Lighting LEDs direct from china

[lazylathe]

I just peed a little bit.

:spit:

 

[Nemesis]

I just peed a little bit.

 

[lazylathe]

LOL!!!
The lights cleared too late and the truck had already left....
They will be delivered tomorrow!

 

[gradolabs]

The second Xen-Lux 135w came yesterday. It has the IR diode out. So now we shall see if it is repairable. We will also see what happens customer service/satisfaction. I took a look as promised. The unit has two drivers they put out 131v DC by my meter and it is an el-cheapo meter; the diodes pull 3.0V so 135V? All the diodes are driven by both amps not 50/50. The fan relay and driver is a 3 fan capable driver hooked up in this model to 1- 12V fan. The heat sink is a simple aluminum plate-the face has the PCB with diodes and one other item (resistor?) one per diode. These little components look like they would be beyond the average home craftsman to solder. The diodes are tack soldered and could be home repaired ( re-soldered) after one has the right tools and technique.
My impression is that the drivers, fans, and diode plates are universal and are what's in all the Chinese UFO's. The heat sink is unfinned but adaquite as long as the fan works. The sink and diode plate is most likely interchangeable with other models and that gives one the optics of that exchange. So looks like one can pick the optics and swap. I will be looking into that-- any of you who know were to obtain replacement parts the optics/heat sink plate--let's hear it. Instead of buying a bloom lamp I could possibly just have different heat sinks with the various diodes and swap out from veg to bloom

Post pics!
So you want to swap out circuit boards for the veg/flower transition? Er.... no? You can buy thermal grease and aluminum sheets pretty easy. amazon.com and amazonsupply.com should have the former and latter respectively. But the LED's themselves are one of the most expensive components to an led grow light... if I had a separate bloom board waiting I would just get another power supply and run that too. Prolly not ideal though... 2cents. Or do I have you completely wrong?

 

[InHumboldt]

That is also part of an idea. Looking at the (heat sink/CB/diode& regulators) I think one can repair by replacing diodes-but the regulators are so small I can't see a homecraftsman doing this one unless there is some tricked out method (these baby's are very small). But the heatsink/CB/Diode&reg board as a plug and play board--- if cost effective yes. I'll post some picks tonight. What I'm looking at now is the Xen-Lux appears to have ZIP! for after sales support. If something goes wrong you toss it out and get a new one. I'm looking at sending them back ( got 30 days) just as soon as I get a more maintainable unit.

In light of such the warrantee and after support I like is from a factory with little history--inspiring little confidence. But a plug and socket unit with all sub-assemblies available from the factory--free durring warrantee, and still made available after warrantee is what I want. If my unit still limps I don't have to send it in and wait. Or pay to send it to China--or Maine, ect.

I will post picks but for now inside are 2-45 watt 131volt dc drivers--one fan relay--one 12V fan--all of these sub-units are half the size of a cigarette pack except the fan. The two power supplies combine into a 90w-131V DC supply

-the circuit board is one big loop with a regulators that cut's out the needed voltage for the diode-- one regulator per diode--in the event of diode failure the diode was on a individual loop off the main circuit---- the main circuit remains intact but with extra current--in that the diodes are way under powered the extra electricity is no problem until you lose 1/3 or more of the diodes. Lose an amp and the board runs on 45 watts. If I had a triple fan unit and the unit I have has a triple fan relay in it!- anyway with redundant fans it could say inservice if one fan crapped out.

So one big loop with 45 regulators in it--each regulator has a small side loop off it-each side loop has just the right voltage for the diode. The diodes are not all matched voltage wise. Picks comming.

Inaccurate: will add correction below

PS-I'm now trying to deal with "Winne" directly over in China. It's all about aftermarket support-don't sell me something I can't maintain.

 

[gradolabs]

The little smd (surface mount device) is probably a voltage regulator or a resistor, but I can't say for sure without looking at it. If I remember correctly you've got a faulty led... if you can solder one in and out, replacements can be had in any spectrum you're looking for... digikey has em in stock in the us. Dunno about any other issues you have though. And snap some photos!!!

 

[kingjetorl]

The lights I am ordering could be full spectrum. Veg.or flower. I only do 1 or 2 plants a time. so I'm thinking of ordering the flowering LED because I use CFL's for veg. Does this sound like a good idea or should I go for the full spectrum?
Thanks

 

[Nemesis]

Dont plants benefit from all spectrums through both stages? If so, id go for full spectrum but, i am actually using two red spectrum modules mixed in with my four other mixed spectrum modules during flowering of my cheeses and they are loving the extra red.
Proof is in the testing again i spose! :joint:

 

[InHumboldt]

Xen-Lux gutted:
View attachment 184437 Relay and fan power on top-handles up to 3 fans ----two 45w 131v DC amps---and a computer fan (the two wires on the top of the photo are from my multi-meter)
View attachment 184438The flip side is just aluminum plate everything's on one side.
View attachment 184439The lip is a o-ring like channel gasket
View attachment 184440Both amps power the entire board not 50/50
The photos are from the Good one--the IR diode runs 2.0V the Bad one ran 1.6 could be a different diode or a bad diode one thing came out-the importer has no parts. The company that sells the ones you can get parts for most likely made their's almost the same and may be a source of parts.

 

[gradolabs]

heres a six dollar replacement diode on a metal core pcb. it runs at less than 2v so thats perfect.
http://dx.com/p/3w-infrared-led-850nm-ir-emitter-on-2cm-star-1-5v-1-7v-dc-14061

Pop it off that sweet sweet mcpcb and onto yours.