F-E_Man Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) Results are not in yet, but I made these to sit on the floor. Some plant energy is used keeping useless leaves alive under the canopy that are nothing more than parasitic. The kind that sap energy from your buds, then wither and die, and the sort that don't have the decency to even die and just keep going like parasites. The plant lets then as it doesn't understand the sun indoors won't ever move round onto them. Or will it? I guess that depends how good your rope ratchets are. I decided a bit of extra light on these one's that stay green could relieve the plant a little, and the ones I know will die are removed anyway of course. I'm not trying to add anything, just to unload the burden on the hid above. So it can power the canopy not the parasitic load. As a bonus, these provide a small updraft through the canopy. As perhaps 90% of the plant is air and light, this air movement might actually be more use than the light. It's an I4 cooler run off a £2.50 12v led driver. Housed in a bit of duct from screwfix. Some polytunnel repair tape makes a window over the led to keep it clean. This didn't seem to alter the led temperature at all. With about 50c being seen. It's just prototyping so lots of cableties, but it's not too embarrassing to share Edited July 8, 2017 by F-E_Man 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenVision Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Please don't take this as a negative. Under canopy light can give good results I'm sure. But Plastic casing and zip ties around the heat sink and driver... Wont that be a fire hazard? All in all I think your should be OK, they dont get THAT hot, but fire safety has to be at the top of every growers list of things to avoid, just dont want to see anything melt and cause a fuss. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-E_Man Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) I accept your negativity The tube is just pvc, like the insulation on the wires. Workable to about 85c, and still allow for a peak(except the silicone wires to the led, which a lighter won't damage). The cableties are also suitable, being for use in the same environment as standard pvc wiring. The weather proof ballast box contains much the same choice of materials inside, where it's a much more arduous environment. It doesn't look likely from the pics but these can stand in an inch of water. Non of it will get hot enough to cause problems even if the fan fails. Which while running is cooling the lot beyond the passive cooling requirement that would still be adequate. I'm an electrical test and inspection engineer. The fail here is the lack of mechanical sheathing over the pvc insulated wires(and borderline cable relief). You shouldn't be able to see the coloured insulation. It's prototyping though. Test equipment if you will. I'm perfectly safe to be doing this, as I recognise the risks. Edit to add, I'm not offering instructions how to make these. They're prototypes. I'm just showing people what I am up to. Perhaps someone can offer insight into how effective lighting from below is. I have found it...variable. Side lighting seems much better, to illuminate the right side of a leaf Edited July 8, 2017 by F-E_Man 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenVision Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) 32 minutes ago, F-E_Man said: I'm an electrical test and inspection engineer. And you have suspended an LED driver in a lump of PVC tubing 3 inches above a COB sat on a heatsink? I hope you don't do on site testing... Jesus wept mate surely you can pull out something better for prototyping?.. Maybe some 2mm ally sheeting with a basic ally soldering job. You would have had to have them square instead of circle, but no chance of excess heat of fixture failure. And a square enclosure would give you better options to use a reflector and or optics. As square / rectangle is the normal. As I say Im not trying to point out defects to be a shit bag. I will say this though, you may have an idea about fixing COB lighting. The regular method is to use box section or ally plate with any number of rigid supporting. But if you turn those up the other way and hang them like a light shade you will have a COB lighting unit that can be seriously moved around. With some flexible cable conduit to give even more flexibility you could move each COB individually much easier than you could on a fixed unit. e2a: and all your warm air would be direct STRAIGHT UP.. Edited July 8, 2017 by GreenVision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-E_Man Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 You sir, have totally lost the plot. There is no ballast above a cob. Your really not qualified to continue this conversation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddam Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 43 minutes ago, F-E_Man said: I'm an electrical test and inspection engineer. Jebus, did you train in the Congo? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blayz'd Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 1 hour ago, F-E_Man said: You sir, have totally lost the plot. There is no ballast above a cob. Your really not qualified to continue this conversation. Interesting idea. I don't think I'm qualified to discuss this one either. I like how they move air and create light though. That's good. Do they run off a single plug? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenVision Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 @F-E_Man Not quite sure what you mean? Being qualified... Is that the certificate that taught you to support a £2.50 LED driver and heat syncs with 4mm Zip Ties? And the same qualification that taught yourself to run a set of COB's from a piece of flex with zero earthing through a PCV pipe with no grommets? The same qualification that made you think it would be a good idea to mount a warm LED driver 2 inches above a fan designed to draw out warm air from a heat sync? There was no need to be rude. I was genuinely trying to be of some use. And for the record, until City Guilds 236 qualifications were seen as needing updating I was a qualified electrician, but I had already been fitting ceilings for 6 years by then. And I have GNVQ level 2 in engineering. I now repair IOS devices for resale, and I have read quite a fair bit on COB and QB tech, so with all due respect I put the same to you sir, are you sure you're qualified? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer ged Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Dubious construction quality aside, there are some far more relevant points to be made - Firstly leaves use light from above.... also, putting electrical stuff on the floor of the grow room is just fucking stupid. There is a chance of water leaks in hydro, splashes/spills when hand watering and then there is the risk of dry falling leaves and condensation drips landing on top of the light. Waste of time, money, electricity and a fire/electrocution hazard. Throw them in the bin or hang them at the top/side (is the led is even an appropriate one to use for growing?). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topo Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 electricity = black magic to me... so no help here..but hope it all goes fine for ya dude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokenroll Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) best place to put supplementary lighting to be honest is around the side walls at an angle, and at that best to use in my opinion would be led strip lighting with either Samsung / Bridgelux or Cree chips. Some of these are sealed so perfectly fine if they get some overspray. Shit loads on allibba. Edited July 8, 2017 by tokenroll 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGreenThumbzz Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, GreenVision said: and I have read quite a fair bit on COB and QB tech so you would have noticed all the drivers sitting on top of the QB heatsinks then ? Edited July 8, 2017 by DrGreenThumbzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenVision Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) @DrGreenThumbzz Depends who's building them. And QB heat sinks are quite different from single round pin type heatsink. But I think you will find that most good DIY jobs the heat sink is mounted on its own, not just sat on top of the heatsink. Usually the QB's are a pair using two lengths of angle either side of the heatsinks, and the driver is mounted in between them, not on a heatsink. But regardless of knowledge or who does what, there is no escaping that sitting a driver on top of something that is designed to be hot isn't the best way round the build. I understand it might be the only option in a spare of the moment situation, but never the less still IMO not good practise. Edited July 8, 2017 by GreenVision 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGreenThumbzz Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) 18 minutes ago, GreenVision said: QB heat sinks are quite different from single round pin type indeed, they are more efficient.... (cooler) 18 minutes ago, GreenVision said: I understand it might be the only option in a spare of the moment situation not the case - they recommend you do so ? see vid Edited July 8, 2017 by DrGreenThumbzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Jones Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Quote Your really not qualified to continue this conversation Dont let a city and guilds go to your fukin head dude in the scheme of things its fuk all just a college ticket, qualifications mean nothing its experience which counts Inspection and testing has fuk all to do with developing safe products, its just for fixed wiring and the job isnt half as technical as most think, after a year of doing it its hang your brain up at the door, mind numbing shit its why all the sparkies want taking off it and get onto a proper job The fact is exposed wiring in a plastic tube cobbled together with tie raps is as rough as a board, it looks atrocious To me its a 1 out of 10 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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