Calling out to Weezard for LED advice

I love this thread and I've not even finished page 1!

interested in LED's for life these days.

moving to Hilo (from Portland OR) May and electricity is more than 2x here. which got me interested in LEDs in the first place

I like the cake pan lamp

anyway -- I'll be doing a bunch of reading here.

Now, on the 2-3 week extra finish time, has anyone here tried reptile UVB CFL bulbs to aument the light spectrum?

I've been flowering under 436w t-5 in red with 3 UVB cfl's. The change when I first added them was nothing short of fascinating/miraculous!

It enhances the trichome production.

ok, back to reading :cool:

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In pidgin, "choke" means too much.

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I am lolo. Derrr....

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I'm sure you caught the initial joke.

"Lost Sheep Dream of electric Bo-Peep.
Leds Still Do."

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That seemed straightforward enough. However, I googled "Electric Bo Peep" to see if I was missing something obvious and learned:
[attachment=o215078]

Now that's obvious. :D

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Originally Posted by MdmPele

I love this thread and I've not even finished page 1!

interested in LED's for life these days.

moving to Hilo (from Portland OR) May and electricity is more than 2x here. which got me interested in LEDs in the first place

I like the cake pan lamp

anyway -- I'll be doing a bunch of reading here.

Now, on the 2-3 week extra finish time, has anyone here tried reptile UVB CFL bulbs to aument the light spectrum?

Did read that someone tried them.
No dramatic result.
Also not a double blind study,so...

So, try 'em if ya gottem and let us know.:cool:

Close as I have to personal UVb info?
Got an array that I bought on E.
It has a mix of red, blue, violet, UVb, and IR. on it.
irradiated one side of a WW all through bloom.
Then dried buds from that side and the opposite side.
Cured 'em, tried 'em.
Objectively, no weight difference, no size difference
Subjectively, no effect difference.
Not what you'd call a definitive test, ya?.:hippy:
I'm not organized enough to do it right.

And, I'm results oriented, so, I just hung a large CFL for any missed light frequency and invited the girls to he'p themselves.

I've been flowering under 436w t-5 in red with 3 UVB cfl's. The change when I first added them was nothing short of fascinating/miraculous!

Did you add them after the "stretch" or at the beginning of flower?
Did you have some non-UVb siblings for a comparison?

It enhances the trichome production.

ok, back to reading :cool:

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Not claiming to have a lock on the most efficient growlight.
Just thrashing about and getting acceptable results for 1/10th the energy of HPS.
Pretty happy with the current setup.

Building a more powerful version to see if it speeds production or adds bud mass. :weedpoke:


I'll have dimmers on this one.
Will run them at full power for a full bloom cycle.
IF, (and that's a big if), I can save 2 weeks and get bigger buds with twice the energy cost, it's all good.
Then, I'll "do the math" to see if it's cost effective in Watts per ounce.
If not, I'll turn 'em down to the minimum energy consumption for my present yield and be patient. ;)

If you decide to use 15W. ledengin 660nm. leds, be aware that Mouser only has 26 left as of yesterday.
Seems they were an experimental, limited run and Ledengin is not presently shipping them.:(

Anyroad, welcome to da Beeg Guy's Land.

Aloha nui loa,
Weezard

Wow, DH!

You flatter me!
Not that I didn't enjoy it, just sayin I noticed.:1baa:
Mahalo nui!

Avatar. Little boy. Arms race. Shoe banger,
"We will bury you".:S2:
'Snot like dat, brah.:hippy:


Actually, I was afraid someone would snatch up the last 38 660s.
And I only need about 15 amps, but the headroom will make for a long and happy life for the base P.S..
Need 10.5V. for 1.2A.
Got 12V. , so, dimmers.
The 8amp dimmers are $16 ea. w/shipping.:cool::cool::cool:
Got the 10"X10"X1.5" 'sink for a song on E.
<sings> How much is dat froggy inuendo?
Twenny dollah n change.
Dat should wash all da "crunchy" from dem pants, Ya?
I'll send ya some 'sink porn when it arrives.;)

'bout dem Meanwells. I'd leave the case off dem pups.
Regardless of the heat conduction afforded by the plastic.
Even it it was a good conductor, it's still one more layer between them and the air. It's all about how fast one moves the heat away.
An ideal 'sink is infinite in it's capacity. Or so massive that it may as well be infinite. These li'l pups are far from ideal, so we need to hand off the heat to the air and keep that air moving, so, fins an' fans.:twocents:

"I was (am) planning to do a separate thread for my build log. No sense dragging innocents through my carnage unneccessarily."

