Lighting DIY Cob Building. Safety first! [ELECTRICAL SAFETY ADVICE]

[BigSm0]

Well after some time I reread this entire thread. Yes safety is number one priority. If you guys and gals have any concerns before you connect the first single wire @BigSm0, pop22 or arty zan. One of us are sure to get things straight.

I'd like to personally push people to make things that are better than what they can buy. I'd also like to help people save money on their electric bills and cut cooling costs. The current lighting market is in a very very bad place as far as opinions are concerned. There is plenty of good but also plenty of bad. My recent finding on a bar I bought from eBay had a driver located inside without a housing. Instead to cut costs they sealed it with heat shrink tubing. Disgusting!

Now there are plenty of good lights out there but cobs are the least expensive way to put photons to your plants. Heat/light ration = efficiency and it is real. Watts are irrelivent when growing. Efficient watts can double or even triple the light hitting your plants. It does sound to good to be true.

@XxxAuto @2Stoned2Care maybe you two can show some pictures of your recent successful builds.

 

[2Stoned2Care]

Heres my girl 4 clu-48-1212s driven by a mean well hlg-185h-1400b giving me a 200w dimmable to 20w light.and as @BigSm0 says safety is the most important thing to get right then your lights will last a long long time and so will you and your house.i had a mars 400w and 2 mars 300w in my tent before and this new diy cob light gives off more light than those 3 put together they really do give off some serious lumens

Good luck with your builds guys,its worth every penny you invest and the best thing is you can upgrade your diy lights whenever you want

 

[pop22]

Very nice light!

Heres my girl 4 clu-48-1212s driven by a mean well hlg-185h-1400b giving me a 200w dimmable to 20w light.and as @BigSm0 says safety is the most important thing to get right then your lights will last a long long time and so will you and your house.i had a mars 400w and 2 mars 300w in my tent before and this new diy cob light gives off more light than those 3 put together they really do give off some serious lumens

View attachment 667436

View attachment 667437

Good luck with your builds guys,its worth every penny you invest and the best thing is you can upgrade your diy lights whenever you want

 

[wayward1]

I've been lurking for a while wanting to make a clu048 1212 cob light, but first of my worries was electrical safety.. and I've pretty much re wired a whole house... a couple of times. But this amps to volts stuff confuses me and can't be taken lightly.

Heres my girl 4 clu-48-1212s driven by a mean well hlg-185h-1400b giving me a 200w dimmable to 20w light.and as @BigSm0 says safety is the most important thing to get right then your lights will last a long long time and so will you and your house.i had a mars 400w and 2 mars 300w in my tent before and this new diy cob light gives off more light than those 3 put together they really do give off some serious lumens

View attachment 667436

View attachment 667437

Good luck with your builds guys,its worth every penny you invest and the best thing is you can upgrade your diy lights whenever you want

 

[Puddentane]

Well after some time I reread this entire thread. Yes safety is number one priority. If you guys and gals have any concerns before you connect the first single wire @BigSm0, pop22 or arty zan. One of us are sure to get things straight.

I'd like to personally push people to make things that are better than what they can buy. I'd also like to help people save money on their electric bills and cut cooling costs. The current lighting market is in a very very bad place as far as opinions are concerned. There is plenty of good but also plenty of bad. My recent finding on a bar I bought from eBay had a driver located inside without a housing. Instead to cut costs they sealed it with heat shrink tubing. Disgusting!

View attachment 667427 Now there are plenty of good lights out there but cobs are the least expensive way to put photons to your plants. Heat/light ration = efficiency and it is real. Watts are irrelivent when growing. Efficient watts can double or even triple the light hitting your plants. It does sound to good to be true.

@XxxAuto @2Stoned2Care maybe you two can show some pictures of your recent successful builds.

What thoughts do you have regarding these bare bones power supplies out of Asia? I see them all over at prices that are quite attractive but wonder if anyone has experience with their performance and longevity. The current budget has me constantly looking at alternatives to the really good gear we all know and love.

 

[Son of Hobbes]

Heres my girl 4 clu-48-1212s driven by a mean well hlg-185h-1400b giving me a 200w dimmable to 20w light.and as @BigSm0 says safety is the most important thing to get right then your lights will last a long long time and so will you and your house.i had a mars 400w and 2 mars 300w in my tent before and this new diy cob light gives off more light than those 3 put together they really do give off some serious lumens

View attachment 667436

View attachment 667437

Good luck with your builds guys,its worth every penny you invest and the best thing is you can upgrade your diy lights whenever you want

Hey great looking light, bud! Just noticed something (sorry, OCD lol,) but your carbon scrubber pre-filter looks pretty filthy, make sure you are washing that out after every grow lol!

 

[wayward1]

Secondly I want to say how I don't know the tricks of posting work so bear with me! And thirdly, trying to find info on where to source the parts in Europe. Wanting a 200w set up for a 60X60cm tent.

And absolutely thirdly, best post ever simo on safety. Makes me reassured in trying a build for a tent. WE ARE NOT INSURED FOR FIRES STARTED THROUGH CANNABIS GROWING.

 

[BigSm0]

I've been lurking for a while wanting to make a clu048 1212 cob light, but first of my worries was electrical safety.. and I've pretty much re wired a whole house... a couple of times. But this amps to volts stuff confuses me and can't be taken lightly.

Make a tread and I'll be happy go through it all with you. The toughest part with DIY is convincing people it's the best option which you already seemed to pass. Wiring with a little direction is very simple. I can even take some pictures if you want.

 

[wayward1]

Oh btw bigSmo and 2 stoned... get a room!

 

[BigSm0]

What thoughts do you have regarding these bare bones power supplies out of Asia? I see them all over at prices that are quite attractive but wonder if anyone has experience with their performance and longevity. The current budget has me constantly looking at alternatives to the really good gear we all know and love.

The efficiency of the drivers has a direct impact on the efficiency of the light itself. Meanwell being 95% vs a cheaper driver being 85% or worse equals 10+% less efficient light. The difference between a clu048-1212 to a clu048-1812 is less than 10% but costs $8 more. That hopefully put's the dollars to efficiency in perspective. So if a driver of the same wattage is a few dollars cheaper it's probably not worth it. For awhile now I have been searching for a cost effective option besides meanwell but been stricking out. A hlg-120-48 is rated for 100w with a built in dimmer for under $30.