Cree Xlamp Grow-Light Schematic Design (Wanted)

[redline]

2 disadvantages of the Crees.
1. Their red and blue have a very narrow bandwidth and deliver almost zero power at the desired 430 and 660nm wavelengths. The Luxeons do a pretty good job of this. However, if you are using LED engin 660 nms.

2. They are only rated up to 700ma, same as the Luxeon K2. However the Luxeon III is max rated at 1500 ma.

A possible advantage of the Cree is the narrow focus compared to the Luxeon. I will have to see if that can be put to good use.

Does anyone know if the bare CreeX emitter can be hand soldered on the top side? It looks like it does have top pads.

I will check availability through suppliers when I get a chance. Sometimes you will see very good options available on spec sheets, but you cannot buy the higher quality bins through suppliers. LEDengin is probably a good example of this.

redline Reviewed by redline on 08-25-2008. Cree Xlamp Grow-Light Schematic Design (Wanted) Been sifting through the cruft trying to find a schematic to build a grow lamp, using Xlamp LED's from Cree. Their time is now :) Yes I've seen the extraordinarily overpriced products being offered by businesses. Not worth the money if you can use a soldering kit, imo. I can solder, but I'm no engineer, so, I'm asking for help in creating a circuit design that balances low cost, simplicity of construction and high efficiency. Preferably with 120vac input (off the shelf ac-dc Rating: 5

[Weezard]

I like that cake pan design! Looks about the right size for a 3x3 area?

Care to share a parts list/schem?

It's pretty simple really.
let me dig around in my attachments and find my old schematic
<rustle, clunk> Aha!
The LEDs are 4 Ledengin 15W 660nm in the corners.
The center LED is a single Ledengin blue. My next light will use 2 blues.
The LEDs are actually an array on a chip with 2 leads + and -, on a long flexible printed circuit.

I used Arctic silver thermal epoxy to mount them.
Works well if you buff the surface to a shine first and spread it thin.
Also polished the back and used the same epoxy to mount the heatsinks.
LIke B. H. says," it works a treat"
I eventually added a few heatsinks glued to the back and got the average temp down to 90 F.
The fan blows down onto the back of the light and laptop power supplies are ideal for driving the CC regs.
I use one of the regs as a voltage regulator to drive the fan from the 19V. source.
The original design had a PWM dimmer on the blue. but I ended up driving it at max so when the dimmer fried I just jumpered around it.
When I add the second blue, I'll replace the dimmer for internode distance control.

I started stressing about what else a plant needs and got stalled hunting for an exact mix of exotic LEDs.

Finally ran low on meds and said screw perfect!
Next grow I'll add a couple CFLs and see if yeild increases at all.
I suspect it will be wasted watts, but, time will tell.

Used a power connector from a computer hard drive for quick disconnect from both supplies.
Comes in handy.
Wear shades for the smoke test, I did some damage to my eye while measuring current.
I use arrays of 300, 10mm. high output LEDs for vegging and an HGL 14W. kit for clones.
The soil grow was quite good, but this grow, using Bubbaponics is outstanding!

Havin fun yet?
Weezard

[Gheizen64]

Wow, i checked Ledengin for 15 W Red led, but i don't understand, why blues source cost Thrice as much? (90 bucks each vs 30 for the deep red ones)

I'm thinking my ideal configuration (1 feet x 1 feet of space), would be 2 15 W Ledengin Deep Red, plus 2 or 3 5W blue led from trueopto (nice stats, founds here) and maybe 1 UV or 1 white lamp if i can find a good one...)

Welcome everyone! :hippy:

[Weezard]

Wow, i checked Ledengin for 15 W Red led, but i don't understand, why blues source cost Thrice as much? (90 bucks each vs 30 for the deep red ones)

I'm thinking my ideal configuration (1 feet x 1 feet of space), would be 2 15 W Ledengin Deep Red, plus 2 or 3 5W blue led from trueopto (nice stats, founds here) and maybe 1 UV or 1 white lamp if i can find a good one...)