There, I disagree.
The "frying of the light" may be the most useful part of this thread. Could save folks a lot of grief.
I'm leaving my errors as a warning to always get a second opinion, 'cause no lizard is perfect, and some of us are highly medicated most of the time.:stoned:
And, you handled it with such grace and humor that it is instructive as well as entertaining.
"Drag 'em Dan-o."

""Weezard, please be in my thread!"
Done!
Mahalo fo' de invite!

Dr. Weezard-o

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Originally Posted by Weezard

Not claiming to have a lock on the most efficient growlight.
Just thrashing about and getting acceptable results for 1/10th the energy of HPS.
Pretty happy with the current setup.

Building a more powerful version to see if it speeds production or adds bud mass. :weedpoke:


I'll have dimmers on this one.
Will run them at full power for a full bloom cycle.
IF, (and that's a big if), I can save 2 weeks and get bigger buds with twice the energy cost, it's all good.
Then, I'll "do the math" to see if it's cost effective in Watts per ounce.
If not, I'll turn 'em down to the minimum energy consumption for my present yield and be patient. ;)

If you decide to use 15W. ledengin 660nm. leds, be aware that Mouser only has 26 left as of yesterday.
Seems they were an experimental, limited run and Ledengin is not presently shipping them.:(

Anyroad, welcome to da Beeg Guy's Land.

Aloha nui loa,
Weezard

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Mahalo for the welcome. What island you on?

If the UB on your light was an LED, then you only had UVA. They have not produced any higher UV led's yet (as of my last internet research in about september 2008)

UVB is the color that tickles the trichomes as I understand. It sure did/does in my all-flouro flower room. 26w cfl with 5-10% UVB will also put out about 30% UVA... very little UVC, the purifier color range. (thankfully I wear transitions glasses)

I aske because (someone) mentioned adding 45w cfl for the added spectrum.

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

I am lolo. Derrr....



That seemed straightforward enough. However, I googled "Electric Bo Peep" to see if I was missing something obvious and learned:
[attachment=o215078]

Now that's obvious. :D

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"Do androids dream of electric sheep"?*
Do dey count dem 'til dey fall asleep?

Oh hell no!

Once dey spy dat fine Bo-peep.
Dey head fo' bed,
but dey no sleep.:D

Mahalo fo' da eye candy, brah!

*(Original story, Philip K. Dick.
Basis for the movie, Blade Runner.)

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Originally Posted by MdmPele

Mahalo for the welcome. What island you on?

If the UB on your light was an LED, then you only had UVA. They have not produced any higher UV led's yet (as of my last internet research in about september 2008)

UVB is the color that tickles the trichomes as I understand. It sure did/does in my all-flouro flower room. 26w cfl with 5-10% UVB will also put out about 30% UVA... very little UVC, the purifier color range. (thankfully I wear transitions glasses)

I aske because (someone) mentioned adding 45w cfl for the added spectrum.

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That would be me.
I hung a 45W. CFL in the bloom room, but did not see enough difference in yield to measure.
So, took it back out and now use it to start seedlings.

You are correct those leds are just barely UVa.
Don't have a "curve on 'em but was kinda hopin' that the "skirt" would be wide enough to provide some shorter wavelength UV. Already had a CFL for the short UV
No matter. no discernable difference.

Now, about my questions...
"Did you add them after the "stretch" or at the beginning of flower?
Did you have some non-UVb siblings for a comparison?"

LEDs are great for producing choke trichomes,
Got good bud from red and blue alone, so now, I'm increasing the intensity of the dichroic light:weedpoke: just to see what happens yieldwise.

"What island you on? "

Um,
"welcome to da Beeg Guy's Land"

Kona side.

Aloha,
Beeg Guy

Okay, I can relate to drunken Welsh poets: Rage, rage against the dying of 'dem $31 lights (or, if purchased in quantities suitable for genocide, $29). WTF, now I know. (Wait'll Pele gets to the part where I smoke my lunch money! There should be a parental advisory on that episode. Reminds me of the old "Ever see a grown man cry?" magazine ads featuring a bottle of fine Scotch whisky breaking on the pavement.)

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Got 12V. , so, dimmers.
The 8amp dimmers are $16 ea. w/shipping.

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What kinda dimmers these? What kinda current regs? (Gonna explain in yer build log?)
Also curious about the lenses. I've got my light maybe 9" above plant tops. Could be lower but the light distribution looks real good jes' like that :thumbsup: (but my space is small). If you're lensing the leds you must have your lamp further away. Just trying to figger if I'm missing out on something here....:detective1:

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"Do androids dream of electric sheep"?*
Basis for the movie, Blade Runner.)

