I’ve been using these cheap “full spectrum” Chinese driverless COBs for a while in a test setup. They don’t have the high intensity that the more expensive DC voltage COBs, but they can be moved closer to the plants without harming them. Surely I can’t be the only one using these. The only info I can find about them is they put out a good light spectrum for flowers.
This just reminded me. I came across that article you were talking about in led magazine. Thought it was pretty interesting as well, so I did some digging.
The company that makes them is ERG Lighting, and they have 2 models that I found. A 4” and 6” pcb that as you stated has all the needed components mounted neatly on. I only looked at 6” model, it’s 14 Watts and in 3000k was listed at something like 104 lumens per watt. Price was around $23 and it looked like 10 or more would get them down to about $20 each.
I think it was pretty cool they are advancing that technology. But cost per watt is higher than getting into a vero 29 and the vero has 40% more efficacy at test current. On like a umol per dollar level I think even going with a Cree chip would be a better value. A citizen or luminous cob would probably be double.
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The problem whit the Cree chip is the price, I know it’s best from best but to price for me…
I know I saw a DYI project somewhere it was on your thread @OldSkunk.
I’m planning to build some cheap 
cob’s so I will need to find that thread again!
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You are correct, they are expensive. But they also offer a lot more light. Cut the price in half for a citizen that has almost identical performance, and it’s essentially a whole new scenario.
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I will look on that… I prefer to buy directly from china because is shipping free, they get here in a month but is free… 
My Chinese lights were built in the USA, just using Chinese parts 
company is in California. They are rated 1200w but they draw actual wattage of 252watts from the plug. Plus they are 65.5 LM per Watt which is pretty good for the efficiency drivers are 85% efficiency I believe. But overall I’m impressed, I’ll probably modify them to get more cooling to them so they can last longer, I kno I kno they are cheap parts and you don’t like them but I don’t care it works well and had not failed me yet.
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They all come from China, Taiwan, or similar. But there are some significant differences in engineering, quality, and performance.
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I can’t remember my first threads title @M4ur. I was on @dbrn32 thread let’s talk diy lights and my own driverless COBs test update talking about them. I get mine on Wish. The COBs are “free”. Just pay shipping at $3 each. In other words they’re $3 for the “full spectrum” (pink light) version. Just don’t count on getting any information except a color spectrum chart. I wish @Donaldj would tell us what he’s using. They look different from the ones I’m using.
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Yes he is but we need to wait for testing period 
.
Lmao I won’t misdirect people into wasting money on untested items firstly I haven’t worked out all bugs secondly I haven’t tried them to grow anything so no founded research to share. As well I don’t share non supporter links on forum I know it sounds like I am withholding info but I am protecting members from wasting funds and time or having unrealistic ideas about inferior or unproven leds
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I will do the same if I was you .
The search will continue and the light system will be built any way… For me is the only way!
I fully understand. I won’t recommend anything I’m using yet either. These cheap driverless COBs definitely have inferior light compared to the 300 watt LEDs I’m running. I’m running a 300 watt setup now to see how reliable they’re going to be.
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You need to make the deference between this two types. The 300w led pull just 130w(if you are lucky) from the wall
My China 1000 watt led claimed 265 watts. When I opened it, there are four 50 watt ballasts. Now wondering about my 1800 watt cob that claims 365; has 6 300 watt cobs in 1 fixture with fan for each one.
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Mine are true 300 watt lights actually 260 for the light and 40 for the fans inside. I posted about this on another thread. The lights are 600w which we all know means half that.
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@bryan if I were you, I would buy myself a kill a watt meter either on Amazon or at somewhere like harbor freight. They are invaluable in knowing what you’re lights and fans actually are doing watts wise.
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All the no name China lights off ebay that I bought where only 10% of there advertised wattage.
The 1200w light only pulled 118w out of the wall and it ran 2 fans with that wattage
The 1000w light only 97w out the wall with 2 fans
And the 600w was 76w with 2 fans
Best thing to do is get a cheap meter so you will know the truth.
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@Donaldj @MAXHeadRoom @OldSkunk @M4ur @bryan @dbrn32
Let’s just forget about wattage for a second…and measure the physical light your fixture is putting out…
I think that people are forgetting your LEDs are using less power but they are still throwing out more PAR and LUX and Lumens than a regular HID or HPS or MH, or CFL, for that matter PER WATT, I mean come on, I need to apply @garrigan62 recipe he gave me I think last year for a topical cream to cure skin cancer:wink:
the waves those full spectrum LEDs put out man! I gotta respect the LEDs, thus saving you money and they still put out more physical light waves…using less wattage? Wattage DOES matter but think about your lumens and LUX and PAR values too, how the ratio continues to relate to how your plants grow. Then you find the LED that matches your wavelengths that you need, more red, more blue, footprint etc. What are people not understanding about this concept? How effective can a 95 percent efficiency really do? Your pushing the driver to its limits, the LED will not last as long, that’s why the divers and everything else with zaner protection and all the AC/DC converters are the way they are wired?
That’s the best your gunna get, unless you can create an atom splitting light that mimics the explosions on the suns surface…you can’t get any better than LEDs there is no better invention…please tell me if you find one I have yet to get one 
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LOL this is a DIY cob thread they are sold in Watts and really the discussion mainly centers around heatsinks more than anything which are rated in watts not PAR LUX or Lumen. So not really about premade units it’s about playing and making your own Tim Allen Tooltime shite bigger better more power
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Done it’s called LEP light emitting plasma been on market for years and expensive also isn’t purple
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