Lighting Help with Apollo UFO COB upgrade

[Saint Skinny]

Hey all,
I've had this Apollo Hort UFO for close to 2 years, and I've recently noticed two of the diodes look like they've been burnt to a crisp. I've considered converting it to cob in the past, but never got around to it. I'm hoping someone may be able to help me pick the best match for my drivers.

From what I've read, the way I understand it is it would be better to run 2 50w COBS than to run a single 100w, because the cobs are more efficient at lower wattages, do I have that right? We're having some financial issues right now, so I was thinking about going with a Bridgelux or Citizen COB to save a few bucks. any help is appreciated, Here's some info about the light:
Apollo Horticulture 135W UFO (Apollo Site) (wtf is up with their "diameter" specs? Mines not that big)
LED Driver Specs (x2 drivers per fixture)

• IN: 100V-240V (48/60HZ)
• OUT: DC 55V-100V (0.55-0.6A)

(sorry about it being upside down, gotta love technology)

• 

I'll bet you can guess which 2 diodes burned out...

• 

 

[KonopCh]

Get Vero 29 C version, which is 68V. Best and most efficient COB for now.
You can also drive 2 Samsung double row strips on that driver (2x 46V) for even more spread. Or 4 single row strips (4x 23V).

 

[BigSm0]

Helped my buddy do one about a year ago. I’d save the $10 a cob and drop your lights 1/2” for the same ppfd as a more expensive cob. Just my opinion. In a conversion I would use less expensive cobs since the rest is already questionable. Drivers and heatsink are cheap, the fans are noisy.

 

[Saint Skinny]

Get Vero 29 C version, which is 68V. Best and most efficient COB for now.
You can also drive 2 Samsung double row strips on that driver (2x 46V) for even more spread. Or 4 single row strips (4x 23V).

I had considered those strips in the past for side lighting, but wasn't sure they'd be enough.

View attachment 905720 Helped my buddy do one about a year ago. I’d save the $10 a cob and drop your lights 1/2” for the same ppfd as a more expensive cob. Just my opinion. In a conversion I would use less expensive cobs since the rest is already questionable. Drivers and heatsink are cheap, the fans are noisy.

You wouldn't worry about running it with the 2 burnt diodes?

 

[BigSm0]

I had considered those strips in the past for side lighting, but wasn't sure they'd be enough.

You wouldn't worry about running it with the 2 burnt diodes?

Aren’t you swapping the leds to cobs?

 

[Saint Skinny]

Aren’t you swapping the leds to cobs?

Yeah sorry I think I misunderstood you. I thought ya meant keep the 3w leds in there and just lower it. But I think you were saying ‘go with the cheaper COB and keep it a bit closer to the canopy’, do I have that right?

 

[BigSm0]

Yeah sorry I think I misunderstood you. I thought ya meant keep the 3w leds in there and just lower it. But I think you were saying ‘go with the cheaper COB and keep it a bit closer to the canopy’, do I have that right?

Yes swap those cheap leds with better cobs. As far as cobs go citizen and vero are the best priced cobs around. The citizen 1212 &1812 are about $10 cheaper per cob than the vero. The citizen 1818 is about the same cost and the citizen 1825 cost more.

What I meant by dropping the lights is when you hit this 45-55% efficiency range people often over spend for a few more %. You can take a less efficient and less expensive cob and achieve the same ppfd by lowering the light slightly. The efficiency numbers aren’t apples to apples either since they based on lumens per watt. A light source with more green will have the highest lumen per watt and there for show the highest efficiency. At the end of the day paying more for a more efficient cob doesn’t mean you’ll give your plants more light or save whatever % on your electric bill. Light has more to do with the distance between it and the plant. Another factor to consider is I have seen some of the most elaborate setups with the most expensive lights end up with the least grams per watt. This just goes to show that there are a lot more factors to growing than just the lights. Being an efficiency nut I do think it’s like splitting atoms when your at this range and going from 20% to 50% efficiency is more than enough.

Hope this helps.

 

[Saint Skinny]

Yes swap those cheap leds with better cobs. As far as cobs go citizen and vero are the best priced cobs around. The citizen 1212 &1812 are about $10 cheaper per cob than the vero. The citizen 1818 is about the same cost and the citizen 1825 cost more.

What I meant by dropping the lights is when you hit this 45-55% efficiency range people often over spend for a few more %. You can take a less efficient and less expensive cob and achieve the same ppfd by lowering the light slightly. The efficiency numbers aren’t apples to apples either since they based on lumens per watt. A light source with more green will have the highest lumen per watt and there for show the highest efficiency. At the end of the day paying more for a more efficient cob doesn’t mean you’ll give your plants more light or save whatever % on your electric bill. Light has more to do with the distance between it and the plant. Another factor to consider is I have seen some of the most elaborate setups with the most expensive lights end up with the least grams per watt. This just goes to show that there are a lot more factors to growing than just the lights. Being an efficiency nut I do think it’s like splitting atoms when your at this range and going from 20% to 50% efficiency is more than enough.

Hope this helps.

Hell yeah, thanks Smo! I gotta say, even being a numbers guy, all those specs can get confusing as shit!

 

[Saint Skinny]

This look right? Also, which would be the best color temp for full-cycle?

 

[BigSm0]

3500k which he is out of. It’s the best mix for veg and flower. The version 6 are also much better and worth the extra money. More for the heat aspects.