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AHA! I think that's credited, maybe at the beginning of the movie. A google search of "electric sheep" looked like it was leading me into some PtP sites I didn't quite trust. Then, I got distracted...:D What a beautifully cast flick, though. Maybe a Brion James avatar for awhile...

P.S. Got so tired last night I conked out, woke up and worked some more, then conked out again :stoned: (5 am) and didn't wake up till noon. Unfortunately, I left the flap on the flower closet open so there was 5 extra hours of (low-level) light disturbing my girls. :mad: Now, I must watch for "the dreaded hermie." How redundant. However, I remain optimistic. :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

Okay, I can relate to drunken Welsh poets: Rage, rage against the dying of 'dem $31 lights (or, if purchased in quantities suitable for genocide, $29). WTF, now I know. (Wait'll Pele gets to the part where I smoke my lunch money! There should be a parental advisory on that episode. Reminds me of the old "Ever see a grown man cry?" magazine ads featuring a bottle of fine Scotch whisky breaking on the pavement.)



What kinda dimmers these? What kinda current regs? (Gonna explain in yer build log?)

Soitenly!

But here's da skinny;
Not a current reg.
But, if I resistor limit the max. I can start at full on and turn it down to suit my targets.


eBay Store - led-world2007:: DC 12V 8A LED Dimmer adjustable brightness controller

Also curious about the lenses. I've got my light maybe 9" above plant tops. Could be lower but the light distribution looks real good jes' like that :thumbsup: (but my space is small). If you're lensing the leds you must have your lamp further away. Just trying to figger if I'm missing out on something here....:detective1:

Not really! I just hate to waste Watts

It's them damn 'lectric sheep and their lambertian spread again, wasting my hard earned Watts ! <grumble grumble>

YO!
YOUSE TWO EWES GET OFF MY GRASS!!!

By directing all the light to exactly where I want it I can raise the lamp up out of my way and still get great results.
Going by the difference between my lensed and unlensed 5W arrays.
Pointing the photons straight down multiplies the lamp power X 3+ !
At a very reasonable, one time cost.
And, it gives better penetration to the lower bud sites.

Do have to be carefull though.

Keep an eye on da stretchers.
Any closer than ~3" and you can bleach large ,round white, spots into your leaves.:(

AHA! I think that's credited, maybe at the beginning of the movie. A google search of "electric sheep" looked like it was leading me into some PtP sites I didn't quite trust. Then, I got distracted...:D What a beautifully cast flick, though. Maybe a Brion James avatar for awhile...

Ugh! grottiest scene in an incredibly beautiful flick.
Ick!
Not for the squeamish.

The art direction is superb though.
Makes it worth Al the gore.:D

P.S. Got so tired last night I conked out, woke up and worked some more, then conked out again :stoned: (5 am) and didn't wake up till noon. Unfortunately, I left the flap on the flower closet open so there was 5 extra hours of (low-level) light disturbing my girls. :mad: Now, I must watch for "the dreaded hermie." How redundant. However, I remain optimistic. :thumbsup:

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I think it gonna be OK, depending on the strain.
One 5 hour, low level screw-up probably won't hurt WW.:cool:
Two or three day running?
Then I'd worry.

Don't ask,
but do tell.:D

Mahalo nui loa for da use of da hall.
Weeze.

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Ugh! grottiest scene in an incredibly beautiful flick.
Ick!
Not for the squeamish.

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I was sorry to learn just now that Brion James died of a heart attack almost 10 years ago. So Rutger, but yeah, a little unnerving. Something quirky from the idyllic past next, I think. :)

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Makes it worth Al the gore.

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Him I remember. Invented the hole in the ozone, right?

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Pointing the photons straight down multiplies the lamp power X 3+ !

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Sooooo- where'd ya find the lenses?

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One 5 hour, low level screw-up probably won't hurt WW.

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:S2: :S2:

WW. That's rich. :( No, this is a French strain called "La Merde Dans le Sac."

Oops. Time for work again. Hermie

;)

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

I was sorry to learn just now that Brion James died of a heart attack almost 10 years ago. So Rutger, but yeah, a little unnerving. Something quirky from the idyllic past next, I think. :)


Him I remember. Invented the hole in the ozone, right?

Sooooo- where'd ya find the lenses?

Not gonna send you there until I know that they fit our LEDs

:S2: :S2:

WW. That's rich. :( No, this is a French strain called "La Merde Dans le Sac."

