (GEAUX TIGERS!) Brown Turkey, Celeste, Condradia, Chicago Hardy, Ischia Green, Italian Black, Kadota, Lil Miss Figgie, Lil Ruby, Olympian, Black Bethlehem, Panache, Jelly, Petite Negra, Texas Everbearing, Violette de Bordeaux, White Marseille, Yellow Long Neck, Desert King, Ronde de Bordeaux, Violetta Bayernfeige, Holier. And very rare, top secret "unknowns" AKA as Lost tags! Plus vaguely described figs such as "Louisiana Brown", "Ashlan Unknown" and "LA Yellow".

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476736422 · Edited	Reply with quote #31

jmrtsus, I have bought many 50 and 100 wait LED's from china that have lasted 4 years so far. I am no expert at electrical, if a led is being over driven simply add a cooling fan running the same or slightly higher voltage. No more over driving the led. Many power packs I use have adjustable pot to let me set the current where I want it. I do not like buying from china, it is the cheapest option. Even if I do get a burnt out LED it's like $7 to replace. If someone else has more experience than I, feel free to finish this thread. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

SCfigFanatic

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Posted 1476743254 · Edited	Reply with quote #32

"Just my personal preference but then I have been fried once or twice in my career! And did not like it! Please be carefull with DIY projects using lethal voltages. Even 120vac household current will kill you, I lost a very dear friend to 120 vac house current. " (was a quote from jmrtsus but got edited out) Had you shared your knowledge with your close friend, maybe he would not have got electrocuted?? Your right, I do not want some idiot messing with 120v. Sorry for starting this thread. It was not for my benefit. I do not want to risk someones life. Sorry all..... Doug edit I will delete this thread tomorrow. __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

ricky

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Posts: 214

Posted 1476744011	Reply with quote #33

I bought lots of electric stuffs from China and I totally understand their quality, It is even worse than dollar store, However, it is very inexpensive. For lower power LED 3730, I do agree that overpower can shorter their life but regarding about this LED kits, It should be fine, Most of those LED drivers are slightly under power, and High power LED are reliable with proper heatsink/fan , However, This kit is for someone with some electronic skill because it does not come with good instruction and support. __________________ - BC, Canada, PNW Zone 8 with windy ( Zone7 - branches damage at winter) - Wish list - Granthams Royal, RdB, any heavy breba varieties or early one crop varieties.

JMRTSUS

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Posts: 53

Posted 1476746784	Reply with quote #34

Please do not delete this thread there is much good info here, all it needed was a warning to people to not take wiring lightly. My friend was a long time family friend, we called her "Coonie" short for "coon ass" or "cajun". She died due to a bad DIY wiring job by her husband. He wired the pump for a small in ground goldfish pond in their yard. But he wired the neutral to the switch and the hot direct to the pump. So she had switched it off when she was cleaning the pond but somehow in moving the pump touched the hot wire. As to the project let us know how it works out. There are several sources for overstocked and discontinued DC power supplies. I am sure we could find some that are DIY safe for others to use. As to your fan get a 12V and add a resistor and run it on the power supply for the lamps. Get me the specs on the fan and I will tell you what value resistor you will need if you want to save on another power supply. The LED matrix is what is important......are they truly 1 Watt LED's or over driven 1/2 Watt devices? Even if they are 1/2 W devices a single resistor would reduce the drive to provide a very long life. You will simply have to use two of them for 100W. $13 for a TRUE 100W white LED is still dirt cheap and should provide about 80 Lumens per watt so 8000 lumens. That is the equivalent of ten 40Watt incandescent lamps but 1/4 of the electricity to power it. So keep up the thread a let us all gain from your experience. __________________ Ooltewah, TN (SE TN) Zone 7a LSU figs.....Purple, Gold, Tiger, Champagne, O"Roark and Improved Celeste. Need Hollier and Scott's Black. (GEAUX TIGERS!) Brown Turkey, Celeste, Condradia, Chicago Hardy, Ischia Green, Italian Black, Kadota, Lil Miss Figgie, Lil Ruby, Olympian, Black Bethlehem, Panache, Jelly, Petite Negra, Texas Everbearing, Violette de Bordeaux, White Marseille, Yellow Long Neck, Desert King, Ronde de Bordeaux, Violetta Bayernfeige, Holier. And very rare, top secret "unknowns" AKA as Lost tags! Plus vaguely described figs such as "Louisiana Brown", "Ashlan Unknown" and "LA Yellow".

