I Build My Own LEDs

Huge thanks to GrowMau5 and LEDgardener!   Their sites and YouTube channels are great. LEDgardener also has some grow automation projects that are quite nice. GrowMau5 has great videos for the beginner. I was expecting a lot of numbers, but only very basic elementary school knowledge was needed here.     🔆 Zero Endorsements / Sponsors   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am not compensated in any way for my content and bought all of these parts using my own money.       🔆 We're All Drinking Milk from the Same Cow   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Manufacturers in China also have ready built lights for cheap as well. Where do you think all of these prebuilt LED setups on Amazon come from? If you buy enough units, they'll even put your custom logo on it.       🔆 Your "Amazon" Grow Light Is Only As Good As the Actual LED Diodes it Contains   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Find out which brand of LED's (diodes) your light has and WHO makes them (Samsung, Epistar, Seoul Semiconductor to name a few. OSRAM if are serious about LEDs). Also, are these diodes "top bin" diodes? Diodes that are not top bin have defects (such as putting out the correct wavelength/color for your plants). Cheaper no-name lights many times have cheap, discounted diodes that are NOT top bin. If the company selling you a light setup does not disclose which brand diodes they use, then keep shopping around. Look for a company that advertises top bin diodes as well. Currently, the "LM301H" is the horticultural diode released by Samsung. The new LM301H EVO is available, but you will need to supplement separate red diodes with the EVO. Before the horticultural series was released, it was the LM301B. You will also see cheaper light setups containing previous generation diodes such as the LM301B. There is absolutely nothing wrong with saving a few bucks by seeking out the off brand diodes, mid/bottom bin diodes, or previous generation diodes. Just know what exactly what you are getting for your money.       🔆 Protect the Investment on Your Lights   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I protect any expensive electronics in my house with a power conditioner. I happen to use a TrippLite LC1200 (about 140 USD / 130 EUR). Surges, spikes, line noise are a slow death for your expensive Grow LEDs Drivers/Power Supplies, gaming consoles, TV's, and that stupid bluetooth toaster that you just bought. Those cheap wall surge protectors are a bit better quality these days, but they do nothing for RFI/EMI line noise and do not correct slight over-voltage or under-voltage. Quality LED drivers/power supplies such as MeanWell will only protect against over-voltage, over-current, and short. Considering my MeanWells are the most expensive part of the light build; it makes sense to me to protect 3-4 of them at a time using a power conditioner.     _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________       🔆 Kingbrite L560 Quantum bars (70w)   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Samsung LM301H 3000k LEDs (Look for lights containing the LM301H LED diodes as these are the horticultural LEDs released by Samsung) Epistar Red 660nm LEDs (Flowering plants love red) Epistar IR 730nm LEDs Epistar UV 395nm LEDs       🔆 MeanWell HLG-320H-C1400AB LED driver   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The Meanwell LED driver with the "AB" on the end. It is usually not in stock and one has to wait for the vendor to back order it. I was able to find a seller on eBay that had a new one. I always go dimmable Meanwell drivers. Dimming is vital for achieving proper DLI and great while working under the lights.   Price was about 112 US / 106 EU   https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/MEAN-WELL/HLG-320H-C1400AB?qs=w%2Fv1CP2dgqqx%252BKauhqtn6A%3D%3D       🔆 Where I Got Them   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I ordered the bars directly from the manufacturer (Shenzhen Kingbrite Lighting Co., Ltd.) on Alibaba. I expected a lower end experience Alibaba, but Alibaba really has their shit together. They now accept credit cards, which offered a degree assurance for me. Shenzhen Kingbrite rep answered a few questions for me. Be patient on the shipping time. It took about 2 weeks at the height of the pandemic. I do not remember paying any import/sales taxes. With shipping to the United States, it averaged about 40 USD per bar. Without shipping they are 26 USD / 24 EUR each.  Shenzhen KingBrite Home Page  https://kingbriteled.en.alibaba.com  Product Link - W55 Bars  https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Kingbrite-W55-L560mm-Samsung-LM301B-LM301H_1600237155851.html?spm=a2700.shop_pl.41413.188.1f2f4f4d4OwkLz       🔆 Infrared (IR) LEDs   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The IR LEDs will be phased out at the end of Veg as IR causes extreme stretching. I made the mistake of leaving these on during early flowering:  “In controlled environments, Bugbee suggests applying far-red photons early in the lifecycle to help close the canopy and capture all available photons,  then minimizing far-red during stem elongation early in flowering to keep plants short. With that phase finished, the last four weeks before harvest open  the door to apply far-red photons again.”  Dr. 
Bruce Bugbee, Director of the Crop Physiology Lab at USU  https://www.maximumyield.com/far-red-lighting-and-the-phytochromes/2/17443 I have read a few reports on growers hitting flowering plants with IR the final 10 minutes of the 12 light period. Something to do with natural sunset throwing off increased IR perhaps. I you have any literature on this phenomenon, please chat me.       🔆 Ultraviolet (UV) LEDs   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ These lights have 396nm UV diodes are UVA. UVA adds a few benefits to the plants. UVB and UVC is really what produces a stress response that could increase resins and terpines, but they as damaging to us humans as they are to plant, bacteria, and viruses. This is why UVB and UVC diodes are more difficult to acquire if you are not a hospital or industrial user. Hey, remember all of those cheap "UV sanitation boxes" for your cell phone during the pandemic lol? Got suckered with those UVA LEDs...   Wavelengths   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾   UVA (315-400 nm)   UVB (280-315 nm)   UVC (100-280 nm)       🔆 Learn More   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Far-red: The Forgotten Photons, Dr. Bruce Bugbee https://youtu.be/sS7aAcacfgk How Ultraviolet Radiation Affects Plants with Dr. Bruce Bugbee https://youtu.be/amjeaUDWWwM Cannabis Grow Lighting Myths and FAQs with Dr. Bruce Bugbee https://youtu.be/ID9rE5JewVg LEDs for photons, physiology and food (Pattison, Tsao, Brainard, & Bugbee) https://unicentroagronomia.com/imagens/noticias/marcelo_muller_leds_nature_ingl_s.pdf LED Gardener https://ledgardener.com/ DIY LED basics: getting started building your own grow lights (episodes 1-6), GrowMau5 https://youtu.be/UlM5uvO7sao https://youtu.be/gYdN6d0v814 https://youtu.be/iFj-FxIbCbg https://youtu.be/elBzBTtE78I https://youtu.be/EULTIEf3fSI https://youtu.be/Jx0IigQkRYQ