Oops. Time for work again. Hermie

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Oh, you mean die "Die strasse kacke, ja.:lol5:

I did forget.

Vell, it's like the gameshow host told Mrs. Presskey from Pine Barren N.J. when she said;

"But, this is a just a bag of shit!"

Ja, aber sie ist "really great shit, Mrs Presskey"
Gotta assume that it was, else why bother? :D

Note;
On da Islands, most street weed is from WW seed.
So there!:fish:

Aloha
Weeze

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Also found a 12V. 21A. supply and a couple 12V. 8A. dimmers dirt cheap.

Leds tested well.
Got 5 that eat 1.2A @ 10.5V.
4 @ 10.4V and 1 @ 10.3V.

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Here's one way to hook these up:

The 12 Volt power supply can deliver 21 Amps of current, which is a buttload. (bL) (sorry, kidding)

If you hook up the 8 Amp dimmers in parallel and run the 12V supply into them, they'll share the available current (up to 10.5 Amps each). So, the power supply has adequate headroom to push these 2 dimmers.

One dimmer's easy: dial it down where it only puts out 10.5 Volts. Wire the 5 leds that draw 1.2 Amps (1200mA) at 10.5 volts in parallel, and connect to the output of the dimmer. 5 leds each drawing 1.2 Amps = 6.0 Amps, and the dimmer's capable of handling 8 Amps, so we're good.

N.B.: Weezard and I like running the 1.5A leds at only 1.2A. They're more efficient that way, and gives a little margin of safety.


Wiring the other 5 leds gives us some options, but still easy enough....
The one led that only needs 10.3 volts to draw its 1.2 amps is a minor "current hog." If we were to feed it the same 10.5 Volts we sent to the first 5 leds, the dang thing might pull enough current to blow it, or at least make it run hot enough that the efficiency goes down. (Leds produce LESS light when they run too hot, and this is why we're interested. And the hotter they get, the more current they might pull. It's a vicious cycle, and anti-productive.)

So we want to feed the 10.3 Volt led with no more that that: 10.3 Volts.
One option is to set the second dimmer at 10.3 Volts. The one led will draw its 1.2 Amps at that voltage, The leds that needed 10.4 volts to pull the full 1.2 Amps will draw somewhat less at 10.3V; probably ~1.1 Amps. Big deal --4 of the leds are running just a tad cooler.

A more "aggressive" approach would be to run the second dimmer at 10.4 Volts, matching the 4 leds. But that's gonna push "Mr. 10.3V" past our 1.2 Amp target.

Solution? protect it with a resistor.

Value? Ohm's Law. R=E/I

R = .1V / 1.2A, or .08 Ohms.
That's such a small value (~.1 Ohm) you might have trouble finding it. That resistor was just gonna waste our power by turning it into heat anyway....

So you could check Mr. 10.3V and see just how much he pulls at 10.4V. If he only wants, say, 1.3A, you could run him nekked with the 10.4's if you're feeling daring.

Or, run them all at 10.3 and let the 10.4's loaf a little.


So, until you measure each led and see what it actually draws, you don't know what your best option is. Led's are grouped in ranges of Vf, wavelength, output, etc. called "bins". For how high-tech they seem, they are inconsistent. So you have to measure, but the rules stay the same.

Be interested to see how Weezard is planning to use these. What I outlined above is just an example; quick and dirty. Having some kind of current regulation would be nice.

And my head hurts. This math stuff is too boring on its own. Weezard's approach is mo' bettah. :jointsmile:

Just reread my post above. What a snore-fest. I suck at tech writing, and I think I may have damaged part of my brain attempting it just now. :madnoel:

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Ja, aber sie ist "really great shit, Mrs Presskey"
Gotta assume that it was, else why bother?

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Nein, nicht so sehr. Best I could find, been outta the game for a decade or three. But I do enjoy gardening. My favorite sport, next to chess and wife-beating. :pimp:

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Note;
On da Islands, most street weed is from WW seed.

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Well, aren't we just so special... (use Church Lady voice ;) ) I suppose ya'll refresh in bathtubs of Dutch beer, and all the ladies are gorgeous and willing.

