Lighting DIY Mars to Cree Cob conversion

[Dudeski]

Thank you for the heads up. Gotta get these guys and forum on track lol. Plus I'm about to drop a bomb on DIY lighting and the more interested the better.

Cant wait! I really appreciate your sharing what you have learned with everyone.

 

[Kaivorth]

I'll tear apart the MARS300 tonight and post what the drivers are. If anyone could tell me if they'll work or not, I'll def post pictures when I do the conversion. I plan on getting the holders and everything.

 

[Dudeski]

The drivers in the 300 are a good match for the crees.

 

[Ripper]

Well big smo beat me to it..

 

[BigSm0]

I'll tear apart the MARS300 tonight and post what the drivers are. If anyone could tell me if they'll work or not, I'll def post pictures when I do the conversion. I plan on getting the holders and everything.

Earlier I said there is no real way to tell what's in them until you see first hand and until then I wouldn't plan anything or ruin the panel getting it apart. In the 300 I believe it has 4 drivers capable of running 2 citi 1212's or 2 3590's each. So you could do 8 cobs total. Personally I would take out 2 drivers and use 2 drivers for a total of 4 cobs. That's going to illuminate a much larger area and do it much better. Roughly 120w, 70 par watts 50 watts is heat vs 140w, 35 par watts 105watts of heat.

 

[Ripper]

Earlier I said there is no real way to tell what's in them until you see first hand and until then I wouldn't plan anything or ruin the panel getting it apart. In the 300 I believe it has 4 drivers capable of running 2 citi 1212's or 2 3590's each. So you could do 8 cobs total. Personally I would take out 2 drivers and use 2 drivers for a total of 4 cobs. That's going to illuminate a much larger area and do it much better. Roughly 120w, 70 par watts 50 watts is heat vs 140w, 35 par watts 105watts of heat.

My 300 had two drivers

 

[BigSm0]

My 300 had two drivers

Oh good to know. I checked out some older threads on the 300's and I read 4 so who knows. I actually had a dozen in my cart on ebay waiting for a counter offer and it was pathetic so I left it and forgot. Anyways it was for the drivers only and now I'm happy there are only 2. I think my offer expecting 4 drivers would have put me at 13 bucks a driver and still get to keep all the rest of the stuff too.

 

[Ripper]

Oh good to know. I checked out some older threads on the 300's and I read 4 so who knows. I actually had a dozen in my cart on ebay waiting for a counter offer and it was pathetic so I left it and forgot. Anyways it was for the drivers only and now I'm happy there are only 2. I think my offer expecting 4 drivers would have put me at 13 bucks a driver and still get to keep all the rest of the stuff too.

Yes it varies from the older to he newer mine are only a few years old and have 2 ..

 

[Kaivorth]

I'll post pictures tomorrow. These the only specs you need? 2 drivers. Each say the following:
92V
.67a

This is good for 2 Citizen 1212s each right? Heatsink looks like junk. Might try to source some better ones..

 

[Gilligan]

Well I wasnt having much success searching the internet trying to determine the specs for the mars hydro 400 fixture that I wanted to convert. So I figured what the heck ill just go right to the source and see what they say.


So I emailed them and
Here was the response I received:

"The driver for the mh-400 is 60 w ,Details : Light: 95 v ; load: 55-86 - v ; Current: 685-700 MA"

When I disassembled my fixture I found 2 fans 2 heat sinks and 3 drivers and I wont profess to being an electrical engineer.

So do these numbers equate to something that one of you electrical savvy individuals can translate into what size cobs can be used and quantity.

Thanks