Lighting Off the Shelf Screw in LED Bulbs as a Viable Alternative

[MickJ]

Not really screw in, but saw these this morning and think they might make a decent, low(ish) price alternative lighting solution. They're available in 50w version online for about 25 bucks each. Seems like it would be fairly easy to strap them to the top cross bars in a tent. Looks like they just come with bare wires, so would need to install a plug. They claim equivalent light to 250W halogen.

I have one outside, bought at a reputable supplier. They get very hot as they are designed to be outside where it doesn't matter. Powerful though.

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[Nonpoint]

Those 50 watt floods are inefficient to say the least. they have been around in the bowfishing world for years now.

Wiring is horrible, junction temperatures are all over the place from poor conductive grease application and the heat sinks are under sized for cast heat heat sinks.

Most pull them apart from the get go and rewire.

 

[Nonpoint]

I will add there are options with better made components if one wants to go that route. Seelite and arrow led sell a better flood but you are going pay for it on that end.

 

[wwwillie]

I think creating a small fixture with e26 base bulbs is as far as I'll go. After that it does get a bit sketchy with regards to quality, safety, and most importantly value. I can get quality bulbs that I would use to light my home for a buck, so a set of those makes a nice, cheap, safe light to use here and there and in a pinch! Considering the cost of a quality COB I just cannot see spending even $25.00 for one of those! You can get a Citizen COB mounted to a quality holder on a Mechatronix heatsink for about $50.00. Still need a driver, but you can see where I am going with this...

 

[MickJ]

In the UK the cob is £10 ($15) and you can use a used pc heatsink. Driver for 4 lights are about £25 ($35). Me being shit at electrics £priceless

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[pop22]

Go to HLG's site and look at things like the QB 120, or even the QB 40. No heatsink required. I've run a QB 12o off of a $15.00 24volt driver, the QB is $29 + shipping. A QB 120 will STOMP and DIY light in the same price range, and more than a few that cost 3X as much. I'm a DIY guy, everyone here knows that. THIS is DIY at its best, quality parts, a company whose support is the best I've EVER seen from any company, and efficient light output at an outstanding price. you CAN'T build a diy that compares to it for this amount of money. I know, ans all my lights but 1 are now QB boards, because they have the DIY board styke COBs to satisfy the full performance range.

Here are three plants in one gallon pots,under 1, QB288 running at 60 watts, in a 22x20x40inch cab:

I think creating a small fixture with e26 base bulbs is as far as I'll go. After that it does get a bit sketchy with regards to quality, safety, and most importantly value. I can get quality bulbs that I would use to light my home for a buck, so a set of those makes a nice, cheap, safe light to use here and there and in a pinch! Considering the cost of a quality COB I just cannot see spending even $25.00 for one of those! You can get a Citizen COB mounted to a quality holder on a Mechatronix heatsink for about $50.00. Still need a driver, but you can see where I am going with this...

 

[Archaic]

I've been happy with just the screw in bulbs in keeping with the intent of this thread.

They are throwing a lot better light with a lot less heat than the CFLs they replaced. Plus, having some standoff distance is a nice change from the CFLs. Ironically, they are so much cooler, I had to add supplemental heating (the black reptile bulb heater in my pic) to keep the girls from freezing this winter. I've been able to turn the exhaust down so low that its essentially silent now. I'm sure if I had a taller more sophisticated cabinet that I'd assemble a nice COB rig, but TBH the little box is mainly to keep something green during the winter until I can get back outdoors. For that the screw in household LEDs >>>> screw in CFLs, which is the whole point.

Am I the only one that notices that screw in CFLs are getting pretty scarce? In a few years I think they will be a historical footnote and screw in LEDs will be as cheap as incandescent bulbs. My $0.02 anyway.

 

[wwwillie]

Am I the only one that notices that screw in CFLs are getting pretty scarce? In a few years I think they will be a historical footnote and screw in LEDs will be as cheap as incandescent bulbs. My $0.02 anyway.

Indeed, you can get LED bulbs for a dollar now. CFLs are done!

 

[Nonpoint]

Phase out of cfl and tubes has been a long time coming. Most commercial buildings in the US have been shedding that ball and chain for some time. I am happy to see them go not only form a ecological stand point but from a workload stand point as well. I haven't had to change a ballast in a year...haha

I've been happy with just the screw in bulbs in keeping with the intent of this thread.

They are throwing a lot better light with a lot less heat than the CFLs they replaced. Plus, having some standoff distance is a nice change from the CFLs. Ironically, they are so much cooler, I had to add supplemental heating (the black reptile bulb heater in my pic) to keep the girls from freezing this winter. I've been able to turn the exhaust down so low that its essentially silent now. I'm sure if I had a taller more sophisticated cabinet that I'd assemble a nice COB rig, but TBH the little box is mainly to keep something green during the winter until I can get back outdoors. For that the screw in household LEDs >>>> screw in CFLs, which is the whole point.

Am I the only one that notices that screw in CFLs are getting pretty scarce? In a few years I think they will be a historical footnote and screw in LEDs will be as cheap as incandescent bulbs. My $0.02 anyway.

 

[Tommy boy]

Results of 200 watts of off the led bulbs and 4 24in red and blue led strips 12 watts each. I have 8 100 watt equalvent 6 2700k 2 5000k. Than 3 feti full spectrum plant bulbs 9 watts each. Total estate watts 175 watts of screw in off the shelf led bulbs 48 watts of led strips. So like 225 watts total. Love it last pic is a close up shot of some pineapple kush I cut last week great smoke and not even cured yet. The others are of a g13 labs deisel auto at 10 weeks. And a canuk auto cheese free seed I had. It' my 2 1/2 grow with off the shelf led bulbs and imo for the price there is nothing better period.