(Roun' heanh' takes 'bout thitty-too of 'em to make up a full setta teef. An' dey so fat, the backa dey neck look like a package of hot dogs. :D)

And most street weed around here (truly the sphincter of the CONUS) resembles an oregano / thyme hybrid at best. :wtf:

Fortunately, it responds well to :weedpoke:

:lol5:

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

Just reread my post above. What a snore-fest. I suck at tech writing, and I think I may have damaged part of my brain attempting it just now. :madnoel:

But, it's like you read my mind.:tin foil hat:
Either that, or you took the most logical route. ;)


Nein, nicht so sehr. Best I could find, been outta the game for a decade or three. But I do enjoy gardening. My favorite sport, next to chess and wife-beating. :pimp:

Das ist shrecklich! Sie sind sehr bose.:wtf:

Well, aren't we just so special... (use Church Lady voice ;) )

Do da dance, do da dance!:yippee:

I suppose ya'll refresh in bathtubs of Dutch beer, and all the ladies are gorgeous and willing.

Gorgeous but won'ting.

There can only be one. It's da wife. -Greenthing.

Did I tell ya that she brews fine wines for me.
And I do brew great batches of beer and ale for da bode of us.:cool:

(Roun' heanh' takes 'bout thitty-too of 'em to make up a full setta teef. An' dey so fat, the backa dey neck look like a package of hot dogs. :D)

And most street weed around here (truly the sphincter of the CONUS) resembles an oregano / thyme hybrid at best. :wtf:

Fortunately, it responds well to :weedpoke:

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Set up a temporary mail drop, and I'll send ya some seed wif a full set o teef, bro.
Least I can do for my personal 'splainer.:D

Heatsink arrived!:cool:
I'm in polishing mode for a while.

Gotta nip on over to da lounge and start a special thread now.

"Calling out to DreadedHermie for a game of Stoner Chess"

http://boards.cannabis.com/games-arc...ml#post1976275

Wee Zard

Great thread guys:thumbsup:

Quick question I read that you were using LEDEngin led's are their any other ones or what freq you using?

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Originally Posted by voodoojnky

Great thread guys:thumbsup:

Quick question I read that you were using LEDEngin led's are their any other ones or what freq you using?

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We were, but the cheap sources are drying-up and I can't afford Mouser's prices for the 660 nm.:(

Still waiting for horses.
Went looking for my themal epoxy.
Came up dry.
I WILL find it.

Calling on past experience, I ordered more.
That always works.:D


New build should commence within the week.
Thank's for askin' V.J.

Regards,
Weezard.

Got the honkin' big heatsink polished and ready.
100 sq. in. w 1.5" fins.
[attachment=o215395].

Now awaiting a slow boat from china.
<sigh>
If I was a good waiter, I'd get a lot more tips.

Impatient Weeze

Oh, you sneaky bastid, you! Where've you bin hidin dat beauty? Kiddin u no.
:stoned: Homey

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

Oh, you sneaky bastid, you! Where've you bin hidin dat beauty? Kiddin u no.
:stoned: Homey

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I alla time kiddin' us.
Comes wit da lolo.

Dis one was used, but got tossed in a dustbin wit some scratchy trash.
Got it for a song.
Out-bid a miser.:D

She were one fugly hunka, 'pon her arrival.
Did a high-school makeover da easy way.
Li'l sandpaper, li'l steel wool, very li'l elbow grease.
(I runnin' low on dat)
Den some rubbing compound an' a ginormous buffer!

Back inna day, I woulda gone all guage-block on 'er ass.
Da leds den be stuck-on through molecular adhesion.
No mo' dat. Older n wiser, ya?
Now, half-assed be jus' fine.
We smear on da goop fo' to fill in da tiny scratches.

Your 'sink guy is toolin' up some 11"- 12" wide, all you can eat sinks in a while.
I couldn't wait.
Maybe next time.

Da difficult?
We do dat straight away!
Da impossible?
Gonna take perhaps a day.
Fo' all da naysayers?
Lemme hear ya say NAY!

O. K.
While wait fo' horses, I go play.

Back inna Hi whyan minute.
Wee Zard

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Back inna day, I woulda gone all guage-block on 'er ass.
Da leds den be stuck-on through molecular adhesion.

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What about removing leds?

That freakin' epoxy is about 100 times stronger than it needs to be for attaching leds. I've seen it suggested that freezing your assembled unit down to cryogenic levels, then judiciously applying a small, water-backed charge of high explosive "might" help you get 'em off. :D All I want is that they don't leap off the light to a fiery death. I have too much blood on my hands already. ;)

Also saw it suggested to mix thermal grease in with the epoxy to weaken the bond. That just seems wrong. Like pouring beer into a Manhattan.

I'm thinking of deliberately mis-mixing the epoxy. The thermal conductance shouldn't be much different. (?) Thinkin' of practicing with washers / pennies / etc. when I get a spare ms. Have you tried this already?

