This is how I built an overpowered light worth $2500+ on the market for only $850. All currency is CAD. *BEFORE STARTING* Watch the 6 part growmau5 series to learn the wiring: For the grounding plug: Technical: 4x Hlg 185H 700ma in series drivers (i suggest you buy the newer 240H model) $250 40x 5000K $350 7x 3000K $25 (You can use less I used way too many) All are bridgelux Gen 3/ C3 (Make sure theyre all plug in only dont mess around with the solder ones unless you have 100+hours experience in soldering) The 3000k ones I used were soulder onlys. Lost a couple due to human error Total Cost (TC): $575 Frame: (Choose a better material for frame, I used wood composite because I was lazy) (I would think aluminum would be the best material but all have their pros and cons) Wood composite 2x2ft v Matching plastic 2x2ft (painting frame) $50? Thermal tape (sized to the width of the led bars) $20 TC: $70-100 Electric: 100’ length 20guage solid core wire $60 50 pack 2 wire wagos 221 $25 4x plastic junction boxes 4inch x 4inch x 3inch (make sure it comes with something to plug up the holes and hold the wire)$40 500 assorted pack heatshrink tubing $20 (good to help fit in junction box) 4x Leviton 515PV 15Amp 125Volt grounding plug $20 25’ 16guage wire (for the grounding plug) $20 TC:$165-Everything is super flexible here just make sure your amps and volt calculations are solid. -Dedicated extra fans (required): With 2 medium fans running on the light, and another 2 small fans running on the drivers everything is 20C-25C. SETTING UP THE DIMMERS (Very easy if you do it like i did in these pictures) All you need is: •100k potentiometers (maybe an ohm meter if you want to make sure ur dimmers go all the way to 100, most dont they go to like 92 or 97) •20 guage wire (same as the led strips) •Plastic junction box (make sure its got rubber wire holders that you cut a hole through with scissors and put the wire/ potentiometer through) •211 Wago wire connector •soldering machine (temperature is dependant on what kind of solder you use) $25 • silver solder (find a lower temp soldering machine ~360f for silver) $20
Always exercise caution when working with electricity ⚠️⚡️, although this project is pretty safe because you set everything up before putting any input electricity from the wall.
Nice \After all the hangers pullies and hardware and wiring my costs a few years ago was a buck a watt to DIY HLG grow lights.
You can still get older Influx strips for ~$3 per 2 foot strip at Arrow Electronics. They work pretty good and use 10W more (60W) than the newer HinFlux strips (50W). I still use some of these strips (5000K) for seedlings.
BTW i just got 6 4' double strip lights with reflectors that are 42 watts per strip for $70 on amazon. Not for sure what the led chip is but they're 3000k i think and do not put out a lot of micromoles per second per distance.