Lighting Possible COB upgrade?

[BigD1128]

I bought a COB led from Amazon and it works great but I was wondering if it would be possible to upgrade an additional light or possibly a stronger light. Another option I am curious about would be attaching this light to a different frame that would fit my cabinet better. I am pretty much clueless about DIY Cobs but it is something I have been reading up on any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[White Punk on Dope]

Nice post. I have looked at those on Ebay also with the thought of buying and upgrading before I even turned it on.
I am putting out a request to @BigSm0 to tell us if and how to frankenstein this cob fixture with a citizen 1812.

 

[dragondust]

View attachment 713437 View attachment 713438 View attachment 713439 I bought a COB led from Amazon and it works great but I was wondering if it would be possible to upgrade an additional light or possibly a stronger light. Another option I am curious about would be attaching this light to a different frame that would fit my cabinet better. I am pretty much clueless about DIY Cobs but it is something I have been reading up on any help would be greatly appreciated.

Can you get a pic of the 2 drivers on the side of the cob? That 12w driver looks like is for the fan.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[BigD1128]

@dragondust I apologize. I thought that was the driver I snapped a pic of. Unfortunately I can't get another pic until tomorrow. Thanks for your reply! @White Punk on Dope I have had a successful grow using the light as is. It really isn't bad for the price. I am just always looking to upgrade and improve my set up.

 

[BigSm0]

@dragondust I apologize. I thought that was the driver I snapped a pic of. Unfortunately I can't get another pic until tomorrow. Thanks for your reply! @White Punk on Dope I have had a successful grow using the light as is. It really isn't bad for the price. I am just always looking to upgrade and improve my set up.

Without a side by side it is hard to tell how well it actually works. Most people try a light out and see results and think it's great. In all fairness it did its job and didn't cost much. The math behind lighting is a little deeper. When you operate these less expensive cobs the light output or par is actually very low. Not all cobs are the same or even remotely close for that matter. These may work for years and years and grow fine but the real downfall is the amount of light emitted which is the reason you see so much cob talk. If you do decide to upgrade which I would highly recommend your plants will receive 2 1/2 times the light while keeping the same wattage at the wall. That's why some cobs are less expensive and others are more expensive.

Back to the car analogies, this is not like 400hp from a Honda vs 400hp from a Ferrari. It's like 80hp from an Honda and 400hp from a Ferrari. Not only is the brand which Cree and citizen have proven to be much more reliable but the hp. The claims plastered all over these lights are false. They are not saving energy and are not equal to which ever number they pick from a hat and decide to call it. A real Cree or citizen cob drawing 50 watts is equal to 150 watts of hps. This cob is actually drawing more light to equal the same wattage hps. Hope it helps.

 

[dragondust]

@dragondust I apologize. I thought that was the driver I snapped a pic of. Unfortunately I can't get another pic until tomorrow. Thanks for your reply! @White Punk on Dope I have had a successful grow using the light as is. It really isn't bad for the price. I am just always looking to upgrade and improve my set up.

You might have to remove the mounting strap to see the driver ratings.

 

[BigSm0]

Yes, just took a closer look and they have 2 drivers on one cob too. Yikes!

 

[BigD1128]

What does it mean if there are 2 drivers per cob? Like I said earlier I'm a noob with most of this.

 

[dragondust]

What does it mean if there are 2 drivers per cob? Like I said earlier I'm a noob with most of this.

Your cob has 2 voltage channels on your cob. I seen this on the older gen of cheap Chinese cobs. Each channel needs it own driver.

The newer gen of cob cree or citizens only have one voltage channel. Its better and easier to deal with.

 

[BigD1128]

if I were to start from scratch what could I expect to spend for a cob set up for a small cabinet grow? My cabinet is only 16"x8"x48". I work in a metal shop and have access to make a frame myself.