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

What about removing leds?

With the molecular adhesion of a guage block, it's easy, just slide 'em off sideways.:D

That freakin' epoxy is about 100 times stronger than it needs to be for attaching leds. I've seen it suggested that freezing your assembled unit down to cryogenic levels, then judiciously applying a small, water-backed charge of high explosive "might" help you get 'em off. :D All I want is that they don't leap off the light to a fiery death. I have too much blood on my hands already. ;)

Also saw it suggested to mix thermal grease in with the epoxy to weaken the bond. That just seems wrong. Like pouring beer into a Manhattan.

If no fit, put spit

I'm thinking of deliberately mis-mixing the epoxy. The thermal conductance shouldn't be much different. (?) Thinkin' of practicing with washers / pennies / etc. when I get a spare ms. Have you tried this already?

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With epoxied leds?
Mo' betta, jus' leave 'em be.
Glue on da new one, side by side.
Leave da fried guys on as a warning for shirkers.

Hello-o, Lazy guy here!:D
Yer just nevah gonna catch me workin' dat hard.

What ya can't wipe off, paint over, ya?
Wee lazy Zard

Dang, Weezard. You got puffy sleeves for all dem tricks!

From Wikipedia:

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The detailed physics responsible for this phenomenon remains unclear.

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Holy crap!! Magic! I thought you were talking about hand-lapping to dead true and then using glue. You gonna stick 'em on with frickin' voodoo. Cheater! (Quite the insult from someone with my scruples at chess. :cool:)

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With epoxied leds?
Mo' betta, jus' leave 'em be.
Glue on da new one, side by side.

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Yep, that's what I did.
I was talkin' about attaching future, new, non-blown leds that I might wanna move (and have them survive relocation) someday.

Molecular adhesion. Sounds like a bonfire waiting to happen, and I oughtta know! :wtf: Look out! Hermie seems exciteable today!

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Leave da fried guys on as a warning for shirkers.

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Um, like a shrunken head on a spear kinda thing. 'Scuse please, gotta check my email.

And my chicken bones. :lol5::lol5:

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

Dang, Weezard. You got puffy sleeves for all dem tricks!

From Wikipedia:


Holy crap!! Magic! I thought you were talking about hand-lapping to dead true and then using glue. You gonna stick 'em on with frickin' voodoo. Cheater! (Quite the insult from someone with my scruples at chess. :cool:)

No worry, I got more dan enough scruples of my own.
Always trippin' over 'em.

Yes I did notice that you ignored my knight's move.
Was kinda waiting for you to catch that.
Then, just when I decided to let it slide as a handicap, you effectively typed CLUNK! and da board went tits up.
Just as well. If you don't have a deep love for da game, you were only humoring me to play at all.
I do appreciate it.:1baa:
If you manage a visit to the island, I'll be tickled to sit down and reveal the intricate beauty of da game.
Then you gonna be trolling for worthy opponents too.:cool:


Yep, that's what I did.
I was talkin' about attaching future, new, non-blown leds that I might wanna move (and have them survive relocation) someday.

Molecular adhesion. Sounds like a bonfire waiting to happen, and I oughtta know! :wtf: Look out! Hermie seems exciteable today!

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Unlax, DH.
Just 'cause there's magic afoot, don't mean I'll put forth the effort needed to invoke it.
It's gonna be "gloss n glue" fo' dis one.

Just one more case where "half assed is MORE than good enough" (Our state motto)

Thanks for them fish.
Weezard.

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Yes I did notice that you ignored my knight's move.
Was kinda waiting for you to catch that.

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Duh. I just missed it. I was reading yer werds. An' waitin' for a move you already made. I thought you were busy wiping fingerprints off cyberdoorknobs. :cool:

I can unclunk the board. It's just a jpeg, after all...

Quote:

---

If you don't have a deep love for da game, you were only humoring me

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I just don't know the game. I don't know Morgan Fairchild, either. But I think I could love her if I did. :thumbsup:

[attachment=o215489]

(She's my wife, you know...)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DreadedHermie

[attachment=o215489]

(She's my wife, you know...)

---

Um, does she know that?:D

Weeze

been thur, Hit that, got the T-shirt. :pimp:

From Wikipedia:

"The Pathological Liar is a character created and portrayed by Jon Lovitz, often appearing on Weekend Update segments - and other sketches - to share his farcical views. The character's name was actually Tommy Flanagan (pronounced [flə-'nā-gən], not to be confused with the jazz pianist), and he would tell outrageous whoppers in an effort to make himself seem important (such as his claim that he invented Rock and Roll). One recurring lie was claiming he was married to Morgan Fairchild. His devious look, hand rubbing and nervous speech made it clear he was making up lies, one after the other, on the spot. And if he came up with a particularly good lie he would add the catchphrase: "Yeahhh! That's the ticket!""

