Lighting Help actually BUYING LEDS

[Archaic]

I've read all of the DIYs, watched all the videos, drawn out all of the diagrams, practiced soldering, etc. but every time I go looking for actual components - my eyes glaze over and I start drooling.

Do any of you guys that actually build stuff want to maybe do a walk through on actually selecting and buying LED components?

What is a bin? How do I know I'm buying real parts? Import tariffs?!?? So many suppliers with so little explanation.

Help!

 

[Archaic]

Bueler?

 

[Arthur]

I did my 200w of citizens, but added a kit with another 5 from timber. The kit was pretty close to what I sourced the parts individually for, close enough that I wouldn't go through the hassle again.

As I understand it the higher the bin the better efficiency. For some reason I'm also recalling something about top bin isn't best for our application.

 

[Arthur]

As to sources, I've seen a few that got their parts from china, Albia? Something like that..
Personally I got mine thru suppliers here stateside to avoid possible issues.

 

[Dr.Bubbles]

LEDs are difficult to produce and can vary from one to the next. Binning is the act of classifying these variations, kind of like matched tubes for valve amplifiers/tube amps. The higher the bin stock, the closer they are to what they were supposed to be.

What are you looking to get? Ya gotta be specific here and do a little research. The rest is just simple math. DIY is the way to go if you can make it work, your money goes further and you get exactly what you want. Not sure what you need to solder for...unless you want to, but there is no soldering required. The wiring technique will determine what can be run off a given driver...kind of like a puzzle, with the more components in the chain, the more wiring options you'll have. What's your budget? What you looking at getting? How much room do you have? Things like these need answers first, and then we can go from there. Have a good one.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Bong Whisperer]

I made my own lights, and here's where I'm at now: DIY makes sense for cheap components. You can build a better light than the Chinese ebay stuff, for less money. At least if you have some skills, and time is free.

The higher end components are a different story. Citizen and Cree COBS, quantum boards, heatsinks etc, are expensive, and when you add part prices up, you'll notice things like Autocobs being quite reasonably priced.

 

[St. Tom]

I've read all of the DIYs, watched all the videos, drawn out all of the diagrams, practiced soldering, etc. but every time I go looking for actual components - my eyes glaze over and I start drooling.

Do any of you guys that actually build stuff want to maybe do a walk through on actually selecting and buying LED components?

What is a bin? How do I know I'm buying real parts? Import tariffs?!?? So many suppliers with so little explanation.

Help!

@Slater has lots of info about lights in general and is a world of knowledge i tagged him for you

 

[Archaic]

Well the first thing I plan on doing is hacking my Growstar UFO blurple and converting it to a single citizen COB fixture.

I understand the electronics and can do the work, I just don't know how to actually buy components. I think I want to go with a CLU 048 1812, but there are dozens of them. Everything links me back to digikey, but digikey shows tarrifs and only sells in huge lots.

Ive just discovered LED Gardener website, so I might actually be able to sort things out now in plain english. Growmau5 suggested Rapid LED, but that looks suspiciously like his own store.

Once I convert the Growstar, I'll probably look into building a Q-board and I can't find anybody just selling Panasonic LEDs by the roll.

 

[Arthur]

Rapid offers growmau5 pucks etc. But is an entirely different entity.
Growmau5 is working as an engineer for chilled lighting

 

[LazyNhazy]

Well the first thing I plan on doing is hacking my Growstar UFO blurple and converting it to a single citizen COB fixture.

I understand the electronics and can do the work, I just don't know how to actually buy components. I think I want to go with a CLU 048 1812, but there are dozens of them. Everything links me back to digikey, but digikey shows tarrifs and only sells in huge lots.

Ive just discovered LED Gardener website, so I might actually be able to sort things out now in plain english. Growmau5 suggested Rapid LED, but that looks suspiciously like his own store.

Once I convert the Growstar, I'll probably look into building a Q-board and I can't find anybody just selling Panasonic LEDs by the roll.

Rapid led has the citizen cobs on sale for $10 right now. Not sure on Kelvin though.