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476748678	Reply with quote #35

Thanks, I understand the option of using the resistor. I was going to keep the build as simplistic as I could think of for first timers. Keeping the soldering to only the led. The 12v 2a power source I was going to use has 2 screws to attach fan wires in to. Wire nuts could be used elsewhere. I need to test the driver to see if I want to draw fan power from it. Chances are it's already under driven. Parts have not arrived. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

ricky

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Posts: 214

Posted 1476754226	Reply with quote #36

Those LED driver are designed on constant power source, It has only range voltages and range of current, it will maintain it rated value of 100W. Those High power LEDs are confusing, question is that, Do they need Len? If so why? For me, I don't think that it needs Len. Also, I need to know which wavelength of light kill mold, I need light in this wavelength. Hi Doug, It will take few weeks for them to arrive, In Canada, It takes about 2 weeks to arrive here and few days for Customs service, then it will sit at post office from 1 to 10 weeks before I can get it. __________________ - BC, Canada, PNW Zone 8 with windy ( Zone7 - branches damage at winter) - Wish list - Granthams Royal, RdB, any heavy breba varieties or early one crop varieties.

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476755315	Reply with quote #37

I never have used the lens. I ordered it only to test it myself. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

SCfigFanatic

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Posted 1476756122	Reply with quote #38

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400W-36V-11A-Single-Output-Switching-Power-Supply-AC-to-DC-SMPS-S-400-36-for-LED-/222167566598?hash=item33ba380906:g:TZkAAOSwepJXcPAt this is the driver I'm most familiar with and use on my other 50 watt and 100 watt lights. I was looking for a simple way to introduce LED lighting to people so they can dig into learning more about led lighting on their own. I build wind generators from scratch, winding my own coils all the way to carving 6-8 ft diameter blades of wood. I do not know everything about led's, I only know what has worked by reading and trying. If this helps anyone who would enjoy a DIY LED light, then Im happy. I'm not out to be a know it all. I'm only wanting others to see how simple LED's really are. If I learn something, great. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

saxonfig

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Posts: 1,370

Posted 1476757054	Reply with quote #39

Good thread Doug. I look forward to seeing how this setup works out for you. I've gotten a few of those type 100W LEDs. I got mine from China to make a DIY "super flashlight". I've tested them but haven't yet put all the parts together in a self contained unit. Those things really are extremely bright! Should make some pretty awesome grow lights. Keep us posted (preferably with pics or video :-) . JMRTSUS: Very sorry to hear about your friend that died that way. What a tragic accident. AC power is great. But it also is, certainly, to be respected. __________________ Fig Well And Prosper! Bill - SW KY. Zone 6b. 36.5N I'm fruitnut on ebay.

SCfigFanatic

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Posts: 469

Posted 1476757450	Reply with quote #40

Thanks Saxonfig. It seems I have a few of your figs in my orchard from years ago when you offered cuttings. Thanks again. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

saxonfig

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Posts: 1,370

Posted 1476757687	Reply with quote #41

I love to hear that. Glad you were able to make some trees out of them :) . Will have more cuttings available this season (I know, shameless plug). __________________ Fig Well And Prosper! Bill - SW KY. Zone 6b. 36.5N I'm fruitnut on ebay.