Sorry, Frosty. She says she doesn't remember ya! :hippy:

Me, she remembers.:thumbsup:
With a permanent TRO:(

Yeah!
Weeze

OK.
Moving right along.
Got the leds mounted to the heatsink.
[attachment=o215763]
Running some burn-in tests with my bench supply while I wait for that slow boat from China.
[attachment=o215765]
Here's a 45 degree lens.

(Oops. I'll insert the lens pics in the next post.)

Only gained 25% when I used these with the reds.
Not worth the heat increase.
Same lens on the blue led doubles the lux reading at 12"!

Am waiting for some 60 degree lenses for the reds
Meanwhile back on the photon pharm.
[attachment=o215766]

More later.
Prolly much later.

Weezard

I am with you in spirit, my brother. :thumbsup:

No smoke so far.:thumbsup:
Oh yeah, here are the missing lens photos:
[attachment=o215816]
[attachment=o215817]
Still waiting for the 60 degree lenses.
I'll use the extra 45s for the 5 Watt array.

Not a lot of construction details because it's all in the pictures.
Buy 'em glue 'em wire 'em.
Well, actually setting the current limit can be tricky.
If anyone is actually following this, I'll be happy to walk them through it when the time comes.

Monitor died this morning.
Gotta hunt down a new one.
It's always sumpin'.

Weezard

Slapped 3 muffin fans on the back and dialed in 10.4 amps by adjusting the constant VOLTAGE supply.
[attachment=o216159]
So we can cook 'em a little and watch for current drift.
Still waiting for the right fan so I can kick it up a notch.

Weeze

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Weezard

Slapped 3 muffin fans on the back and dialed in 10.4 amps by adjusting the constant VOLTAGE supply.
[attachment=o216159]
So we can cook 'em a little and watch for current drift.
Still waiting for the right fan so I can kick it up a notch.

Weeze

---

How hot does the heatsink get without the fan?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by voodoojnky

How hot does the heatsink get without the fan?

---

Don't know, actually.
That would be a costly experiment.
Led death is the upper limit with no airflow!:(

These leds are eating about 150 Watts.
Unlike most sources of light, leds do not radiate much heat with the visible light, so we have to dispose of the heat produced by moving it away from the emitters as efficiently as possible.
With no heatsink, these pups would pop in a fraction of a minute.
With a heatsink and no fan it would take a while, but the heat extracted from the emitters has to go somewhere.
If we don't remove it from the 'sink faster than we generate it, it's a matter of time before component failure.
I did run the first blush without a fan but after 5 minutes the sink had reached 100 degrees F. that's 20 degrees above ambient.
3. 80mm. muffin fans keep it under 90 F.

I've ordered several fans and will use the quietest one that does the job.
I'm still testing for creeping current now to see if I can safely run this without adding 12 Constant current drivers.
IF, it is stable with one central constant voltage source, we're done and will not need the dimmers or the CCs

My "brick" of 5 Watt emitters on a smaller heatsink had enough current drift to worry me so I re-did it yesterday adding 3 LM317 current regulators;

[attachment=o216168]

Slowed it's fan to about 1/4 speed and let it cook.
After 1 hour my heatgun said 120 F.
:microwave:
At 1/2 speed it's at 90 F. and still all but silent.:)
More than I can say for the Chinese UFO.:(

Today, I use the "brick" to play with lensing.:weedpoke:

Aloha,
Weezard

Fan caught my fingertip.
That's gonna leave a mark! :(



Had a plan to draw air up from the light using reflectix to route the air.
Put a shroud around the 'sink to draw the air in from the sides and up past the power supplies.

Looked great, on paper.:(
My tempgun said 97 F.
My finger said, "That tempgun is lying to ya!"

"In theory, theory and practice are the same thing.
In practice, they are not!" <sigh>

Tore it all apart and started over.
Now have the fan about an inch above the 'sink with the air blowing down.

[attachment=o216428]

[attachment=o216429]

Much mo' betta;
About 90 degrees F. after one hour.
It's a 30V. fan running on 12.5V.
Not silent, but quiet enough for a bedroom.
Leds are pulling 14.5 Amps.
About 150 Watts is the total led draw.
I'll know the total power used in 24 hours or so.
Now I'll let it cook for a few days and then re-test for current draw.