Welcome everyone! :hippy:

Posts are just evaporating here!:wtf:

I posted the part number for the 15W blue and an URL to the page.
Maybe they didn't like that?!

Humph!
Not going to waste much more effort on a board that swallows my work.

Here's the # LZ4-00B215 Blue, 15W. $36.


Ticked off
Weeze

[rosc2112]

Weezrd:

Dunno what happened to your link, maybe ads aren't allowed here, could you send it to me in pvt?



$90 for a LED? Yikes! Might as well buy hps! :/

[rosc2112]

Actually, I just ordered a mouser catalog, looks like they have em pretty cheap.

[Weezard]

Actually, I just ordered a mouser catalog, looks like they have em pretty cheap.

That part number runs $36 at Mouser and is actually 4 5W. leds in series, on a substrate with a single lens.
So, that price is about right if the 5 watters cost $9 ea.
Considering that the bulk of the wiring is done and those 15W. point sources have good penetration...
Looked like the simplest path to me.
Played around with a lot of lesser leds in arrays but see no virtue in hard work just for the sake of hard work.
Used a 24V laptop supply to power the 4 reds and a 19V supply for the single blue. (keeps the heat under control if you only have to drop 4 volts versus 9 volts).

Hope that you'll take what I learned so far and run with it.
This is far from "The Perfect Light".
It's more of a Redneck Solid State Photosynthesis Phacilitator.

Would love to see some improvements like a built in timer, some warm whites, perhaps modular construction with a powered back-plane, maybe aimable plug ins with say 3 reds and a blue each and a high current battery back-up UPS would be very nice as well.


Take lots of pictures for this thread, please.
It'll save you a lot of typing.


I'll just lurk around here and kibitz if ya don't mind.

Aloha,
Weeze

[aaaaaaa]

Hi Weeze,
I got some 5w 660s and a few blues from a while back, still haven't gotten around to making a light. The reason I ordered the 5w ones is because they are the most efficient, but now that I think more about it maybe I shouldve gotten the 15s. Much easier to deal with a couple 15wers than a whole bunch of 5s, much easier power supply wise too. So anyway how do they grow? You say its enough power, how many plants are you growing? Is 660nm really as good as its cracked up to be?

[Weezard]

Hi Weeze,
I got some 5w 660s and a few blues from a while back, still haven't gotten around to making a light. The reason I ordered the 5w ones is because they are the most efficient, but now that I think more about it maybe I shouldve gotten the 15s. Much easier to deal with a couple 15wers than a whole bunch of 5s, much easier power supply wise too. So anyway how do they grow? You say its enough power, how many plants are you growing? Is 660nm really as good as its cracked up to be?

Depends on who does the cracking.

I have 2 45W arrays. One with 5s and one with 15s.
Both use 660 nm reds. They both grow great "Tomatoes".
2 large bushes per lamp about 4 sq. ft. ea..
Large, firm, juicy, stanky, "Tomatoes"
The 15s grow more on the lower branches seems to be the main difference.
I did get better penetration with the 5Ws when I added 30 degree lenses.
Once I factor in time, effort and include lens cost, the 15W leds look like the way to go.
Now I'm waiting for some bright company to start making 50-75-watt
660/470 nm. single substrate arrays bonded to a peltier junction with two leads, or even better wired to an E27.
(Don't want much, do I?)

I also have a 45W array of 5 Watters w/635nm. reds.
There I have a double blind that says.
Woo-freaking-hoo gimme two!
When the 660s come a shinin' through

The 632s work OK, but you need more wattage for similar results.
So, from personal experience, from a very small sample,
660nm. won, hands down!:thumbsup:

Aloha,
Weeze

[aaaaaaa]

Glad to hear the 660s grow nice tomatoes. Enjoy your closet grown tomatoes Weezard