oldguy128

Registered:1443366786
Posts: 31

Posted 1476766331	Reply with quote #42

Quote: Originally Posted by NoelG_123 My biggest problem isn't light, it's keeping them warm and growing when it gets cold. I bought a used 100 gallon fish tank and then found an electric blanket at good-will. I'm going to wrap the tank with the blanket, lay some styrofoam sheet over the outside of that and see how it goes this winter. It'll look ugly but just about everything I build does. Good luck and let us know how those lights work out. Wow I see them being thrown away at my town dump they must weigh a lot but its a good idea

drew51

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Posts: 283

Posted 1476772337	Reply with quote #43

I thought the discussion was interesting, but for me, I would rather buy a commercial LED grow light. Currently the florescent are much cheaper and throw out a very decent amount of light. Hopefully the prices will come down on the LED's. __________________ Drew Zone 5b/6a Sterling Heights MI

jdsfrance

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Posts: 2,591

Posted 1476795196 · Edited	Reply with quote #44

Hi, DC is worst than AC. DC will contract your muscles and you won't be able move or open your hands. AC will contract and release your muscles and you get a chance to jump out of the problem. If you can include a fuse on your montage, it may help prevent problems . It is the responsibility of each one to have an uptodate electrical installation with all due protections and working fuses. Some will use tinfoil to replace broken fuses. You can't help such silly (but handy for a short time ) behaviors. It is the same when adding memory to your pc or removing dust from inside of your pc. Remove that damn power cable from the power unit FIRST ! Even when the pc is off but connected to the power, you can get a serious electrical shock. Don't even speak of TVs, since they have components to produce higher voltage from the standard power-supply . As for tanks, one should unplug all electrical devices (heater, pump, lamps) before touching the water. I'll admit that I've never done it ... So far so good ... I had once a ballast (power-adapter for the lamps) start to heat and almost catch fire. It was 11PM and Madame told me "hey it smells like fire here". And then told me "nevermind, the smell is vanishing" . But I checked all electrical sources, and touched the ballast of a tank just to release it... It was that damn hot. It was sitting on a wooden furniture and the furniture was getting a roasted color . By luck, we were at home ... and still awaken. So yes, owning a tank is not as safe as we can think of it ... __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

SCfigFanatic

Registered:1450004954
Posts: 469

Posted 1476805096 · Edited	Reply with quote #45

This light Im building uses 30-36VDC. You can touch wires without it doing much of anything to you. My house has a circuit that runs from 24VDC through a inverter and powers a 120vac outlet in my living room. On the fan...the resistor won't be cheap. Or efficient. Going to waste around twice what the fan is actually using. Better off getting a 12v fan and power supply. Doug Drew if you want to go by cost alone, go buy $40 worth of flo bulbs and ballast. We can compare once I build this. Apples to oranges. This kit is not for everyone, I would say most any teenager could do it. __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

SCfigFanatic

Registered:1450004954
Posts: 469

Posted 1476810383 · Edited	Reply with quote #46

here is more information on color choices of LED and why I choose warm white for winter growing. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1150438/ To each, their own. Im just showing what has worked for me. This is also how I start cuttings in december then plant in ground first week of march and most all try to fruit their first year. Figs flowering in winter are my least concern. Doug I wish one of the experts would have wrote this thread. My only purpose to be here is to try to help others. Critics should show how they build their LED lights, or do they even build them? __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

SCfigFanatic

Registered:1450004954
Posts: 469

Posted 1476842903	Reply with quote #47

Here are some of my LED lights I have played with over the last few years. http://s298.photobucket.com/user/Southbuck7/library/LED%20lights?sort=3&page=1 Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

ricky

Registered:1444161045
Posts: 214

Posted 1476912178 · Edited	Reply with quote #48

I bought a kit from China today for $10US, It uses CE certify water proof driver, It needs extra heatsink fan, I have couple Computer CPU heatsink fans laying around. I find that 100W LED is dirt cheap now, less than $2. https://s14.postimg.org/6o0i1d7k1/LED_kit.jpg https://s11.postimg.org/413j4bn9v/LED_kit2.jpg __________________ - BC, Canada, PNW Zone 8 with windy ( Zone7 - branches damage at winter) - Wish list - Granthams Royal, RdB, any heavy breba varieties or early one crop varieties.

SCfigFanatic

Registered:1450004954
Posts: 469

Posted 1476914048	Reply with quote #49

Good, you can show us how you do it. Doug __________________ South Carolina zone 7b-8

nullzero

Registered:1282324889
Posts: 206

Posted 1476988576	Reply with quote #50

Here is some detailed info on LED lights and making your own COB led grow light. https://www.reddit.com/r/HandsOnComplexity/

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