Luxmeter says 90k at 2 inches.
So, without lenses, I should get about 22k Lux at 4"

Plants stop growing under 90k of white light.
I'll be testing to see how much red/blue is "too much".
These light meters are calibrated for visible light though.

So, all that these readings are good for, is a relative comparison between 2 similar arrays.
Once this array is in service I'll compare readings with my 5 Watt led arrays.

More pics later.

Weezard

Weezard, a few months back I caught the tip of my thumb in one of my computer fans and it sliced / ripped off half the nail, along with some tissue. Painful incident, and a long, painful recovery due to my volunteer work providing low-cost pelvic exams to deserving young actresses. :D I do believe if I'd have caught it right I would have amputated part of a digit. :eek:

When I was deciding what fans would line up with the fins on my heatsink I always mentioned finger guards. That injury was why. Sorry, I should have warned you more directly. Hope you're not permanently maimed. Those suckas are much more dangerous than hot McBurger coffee. Maybe we could have a class-action lawsuit? (Or, in my case, a "no-class" suit...)

Plaintiffs:
"Eddie 2-fingers"
"Lefty"
"Stubbs" etc., etc.

Be back soon. Have been having technical (electrical) issues at work, repairing old ("vintage" would be flattery) stuff as it pyro-detonates. (And I know what you're thinking... but I'm totally passive in this and just doing easy diagnostic and repair. I will admit to having burned up enough leds to finance a date with a starlet-turned-callgirl, but I am not causing THIS.) And, I busted my Fluke trying to get a reading while perched an a....well, never mind.

It's not that I'm accident-prone. Not at all. I just attempt things sometimes that a person with better judgement would not. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the build log, though. I will have many questions. Hermie.

P.S. ifyoutakeenoughmeatoffyourthumbyoucan'tusethespace bar:stoned:

Your point is, er, was almost taken.
Mine was not. Just a moments owie.:thumbsup: See?
But it did take a divot out of the nail.
(You have to look real close)

Dropped everything and installed the fan guard.:o

[attachment=o216516]

Going kinda ballstothewall with this array design.

Got no current limit, so temperature control is mandatory.
Did not like the dimmers, too easy to "bump the potentiometer up, even with the knob removed.
Had marked a max. position and thought about replacing the potentiometer with a pair of resistors. But also noticed how hot the un-heatsinked, triac inside was getting.
Sealed in a heavy plastic box with no ventilation.:wtf:
(<Sigh> Guess that's why it was dirt cheap on e-bay.)

Quit trying to double-duty the fan and decided to remote the supply and give it it's own fan.
Then remembered a trick from the '50s
When us po' kids needed a sub 1 ohm, high wattage resistor.
We rolled our own out of nichrome wire.
Had a chart of resistance per foot of different gauge wire.

So, I'm thinkin' I need to drop my Vin. to the dimmers so the MAX out is 10.8 Vdc. Then, I can turn it down to change the B:R , have minimum heat dissipation in the dimmers and a, "do no harm", upper limit.

So I figure I've got 12 amps to work with. Should be easy to calculate, for some folks. :(

But, no worry, true to my redneck roots, I just grabbed 6 feet of 16 guage lamp cord, ran it between the supply and the sink, whipped out my meter and plugged her in.

Blind pig got good nose, brah.:D
Nailed it! :thumbsup:1st try.
Dimmers at max.= 10.82V.
'bout 1.25Amps per lamp.

Using 16 gauge, instead of 14 gauge lets me do some crude current regulation as well.
If the current load increases, so does the voltage drop in the supply line.
The heat is spread out evenly in the 6 feet wire which does feel a tad warm to the touch.
And now I can mount the 12V. 21 A. and the 15V 2.5 A power modules near the exhaust fan in the bloomery and take some weight and heat off the lamp.

Just put it into service today and found spider mites!
Guess I let my no-pest strip get 4 months old.
Ran right out and bought some fresh ones.
No want dese buggahs building a resistance.

They prolly rode in on a trojan clone.
(Geeks bearing gifts on the ides of April...)

Good to hear from you.

Feel free to take me to task for my less than conventional electriciacating.:rastasmoke:

Many hands make light work.

Wee Zard

What are the dimmers doing in the circuit now? Is there a voltage drop across them at wide open? I can't believe 6 ft. of 16ga would drop the voltage that much. I will pretty much have to take yer word for it, though, since I dropped my freakin' Fluke! :mad: